Killy's Top Picks From ICFF 2011: It's All In the Details
Take a Look at the Artistry, Craftsmanship and Playful Details of These Faves
This year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) has received a bevy of mixed reviews. I thought it was a solid show because I got something out of it. (Selfish? Maybe.) I accompanied my boss, owner/principal designer of Cravotta Studios with the intention of finding some new vendors for our high-end clients, and I feel we accomplished our goals.
As with any large gathering of wares, eventually available for sale, there was a lot of the same. This year it was live-edge tables, metal table and chair bases, shagreen furniture treatments and kitschy table lamps. While I understand the disappointment felt by some, you can hardly fault designers and manufacturers for showing and producing work that actually turns a profit during a recession.
That said, we uncovered plenty of talented designers producing outstanding, quality work for the high-end set, which is not only a tough crowd to please (and rightly so) but also a very small portion of the market. Among the highlights:
As with any large gathering of wares, eventually available for sale, there was a lot of the same. This year it was live-edge tables, metal table and chair bases, shagreen furniture treatments and kitschy table lamps. While I understand the disappointment felt by some, you can hardly fault designers and manufacturers for showing and producing work that actually turns a profit during a recession.
That said, we uncovered plenty of talented designers producing outstanding, quality work for the high-end set, which is not only a tough crowd to please (and rightly so) but also a very small portion of the market. Among the highlights:
A new take of live-edge furniture. There was no shortage of live-edge tables this year at ICFF. Don't get me wrong, I love a great live-edge table, but there were ... a lot, which made me even more excited when we came across Manulution's Wave Collection. We thought for sure these pieces were created with a CNC machine, but no! They are all hand-carved, making them even more amazing and special.
Karnali Lounge Chair. This lounge chair, from just-launched Bespoke Global, is quite a site to behold. It definitely has origins in the 1960s Danish modern silhouette, but manages to bring in more natural elements while retaining a tailored overall look. I love the softened, modern take on the cabriole leg, the splayed asymmetrical arm rests, and the dark stain detail where the arms and legs meet.
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| Here she is from behind. Quite a looker! So many furniture designers put time into the front of pieces, but leave the back unfinished and raw. Not Mr. Fireman! The Karnali is the perfect chair to float in a living room, so as to take it in from all angles. |
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| Favorite outdoor furniture. A combination of aluminium frames with braided polyester seats and cushions from Kettal. The dense braiding allows air flow — a technique adapted from braided ropes used to moor boats — keeping users cool and comfortable. We've mentioned before that outdoor furniture has come a long way in recent years, and the improvements just keep coming. This collection, as with most of Kettal's lines, is gorgeous for outside, but also looks amazing inside. That's versatility. |
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| Attention to details. Tod Von Mertens has a story to tell, and with each piece he designs and fabricates, he peels back another layer, revealing what a conscientious, detail-oriented designer he is. I was taken with this subtleties of this highboy: The decreased height of the drawers as they ascend, the attention to grain on the drawer fronts and, as you may have guessed from my photo, the adjustable leg base. It's details like these that catapult a piece of furniture from "nice" to "WOW." |
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| Overall gorgeousness. I pretty much loved everything Groundworks showed. Zinc or marble tables with inlaid with oversized jax sitting atop root bases, gorgeous lighting and quirky chairs and stools. Industrial-chic to the bone, owner/designers Brian Foster and Ernie Sesskin are churning out furniture that can easily mix with any style and will last a lifetime. |
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| Palo Samko churns out some amazing pieces. This wood table with metal-clad base is a stunner, and you can see a glimpse of his supreme workmanship in the chair in the foreground. |
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| But what I really loved this year was his playful use of clocks and clock parts, in this case inlaid into the wood table. Gorgeous! |
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| Small surprises. Matthew Fairbank doesn't disappoint. He creates timeless heirloom-quality furnishings and hand-built lighting, each piece made to order. I was particularly taken with the surprise element in the contrasting drawer interior and the hardware |
Small surprises.Would you please get a load of those casters? Talk about breathing new life into a traditional detail. Most casters we see today are cheap, flimsy and appear to be an afterthought. These, however, manage to be at once sleek and funky, adding a bit of whimsey (and function) to a solid piece of furniture. AKMD's booth was chock-full of bright ideas, quirky-but-not-kitschy lighting and furnishings.
Tracy Glover may be best known for her lighting, which is comprised of hand-blown glass and a system of interchangeable parts to create wholly unique products, but I was taken with the installation of glass objects as a room divider. I envision this composition running from floor-to-ceiling in a wide-open loft, helping to delineate space while letting light pass through, all the while performing a tertiary duty as a work of art.
More: 10 Innovative Lighting Designs from ICFF
More: 10 Innovative Lighting Designs from ICFF
Comments
dreemer love at first site...the palo samko table...such beautiful lines!
2 years ago · Like
Shoshana Gosselin great idea book and so well written!
2 years ago · Like
jelenaradovic the room divider! light and color brought to life! I see the it in my mind!
2 years ago · Like
Linda Medina Interior Design Yes, thanks for giving an overview of ICFF 2011. It saves a designer time and foot relief as we cannot go to all the markets we would like!
2 years ago · Like
Ken Burghardt Those casters have to go. Someone over my shoulder said "Grandma wears army boots"! That's as good a reviews as any to me.
2 years ago · Like
LOCZIdesign I really loved seeing the Tod Von Merten work too- flawless. I heard from other designers that he was a joy to work with too. My FAVORITE wallpaper comes from TROVE... Randall is as kind as he is innovative- 
13 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on May 21, 2011.
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