Janet Ramin - Whenever I visit the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, I make a beeline for the furniture displays. The AD show has everything a home design addict would love: artwork, furniture, lighting, tabletop displays, kitchen, and bath – so much so that it can be overwhelming. But furniture is the heart of every room, so I love to check out the latest furniture lines from the big, established firms to the new work from the smaller furniture studios.
Just as bold bright colors were the top trends in fashion, brilliant colors were also seen in many furniture designs. The cabinet on a stand – seen above - from Bart Niswonger is a perfect example with its red-hot and yellow colors and floating yellow-green flowers. Made of ash, cherry, and cast urethane, the cabinet provides that pop of color and touch of unexpectedness to any interior. Another whimsical piece is the ball side table. Floating orange urethane tops the table as red balls pop out from its sides.
Irwin Weiner ASID - Interior designers need a complete arsenal of resources at their disposal, 24/7. Our clients ask us for the latest, the newest, the best - and a good designer needs to keep asking questions, explore new resources, and find the right solutions to match an individual client's needs.
Sometimes the best resources, however, aren't the latest or of-the-moment. I tend to default to furnishings and home goods that are flexible. One good example is the Toot sofa system from Cassina.
Irwin Weiner ASID -- If you're ever in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY, make it a point to stop in at the Future Perfect, a trend-setting design store that stocks home items that blend great art, design, and craft instincts. They carry fashion for your home from imaginative and playful designers, all curated with a good eye.
If you can't make it to Brooklyn, there's convenient online shopping on their website.
I enjoyed the diverse mix of playful and sophisticated design objects, ranging from wallpaper (like the London Toille samples below, updated and urban takes on classic toille from Timorous Beasties) and lighting to tabletop and furniture.
For more info: Go to the Future Perfect website for more information and the latest design merchandise.
The photos below will give you an idea of some of the items that really caught our eye.