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Welcome to the HD Expo & Conference in Las Vegas
Edited by Karen D. Singh -- Interior Design, 6/1/2007
Rockwell Rocks
Amid the socialites coming out with lines of handbags and the like, architects who turn their attention to product design have a more schooled approach. After designing custom pieces for almost all his hospitality projects, Interior Design Hall of Fame member David Rockwell is making his production debut with two separate collections.
The 1960's were the inspiration for two table designs Rockwell is launching with Dennis Miller Associates. The Russian Dolls nesting cube tables are highly polished mirrored chrome with laminated-glass tops in jewel-toned green and blue as well as bronze. When nested, the different tops enhance the color effect. Meanwhile, Gold Grain cocktail and sidetables take that same swinging vibe—note the polished-brass pedestal base—but balance it with wood-grain Corian in Bronze Patina or Glacier Ice in addition to a solid white option. All are suitable for outdoor use.
David Rockwell for Maya Romanoff, out in September, comprises three wall coverings that flaunt the unusual materials and attention to detail with which the Romanoff name is synonymous. Stitched—which will bring texture to the walls of Rockwell's upcoming Nobu Los Angeles—features three patterns of bookbinding-style needlework and 10 hand-dyed colors. Double Take vinyl, available in five colors, appears to change depending on the viewer's perspective, thanks to a fluted pattern with one side smooth and the other one rough. And Blanket, a soft wool blend, features wavy stripes of thread stitching that contrast with a heathered ground, available in four colors. Seems like Rockwell has products in the bag
Dennis Miller Associates, 200 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10016; 212-684-0070; dennismiller.com. circle 319 Maya Romanoff Corporation, 1730 West Greenleaf Avenue, Chicago, IL 60626; 773-465-6909; mayaromanoff.com. circle 320
Mod on the Move
You can almost hear the Pete Townsend guitar riff as you absorb the glow of Aqua Creations's Mod and Kinetic Mobiles collections by Ayala Serfaty. Drawing from the energy of 1960's Swinging London and the visual movement of connected forms, the lighting systems experiment with the fusion of artistry and illumination.
The Grace and Rigua mobiles don't miss a beat as they gently spill light from their distinctively puckered silk shades. Forever, a convex diamond-shape module, and Young, a square one, can be mounted on the wall or ceiling—in groups of virtually any shape, at any size. (The individual components measure 23 by 40 inches or 24 inches square.) Forever and Young's companion, Zika, is more rectilinear but with softly radiused corners. For these five designs, the diffusers come in nine standard colors. The steel rods are available in a silvery or dark finish.
200 Lexington Avenue, Suite 436, New York, NY 10016; 212-219-9922; aquagallery.com. circle 321
The Madden Method
Patty Madden's debut wall covering, Metalene, and her first fabric, Wedding, won Roscoe Awards in 1979. Since then, her designs have attained renown for their classic elegance—while simultaneously looking a bit off-the-wall. If she's told that an intricate design simply can't be manufactured, she figures out how to make it. "I'm a designer," she says, "but I'm also a process developer." Those innovative methods can be seen in her latest for Luxe Surfaces.
Two recyclable wall coverings, Glass Beads and Schabin, are branded Patty Madden Signature. For Glass Beads, Madden starts with a 12-by-36-foot sheet of white paper, brushed with water-based pigments. Once it dries, she applies adhesive and glass beads by hand. For Schabin, the design is silk-screened, then sent through a conveyer oven that heats the ink, causing it to rise. Gold or copper leaf is then "kissed" onto the pattern, as Madden puts it, and sealed with shellac.
The Wow and Flip collections of vinyl wall coverings belong to her Patty Madden brand. All are embossed, then layered in ink for a dichroic look. Wow's six designs—ZaZa, GiGi, Menza, Angel, Geisha, and Capri—come in a total of 125 colorways. Flip patterns Spoon Damask, Koda, Hour Glass, Argus Vine, Zircon, Dotzilla, and Natalia come in 142 colorways. "We named them Flip because of how the colors shift depending on your viewpoint," she explains. "And also because people flipped when we showed the first samples." Luxe Surfaces, 10028 Maumelle Boulevard, North Little Rock, AR 72113; 501-748-1113; luxesurfaces.com. circle 322
Pillow Talk
The pillow mavens at Down Etc. have made their mark in the hotel community by offering an embarrassment of guest-room riches. In addition to producing pillows in a multitude of sizes, shapes, and fillings along with featherbeds and other slumber accoutrements, the company has fast become the go-to source for down education.
The unschooled often assume that down is a feather. Actually, it's the name for the fuzzy clusters found on the belly of geese and ducks—the larger the bird, the larger the down. For pillows, larger sources yield higher loft, the measurement of weight and warmth produced by the cushion. Down, the premium pillow fill, is often mixed with feathers. (A smaller feather, by contrast, is considered superior to a larger one.) Feathers are washed to remove oil and grit; higher-quality feathers are washed with special ingredients to disinfect and prevent bacteria and mold growth. Some feathers are rinsed again for 30 minutes or until the water is free of impurities. Feathers are then steam-dried, giving them a gentle curl. The relationship between the amount of down, the amount of feathers, and the quality of those feathers determines the loft. A 750-loft pillow will produce more heat and is lighter than a 450-loft pillow. The benchmark for top-shelf pillows is a loft of 650-plus.
Because some sleepers prefer dense to puffy pillows, and some sleep warm while others seek coolness, hotels need to provide a variety of pillows for the ultimate in comfort. Getting in touch with your inner child? They also make great forts. 228 Townsend Street, San Francisco, CA 94107; 415-348-0084; downetc.com. circle 323
Choco-Chic
As the daughter of designer-to-the-stars Phyllis Morris, Jamie Adler has something of a royal lineage. The Circa Furniture cofounder stays true to her Hollywood roots while drawing inspiration everywhere from the glamour of the 1940's to the disco fever of the 1970's. At the HD 2007 Expo & Conference, she introduced two digitally printed vinyl wall coverings in creamy milk-chocolate tones. "I like to use brown where one wouldn't normally see it," she explains. In florals, for instance. Big Time Ingenue takes it over the top with bold ogee motifs. Wallflower is no shrinking violet, either—the oversize blossoms are more like the pick of the bunch. Both patterns come in rolls 41 inches wide and 9 feet long. In addition to Chocolate Parfait, custom colors are available. 655 North Robertson Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069; 310-289-6872; circafurniture.com. circle 324
Jamie Young Company
Invented in 1849, mercury glass gained popularity as an affordable alternative to silver—but virtually disappeared by the 1930's. Now, husband-wife team Jamie Young Jeter and David Jeter revive this material for the Mercury Glass Pendants collection. The three shade designs, LaFitte, St. Charles, and St. Croix, are lined in gold paint. Each takes a 150-watt lamp. 1933 South Broadway, 348, Los Angeles, CA 90007; 866-295-2677; jamieyoung.com. circle 325
La Murrina
Its handblown Murano glass tendrils may captivate you, but you don't have to worry about turning into stone. The Medusa chandelier, part of the Contemporary Lighting collection, is available suspended or flush-mounted in red, black, or white. Custom colors upon request. 8925 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048; 310-858-7080; lamurrina.us. circle 326
Source One Wallcovering
Lotsa pasta was the inspiration behind Tina Forrestel's Sticks. The 54-inch vinyl wall covering is silk-screened by hand with a pattern that the designer conceived while cooking dinner—and noticing angel hair stored in a glass jar. In addition to seven standard colorways, such as black-and-white, there are seven options for the ground and 10 choices for the ink. 11123 Shady Trail, Dallas, TX 75229; 866-862-4316; sourceonewallcovering.com. circle 327
Jim Thompson
Inspired by the sea along Thailand's west coast, the Andaman textile collection makes a splash with six patterns in all-weather acrylic. Wide cabana-striped Coral, shown in Spring, can withstand 30,000 Martindale rubs. Surf withstands 33,000—in chocolate, Candy Stripe, and Pacific. 1694 Chantilly Drive, Atlanta, GA 30324; 800-262-0336; jimthompson.com. circle 328
Tai Ping Carpets
To produce Akina rugs, this manufacturer's commercial division updated Japanese vintage textiles with sprawling latticework, concentric squares, and oversize flowers. But it's the complementary colors that really make the collection's 17 hand-tufted wool and silk patterns a standout: cherry, jade, apricot, aquamarine, turquoise, burnt orange, and plum. 860 Broadway, New York, NY 10003; 212-979-2233; taipingcarpets.com. circle 329
Seibert & Rice
Influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and the arts and crafts movement, Grey Bowl on Stand is handcrafted pigmented terra-cotta—wearing the occasional fingerprint. The planter is frost-proof at temperatures as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit, given proper drainage. Dimensions are 25 inches in diameter and 19 inches tall. P.O. Box 365, Short Hills, NJ 07078; 973-467-8266; seibert-rice.com. circle 330
Stark Carpet Corporation
Fans of Neapolitan ice cream should scoop up 1B. This wool rug from the Stark Modern collection offers pink and brown waves trimmed in black, with custom colors and sizes available. Made in Asia. 979 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022; 212-752-9000; starkcarpet.com. circle 331
Architectural Systems
With elements such as glimmering gold flakes or sparkling mica chips as an interlayer, Lunalite glass or acrylic panels will have you moonstruck—all 11 of them. The surfacing's standard size is 48 by 96 inches; thickness ranges from ¼ to ½ inch. 150 West 25th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10001; 800-793-0224; archsystems.com. circle 332
Humanscale
First, take the weight off your feet—and shoulders: The Cinto stacking chair in steel and polypropylene has a flexible backrest. Next, take the weight off the environment: Dial the telephone number molded into the bottom of the seat, and the manufacturer will retrieve unwanted chairs for reuse. 11 East 26th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010; 800-400-0625; humanscale.com. circle 333
Terzani
Bruno Rainaldi named J'adore Venice after the song by Loredana Bertè. Soft but structured, the table lamp's handblown Murano crystal boasts a striped motif in white or black. For lamping, choose E12 halogen from 40 to 100 watts. The design is also available as a pendant fixture. 11470 Interchange Circle North, Miramar, FL 33025; 866-837-9264; terzani.com. circle 334
Joel Berman GlassStudios
If the Screen modular partition looks familiar, it's because the prototype was offered at a benefit auction for the nonprofit Arts Umbrella last fall. Comprising nine textured glass panels, the screen can besecured with threaded rods and fixing plates (temporarily) or screwed into floor joists and ceiling supports (permanently). Customize with shelves or a flat-screen. 1244 Cartwright Street, Suite 1, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3R8, Canada; 604-684-8332; jbermanglass.com. circle 335
Milliken & Company
Flying high from last year's success with Étage, a layering process for custom carpet, Milliken Hospitality soars again with Milan and Barcelona cut-pile broadlooms. The asymmetrical, borderless designs' multiple layering components may result in 40-odd configurations, available in 12 colorways. 201 Lukken Industrial Drive West, LaGrange, GA 30240; 800-528-8453; millikencarpet.com. circle 336
Carnegie
Acorn doesn't fall too far from Tree Lore—Lori Weitzner's inaugural collection of 12 patterns for this manufacturer's newest brand, Anthology. In tone-on-tone metallics 10, 11, and 12, the wall covering features crushed walnut shells glued to a backing of 70 percent recycled paper. 110 North Centre Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY 11570; 800-727-6770; carnegiefabrics.com. circle 337
Michael Berman
Test-drive the Central cabinet, the result of an obsession with automotive design. The wall-mounted sideboard's four carved walnut doors—inspired by hubcaps—open with touch latches to reveal a shelf. The piece measures 79 inches wide by 18 ½ inches deep by 22 inches high. 7215 West Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036; 323-933-0220; michaelbermanlimited.com. circle 338
Mayer Fabrics
Sakura's name comes from the Japanese word for cherry tree, a symbol of the ephemeral nature of life. Backed in a polyester-cotton blend, the fabric is finished in Nanotex and exceeds 327,000 Wyzenbeek double rubs. The five colorways include Bamboo. 321 South Alabama Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204; 800-428-4415; mayerfabrics.com. circle 339

















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