1. Artic Wall Light by Andrea Bastianello
The glow of this oversize sconce drew me in from across the room, and when I read the title Arctic, the look of the jagged pattern and partial orb became that much more visceral.
2. Rocker by Fredericia
This chair has a truly modern grace. Diagonally sewn seams create a subtle pattern, the curved seat flows into the open arms, and a wood veneer bottom warms the stark white leather.
3. Buzzilights
In a trade show of seriously modern furniture, these colorful felt lights looked refreshingly cheerful. They cast fabulous shadows, but the best part is that the shape is adjustable; the fixture is made with a flexible frame, so you can scrunch them up or stretch them out for different looks.
4. Diamond Bathtub by Aqua Mass
I’ve been seeing this diamond cut-trend a lot in vases and dishes, but in bathtubs? That’s ambitious.
5. Lotus Fire Pit by Tulip
Unless a fire pits is built into the ground, it usually feels a bit phony. The Lotus by Tulip has a presence that rarely comes with portability.
6. Bed by Giorgetti
This Giorgetti piece is not new, but I’m in love with it.
7. Poliform Chandelier
Cords used to be things you try to hide, but not at this show. I must have seen five to ten lighting companies flaunting bright red cords and weaving them into their designs. This Poliform light was my favorite example.
8. Pings Bench by Bocci
Pleating as a form of cushioning was a clever and fashion-forward choice by Bocci.
9. Bert and Dennis Chair
Bert and Dennis was a company showing within the Young Designers Fair, but their work looked more polished and professional than the majority of their peers. Where many of the other designers just go for a “sculptural” look, this chair also looks comfortable.
10. De Padova Coffee Table
Coffee table styling tends to be a central display of books + bowl + tchotchkes. This cut-out metal table makes each section its own decor pedestal, and the negative space highlights items on the forgotten lower level.
Interieur 2008 is truly one of the best trade shows I’ve ever been to. It’s not a huge show compared to the one in Milan, but the quality of design makes up for its size. It’s a very well curated with the best of the major players and a promising crop of emerging designers. There were so many inspiring products it was hard to digest it all in one sitting, but here is a smattering of the most eye-catching displays at the show.
Alessi’s iconic wine opener man and teapot cast a playful but powerful presenting companies shadow at the show. Although an Italian brand, Alessi was one of the few presenting companies that has a major presence in the U.S and the international market. Other familiar powerhouses in attendance were Cassina, Vitra, Minotti, and Thonet. Many of the convention center’s 300 companies don’t even do business in the U.S.
For me the highlight of the show was by far the Young Designers Fair. Filled with fresh ideas, I’ve decided I need to create a whole photo gallery to fully describe the talent Ive seen (coming soon). Here, designer Sandor Bokkinga stands behind his seat made of garden hoses while holding his pitchfork chair.
I am flying to Belgium as I type this. How did I get here? A few months I ago I was invited by the Flanders Investment and Trade Commission to attend 
I tend to fall in love with run-down objects. I look right past the chipping paint and wobbly frame and see (with rose-colored glasses) a decorating project. Last week I mentioned how we went on an antique furniture spree at the Old Country Store outside Rhinebeck, NY—and this weekend was the restoration aftermath. Mike and I attempted to refinish 13 pieces of furniture in two days. Crazy, but doable. We staked out the common backyard in our shared brownstone with a 20’x15′ tarp, cans of paint, stripper, thinner, saws, drills, tons of sandpaper and set to work. I wish I had all the finished pieces to show you, trust me, but they are still drying in a scattered heap behind our house.
I adore this desk! I was told it is early Stickley but the clean lines and open sides (they’re bookshelves!) are what sold me. This piece was in pretty good condition, all we had to do to doctor it up was give it a sand down and a new coat of white.
The wood veneers were peeling from all sides of this buffet but I took one look at those legs, the original hardware, and the embossed detailing (see above) and I had to have it. If you sense a theme, I adore French flair in my furniture.
Mike is a fantastic photographer so knowing that photos will be big part of our wall decoration, we had to think of different ways to display them. We saw these 1940s windows and decided to turn them into 12-image picture frames. We bought two, painted them white, and have plans to hang one on each side of our living room-to-kitchen archway.
The lattice work makes this regal piece light and chic. It will go nicely in our living and it only needs a few paint touch-ups.
This mirror originally had a decorative wood overlay along the top but when we found it, only a chunk remained. So we pried off what was left, sanded the mirror frame down and painted it a rich red to match the flowers in our guest bedroom wallpaper.
This was the state of my backyard last night as we waited for the paint to dry. Hopefully in a few blogs all the drawers will be back in place and the furniture will be adorning my apartment with as few scuffs as possible.