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M2L Awards First Genuine Design Scholarships

The essays were judged by a panel of design journalists, including Interior Design articles editor Annie Block.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 4/28/2009 12:00:00 AM

M2L Stand Up for Design Modern furnishings distributor M2L has just awarded its first Genuine Design Scholarships to four students who knocked essays on knockoffs out of the park.

Dovetailing with M2L's mission of promoting original design and the protection of intellectual property rights, the students were required to write essays on the concept of design integrity. Kicking off the competition was a panel discussion on the topic at ML2’s New York showroom between moderator and design writer Fred Bernstein, company founder Michael Manes, and designers Jeff Miller, Carlos Salgado and Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz.

Students were then asked to view the forum online before submitting an essay on one of three possible questions, which tested his or her understanding of the concepts discussed. A star-studded cast of design journalists, including Interior Design articles editor Annie Block, judged the essays.

Cornell University design student Melanie Gowen took home the first prize of $3,500, while Pratt Institute's Kayne Rourke bagged the $2,500 second-place prize. Lawrence Chabra and Laine Blumen, both New York School of Interior Design students, scored $1,500 and $1,000 respectively. All students participating in the contest are enrolled at New York Eleven schools, a consortium of 12 New York State educational institutions offering four-year interior design programs.