Spring is not generally my favorite month in NYC. The weather is still kind of gross and I never know what to wear outside. All that time spent debating about whether or not I need a jacket… So needless to say, my mood improves greatly when the International Contemporary Furniture Fair rolls in to town.

I’ve always had a thing for furniture….I studied interior design in college, and was beyond excited to be taking a course in furniture design during a semester abroad in Florence. I was sooo disappointed when I got there and was told the course had been cancelled… would I like to take ceramic restoration instead?  (NO!)  When I go to a show like ICFF or bklyndesigns I can’t help but wonder what that one course might have led to.

Oh, I know. Boo-hoo. I’ll get on with it…

This year’s show was lovely. I talked to designers from Spain, England, Bosnia, Japan, and Turkey, New York, and Cleveland. I petted lots of amazing textiles, parked in a ton of cool chairs, and stared dreamily at light fixtures for so long my eyes went spotty. I managed to take a few pictures, too…

(clockwise from top left: footstool; blankets, pillows, seating & ceramics)

Nice, right? In my opinion, the best part of ICFF is the mix of product that comes from established, dynamic, style forward companies, (Tom Dixon, Jonathan Adler) and the stuff coming from sole proprietors. I saw a lot of booths manned by a single person, the same person who is designing wallcovering, screen printing pillows, or throwing pots. VERY inspiring!

Speaking of wallcovering, I’m a bit of a junkie… and I’m desperate to find a place to use Scrapwood Wallpaper by artist Piet Hein Eek. Materials that are meant to mimic other materials often don’t do the original justice, but this really blew me away. Well, not just me. They won the ICFF Best in Show award in the wallcovering category. Well deserved…
(photo courtesy of scrapwoodwallpaper.com)