For 46 years, the Biennale Interieur (located in the charming city of Kortrijk, Belgium) has been a destination for design-lovers seeking fresh ideas and innovative makers from Belgium and beyond.  It was our first time at the bi-annual show and we were frankly blown away.  The quality of the exhibition space/exhibitors and the thoughtful offsite exhibitions really made a walk down each aisle an exciting discovery. The show offered a well-curated experience between the main hall and the installations and exhibits located across town in the Buda Island district.  Organized and run by a non-profit organization, with sleek Audis ferrying attendees back and forth, the two days we had for the show, were not nearly enough time to soak it all in. We did our best by taking very short breaks in the charming onsite cafes (created by designers), monitoring our beer drinking (we even visited a Beer Temple) and keeping a brisk pace (our FitBit numbers were through the roof).

One of our favorite areas was the special section celebrating outstanding Belgian designers and going back in time to show the rich talent that distinguishes the Belgian design scene.  This year the “Designer of the Year” award, a prestigious title given to one who exhibits unique and creative design in their industry, was given to Marina Bautier.  Marina is a native to Belgium, where she set up her own furniture design practice in 2002, until Lignet Roset discovered her work and fueled her international career in Milan.  At a cocktail in honor of the exhibit, we got to meet other Belgian design super stars, including Alain Bertau, the founder of Objekten and one of our faves, who was awarded this title in 2006.

In addition to thought-provoking exhibits, installations and cash and carry designs, the show line-up included cocktail and dance parties at all hours and all over town.  Our friends at Architonic went so far as to rent a decommissioned church for their annual disco event.  The venue was attached to an old school that was soon to be demolished.  The city allowed the show to take over the space to fill it with student design work as well as a fab pop-up restaurant.  We got coveted reservations for dinner on the long school-house tables. It was wonderful! Another after-hours hot ticket was to the Wünder party sponsored by Axor, Duravit, Delta Lighting, Casaus, Samsung and Barrisol and featuring installations, dancing and Belgian beers.. need we say more!

Additional culinary highlights included the home gelato makers on the show floor and some of the best gelato we have ever had… AND for free at a trade show to boot – fantastic chocolates and frites!!!

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Have you heard the news? The submission deadline for the 2015 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition has been extended to January 23, 2015. The hunt is on for the most original and imaginative spaces designed by North American architects and designers using Italian ceramic/porcelain tile for the chance to win $4,000 + a trip to Italy!

Sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission and Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics, comprised of 150+ ceramic tile manufacturers), the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition is the longest running contest of its kind. The 2015 edition is open to architects and designers based in North America who have used Italian ceramic or porcelain tile in their residential, institutional and commercial/hospitality projects compeleted in the past five years (January 2010 – January 2015). Projects can range from hotels and hospitals to offices and apartments —they want to see them all!

The competition is completely digital and FREE to enter! The winning architect or designer in each category will be awarded $4,000 and a five-day trip to Bologna, Italy to attend Cersaie – the world’s largest exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings. An additional $1,000 will be awarded to the tile contractor/distributor team who worked on each winning project.

…Need more convincing? Check out this 30-second video to get all the details:

…Need a little inspiration? Here are last year’s winners:

COMMERCIAL
The Plaza of the Armericas in Dallas, TX
Designed by Corgan Associates

INSTITUTIONAL
Morgan Hall, Temple University
Designed by MGA Partners

RESIDENTIAL
355 Manfield Los Angeles, CA
Designed by D.I Group.

Click here to submit, or contact info@novitapr.com for more info.

As more than half of our editorial staff calls Brooklyn home, we are excited to announce that the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for BKLYN DESIGNS 2015.  Held from May 8-10, the juried exhibition will feature a dynamic collection of products from the borough’s most innovative designers and manufacturers.  After over a decade in DUMBO, the show will have a new home in Greenpoint at the Brooklyn Expo Center (a super cool, glass-clad structure). In addition to the facility’s inside space, it also touts a pretty amazing outdoor area – with gorgeous views of that other borough (Manhattan).

Show organizers are working on a number of  new initiatives and we cannot wait to be part of – what they are calling – BKLYN DESIGNS 3.0. You should be too! All Brooklyn-based makers and manufacturers of furniture, lighting, art, textiles and accessories are encouraged to apply at ibrooklyn.com/bkdapp by February 1. Collectives are welcome too!

In just a few weeks, imm cologne, a leading international furniture trade show and marketplace and one of the first international interior design shows of the year, takes over Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. The exhibition focuses on contemporary design, innovative materials and fabrics, and architectural lighting design technology.  With over 1200 exhibitors – from international brands to up-and-coming designers, the show is a rich resource for inspiring ideas and the latest trends in the industry.

Event highlights this year include:

Das Haus – Interiors on Stage, a setting-like structure of spacious interiors and “housing cages.” This year, the Shanghai-based architects Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu will show an installation under the title “Memory Lane”, which, inspired by the Shanghai Lane Houses, combines Chinese tradition with contemporary design and thus would lead to a discussion about housing rituals.

Pure Talents, a new platform for young and up-and-coming international designers

The Sleep Lounge – “9 turns 9″: at imm cologne 2015, Hall 9 celebrates the 9th anniversary of the Sleep segment, while the Matratzen-Industrie e.V. trade association, partner of Koelnmesse in the Sleep sector, celebrates its 10th anniversary.  To commemorate, the association will be creating a film and welcome guests with the best scenes of the past years. The Lounge will be decorated with motifs from the anniversary film itself and from the classic cinema of the 50’s and 60’s. Some of the film clips specifically reflect the association’s different fields of competence. As is tradition, the Sleep Lounge will also host the “meet@sleep” party on Tuesday evening.

Café Trussardi in Hall 10.1 will make its debut. The booth combines the exclusive design of one of the world’s leading big brands with haute cuisine. itself communicates the level of quality and style which the Trussardi Group pursues in all of its commercial interests. It is therefore no surprise that – just like the original in Milan – Café Trussardi at imm cologne will present a straightforward and distinctive cuisine.

Happy hour + a behind-the-scenes peek at the leading design offices in New York? If this sounds like your kind of evening, the Architectural League of New York’s Spring 2015 First Friday program won’t disappoint. In a series of monthly open-offices, First Friday provides a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about effective organization and design processes in the architecture world. We’ve listed the full line-up after the jump.

On January 9th at 6:30 pm, the first host office will kick off the series, opening its doors for drinks, conversation, and an exclusive look at recent and upcoming projects. Located at 22 West 19th Street, FXFOWLE Architects is known for design inspired by urbanism, technology, and sustainable strategies. Exploring “the role of design in human settlement,” the firm’s work focuses on the interplay between form and function, a concept that is apparent in their commercial, education, and cultural facilities, multi-family residences, and city planning.

Above: FXFOWLE Architects’ Museum of the Built Environment in Rayadah, Saudi Arabia, to be completed in 2017

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There is no better way to ring in the new year than by attending Toronto’s annual Interior Design Show (January 22-25, 2015)!  Since the show’s inception in 1999, the IDS has continued to attract hundreds of exhibitors, thousands of visitors, and serve as an ultimate breeding ground for inspiration, creativity, and innovation.  Kicking off the weekend, guests are invited to attend their renowned Opening Night Party, connecting ideas within the design industry to the show floor entertainment through an atmosphere filled with delicious food and beverages, friendly faces, and spirit of excitement.

Guests and designers gathered together over cocktails discussing various intriguing ideas at the Opening Night Party.

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Staycationing this holiday season? While it’s tempting to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and another season on Netflix, we like to use the downtime to get to the museums. We’ve rounded up some great architecture and design shows across the country from Atlanta to Denver to LA. If you’re home in one of these cities these holidays, get out and spark your curiosity with some contemporary art and design.

ATLANTA

Bangles to Benches, High Museum of Art
Ongoing
Bangles to Benches is comprised of an astonishing range of contemporary works, varying in scale, utility, and production. The exhibit features unusual pairings of jewelry and design objects, creating dynamic and unexpected relationships for a fresh perspective on art and design.

CHICAGO

Veiled Architecture, Art Institute of Chicago
Till January 25, 2015
Conceptualization meets realization in Veiled Architecture, an exhibit that showcases Brooklyn-based SO-IL’s ability to refine concepts and ideas into solid forms, engaging with the materials used and expanding traditional white-cube galleries into interactive spaces.

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The unsuspecting viewer is the subject of a social experiment in perception, encapsulated by a strange vibrating, pink form. It’s porous and biological in structure, but the medium is rigidly composed of thousands of laser-cut metal pieces — inorganic. The experience is all-encompassing, distilling light, sound, and form into one controlled environment.

Situation NY is a sensory installation at the Storefront of Art and Architecture that explores context, perception, and the real and unreal. A collaboration between Jana Winderen (an artist with a background in mathematics, chemistry, and fish ecology) and Marc Fornes (architect and founder of THEVERYMANY studio), the “situation room” questions how we read our environment, especially in a world where digital and physical realms are becoming more and more inseparable.

Dying to see for yourself? Get to 97 Kenmare Street in Soho this weekend! The installation ends Saturday, December 20th.

Last week, the French Embassy in New York hosted the US launch of Dreaming 2074, a digital book that harnesses science fiction storytelling to forecast the world in 2074 and the role that French luxury will play in that future society. The event was hosted by the Comité Colbert, an advocacy umbrella organization that represents 78 French luxury houses and 14 cultural institutions from Hermès to Maison du Chocolat.

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If you still believe in the American Dream, watch Mad Men marathons, and wish a time machine could take you back to 1950s New York, the exhibition Mac Conner: A New York Life is definitely something you don’t want to miss these holidays.

Above: “How Do You Love Me”, Woman’s Home Companion, 1950

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