The Architectural Digest Home Design Show was the centerpiece of BlogTour and took place on the second day of our trip.

It was my first design show in the US and I must confess to being very pleasantly surprised. As you know I’m not always a huge fan of American design – it can sometimes be a bit too ornate and stylised for my taste – but there were some great brands here, including many names from the UK and Europe. And the ‘Made’ section featuring smaller design brands and artisans was a revelation, chock full of quirky interesting pieces made with love.

dbO Home was perhaps my favourite find in the whole show. Husband and wife team Dana Brandwein Oates and Daniel Oates have between them created a complete line of delightful homewares. Dana makes gorgeous, GORGEOUS ceramics, perfect for food photography – intriguingly detailed but not so that it detract too much from the food – while Daniel crafts stunning custom-made wooden furniture. I could have bought everything on the entire stand, and probably will at some point. They were real sweeties too. That platter hanging up below may have accidentally found its way into my suitcase. 

This decoupaged Genus Chair by Phillip Estlund is available for sale through Grey Area, an online site that bridges the gap between functional pieces and art. I want this chair so badly. (Wondering if I should update my vintage ‘unfortunately I don’t think it’s Eames’ chair).

These intricate laser-cut lampshades are by Fiyel Levent Atelier and I love the slightly Islamic but very contemporary feel to them. Levent‘s beautiful patterns make spectacular artworks too (seen on the walls behind). If you’d like to enjoy her work at a more accessible price point she also does pretty stationery.

The glorious cabinet below is handbuilt by Ray Finan Furniture Studio in Vermont. Ray crafts his custom pieces from sustainably harvested domestic and exotic hardwoods mixed with high-end veneers and this picture doesn’t begin to convey the gloriously tactile nature of his pieces.

See that little hanging door knob? It’s carved from wood and felt beautiful – all smooth and swingy and sassy. Ray’s wife, who was on the stall, joked that she wanted a pair of earrings like that and I had to agree. Ray, listen to your wife!

My final favourite product for this round-up (5 more coming up soon) was the stunning new PRO cooker from Big Chill.

As you know I am already sadly besotted with our Big Chill fridge and this new cooker is making me want to start remodelling our downstairs kitchen (having sworn I’d never remodel anything ever again). What I liked most, as well the PRO’s handsome looks, was the extremely reasonable price point. So if anyone fancies sending me the dark cherry red version it won’t even break the bank. Go on, you know you want to.

For the sake of completeness here’s a picture of the door of my fridge hanging on the wall.

Thank you Modenus for taking me on the epic trip and making it possible to visit on Press Day (so much more civilized.)

Here is Veronika, Queen Modenus herself, surrounded by her beautiful daughters, welcoming a swarm of New York design bloggers and other industry professionals to Marys and Mimosas  – the now annual morning cocktail kick-off hosted by Modenus.

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