This year, we're back at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York to scout out the best new products for our readers. We've found some amazing new finds from old favorites (think Jonathan Adler and Blu Dot) as well as some incredible new companies you might have never heard of before. Keep clicking to see our candid snaps of some of our favorite pieces, and be sure to let us know which ones you've fallen in love with, too!
This weekend, I oohed and ahhed my way down aisle after aisle at gorgeous contemporary designs featured at ICFF, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, which showcases over 500 exhibitors from over 30 countries. From gorgeous pendants from established designers such as Tom Dixon to up and coming designers who have just arrived on the scene, this fair offers a glance at some of the best new design currently being produced. While there was much to admire, these 10 pieces are ranking as my current favorites. Take a look at what caught my eye this weekend.
UK-based designer Sung Kug Kim debuted his Bi-King antler bike handlebars at ICFF this year. Not only are they hilariously brilliant and take the antler trend to a whole new level, but they're also beautifully polished, made of wood and chrome. What do you think? Would you rock these antler handlebars on your two-wheeler?
Swarovski has partnered with two fabulous interiors companies, premiering its crave-worthy crystal at the International Contempoary Furniture Fair this past weekend. First, the glitzy brand has teamed up with furniture design duo Hellman-Chang to debut a limited-edition series of signature furniture pieces outfitted with crystal elements. The tabletop of the Crystal Z Side Table ($7,500) has an inset panel of crystal mesh, and the interior of the Crystal Omni Side Table ($12,000) has been lined with fine loose crystals. Each will be available in powder white or jet black and matte or hi-gloss at Hellman-Chang's showrooms in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles.
Want to hear about the other company Swarovski has teamed up with?
As part of the 21st annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York, 16 companies were honored with the 2009 ICFF Editors Awards. Misewell, a Wisconsin-based furniture company owned by these two cuties, was one of the winners. Find out about who they are and what they won, and what else caught the judges' eyes, including eco materials, American-made furniture, and stunning accessories.
The brand spankin' new Grid Wall Pocket is currently on display at the ICFF '09 in NYC.
To you, the Grid might just look like a wall-hanging with pockets, but I look at it and think: Ding! A remote organizer. Not only that, but any other small peripherals that go with my home tech, like Wiimotes, nunchucks, and the teeny tiny Apple TV remote.
I'm always looking for chic ways to store remotes, so this is definitely a worthy contender. My flat surfaces may be covered, but my walls still have some valuable real estate on them.
Artist Nick DeMarco from California College of the Arts designed this chair for a sustainable production furniture class. His XS chair is essentially a shell that can be filled with any excessive item you have around the house — from bottles and cans to old clothes or newspapers. He wanted to draw attention to the reality of trash, and how it can be reused. The chair was presented at the ICFF in New York this month, as part of the Sustainable Design For Mass Production exhibit. While I think the project works on a conceptual level, I can't imagine even the most eco-hippie communal homes filling their living room with such furniture.
For a video of Nick describing his project, read more
I spend so much time trying to hide my cords, and wind my cords, that sometimes I just want to be totally rid of cords. That's why I would have never considered something that's normally the general bane of my existence to be beautiful. I am totally speechless about this lamp — a design presented by Nicolo Taliani at this year's ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair).
The sheer modernness of it — the silhouette, color, glass base — makes the tangled cord inside work, while a more complicated design would just make it look like a mess. But for me, I'd buy this lamp as soon as it was available and put it in my place in a heartbeat.
What's your take? Hot piece or hot mess?
