Designer Insight   

The second annual Unity in Design event, featuring a variety of educational workshops and networking events for designers, will take place Feb 18-20 in High Point.

Sponsored by the High Point Design Center, an umbrella organization for several design organizations and showrooms that cater to designers, the event also will allow attendees to shop in showrooms from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Feb. 18 to 19.

On Feb. 20, a trade show will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the ballroom of the International Home Furnishings Center. The show will feature more than 30 vendors of furniture, fabrics, flooring, kitchen and bath, art and lighting products for the residential and commercial markets.

"We are very proud to have organized an event that will give attendees a lot of bang for their b...Read More

This week at the New York International Gift Fair this week, five Accent on Design exhibitors from the U.S., England and Korea were recognized for design excellence. Judging criteria included innovation, function, originality and design. The selection committee included David Alhadeff, The Future Perfect; Miguel Calvo, Design& Research; Jamie Gray, Matter; Ilene Shaw, Shaw + Co! Productions; and Wilma Wabnitz, Wabnitz Editions, Inc. The winning designers/designs are:

Excellence in Product Design: j-me (London, England) for “Float” magazine rack (photo, right) -- An original design b...Read More

+Angelo Surmelis, Kathy Ireland and DWELL magazine publisher Michela O’Connor Abrams will discuss how sustainability influences their life and work at the Sustainable Furnishings Council's DESIGNINGreen Symposium Tuesday at the Las Vegas Market. The event begins at 1:00 p.m. on the 16th Floor of Bldg B in the World Forum. The SFC presented its first DESIGNINGreen Symposium at the High Point Market last fall with Vladimir Kagan, Alexander Julian and Thom Filicia.

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Six new design companies, reflecting a range of design aesthetics from around the world, have been invited to participate in “A+: The Young Designers’ Platform” showcase within Accent on Design at the winter 2010 New York International Gift Fair:

Sangwoo Nam, Appree Co., is a young designer from Seoul, South Korea whose functional home accessories include the “Leaf-it” self-stick memo notes in the color and shapes of tree leaves, and Waterdrop Magnetic, round translucent magnets of various sizes which function as magnets while providing an indirect link to nature.

Jung Woo Lee, principal product and graphic designer at ekdesign in Seoul, South Korea, strives to incorporate expressive design into a variety of functional office products, including cardboard file f...Read More

New York, N.Y. -- The International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA), New York Chapter, and Acuity Brand Lighting will present a panel discussion on lighting design and technology on Tues., Dec. 8. Moderated by METROPOLIS Editor Susan Szenasy, the event begins at 5:30 p.m. at Acuity Brands Lighting Center for Light+Space, 5 Penn Plaza, 25th Floor. Panelists include:


Shinya Nakao, V.P. IFDA-Japan, founder of the Lighting Design School in Japan and head of the marketing team at Daiko Electric Co., Ltd. in Osaka.

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October 1st, Tribeca interior design studio and boutique Paul Kohn Design will introduce a new furniture collection by Ana Meier of  Meier/Ferrer design house. The nine-piece collection is the first offering from the contemporary designer. 

Ana Meier for Meier/Ferrer is composed of geometric shapes defined by a contrast of materials such as American hardwoods, metals, leathers and linens enhanced by age and use. The pieces are suited for public spaces as well as private residences. Prices range from $1,700 to $15,800. Custom sizing, materials and finishes are available.

Elaine Paul and Barbara Shattuck Kohn opened Paul Kohn Design studio in 2007. The showroom,...Read More

The Raleigh, N.C. Bassett Furniture Direct store will host a seminar Thurs., Oct. 1 featuring Edward Walker of TLC’s Trading Spaces. The seminar, Meet Your Clients’ Design Needs Without Breaking Their Budget: Timely Delivery and Economic Friendly Product will help introduce the Raleigh store’s new designer program. Wine and cheese will be served at the store, located at 8201 Glenwood Ave. RSVP to sales@bassettraleigh.com.

Celebrating their 10^th anniversary in Raleigh, Bassett Furniture Direct represents the Bassett Furnitu...Read More

World Market Center Las Vegas and Las Vegas Design Center named Vicente Wolf this year’s Design Icon at a ceremony held Wednesday evening during the September Las Vegas Market.

The annual award honors design legends by giving them a platform from which to share their stories and inspire and educate other designers. Past recipients include Roger Thomas, Vladimir Kagan and Larry Laslo.

Wolf, who owns Vicente Wolf Associates Inc., spoke candidly to the audience during the Wednesday evening ceremony, sharing that as a young adult he had been fired from every single job he’d ever held, including fashion, acting, advertising and merchandising. "It gave me no choice but to work for myself," he said.

He ...Read More

San Simeon, Calif. -- Barclay Butera has been tapped to create a contemporary interior at Hearst Castle, the first such project since William Randolph Hearst left the estate in 1947. The project benefits Friends of Hearst Castle, a nonprofit association supporting the estate’s preservation and art education.

An overnight stay at the Castle was auctioned off by the group in 2008, to commemorate the estate’s 50th anniversary of public access. The winning couple will enjoy an overnight stay in the specially decorated showcase room, preceded by an afternoon swimming in the Neptune Pool, tennis, dinner on the terrace, a garden stroll, and an after-dinner movie in the Castle theater.

New York, N.Y. -- Danish design company VIPP is celebrating its 70th anniversary this October by hosting a charity auction in collaboration with design retailer Design Within Reach (DWR). The auction will benefit DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS.Leading figures in the worlds of architecture, art, design, fashion and entertainment including Oscar de la Renta, David Rockwell, Ralph Lauren, Yoko Ono, Izhar Patkin, Yves Behar, John Baldessari and Calvin Klein will be putting their signature touch on the iconic VIPP bin for the occasion. The customized VIPP bins will be auctioned at a gala event on Oct. 28 at Design Within Reach’s flagship store at 110 Greene St. The customized VIPP bins will be on public display for pre-b...Read More