Accessories
Dwell on Design 2012 Expo Debuts Inventive Designs
Dry-erase decals, adorable doorbells, mod storage and a whole lot more are hooking the crowds at this Los Angeles show
The Dwell on Design expo is going on this weekend (June 22–24, 2012) in Los Angeles, and this year is bigger and better than last. I saw some cool new products you'll want now. If you are in the L.A. area, check it out for innovative ideas and interesting lectures. If not, here is a roundup of the products creating excitement on the show floor.
Upon entering the exhibit hall, you immediately see this sculptural installation, called "Screenplay," by Oyler Wu Collaborative — so you know you are in for an elevated design experience. Peppered among the exhibit booths are high-concept showings by design students as well as various design competition winners, making for a thrilling walk around the expo.
Dunsmuir Cabinets provides custom cabinet doors to work with any Ikea kitchen cabinet body. The new system allows you to create a beautifully modern custom kitchen affordably, because you are using the existing Ikea cabinets system. Dunsmuir can retrofit Ikea kitchens back to 1988 and work with the Ikea planning software. The best part is you can install it yourself for an instant DIY upgrade. Brilliant in its simplicity.
Resource Furniture North America offered a modern take on the Murphy bed called Compact Living Solutions. It's a modular unit of wall bed with sofa, to which you can add storage and shelving units.
The styling is young and sleek. The wall bed unit was drawing a crowd on the floor both in the closed and open positions. Once you customize your unit, it is delivered to your door flat packed to be installed by a contractor. It's perfect for small urban dwellings, studios and guestrooms.
The Axor Bouroullec collection of more than 70 items allows you to compose your own unit to fit your exact needs. What fun!
From Kohler, we find a collaboration with Jonathan Adler to introduce a world of saturated color to your kitchen and bath. The colors — yellow, pea green, sky blue and navy — are not intended for the faint of heart.
Porcelain tile that looks like wood planks is not a new idea, but I have never seen as good an example as the Over line from Arizona Tile. It should be available in August 2012. Gorgeous.
The Spore doorbells and chimes were adorable. From illuminated little buttons for home exteriors to larger door chimes evocative of schoolhouse bells, the look was modern and vintage at the same time.
Another home exterior idea, this one from Potted, is the City Planter, which doubles as a home numbering marker. As the metal ages and takes on a rusted patina, your home exterior won't be affected because the planter sits on a cleat a half-inch away from the surface.
We all love our chalkboard paint, but new on the scene is Whitey Board, which makes clear and white paint that can turn any painted wall into a dry-erase board. It has also has vinyl dry-erase decals that stick onto walls and can be removed and repositioned.
I like the Urbio modular storage systems too. They're magnetic, and you can install and arrange any collection of the containers onto any part of the flat panels. They're an easy and attractive vertical garden or office supply solution.
A new online shop called Shelter Black caught my attention. The line was utilitarian, fresh and natural feeling. Some neon, natural wood and green elements combine to make for a new favorite home goods and gifts source.
The outdoor fireplace offered by Modfire is exactly the type of product I expect to see in editorial about outdoor living for the next five years. It has a Southern California midcentury-cool vibe that will be welcomed in many a summer gathering.
In furniture, Bend Seating introduced a very of-the-moment line of versatile geometric wire chairs I would gladly have in my living room or on my outdoor patio.
In case goods, wfour has a line of simple and stylish sideboards and cabinets that you will covet. The pieces are made of quality woods such as walnut, oak and cherry, and they have a lacquer finish in a variety of playful colors. Each piece can be customized.