Formerly known as the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, the annual ICFF showcase of modern furniture, lighting, kitchen and bath, and outdoor products served up its usual mix of hipster style, fresh thinking, and cutting-edge design innovation.
The more mature show drew designers, architects, and design enthusiasts to the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City from May 14 to 17, and it brought with it an expanded scale without the quirkiness that endeared it to attendees of past editions.
Of the 700+ brands that participated this year, 130 were newcomers to the show. These included Wonderwall Studios, of Venray, Netherlands, which fabricates wall paneling from salvaged wood, and Two.Parts, a Brooklyn-based firm whose photogenic display of fun 3D-printed ceramic light fixtures stopped many in their tracks. “This is the launch for Two.Parts,” says company founder Christo Logan. “I’ve come to ICFF for a while. This is basically my backyard.”
Once known mainly for furniture, ICFF now draws a large collection of building product manufacturers—hence the rebranding—in a wide range of categories. This year was particularly, uh, luminous, thanks to the wide selection of decorative lighting fixtures. As seen at the AD design show in March, brass and black finishes, glass shades, LEDs, and Edison lamps trended in fixture designs that complemented the Mid-century Modern feel of several booths, but more cheerful colors also made an appearance. Louis Poulsen’s banded Cirque, for example, is multicolored, as are Concentric by Marset and the Moroccan pendant by Lisa Fay Design.
If trade shows such as ICFF are a measure of things to come, happier days may lie ahead. Until then, here are 18 products that turned our heads and lifted our spirits:
Add new comment