Day 2 of the Designhounds NYC tour started with a visit to ICFF, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, which is a curated design showcase for home furnishings. 

Special thanks to ICFF was one of the sponsors for our trip. 

Buckle up!  Even thought the fair is a much more manageable scale than KBIS or Highpoint Market, I still have a LOT to share of the new and interesting things I saw!

In addition to furniture there was SO much more - wall and floor coverings, lighting, hardware, accessories , and plumbing were all featured! 

We met bright and not TOO early in the hotel lobby to Uber over to the Javits Center where the show was held, and reconvened at registration for the show. 

Picking up our badges was the most efficient spectacle I have ever witnessed, with a sign over the registration area that read “Welcome to New York, we’ve been waiting for you”.

A smiling gentleman was enthusiastically waving a green flag to triage the line to the next available check in attendant…and then we were off.

Briefly distracted by the nattily dressed mannequin display at Berhardt (I think - we were more focused on the faceless men LOL), we were off and running.

This is THE show for innovative product introductions stateside, and it did not disappoint!

Furnishings

There were chairs in woven designs and unexpected textures and shapes.

Including this cotton fringed one that looks it’s made from a mop…the ottoman REALLY looks lie a mop, which I guess means it could pull double duty to clean up spills?!  Does that make it multipurpose furniture?

Part scuplture, part furniture, this sexy ribbon-like chair from Andres Marino is made of a mix of cherry and ash woods with a cane seat.

Side tables and stools sported mixed materials and innovative shapes.

Molo makes these innovative acoustic flexible walls in heights from 1’ to 10’ in a variety of corrugated materials and colors that collapse to 2” thick and stretch to 15’ long. They also make lighting and flexible furniture in the same material. 

These walls had attached benches with little felt seat pads. And this disk lounge chair and lighting in pink and white that looks like something out of Barbie, is surprisingly comfortable and sturdy!

And the Ornare company makes absolutely gorgeous bespoke storage systems for closets that could also have applications for home offices or media rooms. 

The display included sliding slatted doors, custom fabric lined walls, integrated shelf lighting, and pull out acrylic organizer drawers lined in leather.

Tucked in the back corner of the hall was one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture.  It was from Canadian maker, Kino Guerin, who produces ribbon-like benches and tables in bent wood. 

There was, of course, a fair amount of outdoor furniture - a growing category in nearly every line.

We had fun with this rattan swing for a crowd! 

There were fire pits with varying degrees of success…this sinister looking one would be handy if you need to sacrifice a virgin or something I guess… 

Lighting

One of the biggest categories at the show was lighting.  The fixtures came in a staggering variety of unusual shapes and materials from handblown glass to metal, wood, and an assortment of textiles.

This handmade suspension chandelier was truly stunning, but bring wheelbarrows full of money for the 5 figure price tag.

This huge pendant that looks a bit like a hat you might see at Ascot, is actually fashioned from nylon zippers!  

These Stickbulb linear wooden bars with integrated LED lights are made from reclaimed wood.

These fun colorful creative crocheted lights reminded me of sea creatures for some reason.

These English made handblown glass pendants, by Rothchild and Bickers, are reminiscent of intricate Christmas ornaments.

And these pleated wired sheer fabric sculptures, from maker Constantini, can be arranged in a variety of ways - the hand painted pendants were my favorites.  

Hardware

There was fabulous statement hardware in a variety of textures

Wall and floor coverings

There were some beautiful and unusual boutique lines of wallpaper

And these shoji screen acrylic panels that can be used as inserts for doors, and these intricate decorative paneled screens or doors.  This company also makes some beautiful textured materials for walls.

And some textured wood walls, some with wood recycled from all over the globe. From textured and rustic to refined and modern - there was something for everyone. wouldn’t these be fabulous in a wine cellar? Or as a feature wall in a living space?

Wood flooring with metal inlays is a unique and elegant option from PID Floors. Different metals and wood finishes are available in a variety of patterns. These oversize squares are just two of the options that caught my eye.

Customizable tiles in modern patterns and stone tiles in textured shapes.

And, of course, the rise of biophilia in design means more options for greenery walls, living and preserved like this beautiful moss wall from Garden on the Wall.

Made of preserved natural materials, it brings the outside in with zero maintenance.

Plumbing fixtures

Unique shower and light systems at Graff

And reeded and slatted bath fixtures and furnishings.

We ended our ICFF tour at the Grohe pavilion for lunch and a panel discussion on ltrend indicators and planning for the future.  Grohe gifted us scarves and water bottles, which we were able to fill at their faucet display - a magical faucet which produces filtered chilled still, or lightly carbonated, or full sparkling water at the touch of a button!  

The day was far from over…stay tuned or the rest of Day 2 coming soon!

If you missed day 1 and the joy of wireless charging convenience, click HERE.