This is my absolute favorite trade show to attend. See what caught my eye in the realm of design in my ICFF 2018 Report from the floor.
Every year, ICFF takes over the Javits Center in mid-May and stands as the hub for NYC Design Week. Architects, interior designers and real estate developers flock to this show to see the latest in luxuriously styled interiors, contemporary furniture design and high-end accessories. Lighting seems to have stood out this year, with beautifully rendered specimens in a myriad of styles. Read on to see my favorites.
1 ARTICOLO
Sconces with a bit of pizazz. Spoti is made with hand-blown glass. Available in black or white with matching kickback. articololighting.com
2 PLUMA CUBIC
Featured in the Hand Made in Germany section, this whimsical lamp called Luna Nova has a lampshade adorned with iridescent green rooster feathers on a powder-coated black matte base. pluma-cubic.com
3 LAROSE GUYON
Hand made in Montreal, this lighting has a certain elegance in a category all its own. Otéro is comprised of delicate chains, these in a cool, matte black, which hang luxuriously below a set of down lights. Very feminine and dramatic, it’s also available in a shimmery copper and gold. The inspiration is the dancer, courtesan and beautful Parisian Caroline Otéro. She was known as La Belle Otéro, and for her exotic style and passion for jewelry. laroseguyon.com
4 KONCEPT
Royyo cascades beautifully from the ceiling, with a minimalist flair, almost angelic. Designed by Kenneth Ng and Edmund Ng, it won the Red Dot Design Award for 2018. Also available as a desk lamp or floor lamp. koncept.com
5 BERNHARDT DESIGN
Halo chairs by Brogliato Traverso come in a very exciting color palette. I would be inclined to get a few colors to mix and match. Also, not shown are a dark gray, black, and terra cotta. But I love the three citrus-y tones in the photo. bernhardtdesign.com
6 HUAN PEI
In the student section is a clever coffee table with a simple graphic base. Froz is the work of Huan Pei, a graduate of Artcenter Environmental Design alumnus. I think this person has a great future ahead of him. www.artcenter.edu
7 THG PARIS
When I enter this booth I am truly in heaven. They offer the most elegant bathroom fixtures imaginable. Above, Jamie Drake designed Profil Lalique Clear Crystal, the X-shaped handles and white/chrome handle and inlaid them with Lalique Clear Crystal, Lalique Black Crystal, and Black Onyx. It absolutely makes a high-end statement.
The latest design from THG features System by Arik Levy, whose elements can be customized to suit your fancy. It comes in 14 finishes, rings in metal, marble, and crystal, with two handle styles. I think he covered all the bases! thg-paris.com
8 FURSTENBERG
This dish was located in the Hand Made in Germany section. Furstenberg is the second oldest porcelain manufacturer in Germany, having been founded in 1747. Fleun has an array of pastel shades which morph around the dishes in an abstract way. View the entire collection online to really appreciate the range and creativity. fuerstenberg-porzellan.com
9 MARTAMANENTE
A swing with swagger. This pink leather number sports elongated fringe to add to the moving experience. Wish I had a spot to put this! Designed by Marta Manente, a talented Brazilian who also designs interiors, furniture, and graphics. martamanente.com.br
10 KONEKT
Thing Stools come wrapped in fun. They feature four distinct designs alternating upholstery, brass hardware and horse hair in six different colors. What a cool idea. The Thing Ottoman in front offers a similar design with more seating area. Love these. konektfurniture.com
11 M2L
All that walking around the Javits called for a pitstop. What better spot to plant oneself than the M2L Harvey Probber Deep Tuft Sectional. This beauty was designed in 1972, and can be configured in many ways. It’s a playful look at comfort wrapped in a plush velvet. m2l.com
12 SAN LORENZO
This Italian company has the most precious objects in silver. The bowl is designed for tasting wine. Taste-vin Cup was designed by Tobia Scarpa in 2004. 999 Pure Silver.
The sushi set combines wood with Sterling silver, and will do much to elevate your next take-out! Chopsticks and chopstick rest were designed by Naoko Shintani in 2010. This company also had lots of little interestingly-shaped bowls that shone beautifully. sanlorenzoargento.it
13 AMUNEAL
The Wine Saddle Display Unit cradles your bottles in brass, blackened steel and leather. I thought this was a unique and stylish approach to wine storage. This company is known for their custom installations which pair a brass element with wood, glass, and much more. They also make fantastic staircases and ballisters. amuneal.com
14 CF + D
These are some slick firepits that can be built in anywhere. That’s because the “flame” is actually vapor, creating the illusion of actual fire. Vapor-Fire is the technology built into these stylish units, which can be custom-made in whatever colors and finishes you can imagine. Vita Fireplaces can be manually filled with water to get up to 10 hours of burn time or be plumbed for continuous burn. Cool—to the touch. customfireplacedesign.com
15 NO TASTE FOR BAD TASTE
This booth highlighted the very best of French design. Forty 21st century masterpieces were highlighted by the whimsical illustrations of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.The red couch is called Ploum, and is designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Ligne Roset. lefrenchdesign.org
16 NEWTON PAISLEY
I adored this collection from British designer and biologist, Susy Paisley. The colors in this pattern, Cactus Mexicanos Wallpaper are absolutely sensational. Every pattern is hand-drawn and depicts images of neglected and endangered species. She supports preservation of critical wild habitat, so with every meter of fabric sold, wild habitat is preserved through World Land Trust. I guess it wasn’t just me who thought this collection a gem. Newton Paisley also won ICFF’s Best in Show for wallpaper, and Editor’s Choice. newtonpaisley.com
17 MIND THE GAP
Speaking of imaginative wallpaper, this company from Transylvania, Romania also had an outstanding collection. Leafing through the sample books showed page after page of truly imaginative prints rich in detail, with exceptional color pallettes. There were tropical themes, botanical and insect studies, mathematical and science-inspired. Really fun stuff. mindtheg.com
18 ARONSON WOODWORKS
This company has come up with a unique treatment that brings out the texture and grain of the wood. The Claize custom finishing process was invented by woodworker Clay Aronson, and can come in a variety of colors, including custom. I love how this really celebrates the nature of wood’s beautiful patterns. The finish also seals the wood, so you don’t have to worry about water rings or food stains. aronsonwoodworks.com
19 EUROPIANO NAPLES
I think Liberace would approve of these. This company really goes all out in their imaginative designs in all colors, including bright red and all-gold. The baby grands have versions with art inside the top you can show off when it’s open. Check out their really wild assortment on the website. europianosnaples.com
20 BERNHARDT DESIGN
Featured inside the Berhardt Design booth, which was a eye-resting off-white with just a few pops of furniture, were sketch books available for expression. This was a great place to sit down and draw with the colored pencils provided. Like that they chose black paper instead of white. Nice touch. Wonder what they will do with these… bernhardtdesign.com
Wait there’s more… See the other posts from our wanderings during NYCxDesign. The Soho Design District roundup, Wanted Design’s top picks, Wanted Design’s Zero Waste trend, and DDC + Herman Miller parties.
