By Jolene Turner
The theme of sea life was abundant, according to interior designer Ken Gemes, whose favorite items included the coral and aqua dinnerware with lobster and crab motifs from Fortunata (www.fortunatainc.com) and the horseshoe and briery spider crabs in shadow boxes, and framed shells, mineral and crystal specimens from Pheromone by Christopher Marley (www.pheromonedesign.com). Natural Curiosities showed a collection of 285 tiny St. Barts urchins, a pair of large-scale vintage Boxford Cranes and an impressive Crocodile Triptych.
The old-Hollywood-glamour style was prominent in many areas such as accent furniture and decorative items. "I loved the Lucite coffee tables and consoles with substantial thickness and elegant detail, such as Greek key bases and Asian inspired legs from Grace Li Designs (www.gracelidesigns.com)," said Gemes.
According to interior designer Bunny Williams, mixed styles are more popular than ever. “It’s something you never tire of because you can add you to it and take away from it and still have a cohesive look. My line is based on my style of ‘mix.’ The pieces are contemporary and go well with my own traditional furniture and antiques.” Standout pieces in Williams’ Beeline Home Collection (www.beelinehome.com) include the Nailed Sofa and Work Horse Desk.
Interior designer Brett Beldock shared her favorite pieces of the show: wall jewelry from Gold Leaf (www.goldleafdesigngroup.com), Le Fleur wall art from Longstreet, Paula Marrot water color series from Natural Curiosities (www.naturalcuriosities.com); blown-glass sconces from Caleb Siemon (www.unitedglassblowing.com) and hanging lights from Pablo (www.pablodesigns.com). "Natural Curiosities usually sets the pace for the show. Their photographic and computer-generated images done as art work look surprisingly soft and work well with domestic home furnishings," said Beldock. "I also noticed a color trend of elephant gray in velvet and leather, which replaced last season's mauve and chocolate."
“Overall, it seems people want edited looks and have been looking for that one item that can give a room a full look,” said Vivian Verlaan of Ankasa, a fashion-forward home décor company. The company featured textiles with ethereal color groupings such as grey, ‘cloud' blue, and ivory.
Bar accessories with a new twist were also popular. Vellum (www.vellumnewyork.com) featured trays and ice buckets featured rope handles combined with silver.
According to John Dransfield of Dransfield & Ross (www.dransfieldandross.biz), buyers responded to his line inspired by the now defunct Trader Vic restaurant at The Plaza Hotel. “The pieces are very Polynesian. The colors are all saturated and include grass, turquoise, burgundy and bright yellow set against a neutral background.”
NYIGF is open from now through Thurs, February 4, 2010. For information, visit www.NYIGF.com.
