Architectural Digest Design Show’s 20 Best Design Ideas

If it’s spring, it’s time for the annual Architectural Digest Design Show in New York City, which provides a look at all the latest trends and products for every part of the home. Sponsored by the well-known magazine, the AD Design Show is remarkable for its combination of big-brand products for kitchen and bath along with an impeccable juried collection of specialty designers and everything in-between. One of Homedit’s favorite design fairs, we scoured the displays to bring you the latest, the greatest and the most creative designs. Here are 20 of our favorite picks from the 2019 show:

Opiary

Little planting places tucked into unexpected spaces are so cute.
Little planting places tucked into unexpected spaces are so cute.

The display by Opiary stopped us in our tracks. The space is a gorgeous combination of textured wall design mixed with green wall elements. Even the furniture pieces all have small pockets and ledges for plantings and greenery to bring more of the outdoors inside — just look at the legs on the chair!. The company says that its designs help bring nature and sculptural forms into a room as well as promote an indoor/outdoor lifestyle.

Facture

The resin has a silky, ethereal appearance.
The resin has a silky, ethereal appearance.

Sleek and luminous, this lounge chair from Brooklyn-based Frature Studio, almost has an otherworldly appeal. The subtle striping on the surface emphasizes the gentle curve of the seat and gives it the feeling that you could float away on it. Crafting all its works from resin, the studio is known for experimenting with light, color and transparency. The round resin-based light on the wall seems like the sun overlooking the lounge chair. Makes you think of the beach, yes?

Alexander Giray

This is Midcentury-inspired with extra functionality.
This is Midcentury-inspired with extra functionality.

Suckers for a good side table, this one from Alexander Giray has great form and is super functional as well. The Acolyte has Mid-century flair with a modern twist. Best of all is the bookshelf on the bottom level, which lets you display favorites tomes or line up current reads. The shelf can also hold some magazines stacked flat thanks to the lip on three sides. The custom hand-crafted piece is available in five different stunning wood options.

Arcana

This sofa is made with truly unexpected materials.
This sofa is made with truly unexpected materials.

A collection of unexpected materials come together in an attention-getting sofa by Arcana Furniture and Lighting. An iron framework is encased in glass blocks and finished with a vibrant yellow-green velvet seat. It’s very comfortable and certainly has to be durable! The unusual combination of materials is a contrast in textures and finishes that is very appealing. The New York City-based studio is the collaboration of an artist and an architect that yields this kind of novel home object.

Further Design

Neon used for an indoor pendant is a really novel design.
Neon used for an indoor pendant is a really novel design.

An interesting interplay between blown glass and neon light, the Storm Cloud pendant by Further Design draws you in with its unorthodox light source. While the neon tube provides the light inside the globe it also extends down and out of the opening, like a streak of lighting emanating from a cloud. With the neon tube extending outside the main fixture, the gas flowing through the tube becomes a mesmerizing detail to watch.

Hachi Collections

The use of resin in this table adds to its quiet appeal.
The use of resin in this table adds to its quiet appeal.

Sure, this is an expertly crafted wooden table, but the added element of resin inserts brings it to a whole new level. The piece by Hachi Collections is peppered with sections of resin that go all the way through the wood piece, which you can see on the curved edge that reveals the full thickness. The surface is amazingly smooth and silky and between the feel and the gentle pattern, it becomes a soothing, beautiful piece of furniture.

Kin & Company

These curving shelves would look great in any room.
These curving shelves would look great in any room.

The use of blackened steel gives these modern shelves with whimsical feet by Kin and Company a bit of an industrial look. That said, the graceful arch sets them apart from what would traditionally be considered industrial decor. Fitted with glass shelves with a metallic edge, the entire unit has a light feeling despite the dominating size. Available in two sizes, the shelving unit is versatile enough to go with lots of decor styles. In any room, it’ll be a visual focal point. The custom pieces are made to order and come in different sizes, materials and finishes.

By Koket

The regal bee motif adds to the luxurious feeling of this grouping.
The regal bee motif adds to the luxurious feeling of this grouping.

At the luxe end of the spectrum, these pieces from By Koket are regal and rich looking. Embellished with a bee motif — which we are totally crazy about — the Simone screen has a gorgeous curving top and an irregularly shaped section of mirror panels at the bottom. The rich green is a sophisticated and on-trend choice, especially paired with the deep armchairs upholstered in black and accented with the bee throw pillows. A touch of gold from the chair frames elevates the grouping to a whole new level of glamour.

Thomas W. Newman Studio

Special reclaimed wood creates a truly spectacular cabinet.
Special reclaimed wood creates a truly spectacular cabinet.

The striping of the wood on this cabinet by Thomas W. Newman is so compelling, especially after you learn that it is centuries old and reclaimed. The dark stripes are the natural coloring of the wood at the outer edges from year and years of aging. Worked into a piece with simple lines, the look of the wood is allowed to shine, accented with unexpected and minimal hardware at the center. This is simply stunning and masterful woodwork for a truly one-of-a-kind piece.

Light Reel

Vintage films take on new life in these light boxes.
Vintage films take on new life in these light boxes.

At first glance, these may look like simple, colorful wall lights, but from a closer vantage point, it’s clear they are far more than that. These lights are actually made with real movie film, compiled into a beautiful, backlit work of art by Light Reel. More than that, they are made from the original film trailers and include classics such as Barbarella and Taxi Driver. Artist Alan Strack got the films — originally destined for the dump —  from his grandparents’ movie theater in upstate New York when it closed. Years later, he developed a way to use them and create these special light boxes.

London Basin Company

These basins are such artful bathroom additions.
These basins are such artful bathroom additions.

Elevating the basic basin to art status, the London Basin Company has developed a line of globally inspired and exceptionally beautiful bathroom washbasins. Crafted from the finest porcelain, each basin is hand finished. Designs range from floral to abstract and geometric and shapes run the gamut from truly bowl-like to more rounded with a Zen vibe. There’s no better word to describe than other than gorgeous and many of the styles available fit right in with the trend toward maximalism, especially in the powder room.

 Pandemic Design

Adding plants to a space is easy with units like these.
Adding plants to a space is easy with units like these.

In another unique example of how to incorporate more nature in your home, the Pandemic Design Studio of Philadelphia developed these Nodes, which form a modular indoor or outdoor wall mounted ceramic planter system. The design was inspired by the node of a tree, and the round space is where a planting — real or faux — can be inserted. These are ideal for use in the bathroom on a tiled surface because they can be installed with velcro, which also makes them a good choice for people who live in rental properties.

Richard Haining

Discarded wood pieces are transformed into stunning new works.
Discarded wood pieces are transformed into stunning new works.

The scraps if discarded wood that Richard Haining uses in his stunning pieces are a bit like Legos for a woodworker. Inspired by the large volumes of such wood that is being discarded, Haining created his signature STACKED Collection, which includes pieces like this coffee table. Hand-built using reclaimed mahogany and sappelle, the color variations come from the nature of the wood pieced used and no stains are involved in creating the work. One of the most spectacular aspects is the velvety smoothness of the wood on the exterior of the piece, contrasted with the graduated block construction on the inside.

Traditional weaving is used to make contemporary textiles and rugs.
Traditional weaving is used to make contemporary textiles and rugs.

Modern colors with a geometric flair accent these hand-loomed rugs from Tantuvi. They’re particularly attractive for their vibrant hues and fresh look, which is even more surprising when it is revealed that the textiles are hand-loomed by a weaving cooperative in South India. The designers are reinterpreting traditional patterns and weaves for the company’s flat weave rugs. This palette is of-the-moment and very versatile for contemporary interiors of many types. The look is artsy yet casual and the cotton is, of course, very comfortable. Yarn dyed and hand woven on pit looms in Rajasthan, they require from 4 to 10 weeks to complete.

Tempaper

Stylish removable wallpapers are ideal for renters and avid decorators.
Stylish removable wallpapers are ideal for renters and avid decorators.

Whether you live in an apartment or you just like to change up the room frequently, re-positionable and removable wallpapers from Tempaper are just the ticket. We think they are among the greatest recent innovations in wallcoverings because they make it possible to create a more personal, inviting space quickly. And, just as speedily, you can remove the paper and return the wall to its original state with little fuss. Moreover, the choice of patterns and colors has grown exponentially.

JennAir

A sophisticated black finish is available for the inside as well as the exterior.
A sophisticated black finish is available for the inside as well as the exterior.

Part of the new Noir Collection from JennAir, this refrigerator has all the necessary functions and then some. Sleek black on the outside as well as the inside, the look is super stylish. Durability is also key as there are very few plastic parts and most of the interior is metal and glass. Plentiful illumination from bottom to top lights up the interior, making it easy to see contents. In addition, today’s appliances can all be connected and controlled wirelessly if desired.

True Residential

Commercial-based units are durable and offer plenty of space inside.
Commercial-based units are durable and offer plenty of space inside.

Vibrant and accented with luminous brass hardware, the True refrigeration and freezer columns are very stylish. Durable steel on the inside and out, the refrigerator is large and accommodates a full-size sheet pan. It also has big, deep drawers — yes that’s a whole watermelon in the fruit drawer! Available with a glass door as well as a solid option, the company offers a range of hues that are strong but stately, such as this green finish, along with navy blue and others. It’s commercial grade refrigeration configured for today’s home kitchens.

Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

Outdoor kitchens can now include all types of appliances.
Outdoor kitchens can now include all types of appliances.

The popularity of outdoor kitchens is growing so it’s no wonder that manufacturers are expanding their offerings to make cooking outdoors even more fun and convenient. Long gone are the days of having to run in and out of the house to the refrigerator. Today’s configuration includes a high-end gas grill from Wolf, matched with refrigeration drawers from Sub-Zero and a new Cove dishwasher. The full complement of appliances in the outdoor kitchen means that you can handle every step of entertaining outdoors.

Brizo

Concrete is a very unusual finish for a faucet.
Concrete is a very unusual finish for a faucet.

A far cry from the usual brass or chrome finish — or even the trendy matte black — this faucet from Brizo sports a concrete finish.  Ideal for an industrial flair, the Vettis single-handle lavatory faucet is definitely a different look. It was rendered by sculptor Christopher Shannon and originally created by TJ Eads. Finished with concrete tinted with pure charcoal, only 500 were made in Shannon’s Victoria, British Columbia, studio.

Woodworks

This wood flooring has an unmatched historical pedigree.
This wood flooring has an unmatched historical pedigree.

Some wood flooring might have more stylish, modern design, but none have the pedigree of this wood: It comes from the floor of the war room of Winston Churchill.  Presented by Woodworks by Ted Todd, it is just one of the special types of wood this company offers. In fact, the UK company is said to hold the largest reserves of antique and reclaimed timber in the world. Its stock of antique and reclaimed wood has been fully restored and engineered. What a marvelous way to incorporate history into a home!

These are just some of the great finds that were at this year’s Architectural Digest design show.  Keep an eye on Homedit for more products and designs from the show in the coming weeks!