-Post by Erika Templeton
-Photography by Matthew Olive, urchininc.com
We tracked down some of the booths that went toe-to-toe with the storm, and talked with designers about their recovery. We also found an emerging use of warmer, fleshier tones, and a continuing turn to golds and pinker metallics that will continue to shine through to 2014, according to the panelists we heard at the Color Your World panel, moderated by Stacy Garcia, CEO of Stacy Garcia, Inc.
What emerged was an inspiring story about warmth and the human spirit.
1. The Phillips Collection booth featured warm, gold tones and an eye-catching pair of life-size human figures.
2. Maxwell Rodgers had to get an emergency shipment of fabrics sent all the way from New Zealand after Hurricane Sandy damaged their storage space in New Jersey. In a generous show of solidarity, they donated 50 throws to victims of Hurricane Sandy. "We hope in this small way that we will bring some warmth to those who will surely need it" read a sign in the booth.
3. Sonneman featured a glowing collection of geometric LED light fixtures from their Connetix line.
4. The Ligne Roset Contracts booth was a minimalist affair, filled only with furniture they were able to snag from their SoHo showroom, after everything they had designed for the tradeshow was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.
5. Cosmopolitan Glass dazzled and shimmered with a wide array of over the top colors, textures, and patterns, including the glittering pile of gold seen here.
6. While the SENTIENT booth looked unscathed, co-owner Michael Lamont was sad to explain a truck-load of finished product that was on its way to the Paramount Hotel was flooded with five feet of water during the hurricane. They will have to start those pieces from scratch--a tough blow for any small design business.
7. Emu Contract's coated steel seating may have been strong enough to stand up to Sandy, but their shipping container got redirected to Halifax before they had a chance to try. Fortunately, the Colorado-based company had some extra pieces on hand in New York for the show.
8. Warm woods, warm pinks, and always a heartwarming touch of whimsy at the POLaRT booth.
9. Art Dallas drew eyes to their booth with a powerful punch of patterns in invigorating colors, reminiscent of South American weaves when viewed together.
