Meet IFDA NY Members Column, Summer Series

IFDA NY's New Column, Meet Our Members...

This Week, Let's Get To Know Artist,

Garette Johnson of Garrott Designs

As part of our new series to support and collaborate with our IFDA NY Chapter members, we created this column. Please stop by each month to read a new profile where we will showcase the talents, interests and inspirations of our members. This week, meet Garette Johnson of Garrott Designs...

What inspires you day in and day out?

“Design Your Space, Create Yourself.” is my brand and my motivation. Empowering people explore personal expression and create spaces that make for meaningful experiences.

What do you do?

I am an artist, designer and trend analyst working in the fashion industry. I'm excited to make a pivot into the world of interior design and architecture because lifestyle and self expression is as much about our environment as our personal sense of style. I create expressive and colorful artwork for the well-curated space.

Why are you great at what you do?

Mostly because I am curious and want to see what else we can do while we're here.

Why did you join IFDA?

Well, full disclosure, I met the most amazing three ladies on a total whim at the Design Center, and that felt so ridiculously clandestine that I had to double down. I always say, “Find your Tribe.”  Since joining IFDA, I've felt as if I've found a tribe of creative shakers and doers that I just enjoy being in a room with. We lift each other up; it's awesome.

How can we learn more about your business?

I'd love to make your acquaintance at an upcoming IFDA event such as CCC. In the meantime, my website is www.garrottdesigns.com and I am on most social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest as @GarrottDesigns. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn by searching for Garette Johnson, Trend Analyst. Note that my name and the brand name are spelled differently.

More to know...
Our environments have a huge impact on our thoughts, feeling and actions. We can co-create the world around us. It's not a set of parameters but a place of discovery and play.

BKLYN DESIGNS 2016--On the Hunt For Innovative Design With IFDA Selects!

BKLYN DESIGNS, 2016

IFDA NY chapter was out and about last Friday in Brooklyn for the annual BKLYN DESIGNS.  Our hand-picked judges are talents from the design industry who scoured the show to award Best In Show in ten categories.  A special thank you to member Julie Schuster for this guest post/recap of a fantastic day, and to Claudia Giselle Tejeda for the Instagram take over plus these lovely photographs! A very warm congratulations to those selected:

IFDA Selects at Brooklyn Designs, May 6, 2016

guest post by Julie Schuster

follow these design talents and our judges on instagram at 

@aalgazedesign; @roseott; @barbarhaberman; Jan Girard; @carolyn_cirillo; @schusterdesign @mhhandb_dumbo; @claudiagdesign; @hohlhome; Mimi Levitan

Friday was an early morning.  Under cloudy skies, zipping off on the subway to midtown with the rush to “off to work” travelers, I was meeting a bus to make the trek from Manhattan to the Brooklyn Designs show in Greenpoint.  As part of the adjudication panel for IFDA Selects, I had no idea how wonderfully the day would turn out.

This burgeoning start up show, in its second year, is a showcase for much of the growing arts and crafts scene in Brooklyn, running May 6 – 8.  The location was flooded with natural light from all of the surrounding floor to ceiling windows.  Nearly all of the venue’s displayers are local to the area, giving one a great opportunity to get an overview of the array of creativity developing here.  The venue had running CEU presentations all day in their theater and Naula created a wonderful Press Room for 

Our team to meet and discuss the categories and winners.

The judging panel was treated to a gourmet lunch courtesy of AJ Madison Appliances in their beautiful kitchen display booth, courtesy of Tulley Road Caterers, featuring locally grown and sourced delights.  The evening concluded with a cocktail party for attendees and show vendors alike, giving everyone an opportunity to mingle and enjoy the wonderful location together.  All in all, an amazing day!

WINNERS AT BKLYN DESIGNS:

CATEGORY:  Furniture

WINNER:  Krivens Partners – Propeller Table

JUDGE:  Richard Segal

CATEGORY:  Gourmet Housewares

WINNER:  Signe Yberg Ceramics

JUDGE:  Claudia Giselle Tejeda

CATEGORY:  Innovative Booth Design

WINNER:  Naula

JUDGE:  Barbara Haberman

CATEGORY:  Mimi Levitan

WINNER :  Earthly Design – Hemp based/Eco friendly fabrics

JUDGE:  Mimi Levitan

CATEGORY:  Green Sensibility

WINNER:  Sawkill Lumber Co.

JUDGE:  Scott Hohl

CATEGORY:  Surfaces

WINNER:  Peg Woodworking

JUDGE:  Rose Ott

CATEGORY:  Tabletop

WINNER:  Think Fabricate – Brooklyn Plates

JUDGE:  Carolyn Cirillo

CATEGORY:  Design & Architectural Services

WINNER:  Garrison Architects – Pod Hotel

JUDGE:  Jan Girard

CATEGORY:  Lighting

WINNER:  Popular Architecture – Downside Up LED Suspension Light

JUDGE:  Julie Schuster

CATEGORY:  Art

WINNER:  Smash Industries

JUDGE:  Andrea Algaze

IFDA NY's 2015 Rising Stars of Design turns out a joyous crowd to celebrate talents in the industry!

Five Rising Stars of design were celebrated and honored

with host Justin Shaulis (center)

left to right; Pryor Callaway, Kevin Dumais, Jessica Geller and Virginia Toledo of id810, and Bennett Leifer 

photography by Jason Hood

2015 IFDA NY Rising Stars Celebration 

Turns Out A Crowd 

Hosted by the Lapicida Showroom in New York City!

Each Year the IFDA NY board and committee hand-picks Rising Stars from the industry, those they deem worthy of special mention for their stellar talent on the rise.  Take a look at this celebratory evening, all led by interior designer Justin Shaulis.  Despite a rainy night, the design community enthusiastically turned out for a celebration of talents in the industry at the gorgeous Lapicida showroom in the D&D building in New York City.  IFDA NY chapter honored talented rising stars in the community, which included three interior design teams and a product designer. A special thank you to Lapicida for making us feel welcome, and to our delightful MC interior designer Justin Shaulis for keeping us on our toes.  Shaulis added a fun and helpful element to the evening by reaching out into the crowd to solicit advice from veterans in design to those being honored. 

Justin Shaulis with IFDA NY President Andrea Brodfuehrer

Rose Ott, Andrea Brodfuerer, Tamara Stephenson, Wendy Silverstein

blogger and designer extraordinaire Rio Hamilton 

of Mon Oncle offers advice to the Rising Stars!

 

Rising Stars--left; Bennett Leifer, Kevin Dumais, Pryor Callaway

right; Virginia Toledo & Jessica Geller of id810

             left; Rose Ott and her team, Samantha Coppola & Jacqueline Rossi
                            right; Jessica Robb, Justin Shaulis, Lisa McMahon

right photo; Olivia Bitetti & Jennifer Powell from Kravet with IFDA's Su Hilty

new member Shari Chamish 

with IFDA's Rose Hittmeyer

right to left; 

   Allison Goldenstein with her mom

Charles Pavarini III, IFDA's Rose Hittmeyer 

and Justin Shaulis

renowned designer Charles Pavarini III offers words of wisdom

members Scott Hohl and Jan Girard 

right; Su Hilty registering guests with Lapicida showroom manager

left; Lapicida's Scott Cook with Justin Shaulis

right; Lapicida team: Solange Julien, Anna Serra & Scott Cook

a special thank you to the folks at the  Lapicida showroom for hosting, 

and also to our Event Patron, 

Tencel Lenzing Fibers for their generous support.  

For more information, please read our Rising Stars post.

please visit Lapicida showroom, NYC

GUEST POST: written by board member, Rose Ott - a recap of What's New What's Next at the New York Design Center

GUEST POST:

text & photographs contributed 

by IFDA NY Board Member Rose Ott

The New York Design Center's 6th annual "What's New What's Next" was bustling last night with excitement and activity featuring new product introductions, informative lectures and book signings. 

First stop was AERIN, celebrating of the opening of the first AERIN showroom in New York.  Her luxury lifestyle brand of furniture lighting, fabric and accessories has her touch of sophistication and femininity.  AERIN was on hand to greet visitors and sign her beautiful book, AERIN at Home.  

Next stop was Sedgewick and Brattle with Thom Filicia and Domino magazine celebrating the kick off of "Rooms With A View", the showhouse that Thom chairs in Southport, Connecticut as well as new product by Sedgewick and Brattle.  

On to the fabulous cocktail reception at Currey & Company for the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island Project Design.  Here we were given us a sneak peak at Phase 2 designer concept boards and a chance to meet noted designers Suzanne Costa, Brain Patrick Flynn, Philip Gorrivan and Leslie Segrete and hear how they were inspired to create this home away from home for families with seriously ill children.  The showroom was jammed packed and the boards were creative and beautifully displayed among the incredible light fixtures at Currey & Company.  

Our very own IFDA Board Member, Kim Price, met us at The Bright Group where her latest KAVANTE furniture pieces were unveiled.  Here she is with her Canyon Credenza.  Kim explained how the piece was brought to life with "an artful display of Birdseye Maple, and is complex in design yet simplistic in style with a unified architectural quality. Sleek and functional, eight drawers are concealed within an overall geometric pattern resulting in a captivating sculptural form. Like the peaks and valleys of a canyon, these faceted drawer faces are reminiscent of nature¹s architecture at work." Positively beautiful.

Moving along, we attended Cliff Young's panel discussion, "Making it Memorable: How to Infuse Personality into Every Room" with Editor in Chief of Elle Decor Michael Boodro and interior designers Robert Couturier, Richard Mishaan, and Markham Roberts and gained some helpful tips when working with clients.  

Finally, we ended the evening ensconced in the smell of fresh backed cheese puffs at Grange Furniture with Tori Mellott, Traditional Home Senior design and Markets Editor with a panel discussion about incorporating modern touches into traditional design.  The featured designers Chad Graci, Katie Lydon and Dana Walter were challenged by Tori to take a modern piece and show how they would incorporate it into one of their own more traditional designs.  

If the energy at this year's What's New What's Next is any indication of what the world of design has in store for 2014-2015, we are in for a treat!

Rose Ott is the VP Social Media for the IFDA 

as well as an Allied Member of ASID.

To read more about Rose Ott's designs, 

please visit Rose Ott Interior Design