IFDA's 2nd annual Take A Seat chair charity auction in NYC on May 14--Part 1, profiling the designers and their chairs

With only a couple of weeks until our 
2nd annual Take A Seat chair charity auction, we are happy to tell you more 
about this exciting event.

Acclaimed interior designer, Libby Langdon will MC our lively gala and auction on May 14, along with professional auctioneer Harrie E. Copeland III, who promises to work the crowd.  Add to that 25 talented interior designers and artists, all of whom will decorate then donate a chair to be auctioned off, with proceeds gifted to non-profit organization Habitat for Humanity, and Take A Seat promises to be one of 
spring's premiere design events! 

 This year, NYC&G magazine is our generous media sponsor and Room & Board showroom has graciously offered to host our May 14 auction in their gorgeous, expansive Soho store.  The chairs will be displayed throughout the Room & Board windows and vignettes in the days leading up to NYC's ICFF furnishings show.  On the evening of Wednesday, May 14 the chairs will then be auctioned off during a festive celebration.

 Room & Board in Soho

Take a look at a few of the 

designers and their 

"before" chairs and inspirations...

1. Michael Tavano's 

TANGO INDIGO

Michael Tavano brings his astute eye for color, scale and proportion mixed with a touch of whimsy and a passion to create a superb quality of life to his designs. Besides designing, he stars in the BBC’s hit television series House of the Year and is also the creative director of Marks & Tavano Workroom, which handcrafts custom draperies and upholstery for many of the country’s most respected designers. Please find him busy on social media as well at Michael Tavano Design on Facebook, and @MichaelTavano on Twitter.

2. Michelle Slovak's 

PENELOPE PRINCESS CHAIR

IFDA board member, Michelle Slovak

is a graduate of Parsons School of Design and has been involved in almost every aspect of the design industry over her career, including designing textiles, glassware, furniture and accessories.  Slovak often whips together makeover stories for print publications as well.  Utilizing her color expertise, she plans to transform the chair into a sparkling wonder.

3. Tracy Steele's

CLOTHES HANGER CHAIR

Since our chairs often hold our garments that may not make it to the closet, Steele's chair will become an unique perspective as a creative hanger.

Originally hailing from Virginia, Tracy Steele began her career here in NYC as a furniture designer, creating high-end custom upholstered pieces for select clients.  Since 2000, the firm has grown to offer full-service interior design options.  With a downtown, modern sensibility she specializes in residential work, often time focusing on family and kid's spaces.  Steele's work varies in scope, and she recently began offering specialized spaces for people with special needs, developing a furniture collection called Little People, BIG DESIGN.  

Look for Tracy Steele Designs Inc on Facebook

4. Saxon Henry and Pryor Callaway's 

MISS WELTY

Pryor Callaway and Saxon Henry teamed up to create a chair they aptly named Miss Welty.  The duo plans to bring their wit and talent to embody writer Eudora Welty.  The chair has great bones, a stylish profile and a resilient structure all symbolizing Welty's character.  They also plan to incorporate Welty's gentleness and gracefulness into the chair as well. To begin the process, Callaway covered the chair with fiberglass. 

Pryor Callaway (left) and Saxon Henry (right)

Callaway, a New York City-based artist and designer born in Mississippi, received her Bachelors in Fine Arts from Millsaps College, and a Masters in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute.  She began her career working in architecture and furniture design, and also pursues pure installation and sculpture work.  Henry is an author, journalist and new media strategist who has written for a variety of national publications, as well as the author of Four Florida Moderns and Home of the Brave, and has an extensive portfolio of design articles to her credit. Online publication credits include, The Curated Object and Roaming by Design. Saxon Henry is the founder of The Literary Blog to Book Movement on Google+ and an early adopter on social media.  Please read Henry's blog, Improvateur, 
Please find Saxon Henry on Facebook and Twitter @SaxonHenry; 
Pryor Callaway on Facebook and @PryorCallaway on Twitter

5.  Peter Fasano's
CLARENCE HOUSE chair
was inspired by Kazumi Yoshida's designs, which he read about in the lovely book gifted to him about the history of .Clarence House.  

For over 30 years, Peter Fasano has been creating hand-painted silk screened fabrics and wall coverings.  Fasano pulls from an eclectic array of inspirations to create myriad patterns and designs.  He uses water-soluble, earth-based pigments and all fabrics are printed to order with custom options readily available. The designs are offered in 23 showrooms in 14 states in the U.S., as well as in Australia, U.K., New Zealand and Singapore.  

6. Caleb Anderson's 

GEOMETRY MEETS VANITY

Caleb Anderson is the visionary and creative-force behind Caleb Anderson Design.  After earning his design degree he honed his skills under the tutelage of Jamie Drake and architect, David Mann.  Anderson utilizes his tasteful eclecticism and graceful color palette choices to forge an understanding between timelessness and today.  His diverse portfolio showcases his polished sensibility and unique design vision, while he balances luxury, curation, functionality and beauty. Please find Caleb Anderson on Facebook and Twitter, @CalebADesign

Please follow our MC, interior designer, author and makeover television personality, Libby Langdon over on social media as well.  Langdon is the creative force behind New York City-based design firm Libby Interiors, Inc.  Her residential and commercial projects embody easy, elegant, everyday style, and she is fast becoming known for her growing collection of branded home furnishings products. She shares her extensive knowledge in makeover television, drawing inspiration for her own collections from the thousands of conversations she has with consumers across the country about how we really live and what we really want.  You can find Libby Langdon active on Facebook;

and Twitter, @LibbyLangdon 

Please stop back for more profiles 

of our illustrious designers and hear about their chairs, 

and follow our IFDA TAS pin board to see the "before" and "after" chairs and designers.