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ICFF Luxury Design Finds & Trends

 

What’s new and next in luxury interiors. Cool products and design finds from the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City.

Automotive Inspired Furniture:

Sleek, sexy yet masculine, the coveted Lamborghini sports car becomes the muse for a furniture collection by the lifestyle company Tonino Lamborghini. Arm chair drivers can immerse themselves in Lamborghini’s signature red and gray quilted leather patterned sofas and chairs.

Sofa and coffee tables by Tonino Lamborghini, inspired by the sleek styling of the Lamborghini sports car. Photo credit: The Design Tourist
Sofa and coffee tables by Tonino Lamborghini, inspired by the sleek styling of the Lamborghini sports car. Photo credit: The Design Tourist

Founded in Italy in 1981 by Tonino Lamborghini, heir of the Lamborghini family,  the collection draws inspiration from his family heritage and experience in mechanical and automotive engineering that manifests in a range of luxury design products.

Chair by Tonino Lamborghini, inspired by the sleek styling of the Lamborghini sports car. Photo credit: The Design Tourist
Chair by Tonino Lamborghini, inspired by the sleek styling of the Lamborghini sports car. Photo credit: The Design Tourist

Kiel Arto Design transforms old autobody steel into alluring patinas that adorn the tabletops of its debut collection.  Opened less than a year ago, the company envisions its tables being used by people who appreciate functional art and are sensitive to the environment. “There is much art that is viewed from a distance, our tables are art that should be used, touched, and be part of your daily routine,” says artist Kristaps Gulbis, who teases out the hidden beauty of painted auto body steel in a collection of tables, wall tiles, wall panels and counter-tops.

Reclaimed autobody steel creates alluring patinas on the tabletops of pieces by Kiel Arto Design. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Reclaimed autobody steel creates alluring patinas on the tabletops of pieces by Kiel Arto Design. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist

Using automobile rooftops and embracing the dents and scratches, he creates an urban patina by gradually removing the layers of paint, following the color patterns and combinations to create “a painting that becomes a functional, practical piece of art.”

Reclaimed autobody steel creates alluring patinas on the tabletops of pieces by Kiel Arto Design. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Reclaimed autobody steel creates alluring patinas on the tabletops of pieces by Kiel Arto Design. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist

“Automotive body panels are not plastic pretending to be wood – this is factory painted steel that deserves a second life. Saving this material from the crusher is good for the environment,” says Kalnins.

Table made of reclaimed automotive steel by Kiel Arto Design.
Table made of reclaimed automotive steel by Kiel Arto Design.
Table made of reclaimed automotive steel by Kiel Arto Design.
Table made of reclaimed automotive steel by Kiel Arto Design.

Knitted Up:

Knitted, knotted and crocheted patterns nod to handmade craft rendered in contemporary silhouettes. The Cabaret collection of sofas and chairs reminds me of an oversized knit sweater with its knotted and weaving technique. Designed by Kenneth Cobonpue, the Philippines based, award-winning designer brings a new face to modern design  using natural fibers and materials.

The Cabaret High Back Sofa and High Back Lounge Chair by Designer Kenneth Cobonpue. One of my favorite design finds at ICFF. Photo credit: The Design Tourist
The Cabaret High Back Sofa and High Back Lounge Chair by Designer Kenneth Cobonpue. One of my favorite design finds at ICFF.

The Kabuki Floor Lamp by Kartell creates its lace patterning via an injection moulded process that produces a perforated surface dispersing light in a gorgeous grid.

Pod Chair crafted of woven sisal and other fibers on exhibit at ICFF. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Pod Chair crafted of woven sisal and other fibers on exhibit at ICFF. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist

Memphis Group Tributes:

Several collections caught my eye for their playful nod to the no rules approach to The Memphis Group design movement.  Le Point D, a french furniture company, debuted the Couchino sofa by Margaux Keller, who “plays with everyday rules to surprise people.”

The Couchino sofa by Margaux Keller from Le Point D on exhibit at ICFF. One of my favorite design finds for its playful nod to The Memphis Group. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist.
The Couchino sofa by Margaux Keller from Le Point D on exhibit at ICFF. One of my favorite design finds for its playful nod to The Memphis Group. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist.

Furniture designer Annie Evelyn appeals to my material fixation with a collection of chairs that invent new tactile experiences. At first glance, the orbs appear to be sculptures but upon closer inspection, they are soft seating that resemble bean bags. Evelyn crafted the Oshibana Chair out of  handmade paper flowers, silk flowers, foam and wood.

The Oshibana Chair by Annie Evelyn plays with our concept of the chair and the typical materials used in construction of seating. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Oshibana Chair by Annie Evelyn plays with our concept of the chair and the typical materials used in construction of seating. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist

The Scale Lounge, also by Annie Evelyn, takes shape from foam, fabric and nickel scales.

The Scale Lounge by Annie Evelyn is both sculpture and seating. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Scale Lounge by Annie Evelyn is both sculpture and seating. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist

On The Fringe:

Design na Pele (DNP) champions Brazilian leather internationally and brought to ICFF a swing chair made of leather fringe by designer Marta Manente who says , “With these projects, we aim to amaze by the audacity of updating traditional techniques and applications of leather in furniture.”

Leather fringe swing chair by Brazilian designer Marta Manente on exhibit with Design na Pele. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Leather fringe swing chair by Brazilian designer Marta Manente on exhibit with Design na Pele. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Thing Stools from Konekt Furniture add a dash of fringe with horsehair and material mix of brass banding and velvet upholstered tops. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Thing Stools from Konekt Furniture add a dash of fringe with horsehair and material mix of brass banding and velvet upholstered tops. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Warp Lounge by Walker Nosworthy renders a high-tech take on fringe with its dangling cables. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist

 

The Right Angles:

Luxury design has all the right angles on beauty with  current looks celebrating the sharp, angular forms of triangles, diamonds, trapezoids and more. StickBulb’s  X Collection of lighting fixtures create graphic and structurally closed shapes inspired by hexagonal and tetrahedral forms in nature.

Reclaimed wood light fixtures by StickBulb illuminate in triangular formations. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Reclaimed wood light fixtures by StickBulb illuminate in triangular formations. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Bolognese Stool or Table by Tino Valentinitsch for Spolia skillfully combines marquetry with modern angular shapes. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
The Bolognese Stool or Table by Tino Valentinitsch for Spolia skillfully combines marquetry with modern angular shapes. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist

Ginger Brown is a French company that debuted a desk and table that was all angles. The table mimics the form of a gemstone and the asymmetrical desk defies the typical rectangular top.

Asymmetrical furniture that draws beauty from its angles by French furniture company, Ginger Brown. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Asymmetrical furniture that draws beauty from its angles by French furniture company, Ginger Brown. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist

Unusual Woodwork:

Wood takes on surprising forms such as bathtubs, bikes and light fixtures in some of the latest luxury products.

Wooden Bicycle and bathtub at the M Brace Interiors booth. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Wooden Bicycle and bathtub at the M Brace Interiors booth. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist

London based designer Donald Baugh, debuted his collection of wooden light pendants with each interior painted in a dense acrylic pigment for a visual surprise.  Using a variety of wood species including walnut, oak and sapele, Baugh sculpts soft organic forms that glow within.

Omar Pendants made of wood by Donald Baugh. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Omar Pendants made of wood by Donald Baugh. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist
Eclipse and Omar Light Pendants made of wood by Donald Baugh. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist.
Eclipse and Omar Light Pendants made of wood by Donald Baugh. Photo Credit: The Design Tourist.

For the latest design finds and trends, subscribe to The Design Tourist Channel so you don’t miss a single episode of my design travels and as always, subscribe to the blog for interviews with tastemakers and trendsetters in art, architecture and design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Karen LeBlanc

Karen LeBlanc is a travel host and writer with a popular travel show, The Design Tourist, and a companion lifestyle blog. As a widely published travel journalist and content creator, Karen is a member of the North American Travel Journalists Association. She also serves as the Design and Travel editor of the national lifestyle magazine, LaPalme. Karen believes that every destination has a story to tell through its local art, architecture, culture, and craft. This immersive creative exploration begins with authentic accommodations where the narrative of place unfolds through art, accessories, accouterments, furnishings, fixtures, and food. 

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