BKLYN Design Delivers

May 14, 2009

Repurposed wood boards by FunkinFunctionLongboards

I traveled this week to the far shores of Manhattan, to see this year’s edition of BKLYN Designs, held as always in DUMBO. Joining me were my significant other, Joan, her significant other, Jayne (the “2” of 2Michaels Design), and Jayne’s beau, Todd. We were all admitted on press passes, so I decided to take advantage of that and have Jayne do some writing. While I strolled around looking for photo opportunities, Jayne did the yeoman work and interviewed the exhibitors. The result of our collaboration follows.

JM: The show was smaller than last year but the caliber was higher and well edited.

LW: I mentioned this to Karen Auster, who organized the event, and she was glad to hear it. The show was juried this year to make it tighter.

Ryan flooring by Asha Carpets

LW: I made a beeline for the Pratt Booth. I always like seeing student work at these shows, to get some idea about what’s filtering down to young people and some sense from them where design is headed. I was struck this year by the commitment to resource management, whether in the re-use of felt byproducts, recycled sweaters, or old bicycle rims. I found the lathe-turned felt coat hooks particularly clever.

JM: The Pratt booth stole the show. The youthful exuberance and fresh talent of the students brought in lots of visitors. The colorful felt coat hooks by Brian Persico were ingenious as were the stools made from recycled sweaters from the Salvation Army. They had no idea about the price point which made me smile. Oh to be a student and not have to worry about money.

Matthew Fairbank Design installation

JM: I wanted this flat-weave rug from Asha Carpets. Named Ryan (after a friend) it’s made from hand spun and machine made wool. A 9 feet by 12 feet costs $5,000 retail, turned around in three months. At first we thought it was an antique rug because of the muted colors and pattern…it would look lovely in both a modern and traditional setting.

JM: We were struck by skill and professionalism of Matthew Fairbank. His booth was beautiful, the walls even looked like they were lined in leather. The Barrett Writing Desk was handsome and earthy. I can imagine it in the library of a young business man.

Barstool by From The Source; Lauren daybed by Bruce Marsh Design

JM: This wood and iron barstool at From The Source was simple, elegant, and comfortable. It’s hard to find a nice stool that you haven’t seen a thousand times before.

JM: The Apollo floor lamp from Tides made a strong impression with its imposing scale and orange glow. It’s LED solar powered and can be used outdoors. The Lauren daybed by Bruce Marsh automatically made me think of “In Therapy,” the HBO drama I’m hooked on. Why I thought of it I don’t know, but it’s surprisingly comfortable and made from nylon and white oak. It is indoor/outdoor and dries quickly; it’s antimicrobial too.

Apollo floor lamp by Tides

LW: Definitely a good show this year. Thanks for your help, Jayne.