*With a little WantedDesign Manhattan
^And a lot of sake.....

The ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) is one of my Favorite design fairs of this art and design filled month. It has special meaning for me because that's where I first showed the Slouch Couch back in 2002. There is a mix of established companies showing their latest products, up and coming designers, and new products that you didn't know you needed till you saw it. It is also useful just to touch and see products in person.

Some of my favorite finds of the show:

Art & Guile
Just to prove that CNC milling and meditative sculptural lighting is coming to a head in a beautiful way, Art & Guile featured their D25 (25" diameter?) sconce which uses indirect light, subtle curvature of the wood, plus some choice ridges to create a mesmerizing and calming light.

UPDATE - I talked with A&G founders Chris and Kate and they told me that "The sconce's form was very loosely inspired by a pair of eagles that we've been watching (via live webcam) as they raise their young in the same nest for several years. D25 is the official designation given to one of their eaglets that we took a particular liking to while we were finishing up the first prototype." How cool is that?

TopZero

This is a new product that I overlooked on my first day and glad I noticed on my second pass through the big show. For years now the cleanest look for a kitchen sink has been the undermount. With an undermount sink, you see the thickness of the countertop and the sink starts under it. Topzero created a clever mounting (with adjustments for different thickness countertops, thwarting my first objection) that allows the top edge of the sink to align to the top of the countertop. What does this all amount to? It sounds like a lot of fuss but I am always seeking clean design solutions. Architecture is a complex assemblage of thousands of parts. It takes a vigilant eye to keep a clean design free of barnacles.  This is one product that has potential to remove a bit of visual clutter (the thickness of the countertop, any minute misalignments,etc) away. I've designed integrated sink/countertops to avoid this very condition. This product opens some doors. I'll be doing my homework and you might see it in a future project if it goes well. I started using Infinity Drains after a similar round of trade show viewing and scrutinizing.

Anony

Speaking of clean, down the street from the ICFF was WantedDesign, and there I saw a magically clean wall sconce consisting of a flat floating disk by Anony, a Canadian lighting designer.  So simple and elegant, this wall sconce is a beautiful sculpture whether it is on or off. I could expend all my energy trying to put this into words but one photo will do.  

Two.Parts

Back at the ICFF, Two Parts, a Brooklyn design Company built a cave out of CNC milled blue foam to showcase their ceramic CNC made light fixtures, each fixture looks like a 3D symbol. They are super shiny and feel perfectly smooth. Little candy lighting. Can you see a cluster of these over a dining table? 

Majer Home Supply

Majer Home Supply showed us their H Series hooks, handmade steel that was clean and direct; unassuming. I could see using this in a concrete bachelor bathroom or conversely giving a contrasting heft to a more delicate room. 

Sake with Good Thing!

If you follow my instagram you've seen some of these already, along with a sake bottle, yes the fine people at good things were giving out bottles of cold sake with a straw.  Their slim bookend is one of my favorites. And while walking around drinking sake out of a straw may not fit with the canonical sake drinking etiquette, it made walking around 100,000 square feet of design show a lot more interesting!

Did you go to the show and have any favorites? Send me an email. I'd love to know what caught your eye.