HD Talks Blog

Ain't No Stopping Us Now

Every fall, there are several things I look forward to. I love Thanksgiving, love breaking out the cozy sweaters and boots to keep me warm from the chill in the air, and I love the JANUS et Cie luncheon held at its New York City showroom. Every year a different culinary theme is presented to guests (this year, it was Turkish, spawned from Janice Feldman, founder and CEO of JANUS et Cie's recent travels to Turkey). This is a gathering to catch up with friends in the industry and the JANUS et Cie staff (Janice's mom, Lea Kerchman, we missed you), and so much more. The showroom is always set up beautifully with products lined up all around and dining tables that everyone talks about for days. No detail is left out. 

Now the star of the luncheon was of course Janice who every year, tells us all what great things the company is doing. 

For instance, this year, in an effort to go green and give us editors everything we need as far as product information (images, product descriptions, etc.), the company gave out thumb drives and in all, the company offers 7,000 products! Wow is all I thought. Also, something Janice was very proud of (and so were we) was the announcement of her new book, Loom: Woven Paper, which takes readers through the story of Lloyd Loom and what Loom furniture is all about. Always expanding, Janice spoke about a new interior lounge collection designed by Michael Vanderbyl, the Koko II line of furniture, a slew of new textiles, and so many other collections. And of course, like always, I never want to leave the lunch because of the great conversations and food that is incredibly tasty. But on our way out. we were given a fashionable JANUS et Cie bag with a copy of Loom: Woven Paper. I can't wait to read it and I look forward to seeing where the company is headed next.  

Showroom Show Off

Last night, Designtex opened up its new showroom at the D&D building. A great group of people gathered to celebrate including Kimberle Frost, vice president of design for Designtex (shown below beside her inspiration board). 

But the real highlight was the new Common Threads Collection by Designtex. The six-rug line was made possible through a collaboration with Arzu Studio Hope, which believes in helping Afghan women weavers by providing steady income and access to education and healthcare and overall, improving the living conditions in rural Afghanistan. The hand-knotted rugs are made using traditional Persian knot techniques; each rug can take up to a year to make. A booklet given out by Designtex tells the stories of some of the women involved in the making of these rugs and some of the photos below give an inside look at the process and finished product. 

Humanity, Prosperity, Unity, and Connectivity rugs

 

And for a little Kashmir feel, here is the new collection named after the Indian city, with vibrant colors and motifs.

I was here first.

By Robert Polacek

Yesterday was not only a personal achievement but an eye opening experience. I spent 8 hours on site of the new hotel here in New Delhi with the Indian based designers and Puccini team walking the site, reviewing drawings and making those last minute tweaks designers love to do best. The site of the project is being built on the family farm of the owner where every tree, temple and natural contour of the property is painstakingly being preserved. This of course means no heavy equipment, cranes, or construction methods designers and contractors on US based projects take for granted. The result is an eerily quiet yet serene construction site where conversation between workers fills the thick humid air replacing idling motors and the cautionary beeping of reversing machinery. The craft and skill of the men and women working on the project brings it to life giving it personality, soul and authenticity. I watched men dig a 100 meter long pool by hand taking careful steps to preserve a Sal tree planted by the family many years ago. Imagine yourself taking that morning lap in the pool pausing to reflect its beauty but bewildered by its significance and location. Moments like this make hotels magical, emotional and unforgettable experiences. Moments like this make our profession truly unique. 

9hrs Dubai...next stop New Delhi

By Robert Polacek

I'm typing while checked in and showered after what seems like two days of travel from San Francisco to New Delhi.  I'm in India on business and looking forward to collaborating with our clients and local architect on a new hotel in New Delhi. The flight on Emirate Air from SFO to DXB was actually very comfortable. I honestly enjoyed actually sitting on a plane for 15 hours...even in coach! The service, meals and onboard  entertainment was just a hint of the great hospitality we were going to experience once we landed in Dubai.

Since we had a 9 hour layover Addy and I decided to take a guerrilla tour of the city of gold. We checked our carry on bags with the airport and hailed a cab to the Madinat Jumeriah Hotel. The property is gorgeous. There are numerous shops and restaurants strung along a man made lagoon with stunning views of the Burj Al Arab. Pause.(There is a knock at my door....a bottle of Australian Shiraz and biscuits compliments of the hotel. Thank you Radisson!) After a stroll though the shops a quick bite to eat and a chance to wet our feet in the Arabian Gulf Addy and I decided to go check out the Dubai Mall to get a feel of the local shopping habits. This place reminds me of Fhloston Paradise. I thought maybe I would see Diva Plavalaguna shopping in the H&M. With over 1200 stores, an ice rink, aquarium and can't forget Macaroni grill the place is pretty spectacular. The western world's habit of shopping has caught on  in Dubai. Lucky for us the Mall is at the base of the new Burj Dubai. Addy and I decided to end our night with drinks at the Cabana bar at the new Address Hotel under the tower that seemed to touch the sky above us. Dubai is incredible and even if passing through on a layover it is worth a quick tour for the inspiration alone!  More to come from New Delhi... refill on wine and biscuits please...

9hrs Dubai...next stop New Delhi

Honoring Clodagh

By Michael Adams

Earlier this week, the New York chapter of NEWH Inc. celebrated the fall with Sittin'  Pretty in the City, a festive gathering at the Mohawk showroom. Since chairs seem to be in the ether these days (see two of our latest blogs), it's worth noting that part of the evening's festivities included a silent auction for a dozen or so designer-created chairs by the likes of Alexandra Champalimaud, David Ashen, and D.B. Kim. 

 The party's centerpiece was an Innovator of the Year Award to Clodagh, who that morning had nabbed a Gold Key award for her work at Miraval in Tucson, Arizona.  In June, those guestrooms won her Best of Show at the HD Awards, as well as an Earth-Minded Finalist Award from HD and ASID.  These honors might be chalked up to the luck of the Irish were it not for Clodagh's remarkable skill as a designer, not to mention her genersity, indomitable spirit, and great, earthy humor. (Needless to say, I'm a fan.)
   Congratulations to one of the great dames of the industry!

The Woman of the Hour, with husband Daniel Aubry.  (David Ashen bides his time in the background.)

Seat's Taken

Posted by Stacy Shoemaker Rauen

I love design—I love writing about it, thinking it, looking at it, you name it. But I am not so great at actually designing. You wouldn't say I am a crafty person, to put it mildly. Which is why I was a bit worried when I was asked to design a chair for Chairs for CHAIRity, sponsored by Hold It Contemporary Home in San Diego. Basically, they give you a chair of your choice, you design it, and it's auctioned off to benefit the local chapter of Make a Wish. Mind you, I was "going up against" some of the best local design talent (Michael Soriano, Davis Krumins, Esteban Interiors). So last night at the packed event and auction I was so excited when someone else besides my supportive husband put a bid (and won) my "Kiss Me" chair. Who would have thought three yards of felt could look so good.

Here are some of the other wonderful chairs designed by local designers, artists, and media people (and some of the night's "big winners").

6 Men and a Chair

 By Michael Adams

 

 

Last month it was my pleasure to be among the six judges for the ninth annual Andreu World Chair Design Competition. Held in conjunction with the Ideas & Pasión trade fair in Valencia, Spain, the contest gathers seating concepts from around the world, and are judged on creativity, originality, and how well they uphold the aesthetic standards of Andreu World. 

    The other judges: Patxi Mangado, architect; Jeffrey Bernett, industrial designer; Sergi Arolo, chef and restaurateur; José Maria Faerna, editor of the Spanish design magazine, Desiño Interior; and Josep Maria Mir, brand guru. (I was listed as "editor jefe," a term I've come to prefer over "editor in chief" for its continental tang.)

    It should be easy to determine, as you read that list, that there were only two of us who are not Spanish. Jeffrey and I, both from New York, speak no Spanish beyond the day-to-day pleasantries. Two of the others spoke fine English, and two almost none at all, unless they were holding back out of protest to our linguistic lapse—and who could blame them?

    So how, you might ask, did we come to consensus, choosing a first- and second-prize winner and two runners-up  from among more than 350 entries?  well, a lot more easily than you might think.

   For the judging, we were driven to the outskirts of Valencia, where Andreu World has a showroom. In the large basement, two long rows of metal shelves held the entries, dozens and dozens of carefully crafted miniatures, like a department store in Lilliput. We separately wandered the room, placing initialed post-its on our favorite entries.  When we finished, all the models represented by several post-its were transferred to a table and the winners chosem from these finalists.

   That's when the discussion began.  Sort of.  Since we were in Spain, it seemed only right that Spanish should dominate, and you'd be surprised at how much information can be passed along through shrugs, smiles, and grimaces. I missed many of the nuances of the deliberations that charted the reasons the majority of my fellow jurors voted as they did, but the end result was satisfactory to all, even if my first choice of entries did not come out on top.  And, as with all enterprises in Spain, the judging was followed by a wonderful meal (including paella, of course) and much animated conversation–in both languages.

 
The Jury

Deliberations

 

1st Prize, the "Woox Chair,"  by Boris Inneken and Philipp Christ, Darmstadt, Germany 

Second Prize, "Marguerite," by Loïc Lobet, Marseilles, France

      

It's all about the President, baby.

Monday night I headed to the President opening in mid-town Manhattan to show support for my good friends at Stonehill & Taylor and Hampshire Hotels. As always they were generous hosts, and designers Mike Suomi and Laura Plasberg created a beautiful space. 

With a design concept inspired by the 2008 election, the bi-partisan palette is based on "centrist purple", a mix of Republican red and Democrat blue. The all-white lobby screams South Beach chic, while historical touches like a replica of Lincoln's top hat, done by the same hat maker, and clever custom artwork, courtesy of Soho Myriad, keep the theme interesting.

Stay tuned to hdmag.com for the full story and images of the interiors. In the meantime, enjoy what was a quick photo op turned full-on political rally on 48th Street. Gotta love these guys. 

From left: Vasant Baliga and Riyaz Akhtar, Hampshire Hotels & Resorts; Tara Mastrelli, Hospitality Design; and designers Mike Suomi and Laura Plasberg, Stonehill & Taylor. 

Everybody scream "300 ADR, hip, hip, hooray!" 

Sweet Dreams

Did you know that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month? Well, I didn't, but I do know people who have been affected by domestic violence. And when I found out about a new campaign from PrimaLoft and DOWNLITE called Support Your Dreams that launched yesterday,  I wanted to spread the word. 

The two companies (PrimaLoft provides a luxury down alternative for items including bedding, clothing, and accessories; and DOWNLITE manufacturers natural and down alternative filled bedding) have come together to spread hope and empowerment for victims of domestic violence during October. The whole idea is to give something back to women and children who are leaving these violent situations and are transitioning into a new life at domestic violence shelters. Through donation drives benefiting local domestic violence shelters and an online pillow purchase program, PrimaLoft and DOWNLITE will donate proceeds to domestic violence services. To kick off the campaign, hundreds of pillows will be donated to the Equinox Domestic Violence Shelter in Albany and the Cincinnati YMCA Battered Women's Shelter. All women and children who visit these shelters will receive a new pillow to keep and take with them to a new home when they leave the shelter. 

After leaving a situation where there is domestic violence, most women and children leave behind everything they own. Giving them a new pillow, a comfortable item to sleep and dream with and something to call their own, will make a big difference. Thank you PrimaLoft and DOWNLITE for offering much more than just a pillow, but a source of hope.