Image courtesy of materialsandsources.com
Every year, the Annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair hosts a bevy of exhibitors coming from more than 30 nations in 11 categories, including furniture, kitchen, bath and lighting.
The 26th edition of ICFF—which ran from May 17 to 20—boasted an amalgam of some of the world's finest home decor creations, from artful wallpaper, sinks and light fixtures, to innovative loungers, tables and sleepers. Located at the glass-encased Jacob Javits Center, it was nothing short of phenomenal, ultimately attracting 31,421 attendees with its 629 exhibitors.
See below for some of the Fair's highlights, and catch a glimpse of my personal favorite designs in lighting and seating.
Kenneth Cobonpue's Blossom Chair
Handcrafted and made of microfiber stitched over a resin top with a steel base, the Filipino designer's eye-catching chair is just as cozy as it looks.
Inspired by a blooming flower, the plush lounge—available in a multitude of colors including cobalt blue, muted red and lime green (pictured above)—is sculpted by hundreds of fine-running stitches radiating from its center—a creative technique that produces a subtle textural feel.
Gabriel Scott's Modular Lighting
Gabriel Kakon and Scott Richler's Welles lighting collection is über chic and modern, touting a string of futuristic, angular fixtures that are highly customizable.
Hand-assembled in Canada, the pieces come in a few mix-and-matchable finishes (its interior is available in Blackened Steel and Matte White, while its outer shell comes in Polished Copper, Satin Brass, and Polished Nickel).
Peter Glassford's Collage Murals
A 3D wallpaper of sorts, Glassford's creation is comprised of random pieces of wood thoughtfully pieced together and positioned to create a stunning work of art that gives off a playful, rustic vibe.
Alexander Gendell's Folditure Tables and Chairs
For those of you who know the pain of sacrificing precious square footage for the sake of living in a great location, designer Alexander Gendell's highly innovative tabletops and seaters are awesome space savers, as they can fold up into super thin, almost 2D-like pieces (note that the back wall depicted in the photo is covered with a layer of folded up versions of the chairs displayed). Amazingly, a set of six chairs ships snugly in a box no wider than five or six inches.
Lasvit's Lighting
Winner of this year's ICFF Editors Awards for Best Lighting, Lasvit—a Czech Republic-based firm—creates remarkable bespoke glass installations, to say the least. Conceptualized by René Roubíček, one of the company's fantastic designers, the fragile yet powerful piece featured above—entitled, "And why not!"—references Roubíček's passionate, lifelong experimentation with glass.
Thomas Riley Studio's Versailles Collection
The opulent grandeur of Thomas Riley Studio's marvelous Versailles Collection—designed by Chad Jensen—is simply breathtaking.
Among its magnificent pieces were "Château & Parc," a rug that depicts a 17th Century aerial plan of Versailles. Created in collaboration with the famed manufacturer Orley Shabahang, it was inspired by the meticulously hand-drawn maps and architectural blueprints of the storied locale.
The two matching tables featured above—"Silhouette de la Garonne" and "Silhouette de la Nymphe"—were inspired by classical works of art, though they embody an elegantly modern artistic interpretation of the fabled city.
Didn't get a chance to stop by this year's fabulous fair? Don't fret: the grand event will officially be back at the Javits Center next spring, from May 16 to 19.
