apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

"...Which kind of begged the question, what was he doing at a home furnishings show? Turns out the question was irrelevant, since it was impossible not to be charmed by Joshua's explanation that he'd been making the little guys (who have no eyes, by the way, just gums and teeth set in a mound of fur) since he was a kid and that each has its own name. I was a fan of "Beau." Beau and his friends were like the monsters from your favorite childhood dreams, who promise to take you to a fantasy world full of danger and wonder. www.longoland.com

Pratt student show

Students of Pratt's industrial design program held their own at the
school's booth, juried by DWR curators and design magazine editors.
One of the many fun designs on display was a lamp by Kevin McElroy
that took the shape of a crocheted IV bag and tube cover, which had a
lovely sculptural feel.

The winner of DWR's Young Designer contest, Liz Kinnmark's "egg pants," won me over, too, not only with its functionality and ingenious use of material (a rubber-like substance) but with the way the cheery yellow interior/white exterior neatly mirrored the object it's designed to cradle. Oh, and the cute name probably didn't hurt. Pratt's industrial design program

Uhuru

Red Hook-based company Uhuru and its friendly designers showcased a
number of attractive pieces featuring repurposed materials and
objects, highlighting their emphasis on sustainable creation (a
concern shared by many, if not the majority, of the other designers in
the show).

All displayed a bit of cheeky, glamorous humor when it came
to ornamentation, whether it was a Frankenstein of a vanity that
married a glossy mint-green cabinet to a Singer sewing table base
customized with the company logo, or a low-slung coffee table
decorated with surprising floral appliqus made of zinc. Also of note
was a large floor mirror distressed for a faux antiqued look.
www.uhurudesign.com

Amy Helfland

Amy Helfand's booth was packed with people, predictably. This year's display selection was mostly rugs and as beautiful as ever, but I have to say I was more taken by the prints she's currently showing at
Gilpin Robbins, the impeccably curated antiques shop on Atlantic. As I
walked by the store on Saturday, I couldn't help but stop in to admire
how her abstract geometries paired so perfectly with GR's refined
mid-century pieces. www.amyhelfand.com."

- bhgirl