The Architectural Digest Design Show takes place on the piers in NYC annually in the spring. If you have a chance and are a design lover – you should attend it is a great place to get inspiration and be introduced to new vendors and artisans in outdoor furniture design. Outside of European shows like Maison & Object and other similar events – it is the best place in the USA that I have found to find inspiring new creators, designers, and people who are manufacturing beautiful and useful things for our homes and gardens.
Designers and Artisans at the Architectural Digest Design Show
When I attended (years ago), I discovered some great products and artists at the show that are worth knowing about.
Douglas Thayer – Design in Concrete and Wood
I particularly loved the concrete and wood benches that Douglas Thayer creates. He is not too far from Greayer Design Associates (I.e., we are both in Massachusetts). His workshop is the hills of Western, MA.
One of his hallmarks is material sourcing. You could have a bench made from the salvaged wood of barrels used for picking and winemaking or perhaps from the IPE lumber that once lined the Coney Island Boardwalk.
Classic Design Collaborations
Designers and manufacturers regularly team up to make product lines inspired by the trends and needs of consumers at the time. Woodward (Iconic furniture maker) and Joe Ruggiero (iconic designer and tastemaker) released a furniture collection called Harwick (you can see it here).
As a New Englander (with lots of New England Clients), I was particularly interested in the crescent bench. It still seem like a good piece for a cottage garden lover. It is a slightly kitschy nod to the classic Lily Pulitzer-loving lady’s landscape.
Jardin De Ville
Canadian Design resource Jardin De Ville had their Abri and Abri Cabrio tents on site (they are older versions of their offering in pre-built garden pavilions and structures). If you are looking for sleek modern designs for patio structures, don’t miss these. I have seen various versions in pictures (including on their website) and thought they were a little soulless – but in person, they were much niceer than I expected.
They are a very good option for hotels and resorts looking for beachside or poolside shade structures and cabanas as well as for urban and rooftop gardens. They are very customizable in size and sunbrella fabric. This image is of their terrace concept.
Jardin De Ville also makes some great small accessories for the garden. Their Aluminium cupcake table is one of those pieces I could find a million uses for, bot in the garden and indoors.
Pennoyer Newman
Pennoyer Newman makes garden pots cast from estate originals. There seem to be more than a couple of players in the market, and like the other planter makers, these are lightweight and weather-resistant and an excellent container option. Their catalog impressed me with a few unique styles. The modern collection is available with industrial wheels (I love that), and the Chinese symbol planters are something that I haven’t seen before (at least not done this well). The symbols are for ‘summer’, ‘spring’, ‘winter’, and ‘fall’.
And my big favorite – I think I might need these at my own property- are the Abattoir Cow and Ram busts which are copied from wooden busts outside Abattoir shops in Austria. (FYI — I had to look it up; an Abattoir is a slaughterhouse). I like the limestone versions, but they have other great colors as well — lead gray, matte black, and terra cotta.
Hoppy Quick WoodWorking
Hoppy Quick is a Wood Artisan from the Catskills of NY. His woodworking skills are impressive – he is responsible for many a chainsaw bear. But more remarkably (at least to me) is the artistry of the fences and arbors that he creates from natural wood.
I love the benches by D THayer
Another good source for outdoor furnishings can be found @ Design Within Reach Outdoor Collections?
Some nice planters (Grazia)
http://www.dwr.com/category/outdoor.do
Woah!
I like the color contrast of the red dinning furnitures with the dark gloomy wood color.
Very attractive indeed.
Nice.
The bench you have on display blends into the natural surroundings. The garden furniture pictured not only looks like it can weather any storm, but is quite useful along with each piece’s accessories. Good stuff.