CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE FAIR SHOWS PRODUCTS WITH CUTTING-EDGE FLAIR

ABC Carpet & Home showed for the first time at the ICFF,
From left: Ariel Schwab,Christine Sabessar and Logan Yost, merchandising coordinator for international design rugs.

By Lissa Wyman

NEW YORK -- No one plays it safe at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. But there was something for everyone at the show, which ran recently  at the Javits Center in New York.

The show featured everything from austere architectural forms to whimsical cut-outs, to glitzy metallics.Depending on your aesthetic, it ranged from the beautiful to the downright bizarre. But as always, a good time was had by all.

The rug category was amply represented at the show. But most of the vendors, with a few exception, were not the regular exhibitors we see at the big markets in Atlanta, High Point and Las Vegas.

Many of the rug exhibitors here represented entrepreneurial artisans who want to expose their designs to the broader design community. Show attendees include large architectural and interior design firms, residential interior designers, and high end home furnishings retailers.

Liora Manne , a perennial exibitor at the ICFF, is known as the lead designer for Trans Ocean Imports. Her eponymous atelier line, LIora Manne, is a high end design boutique line which focuses on new artistic directions for rugs, lighting, furniture, tabletop, home accents and fashion accessories.

Manne is currently working with applique and cut-out forms in felted pieces across a broad spectrum of categories. Often, the cut-outs are attached to another product to create an interesting interplay of matter and void.

LIORA MANNE

Liora Manne dots and cut-outs. A cut out piece often  finds itself as an applique on another item.

ABC

Detail of leather rug panel featuring a laser stencil technique.

Retailer ABC Carpet & Home made its debut as an exhibitor at the ICFF. The company wanted to raise its profile in the design community with a large group of exclusive architect collections featuring stenciled, laser-cut and applique cowhide, suede and sheepskin rugs, according to Logan Yost, merchandisde coordinator for international design rugs.

EMMA GARDNER DESIGNS

Emma Gardner with a contemporary vision of an Asian fishtail design in a palette of brown, beige and lilac.

Emma Gardner, who is known for bold  graphic patterns using intense color palettes, introduced new collections using new palettes which interplay blues, mauves and purples. New collections are based on large scale fish designs reminscent of Chinese scroll art as well as Turkish vase designs inspired by the artifacts of Istanbul.

CLASSIC RUG

Helix design is part of Classic Rugs' Luxe collection of subtle Asian designs hand tufted in both all-silk and silk and pashmina.

Barbara Barran has shown off her rug design skills for several years at the ICFF. Her Classic Rug Collections have covered a broad gamut of styling from designs based on Gee's Bend Quilts to a revival of vintage Rya shags.

This year, Barbara Barran is taking the luxury route with ultra high end tufted Nepalese rugs made of 300-knot  silk or silk and pashmina.

"As the economy continues to soften, I think it's very important to have an ultra-high end collection. Luxury touches in our new group of designs including an option to have the owner's initials woven into the rug at no additional charge and custom color palettes at no additional charge," said Barran. "The customized services and one-of-a-kind products are at the heart of the luxury market."

AMY HELFAND

Amy Helfand with one of the organic, painterly rug designs that are her signature look. Amy Hewlfand is a Brooklyn-based artist whose work is inspired by nature.

TUFENKIAN

Thomas Tveter of Tufenkian Rugs welcomes interior design professionals and home furnishings specialists.

CHRISTOPHER FARR

Frank Pontes, ceo of the Ted Boerner, the NY showrom of Christopher Farr, and Joseph Rainsford, gallery manager for Christopher Farr in Los Angeles. Christopher Farr us a 20 year-old company that has rugs made primarily in India and Turkey. The luxury designs often have surprisingly affordable price tags.

LUKE IRWIN

 
British designer Luke Irwin with Skyscraper, a rug with strong linear graphic appeal. The British pavilion at the ICFF showcases young British designers.

NANI MARQUINA

Nani Marquina's Little Field of Flowers features hand-stitched felted wool flower shapes. The rug is available in Spring shades of pink-magenta-mauve-lilac. Nani Marquina is based in Barcelona. Her rug designs feature experiments with materials and forms.

Geoffrey Orley of Orley & Shabahang with the company's Persian rugs. Orley tells us the company has moved its New York gallery to 241 East 58th in the Designer District.

Rosemary Hallgarten's Guinevere rug reflects the important color shift to the purple-lilac palette.  Named after a William Morris painting of King Arthur's Guinevere, the rug is hand tufted of wool and silk. The gothic floral motif on a mustard ground combines medieval and modern sensibilities.

A GALLERY OF
CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE FUN


Billhenry Walker silver roll-arm chair is one example of the widespread use of metallics at this year's ICFF

Henry Hall teak outdoor furniture on top of M-7 Turf Rug. M-7 specializes in  shaggy turf carpet and rugs for Manhattan penthouse and rooftop installations.

Pattern-on-pattern tableware mixes and matches
plate designs.

Picture yourself relaxing with a great book in this
kool white bathtub.


Tables don't blend into the background with these colorful graphic designs. Constructed from formed aluminum then coated in high gloss powder coat finish. From Arktura of Los Angeles.

Irons symbolize shear drudgery for most women, but when these Rowenta irons are displayed at the ICFF, they become futuristic pieces of sculpture.

Silversmith Miranda Meilleur's pieces have the lacey grace of Victorian paper cut  art. Nearly every product category showed some form of cut-out, stenciled or laser-cut design.

	This year's hanging light fixtures drip and sparkle with mysterious light, making last year's chandeliers look painfully out-of-date.
Jason Champion's new 2008 Deco line of outdoor furniture in bold primary colors and mix-and-match cut out designs in chairs, planters, screens and tables. Made of powder-coated aluminum. Jason Champion Outdoor is based in Sarasota, FL.

PLUM CRAZY OVER PURPLE

Highly polished plum occasional tables from Palau

Yes, that's a chair, not the backbone of a dinosaur. From Essenze, which specializes in New Zealand-inspired designs.

Slipper chair in deep plum from the Waazwiz Gallery
of Tokyo, Japan.

DOT'S ALL FOLKS!

When Liora Manne starts running with scissors, the holes from one product becomes the dots in another.

SEE Y'ALL IN ATLANTA!

06.02.08