Designers inspired at WantedDesign NYC

If you are an interior designer with a hotel focus you were at the WantedDesign show in Manhattan looking for new ideas and trends. If you are a cutting-edge manufacturer with a desire to develop trending furniture, fixtures, and jewelry – you attended the WantedDesign show, part of NYCxDesign, an annual design festival organized by the City of New York.

This year, WantedDesign featured new designers from the USA, Mexico, Turkey, China, Finland and Africa as well as established brands that included Alessi and Ligne Roset.

Curated Selection

Tu Taller Design and Tucuinca are companies committed to showing the best of Colombian culture. Inspired by the natural environment, the designers use traditional techniques to develop new products (including tables and chairs) that fit and function comfortably in an eco-friendly world. The furniture is stackable and mobile and the Escama system of tables are woven from recyclable plastic fibers by craftsmen from the Colombian Caribbean region.

NJ Interiors (Italy) takes a giant leap from natural forms, transforming them into handles, knobs and wallpapers, inspiring us to view nature (and what is natural) in new dimensions. Door handles move from being discreet, functional objects to having an artistic, strong and decisive presence. The work is decorative and offers an artistic approach to a functional need.

Katerina Friderici, an industrial designer, artist and Yogi from Bogota, Colombia has a fascination with light. Her Plankton Studies (1998) collaborates with artists, and designers to bring light to new proportions and offers unique ways to experience the brightness and glow of light. Her whimsical designs are perfect for bedrooms, hotel hallways, and entrance foyers.

The Istanbul Design Collective has been curated by architects Fusun Eczacibasi and Koray Duman and showcases nine contemporary designers from Istanbul. The works in glass were designed by Feleksan Onar and Feyz Design. The furniture and art works present a unique design process that reflects the work of contemporary designers from Turkey. The project is sponsored by Stepevi (floor covering) and MNG Cargo while the media sponsor is The Guide Istanbul.

Mathy By Bols

Children are people too! With an increasing number of children traveling with their families, it is time to provide this target market with memorable sleeping experiences. Sleeping in a barn with a slide, or a “make believe” tent definitely motivates kids to get to sleep. These beds also encourage playing, inventing, and lounging – clearly defining the spaces for “children only.”

Marcel Wanders and Alessi have developed The Five Seasons, offering indoor fragrances that include a range of products that run from scented candles to room spray. The scents are sophisticated and complex and will not offend the most delicate nose.

Durant Palace is a new collaboration between Durat and Most Collective that focuses on the use and reuse of postindustrial plastic. The food-safe resin based solid surface material is 100 percent recyclable with natural pigments. Moldable, it cuts like wood, bonds with invisible seams, cures with heat and not chemicals. Durat (Finland) has production facilities in the USA.

Leaning Forward

Wanted Design is on the “must do” list as it provides a unique opportunity for professionals, buyers, curators, editors, trendsetters and design students to see design as it evolves and offers a community for collaboration. The program is sponsored by the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in conjunction with New York City’s design community (NYCxDesign).

For additional information: nycxdesign.com, wanteddesignnyc.com

© Dr. Elinor Garely. This copyright article, including photos, may not be reproduced without written permission from the author.