Design fever took over New York City in mid-May as the International Contemporary Furniture Fair landed at the Javits Center and satellite design events and exhibitions popped up around it, like spring blossoms. Between our appearances at BKLYN DESIGNS and WantedDesign, we had time to check out the beautiful work of friends, collaborators, and new acquaintances. Here is just a fraction of some of our favorite discoveries.
Graypants displayed its Mobius light system at Wanted, where everyone tried to get the perfect Instagram of the glowing cubes, evoking fireflies at night. The translucent cubes contain fiber optic cables.
You know that wand that blinds you if you don’t close the lid on the Xerox machine? The designers of Curio put it to good use, embedding it in a series of super-slim LED table and floor lamps.
The Lumibaby’s LED head turns on when you push its belly. We could imagine a whole installation featuring these guys … somewhere!
We’ve been a fan of Haptic Lab’s exquisite quilts for years, and now the Brooklyn designers have debuted two hand-woven, 100% wool “Cloud” rugs in Dawn and Sunset, capturing the movement of the sky.
Jason Kachadourian’s floor and table lamps caught our eye at Sight Unseen OFFSITE. Vaguely architectural but not too referential, they could tell many different stories, depending on their setting.
Most of us don’t wear our 3D glasses at home, so it’s a good thing that Luzelena Wood's Bloom wallpaper is just as beautiful to the naked eye.
Pratt Institute and twenty2 presented five 3D wallpapers at ICFF; the collection is the result of a graduate seminar at Pratt on interactive pattern and ornament, created by professor Sarah Strauss.
Kjartan Oskarsson’s Halo lamp is a delicate art object—a poplar and oak ring hangs from a leather strap. But pulling the strap to the right turns the light on and increases its strength as it is pulled, adding an ingenious bit of interactivity.
Garman Furniture’s Felt Droplet wall system is so simple and customizable: it can support shelves, plants, panels—you name it.
Funi Ding's Flow Table caught our eye for its simple elegance. The designer gave rigid materials an acrobatic stance.
Mimi Jung's Woven Wall is a lightweight approach to visual separation, allowing for privacy but creating intrigue. The softness of the woven knit helps diminish sound transmission.