Today was opening day at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC. There were tons of booths with emerging designers as well as some more established lines. We've created a small slideshow with some of our favorites. Probably my personal favorite as a group was the Austrian Design Platform, which showcased some of the country's up and coming exports.

Melissa Borrell makes some pretty cool modern jewelry that is definitely worth checking out.

Japanese designer Kouichi Okamoto has both executed simple and complicated designs with equal finesse. There is a technological aspect to his work that makes it interesting and beautiful. His LED balloon lamp creates a soft glow and is simply stunning in multiples. He also developed a dvd that slowly changes colors, turning your tv into a mood-lighting device. His honey-comb lamp is especially beautiful.

Turkish design at it's best, don't you think? The elegant designs of Autoban this year at ICFF are certainly worth taking a look at; they're just enough slightly 'off' to be exactly just right. That might not make much sense, but I think that's the best way to describe it. The proportion is what sets the designs apart and adds a bit of wit. The red lamp shown is actually a larger floor lamp with a really glossy finish (available in other colors, of course) and the Bergere Chair shown has other upholstery options and a larger sofa option as well. Take a look at their website. I think you'll enjoy it.

I do have to say that these two chairs are quite intriguing... "Two chairs mate neatly along a broken line of shifted wood slats. Hinting at a metaphor for a broken or mended relationship, the chairs join to form a bench. Two can sit close or separate. The chairs are made from plantation grown teak hardwood, cast aluminum and aluminum tubing. They are suitable for outdoor and indoor use." The Oldstock candleholders are pretty eye-catching as well, and the fact that they are made from recycled glass bottles doesn't hurt one bit.

With a playful eye, Soop Group has established a collection of products that's sure to be enjoyed. From pea game plates to biscuit mugs, the common thread lies in each item being a bit more interactive than what we're used to. In the Ready Meal Plate Collection, outlines guide food placement while ingredients are listed on the underside. With the Plate is for Pea, numbered indentions/dimples encourage using peas to score points before, during, or after partaking. I especially like the cork Fleur placemat with it's detailed design. All in all, this collection is an entertaining way to liven up the tabletop, or, perhaps rather a way to liven up the way you entertain...

London based Sam Johnson has charming, quirky and refined designs which we should all make efforts to bring to the States. He brings modern sensibilities to old-school techniques (such as laser cut marquetry--allowing mass production) to create designs that are both well made and beautiful. My favorite piece is the "light reading" design which is a lamp which blends in amongst your books until you turn it on and it illuminates from the inside, revealing the title of the book. Clever and useful. His works are available from Thorsten Van Elten. Johnson has also collaborated with Richard Shed (see below) on projects (most notably, Dovetail & Screw-head tape).

The British designer Richard Shed has an inspiring collection of work that includes conceptual ideas made real, that result in some designs that would be functional, beautiful pieces in your home. The breath-taking beauty of the "Discovery" pieces coupled with the quirky yet equally well-constructed pieces inspired by the antics of Keith Moon make Richard Shed a forerunner in upcoming design today. Several of his pieces are available from Thorsten Van Elton in the UK, but hopefully more of his pieces will be available stateside. If you are interested in some of his pieces, perhaps you could email your favorite local retailer and ask them to carry them. Or you could email him directly via his website.