Design in Depth: New York International Gift Fair Walkabout

By Stacy Kunstel

The twice-yearly gift show in New York wrapped up a few weeks ago. While we typically don’t “do†gifty at New England Home, we do do beautiful products for the home, which is what you’ll find on Pier 94 during the show. Here are a few of our favorites.

D. Bryant Archie Textiles
Textile designer D. Bryant Archie has quickly become known for her super-soft striped blankets and pillows with their hand-embroidered details. Her new line of towels are just as gorgeous done in rich colors with the same attention to the finish details. I love that they include a hang tag sewn into them.

Photos by Stacy Kunstel

Carson and Co.
Fabric designer Susan Carson takes her textiles in a completely different direction, favoring giant flowers and eye-popping colors. They are fabrics that have long translated into drapery panels, tablecloths and upholstery, but Susan has been including dresses and scarves in her fabrics now too.

Lance Wovens
In just its second year of business, Connecticut-based Lance Wovens has established itself as the purveyor of luxury leather designs, starting first with woven leather pillows and chic totes and this season expanding into benches, accessories, more color options and the most gorgeous hand-dyed leather I’ve ever seen. The hand-dyed leather pieces in particular look like artwork for furniture.

Hillary Thomas
Jewels for your lamps? Why not, thought Los Angeles-based interior designer Hillary Thomas. Her decorative finial collection are like the bangles are for your wrists. They’re bright, sometimes blingy and completely addictive–once you see the pop they add to your everyday lamps, you’ll want them for the whole house.

Michelle Hatch
A former accessories designer for Donna Karan, Michelle Hatch turned her eye for decorative addition to pillows when she launched Michelle Hatch NYC two years ago. Pillows with just the right sparkle and embroidery patterns have translated well into her new lighting line that includes chandelier and sconce shade designs.

Moss Studios
The industrial look is still going strong and selling. Breck Armstrong puts his own spin on reclaimed pieces, using industrial objects to craft mirrors, bookends and lamps in elegant and curious combinations for Moss Studios. He also takes aim at Lucite–literally–with a 22-gauge shotgun he shoots at bullet proof glass and then turns into lamps.

Oomph
There’s been no sophomore slide for the furnishings and lighting line Oomph. The Connecticut-based company hit it out of the park with new oversize mirrors to go along with their popsicle-colored cocktail tables and pillows.

Karen Robertson
There was also no decline in the popularity of just about anything nautical. Artist Karen Robertson expanded on her line of shell art to show new sizes and designs, including a giant anchor made from clustered starfish.

For more great decor and design finds, check out our online collection of Design Discoveries.