With highlights including a keynote presentation by industrial designer Stephen Burks; live programming and exhibitions by “Young Gun” designers; special pavilions focused on Energy, the Modern Family and Scandinavian design; and the Dwell on Design Awards, last month’s annual Dwell on Design in Los Angeles was jam packed with inspiration and education for the design industry.

Editor at Large tapped a handful of designers and editors to share their favorite finds and moments from the three days.

Stikwood display at Dwell on Design

“I really enjoyed Stikwood, which are wood panels that you can put anywhere. Great for wall, ceiling and furniture! Jerry McCall was great at informing me about how to use the products and gave me a ton of samples. Also I met Chrissy, the founder from ArtStar, which is a site dedicated to curated fun art. They also have options for frames, which is super helpful so you don't have to go looking for the right frame. And I hate to bias, but I loved all the restored mid-century furniture we pulled for the Dwell on Design Living Homes Prefab Home sponsored by Chairish. Chairish is great place to get new and preowned furniture at really great deals. I have been selling with them since they first started. I also really enjoyed the Preserving Historic Los Angeles presentation. I was born and raised in L.A. so it’s great to see how the Conservancy helps to restore and keep these old buildings and not tear them down.”—Vanessa De Vargas, Interior Design Turquoise

“Peggy Platner was on a panel titled ‘Modern Design on the Coast.’ With grace and beauty she covered how most of her projects come from referrals from clients, architects, colleagues and friends. Her love for color is evident in her fabrics with blues, earthy tones of nature she created her "Playa Collection" of fabrics. She also spoke about using sustainable products in her designs in regards to refinished antiques, repurposed stone and local vendors in the community.”—Paul L’Experance and Daelen Cory, L’Esperance Design

Hütte Hut trailer by Sprouting Sprocket Studio

“The Hütte Hut trailer by Sprouting Sprocket Studio, which won a Dwell on Design Award in the Outdoor category, is the perfect combination of humble, cool, inspiring and efficient—the ideal vibe for Dwell Outdoor. The keynote speaker, Stephen Burks, displayed his new mixed-metal Anwar pendants from Parachilna. They were a true show-stopper for anyone walking by, and looked like jewelry dangling from the ceiling rafters. Also, the Fahmida lounge chair for Thos Moser, designed by up-and-comer Fahmida Lam, has all the right stuff: big, bold gestures, natural materials, with one foot rooted in tradition yet at home in the modern world.”—Erika Heet, Los Angeles Editor and Editorial Director, Dwell on Design.

“As an architect, many of the highlights for me at Dwell on Design were less about new products and more about new processes and new materials. I was really intrigued with the pre-fabricated mass-customizable and modular wall systems being produced by mnmMOD Building Solutions. I was also really intrigued by the design process of The Spooning Armchair, not only for the beautiful formal results of the chair, but the ingenious move towards a flat-pack enabled design approach. Finally, I'm really interested in the potential of Einwood, an eco-friendly composite material made of softwood waste and recycled polymer resins that has the ability be bent and molded. There has been a lot of recent research into the application of composites in architecture and a recycled organic composite is definitely something which should be pushed to see how far it can go.”—Alvin Haung, AIA Principal Synthesis Design + Architecture

GE micro kitchen

“I loved GE’s micro kitchen design with individual, customizable units. I especially loved the retractable faucet. One of my favorite booths was the collaborative exhibit of DODOCase and Stikwood. It was so creative! Also, Sprouting Sprocket Design’s Hütte Hut was one of my favorite designs in the show. Located in Dwell Outdoor, it was a showstopper—every time I walked by, it was surrounded by a crowd.”—Jaime Derringer, Design Milk