One of our favorite tweeps, Andie Day, with Marcel Wanders at ICFF at our #DutchTreat Tweetup.
So we're saying goodbye to May, marvelous month that it was, and stepping into June with our eyes on tweetups and junkets that will serve as great roaming opportunities, and we'll definitely be reporting back (be sure to check out our sister site adroyt for some of the fun--okay, so she's the smarter sister but we're still cute here at RBD!).
Macel Wanders in the "hot seat" at the Alessi Tweetup.
We had a blast at Alessi and once again Marcel was on the scene, um, actually, he was the scene! A group of bloggers gathered to tweet what the Maestro of Moooi had to say about his designing mind.
Bruno Munari "Look Into My Eyes," Paper 1969-2003, at MAD.
Cleto Munari's table "Le Palafitte" holds court at GD Cucine.
GD Cucine was hopping with a hip vibe as design devotees feasted on freshly prepared Italian fare and on Cleto Munari's vision, which was sprinkled around the showroom in the form of the "Il Magnifici 7," a colorful collection of furnishings that popped within the serene backdrop of sleek kitchen charisma.
Soho was one rocking nabe during much of the week, our Moss tweetup being a highlight. We hit so many showrooms on Monday night that we stumbled around in sensory overload, ending the evening at Scavolini's showroom with its lively atmosphere, fantabulous food and hip crowd.
There were so many events, so little time, which is about how we always describe ICFF week in New York City; that said, we did our stellar best to make it to some of the hottest parties and unearth the best in design offerings. Oh yes; there was the show itself! Here's one of our favorite offerings: James DeWulf's Ping Pong table, in concrete, which can also serve as a dining room table.
We at Roaming by Design have an exciting announcement to make during this incredibly energetic week in NYC. As the design world comes to the city for ICFF, we are launching our new social media consultancy, Adroyt. Our first event was last evening, when we were invited by our marketing communications friends at VP+C to join them for the grand opening of Arhaus Furniture’s first foothold in NYC last night. Arhaus adds this impressive presence to their roster of 37 other retail stores, in celebration of their remarkable 25 years in business and timed to coincide with ICFF's design juggernaut arriving in town.. They deliver remarkable quality, value, and extraordinary variety, desporting themselves admirably with this new venture situated in the MePa district of the Big Apple.
We were met at the entrance of their dazzling 28,000 sq.ft. showroom by Michelle Shen and Josh Schoenfelder from VP+C, based in Manhattan. After passing muster (no TSA here!), we were ushered in to join nearly 600 guests, relishing the hors d'oeuvres and sipping wine or mintinis (!) as they wandered the lush displays. Anticipation was hanging in the air for the highpoint of the evening: a performance by Graham Nash and David Crosby.
We had a very interesting conversation with CIO (that’s Chief Information Officer for you non-corporate types) Ron Kerensky and his wife Kendra, about the place of social media in today’s marketing milieu. Healso quoted CEO John P. Reed with reference to his conviction that “retail is theater” – presentation matters: the company employs a staff of circuit-riding designers to keep the showrooms fresh and engaging. The “theater” tag was born out dramatically at 7:30 when John Reed introduced the musical guests and Crosby Nash took the stage, to cheers and, yes, there were screams…
"Inspried By Nature" post on The Decorating Diva.com
Carmen Natschke, the editor and publisher of The Decorating Diva, asked me to create a Look Book for her site, which she posted yesterday. I was extremely honored to think about my list of favorite products for a home office and share them with her devoted fans, and I love how beautiful they look in concert. In return, I asked her to share with RBD readers a bit of insight as to her trendsetting site and her take on design:
RBD: What was your inspiration for The Decorating Diva?
DD: The Decorating Diva originally came into being in 2003 as an online resource for the “Decorating Divas Training Center”—a business I co-founded that allowed students to learn everything from faux painting to accessorizing like a professional decorator.
A Decorating Diva Faux Finish Seminar
Without fail at each workshop, a handful of students would ask about online decorating and buying resources. Sure, one could find decorating information in conventional venues like in the bookstores or on television—and as decorating junkies we all agreed that TV was a great resource, especially our favorite shows like “Trading Spaces” and just about any decorating show on HGTV—but the Decorating Divas’ students needed more, and preferably something they could print and reference later. Born from those requests for online decorating and design resources came the idea for the creation of the website where decorating divas could come to learn about style, design and decor. In December 2006, the website evolved from a decorating workshop resource companion to a complete digital media publication covering a range of design and decorating topics.
RBD: What’s the most fun about what you do? The least fun?
DD: The Most Fun: Everything to do with design—and the fabulous, creative and talented individuals I meet within the design industry. The Least Fun: Time constraints. Wishing there was more time to cover so much of the interesting products I find. Of course, there isn’t so I have to make some tough decisions as to what I cover and what I have to pass up.
RBD: Do you find that being able to travel the world reporting on design is inspiring and exciting? If so, explain a few situations that illustrate this.
An Abbey in Mont Saint Michel
DD: Traveling and experiencing other cultures is without a doubt inspiring and does reflect in my coverage of design topics. I also draw on my love of the arts, and museum visits are always a part of my travels. Visiting other countries also offers me the opportunity to note trends in fashion, design, color and the arts. I’m also inspired by the different landscapes and by nature in the places I visit. A recent visit to Panama, for example, inspired me when I noted the colors and patterns in the surrounding landscape. A trip to Mont Saint-Michel in France has forever inspired me with its magical qualities and beautiful medieval architecture. Miami—though it’s a routine trip for me—inspires me deeply with its diverse and interesting architecture ranging from the Art Deco in South Beach to the Icon Brickell, designed in part by Philippe Stark. When I lived on Brickell Key, I loved taking walks downtown to enjoy the architecture from the iconic Atlantis on Brickell Key—a building made famous in the 1980s television show Miami Vice—to the gorgeous new building Jade.
RBD: Do you have a favorite product you’ve come across recently that I can share with readers?
The Snug Furniture booth at ICFF
DD: After attending the International Contemporary Furniture Fair last weekend, I’d have to say my favorite new design product is Maybelline Te’s Snug Furniture collection. I’ve completely fallen in love with an exquisite silver-gray leather sofa designed by Maybelline’s fiancé, Alex. The construction is elegant, and the sofa has the design essence of old Hollywood glamour updated to fit into a modern design environment, and, yet, it is still equally at home in a more traditional style interior. Perfection!
RBD: Keeping up with such an active online publication while traveling so much must be challenging. Can you share with RBD readers some of your tricks for melding traveling, researching and writing?
DD: Thanks to technological devices (smart phone, laptop, handheld pc and netbook), WiFi and productivity tools, I'm able to work virtually anywhere, and at any time. In my former career, I was a software engineer and project manager so I'm very adept at organizing and managing projects. This has served me well because the job of editing and publishing a digital media publication is essentially one big project. For this "project" I create an annual editorial calendar (that is reviewed and modified, if required, every quarter), a quarterly assignment calendar and a quarterly publication calendar. Having an editorial and publishing schedule keeps me focused and makes it easier to "find" the discipline to get the tasks done. [c
A Booth at Design Miami/
RBD: Do you have a favorite design fair? If so, what is it about this one that’s different?
DD: Though it is a small design fair, I love Design Miami/ for its creativity, and gathering of incredibly talented artists and designers.
RBD: How has having such a terrific online design community changed your work life?
DD: Having an extraordinary online network of friends and colleagues has helped me discover interesting new design talent and design products—which I may not have come across using typical “offline” channels. Another wonderful benefit of the terrific online design community is the support and feedback we provide to one another.
I think a perfect example of the power of the online community was the recent #blogger19 trip (much credit to Paul Anater) that Brizo sponsored, taking a group of us to Jason Wu’s fall fashion show in New York City. The relationship between the designers and writers began, at least in part, online, and when we met in NYC, we further solidified the bonds of business relationships and friendships. Now, we continue to converse with and offer valuable feedback to one another, whether it’s discussing potential book ideas, new product debuts, design ideas or other issues. My favorite part of the online community (on a personal level) is the immense generosity within the design industry network online. I was humbled when I saw the outpouring from designers for the recent fundraisers for Layla Grace (pediatric cancer) and Luna Velandry (pediatric cardiology). When I asked the community for help with the fundraisers, they were there—asking how they could help as well as using their online influence to spread the word and raise awareness. RBD: What is the one thing you’d really like for RBD readers to know about The Decorating Diva? DD: That The Decorating Diva is the place for those with a deep passion for style, design and décor.
The Table of Contents Page of Four Florida Moderns
I haven't made it to ICFF yet (I'm usually there the first day by the time the doors open) because I've been stuck at home on deadline. I'll be there bright and early in the morning, though and will be cruising the maze of booths to see what's hot this year. You've likely heard (because I've hardly talked about anything else lately!) that Archivia Books is hosting a book signing for Four Florida Moderns inside the fair tomorrow in booth 1066 at 3 p.m. If your in Javits Center, we hope you'll stop by. All four architects will be on hand to sign the books, pretty much a miracle given their jam-packed schedules! The editors awards were just announced. I thought I'd share them with you. Blu Dot won for "Body of Work"; Objeti, LLC, and Studio Dunn won for "New Designer"; the award for "Craftsmanship" went to Cocochi Design; Mabeo nabbed the award for "Furniture"; the nod for "Seating" went to Arper spa; the "Carpet and Flooring" award went to Ardeco Interier Sro; Peter Stathis & Virtual Studio were chosen for the "Lighting" category; "Outdoor Furniture" was nabbed by Snow Peak, Inc.; Triple Pin Blue Denim Tiles presented by Material ConneXion won the "Materials" category; the "Wall Coverings" award went to Timorous Beasties; the "Accessories" award was given to Kikkerland Design, Inc.; Dana Barnes Design won for "Textiles; Axor took top honors in "Kitchen and Bath"; Tom Dixon got the nod for "Multiple Production"; The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) won the "Design School" category; and Molo took top honors for "Booth" design. Congratulations everyone!
Saxon Henry has been a journalist for fifteen years, and has written for an array of publications, including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Robb Report. In her niche as a design/architecture journalist, she is a former contributing editor to Interiors Magazine and MIAMI Magazine, and a former regular contributor to Luxe, Modernism and Manhattan. As a design-related travel writer, she is a former regular contributor to Delta Sky, Latitudes, Cayman Airways and Aishti. Henry’s book Four Florida Moderns was published by W.W. Norton & Company in early 2010. She publishes a number of blogs, including Roaming By Design and The Road To Promise, and her new Social Media consultancy firm, Adroyt, founded with Richard Holschuh, is now in full swing. After years of writing for a variety of publications, Henry considers capturing a client's most authentic and marketable voice a skill she has honed with great effort, making the process of identifying that voice seem effortless, though nothing could be further from the truth!
