We’ve got our checkbooks ready, so let the bidding wars begin! The Bailey House Auction & Party kicks off tomorrow at 7PM at the Lexington Avenue Armory. The annual event is hosted by New York’s finest designers and TV personalities including Bravo’s Andy Cohen, Simon Doonan, Sherri Shepherd and more and helps raise money to house homeless people with AIDS/HIV. A “meet & greet” with legendary journalist Diane Sawyer, passes to Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture show, home items from Swarovski and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams are just some of the items up for bid!  If you haven’t purchased a ticket, you can still do so at the door! Contributions to the Bailey House can also be made online.

When: Wednesday, February 22 at 7PM

Where: Lexington Avenue Armory – 26th St & Lexington Ave

- By blogger Heba Nady

Just in time for those last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts and the upcoming spring wedding season, Alessi, a leader in tabletop design, will be holding their annual warehouse sale next week! Huge discounts of up to 70% will be offered on discontinued items, irregulars, and floor samples. The sales event, which will run from Monday, February 13^th to Wednesday, February 19^th, will be taking place at Alessi stores and shops in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Miami. We think these great deals from the renowned kitchen and housewares company are just too good to miss!

Here’s a sneak peek of some of the items that will be included in the sale:

The Birds & Clouds Sushi Kit is the perfect way to freshen up your culinary skills! (Originally: $105; Now: $31.50)

La Cintura di Orione Stockpot, made in consultation with distinguished chefs from around the world, will not only look stunning in your kitchen but is also easy to clean! (Originally $288; Now: $144)

The Mediterraneo Tea Light Holder will bring unique illumination to any setting! (Originally: $36; Now: $10.80)

Between the Metro Convention Center in Toronto and the Jacob Javits in New York, I’ve seen a number of exciting new products. On Monday, I walked the Accent on Design aisles of the NYIGF, charged with the task of finding one product that features an urgent, odd and delightful design to receive Design-Calendar‘s Blogger’s Choice Award. With over 200 exhibitors at this season’s show and thousands of products to choose from, this was no easy feat. I saw a lot of playful designs and pieces that reminded me of my childhood. I love that today’s designers are reinventing every day objects and bringing their creative ideas to the home and lifestyle marketplace. In particular, BANG! by first-time NYIGF exhibitor bitplay blew me away. This toy gun combines fun and function. By pulling the trigger, a desk lamp illuminates. Shoot the light again and it turns off.

It seems my fellow bloggers were also impressed as Marisa Marcantonio from Stylebeat also awarded this her Blogger’s Choice.

Other winner’s included: Baggu laptop cases by Baggu, selected by Hollister Hovey of HollisterHovey.blogspot.com; Belle Helmets by MODEL CITIZENS NYC, selected by Kate Reynolds McLeod of the DailyGrommet.com; Chick-a-Dee smoke detector by neo-utility, selected by Evan Orensten of Coolhunting.com and Stephanie Murg of UnBeige.com; Helen Lamp by Gambrel Workshop, selected by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan of ApartmentTherapy.com; and School Joke Chair by Alessandro Zambetti for Seletti North America, selected by Dickson Wong of the HuffingtonPost.com.

As I mentioned before, it was really hard to pick one favorite. Additional products that caught my eye included:

“Ooh la la”…What more can I say about Alexandra Ferguson‘s sassy pillow talk!

Kontextur‘s Duck Harry, a clever duck-shaped sculpture has a variety of uses from tooth brush/toothpaste holder to doorstop to paperweight.

Black + Blum‘s eau good – a BPA free water bottle with a binchotan active charcoal that serves as a natural water purifier. 

Oh Canada! Our Design-Calendar girls just got back from the Interior Design Show in Toronto, where the condo boom has put everyone in a good mood. Our spirits were high from start to finish, which might have something to do with the delicious cocktails served at the opening night party and preview and the Veuve Clicquot in the press room =).

Jenn-Air started the night off right with a series of delicious cocktails!

DJ Kreemy kept the party going with his mix of electronic beats!

The Krups Stage was a lively spot as keynote speakers including Matali Crasset, Fabio Novembre and Bjarke Ingels drew massive crowds.
Speaking of hot sessions, students had the chance to talk with Novembre and fellow Italian designer leaders  Piero Lissoni and Piero Gandini at Italian Design Unplugged, which took place at the FLOS Power Station on the exhibition floor.

Offsite, we had a chance to get a sneak peek at the new Templar hotel. Local design hero Del Terrelonge took us on a tour of the brand new 8 story bespoke boutique hotel in the entertainment district and explained his extremely cool concept for lodging. From the public spaces to the private rooms, the hotel is filled with Poliform furnishings, Duravit toilets, Axor faucets, Hansgrohe shower heads and Miele appliances. The kitchen is open 24 hours and guests are treated to a private chef. Airport transportation is provided by a chauffeur-driven Porsche Panamera. You name it, Del has though of it. His attention to detail is extraordinary.  We couldn’t be more proud!   Speaking of hotels, we spent Saturday night at the Gladstone – ducking (often times literally) into the guest rooms at the Love Design Party at the Come Up to My Room exhibition. This alternative design event, which took over the hallways and second floor of the hotel featured the work of 44 artists and designers. Each were asked to present what goes on inside their heads. The results were incredible…

Interstice Studios' CAST is a public space installation that explores the potentials of material reuse. Made of thousands of tiny paper clips, CAST takes the form of an intricate weave and is heavily influenced by traditional craft and textile techniques.

Wendy Fok's Geo-Cognition made guests stop and think about urban landscapes. Can you spot the city in the shadow?

Stay tuned as we’ll be following up with some of our favorite products from the show floor!

Japan has historically been a great influence in the world of art and design. With everything from its exquisite handicrafts and architecture to its highly disseminated anime and manga culture that has made its way into films and museums (The Matrix; Takashi Murakami; etcetera), the importance of Japanese design, both traditional and contemporary, is undeniable. It is with this in mind that Fashion Journalist Yoshiko Ikoma produced JAPAN NEXT EXHIBITION: “Future Tradition WAO.” The exhibition is a response to the demand for a paradigm shift in the sense of the design world’s values. As designers reconsider the importance of traditional technologies, worldwide attention is increasingly focused on “Japanese Handicrafts,” engendering a new artistic form based on the “useful beauty” of Japanese luxury items.

The exhibition’s very first installment will be at Capsule Studio in New York City from February 10th through the 12th, featuring innovative items designed and produced with a contemporary Japanese sensibility. It will include include Collaboration Handicrafts with well-known brands such as Louis Vuitton, FENDI, Baccarat, and Hello Kitty, as well as Curators-selected Handicrafts, and Future Tradition Handicrafts. Curators of the exhibition include Maiko Itai, Miss Universe Japan 2010, Sayumi Gunji, Creative Director of Vogue Girl, Architect Kengo Kuma, and Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa among other influential individuals, making this exhibition a truly collaborative effort between all areas of art and design.

“We are eager to present our creativity and craftsmanship to the city of New York,” says Ikoma. “The collection of designers and products are truly inspiring and we look forward to sharing the innovation and “secrets” of Japanese traditional crafts.”

To learn more about “Future Tradition WAO,” Cool Japan, and the featured products in the exhibition, please visit http://cooljapan-wao.com/.

~by blogger Frank Brunelle

If one were to make an analogy between a literary work and the design of the new wing of the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum by Renzo Piano, than one might look to Guns Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. But whereas Mr. Diamond talks about how one culture may overtake another mainly by environmental differences, Mr. Piano’s buildings are Glass Diagonals and Steel that combine to unite the inhabitants of the structure with the environment. Taking a page from Mies van der Rohe who strived towards an architecture with a minimal framework in order to give a maximum of free flowing space the new wing of the Gardner indeed complements and enhances the old wing and embraces the air, the sky, the light and the earth. And where the old wing in its DNA is a part of the Renaissance not only in art but also in quality of dim lighting of the era – by contrast, the new Renzo Piano designed wing opens up to the sky and integrates into the exterior architecture of the Gardner by offering the inhabitants the opportunity to gaze upon it when going upstairs or when using its glass and steel covered walkway on the first floor.

It was a pleasant surprise to be asked to participate in a photo contest as I stood in line waiting to go in to view the new structure. It reminded me of another interaction I had as a student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. As an art student there, I did a performance piece employing a rooster and two gallons of paint – one of blue and one of violet – in the Mies van der Rohe designed Student Union building.

The difference this time is that the tracks I left are digital and are images of the building rather than part of it… A difference I am certain the Gardner Museum appreciates.

Maison & Objet, the home and fashion showcase, is back January 20-24 at Paris Nord Villepinte in Paris, France. This international home decor, gift and tableware exhibition is offering a number of events such as Inspirations, Designers of the Year, a business lounge, and a lecture series spanning the four days of the event.

The theme for Maison & Objet’s Observatoire this year is “Crazy”. The idea behind the Observatoire is to “catalogue new trends in consumption and emerging lifestyles”, and the Observatoire will be showcasing three spaces. These spaces being, Vincent Grégoire’s Sweet Freaks, François Bernard’s Art’keting, and Elizabeth Leriche’s Dream Box.

Other highlights of the exhibition are the 2012 Designers of the Year, where three new designers on the cutting edge of creation will be awarded the title. Also, the business lounge is a meeting place set up for networking and business meetings.

The lecture series will be divided into 7 lectures. On the first day Humberto and Frenando Campana, the 2012 Maison & Objet designers of the year, will speak about where their Brazilian design creations come from. Also on the first day Tokujin Yoshioka will speak about his renowned design though some of his representative projects. Generation Y, a Galaxy to Explore and Understand will be part of the Forecasting lecture on Saturday. The Innovation section of the series will include Sports Design and Design on the March in Small, Mid-sized and Very Small Businesses. The final lectures will be Chain or Independent Hotels: a Global, Local or “Glocal” Approach as well as Sensual Cities, both of which are part of the new urban codes lectures.

Other event information can be found on the Maison & Object site.

–by blogger Madeleine DiSalvo

Next month, IIDA NY is hosting a residential forum event, focusing on the vitality of combining art to interior designer. They’ll be serving up cocktails and stimulating dialogue. Speakers including Maria Buatta, Principal, Mario Buatta “Prince of Chintz:” Amy Lau, Principal, Amy Lau Design; Lauri Simmons, Artist, Represented by Salon 94; Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, Owner, Salong 94, Art Collector, Art Advisor. The presentation will be moderated by Stephanie B Simmons, Director, Jason McCoy Gallery.

Location: Desiron, 151 Wooster Street, NYC

Date: February 7, 2012

Time: Cocktails: 6:00 – 6:30pm Presentation: 6:30 – 8:00pm

Cost: $15 Members, $30 Non-Members, $10 Students and Educators.

Register HERE

–by blogger Madeleine DiSalvo

Once again, Design-Calendar, has been asked to judge the semi-annual “Bloggers’s Choice Awards.”  We are looking forward to attending this year’s NYIGF and walking the aisles of Accent and Design to see the fresh new talent that awaits! Four rookie design studios have been invited to partake in the “A+: The Young Designers Platform” showcase. These emerging designers will have the chance to travel to New York from all over the world to introduce us to their new and innovative products. This is a great opportunity for young designer to get their foot in the door.

We recommend that you keep an eye out for these new comers! Here are the A+ Studios participants that have been chosen for the competition:

Hongchao Wang & Peng You launched Benwu Studio in 2011.  The biocontinental company is based in London, England and Columbus, Ohio. The founders are both current undergraduate students; Hongchao Wang studies at Columbus College of Art & Design and Peng You at the London based Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.  The team is inspired by both fashion and architecture and focuses on traditional techniques with a Zen philosophy.  HOT ITEM: “Sunmao” a three legged stool which incorporate ancient Chinese design techniques. CLICK HERE to view the studio’s collection.

David Litzler is a lighting design and maker, based out of Seattle. He studied architecture at the University of Oklahoma but has spent the last decade in Seattle providing custom residential design. In July 2011, he incorporated his formal education with his knowledge of shop tools and opened his current lighting design/maker studio.  HOT ITEM: the Helen Lamp, made from 16 gauge mild steel which is welded and powder coated in five varying colors. To see more on David Lizler CLICK HERE.

Three students from the University of Montreal founded PANOPLIE in April 2011.  Sarah Brousseua, Cleo Poirier Muszynski, and Marie-Christine Rondeau, teamed together as part of their Bachelors degree in Interior Design. Collectively, they invented their first product, a wine glass coaster and identifier called the “Gluk.” HOT ITME: the “Gluk” a wine glass coaster and identifier, offered as a multi-color set that attaches to the bottom of a wine glass.  For more information on the trio, CLICK HERE.

Ruti Stopnizki is an accomplished creative director, designer, and design lecturer. A graduate of the Bazalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem and has spent the past two years advancing her fabrication techniques, while enhancing her jewelry expertise. In March of 2011, Stopnitzki launched her jewelry line called MEANINGS from her home in Amsterdam. HOT ITEM: typography-based design, it translates two-dimensional drawings into wearable three-dimensional miniature sculptures. To learn for about her first collection CLICK HERE.

HOT ITEMS

We thought it would be especially fitting to post this on 1/12/12 and wanted all our NY-based furniture designers and fabricator friends out there to know about 12 x 12. It’s a creative competition organized by Sawkill Lumber Co and sponsored by Brooklyn Woods, Build-it-Green and 3rd Ward and is intended to give new life to reclaimed wood found at 12 demolished New York City historic buildings. Some of these buildings include: 125 East 75th St., Manhattan, former horse stable belonging to Joseph Pulitzer, Coney Island Boardwalk, Brooklyn, 133-139 MacDougal St., Manhattan Eugene O’Neill’s first New York City Theatre, the Provincetown Playhouse, 50-49 Laurel Hill Blvd, Queens, former stock distillery and eight other deserted historical sites.  The 12 winning designers will be asked to take the material and use it to create a table, chair, bookcase, chest of drawers, light fixture, desk, etc.  The work will be exhibited this May during the New York Design Week.  Proceeds from sales of furniture works at 12 x 12 will benefit educational and woodworking job training in New York City, through the not-for-profit Brooklyn Woods.

Sounds pretty cool, huh? Here’s how you enter (link the word enter to www.12x12nyc.com) Established designers, as well as emerging talent (including students) are welcome to submit portfolios for jury review.The panel of jurors will include prominent editors and journalists, design industry influences and interior designers. Judges will be looking for innovation, modern, contemporary designs, attention to detail, sustainability and quality.  The deadline to enter is January 31, 2012.