ICFF - overall thoughts

The next few posts will deal with the ICFF I mentioned earlier. It was a really cool experience, right off the bat. I've been excited by furniture design for a long time so it was great to immerse myself in a show on the topic, much like the NY Auto Show I attended a few weeks ago. For those who are well versed in this exhibition, pardon my layman's analysis.

All things considered, it was a pretty sedate show. In fact, it was much more sedate than expected. I thought I would see lavish displays – and there were a few – and lots of incredibly unique pieces that were more design statement than a piece of usable furniture. While there were a few of those, it wasn't the predominant theme of the show. By far, 'green' designs were the most prevalent. Green can sometimes mean bland but designers rose to the challenge and focused on simple forms and texture. Mid-century modern hasn't released its grip on design minds and it was great to see it hasn't, since it's a favorite of mine.

It is reflective of our economic times that the focus of the show was on sales. I disappointed many by saying that I wasn't an interior designer or a retail shop. On the plus side, so many vendors sold direct on their website.

I wish I had gone to the big Milan show this year. I may put it on my list of places to go next year. That and the Frankfurt Auto Show. More from the ICFF to follow soon.