The Stellar Design Spotting Continues
with IFDA SELECTS at the
Architectural Digest Home Show
guest post written by Jessica Geller & Virginia Toledo of id 810
photographs by Rio Hamilton
We are excited to walk you through our extensive tour of the 2016 Architectural Digest Design Show and lead you through the best of the best. This year’s show was the largest to date in its 15-year history and took place at Piers 92 and 94 in New York City from March 17 through the 20th. We are honored to have been invited to judge the show’s top products along with many of our Rising Star peers and industry leaders, including noted designers Pryor Callaway, Vanessa DeLeon, Kevin Dumais, Nancy Fire, Dwayne Clark, Andrea Brodfuerer, Rio Hamilton, and Elissa Grayer, as well as IFDA Board Member Rose Ott.
We love this particular trade show for many reasons –
The Architectural Digest show is unique in that it’s open to the consumer. This points us in the direction of trends that appeal to the masses, lets us know what our clients have access to and are interested in, and we can even send our clients there to test out products and quality in person. We’ve even been known to purchase art off the trade-show floor for clients – nothing like instant gratification. The AD show size is manageable – more so than trekking through the Javits Center for days on end – so we get a great glimpse into a wide breadth of products and brands but our heads aren’t spinning afterwards. DIFFA’s (Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS) Dining by Design is paired alongside the AD Design Show, which is a great way to either start or end your day at the show, seeing how other designers and vendors highlight products in outstanding ways. And finally, we loved the MADE section. In fact, the consensus among the judges was that the MADE area provided the most unique and new vendors, and most of our winners and top contenders hailed from this section. Also worth noting was that most of the trades in this section hailed from Brooklyn, and we love supporting local craftsmen and artisans.
As judges on the IFDA Selects panel, we evaluated each exhibitor’s wares and selected the “best in show” in each of 10 categories: Wallcoverings, Textiles, Decorative Accessories, Lighting, Furniture, Flooring, Art, Kitchen, Bath and Innovative Booth Design. Now moving on...let's announce the very deserving winners, a mix of new names exhibiting for the very first time to seasoned veterans.
BEST IN WALLCOVERING
Sarkos
Judge: id 810
Judge: id 810
We'll start with our own category, Best in Wallcovering, a category we selected because we are known to be 'paper pushers' with our clients (in our opinion, wallpaper is always the way to go!). Our winner, Sarkos, is hand painted wallpaper made locally in Brooklyn but inspired by the designer’s Greek heritage. Brooklyn and Greece? Clearly a unique and killer combo. The owner and designer takes great care in designing the layout and pattern, and the fact that no two papers are ever alike made this a winner in our book. Sarkos gives other hand painted paper vendors and run for their money.
"Artisan quality. Handmade product. Method of pattern seaming. Made locally. The particular pattern and color chose is so unique - the color varies between green and gold because of the iridescence and shimmering quality."- id 810 Group
BEST IN TEXTILE
AVO
Judge: Andrea Brodfuerer
We were thrilled that Andrea Brodfuerer, aka Lady Von B, chose AVO for Best in Textile, because we were enthralled by this product and considered it for the Wallcovering category! The artist and designer hand paints dynamic patterns on cowhide – to be used as pillows, rugs and wallcoverings. The wall installation on display at the show literally drew the crowds in with the colors and patterns that the designer exhibited (and it might have had to do a little with the scent of natural leather, which was intoxicating to us designers!)
"We love the inherent utility and decorative applications of natural leather. Avo's hand painted leather wall tiles, rugs and upholstery offer a fresh spin you can feel good about." - Andrea Brodfuerer
BEST IN DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES
A Space Studio
Judge: Kevin Dumais
Another local, hand crafted, no-two-are-alike winner…Judge Kevin Dumais selected A Space as best in decorative accessories for their paper-thin ceramic plates and sculpted porcelain, all made in collaboration by two designers with a shared vision for looking beyond form and material. Their creative process derives from experimentation and evolution with a delicate hand.
"Creative process - use of materials. Delicate hand. Collaboration of team."
- Kevin Dumais
BEST IN LIGHTING
Luke Lamp Co
Judge: Elissa Grayer
We love a great story and the one behind Luke Lamp Co is just that…While Luke was trespassing at an abandoned railcar facility he came upon some old industrial light fixtures. He set up an etsy shop, got noticed by a big-time blogger, and sold out immediately. Instead of scouring around for more vintage lighting, Luke decided to create his own – inspired by the past and embracing the modern, his unique lighting is both sculptural and practical. Judge Elissa Grayer chose Luke Lamp Co as best in lighting.
“unusual, beautiful, flexible light fixture has texture, personality and style. It asks to be touched and felt. LED Lighting inside the rope glows with soft, cool light." - Elissa Grayer
BEST IN FURNITURE
Erikson Aesthetics, EAE Daybed
Judge: Pryor Callaway
Judge and furniture designer Pryor Calloway knows a thing or two about furniture, so we were excited that she was given Best in Furniture as her category, and her pick did not disappoint. Erickson Aesthetics was given the top honor for the EAE daybed, which as Pryor pointed out, is beautifully proportioned, and beautifully crafted with a hint of playfulness. The metal joints are plated plumbing hardware, and while we’ve seen plumbing parts pop up in furniture and home décor over the past several years, the plating on Erickson’s metal in combination with rosewood and leather lends a whole new feel.
"The EAE daybed is beautifully proportioned, beautifully crafted with a hint of playfulness. The metal joints are plated plumbing hardware." - Pryor Callaway
BEST IN FLOORING
Woven Concepts
Judge: Nancy Fire
Judge: Nancy Fire
The category Best in Flooring was awarded by Judge Nancy Fire to Woven Concepts, a family business that dates back four generations (and currently being run by females for the first time – we happen to love women in business!). The “Odessy” rugs are multi-dimensional, multi-textural, repurposed silk and wool, hand-knotted based on NASA imagery. It has a distressed vintage texture paired with a contemporary design.
"Beautiful woven rugs with color and texture that tell their own story especially in their dimension." - Nancy Fire
BEST IN ART
Costantini Design, Screen Series
Judge: Rio Hamilton
Furniture designer William Stuart of Costantini Design won Best in Art for his breathtaking paintings on layers of screen. As with most art, words don’t do the work justice, but Judge Rio Hamilton’s enthusiasm and excitement over the art had all of the judges eager to see and judge for ourselves. The image is painted on different layers of the screen, adding texture and dimension unlike any other art we’ve ever seen.
Judge: Rio Hamilton
Furniture designer William Stuart of Costantini Design won Best in Art for his breathtaking paintings on layers of screen. As with most art, words don’t do the work justice, but Judge Rio Hamilton’s enthusiasm and excitement over the art had all of the judges eager to see and judge for ourselves. The image is painted on different layers of the screen, adding texture and dimension unlike any other art we’ve ever seen.
"Quality of work. Style of art. Universal appeal. High end." - Rio Hamilton
BEST IN KITCHEN
Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchen
Judge: Dwayne Clark
With spring upon us and summer quickly approaching, getting outside is at the forefront of all our minds, and Brown Jordan Outdoor has hit the nail on the head with their kitchen line, which looks less industrial and more like an indoor kitchen. We love a product that can blur the line between indoor and outdoor living for its ability to get us northerners outside more in the few short months that the seasons allow. Judge Dwayne Clark was particularly taken with the line’s unique ability to change the finishes and door styles, something not often found in an outdoor product. And of course, designers love customization!
"The unique ability to change finishes of door styles, all the while benefitting as an outdoor product." - Dwayne Clark
BEST IN BATH
Rohl, Jorger Aphrodite faucet
Judge: Vanessa DeLeon
Rohl’s Jorger Aphrodite faucet’s fluted detail was inspired by an heirloom pocketwatch. What makes this faucet so elegant and classic is that the grooved detail and curves follow all the way down to the base. Judge Vanessa De Leon chose this as best in Bath for Rohl’s attention to detail and innovation.
"Love how innovative.Color combos. Detail in the finishes. Crystal detail." - Vanessa DeLeon
INNOVATIVE BOOTH DESIGN
Paul Thomas & Pavarini Design
Judge Rose Ott was tasked with choosing the most Innovative Booth Design, and what a hard job that was this year. Ultimately she chose Paul Thomas and Pavarini Design for the “beautifully curated space with bright pops of color drawing the audience in." The purposeful placement of partitions peeked passerby’s curiosity, beckoning them into the space, and the faux green grass on the floor and furniture were a playful touch.
"The marriage between art and furniture. Beautiful curated space with bright pops of color drawing the audience in." - Rose Ott
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