Dering Hall is rethinking the traditional showhouse concept with Wired&Inspired—A Virtual Showhouse, staged in partnership with the New York Design Center (200 Lex). Nine top New York-based interior designers have each been assigned a digital room to decorate using furnishings selected from 200 Lex showrooms. The designs will consist of a moodboard and room rendering, and will be inspired by New York film sets. Items used in the rooms will be available for purchase through Dering Hall.
Wired&Inspired will launch online on April 27 with a kick-off party following on Wednesday, April 29, with Lonny’s Editor in Chief Irene Edwards and the designers at 5:30 p.m. at 200 Lex.
Designers participating in the first-ever Wired&Inspired are Celerie Kemble, David Scott, Brett Beldock, Jayne and Joan Michaels, Lydia Marks and Lisa Frantz, Etienne Coffinier and Ed Ku, Stefan Steil, Virginia Toledo and Jessica Geller and Kati Curtis.
A screencap of what Wired&Inspirted will look like. Image courtesy of Dering Hall.
Thirty-nine showrooms contributed product for designer use: Andreu World, Apropos Furniture, Arteriors, The Bright Group, Brueton, Century Furniture, CF Modern, Christopher Guy, Cliff Young, Côté France, Crosby Street Studios, Dennis Miller Associates, DESIGNLUSH, ducduc, Dune, Global Views, Grange Furniture, Julian Chichester/Mr. Brown, Kasthall, Kravet, Lepere, Lexington Home Brands, Louis J. Solomon, M. Topalian Inc., McGuire Furniture, Modern Living Supplies, The New Traditionalists, Niermann Weeks, Palecek, Profiles, Phillips Collection, Rooms by Zoya B, SA Baxter, Sedgwick & Brattle, Stephanie Odegard Collection, TK Collections, transFORM, Tucker Robbins and Wood & Hogan.
“By removing the physical constraints, designers are able to push the bounds of their creativity in their designs, and visitors can engage with the furniture featured in the rooms in a completely new way, from easily learning more to actually purchasing,” said Peter Sallick, co-founder and CEO of Dering Hall.
The purpose behind conceiving of a virtual showhouse is manifold, according to Frank Ballabio, VP community operations, marketing, editorial at Dering Hall. A virtual showhouse can reach a national, rather than a local audience. Additionally, because Wired&Inspired will include interviews with the designers and vignettes of pieces used, viewers will have the opportunity to understand the design process of each designer, and better conceive of how and why different pieces from different companies can be made to work together. Another bonus: a virtual showhouse is not constrained by time or space, unlike a traditional showhouse. That longevity is an additional perk for those who want to be able to revisit the rooms and dig deeper for inspiration, and new rooms can always be added.
“The virtual experience allows designers, members of the trade, product manufacturers and consumers to see how products from a multitude of brands and showrooms at the design center can be compiled together to create a unique home design,” said Alix Lerman, director of marketing at 200 Lex.
This is the first in a series between Dering Hall and national design centers including Boston Design Center (BDC) and Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC). Wired&Inspired will launch with BDC in May and with ADAC in Fall 2015, with more dates to be announced in the future as the project continues. Those who would be interested in participating in such a future showhouse can reach out for more information.
