apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Metal and circles: The wall-hanging of joined circles by Susan Woods Studio was stunning. It also reminded me of a DIY found in a recent AT house tour.

And, that’s right. That light fixture is, in fact, made of colanders. Many colanders. By Nicholas Furrow, this unique light just looked awesome. The metal made it hard to see the light bulb’s shape inside the design. But, the result was the illusion of a million fireflies floating inside.

Traditional Wood: On the opposite end of the spectrum, there were some stunning wooden pieces that I couldn’t leave out. Palo Samko’s range was fantastic. The desk with speckles of wood in every shade was impressive. The bird mobile was playful. I’m not alone in my praise: AT highlighted his work at last year’s BKD.

I’m sure that a few ATers out there could make use of a cute corner table like this from Balsera Woodworks.

Lastly, I kept looking for a multi-function coffee table at the show, but didn’t find one. Not that I could have afforded to buy a coffee table here. But, I wanted to see what space-saving, multi-purpose coffee table folks had dreamed up. Alas, I’m still looking.

Colors!: Don’t be fooled by my picks thus far. There was lots of color at BKD. But, Amy Helfand’s carpets stole the show.

And, I gravitated to this slick green design by A&G Design. I wouldn’t use this green in my room, but the inside detail was a great-color-combo.

Finishing Touches: The student in me gravitated to the accessories and design flourishes at the BKLYN DESIGNS+ show room. While there were few designers-of-color in the other showrooms, I found booths for haru and laidback, both run by women of color, in the Designs+ showroom. Both were super-fantasic. I’m sure I missed other designers-of-color, but so glad I didn’t miss either of these.

I met Felicia Gray of haru, and I wasn’t the only one oohing-and-ahhing at her jewelry. Especially her rings. And, Tina Shoulders of laidback has totally affordable pillows at about $30 a pop. In addition to the great silk-screened graphics (including the cherries! hot!), the zippers on each pillow seem quite functional."

- Carrie J.