#DESIGNHOUNDS TAKE ON ICFF IN NYC

 #Designhounds is a new expansion of the tremendously successful BlogTour franchise launched by Modenus in 2011. Three years later I was invited to be a part of the group that traveled to London for Design Week.  Tomorrow I have the honor and privilege to rejoin Modenus for a day of design in New York City. The Designhounds will "sniff out" those elements and areas of design to share with other designers, writers and the general public. A website has been created, www.designhounds.com, that allows users to share their findings via social media and blog feeds under in one beautiful space. 

The #designhounds most recently reported the latest design trends directly from Salone del Mobile and Eurocucina in Milan. Now they've invited another exclusive group to share their favorite design finds from the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) and Wanted Design in New York City.

I am excited to participate in this design-filled day planned with visits to Luxe Interiors + Design, TOTO and Wilsonart before heading to Wanted Design to tour the show and meet up with friends at Ittala and WestEdge Design Fair. To end the day, our group will meet up with long time sponsors TOTO for an exclusive dinner.

I hope you will follow me and all the fun #dhNYC16.  I hope you'll be engaged, entertained and inspired. For those of you who don't follow me on Instagram, my handle is @GimletStyle.

I hope you'll take a moment to learn a little about myself and my NYC designhound cohorts below!

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The mission over at MODmadeNY is to create life enriching interiors. Trained as an architect, Michele Alfano’s architectural eye influences her creative interior designs. Her signature style is Architectonic Bliss- a crisp, masculine modern point of view fused with a luxe and imaginative use of color, form and texture. Michele’s ‘live your vibe’ philosophy translates into her blog MoD Design Guru. More than a site, it’s a “design tank,” which investigates how innovators are changing the way we live our lives today and tomorrow from emerging artists to premier design voices in the fields of architecture, interior, product and décor. Follow Michele via her Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

Tamara Matthews-Stephenson is a NYC residential interior designer, freelance writer, author of popular design blog Nest by Tamara and co-owner product designer of home fabric company Root Cellar Designs. Since 2008, Tamara has penned popular lifestyle blog Nest by Tamara where she writes stories about interior design, entertaining, travel and cooking.  Nest by Tamara was voted #1 design blog by design site Modenus’ Top 100 design blogs in 2014.  In 2015, Tamara has had over 750,000 pageviews on Nest by Tamara, and she is often invited on press visits around the world to cover the latest in design. In addition to managing her design business and writing her daily blog, she also regularly contributes editorials to a variety of publications on the same subjects.  She writes the East End Nest column for Dan’s Papers magazine in the Hamptons, and has been on assignment and published with NYC&G, Traditional Home, Trad Home, The Daily Front Row, New York Spaces, Today’s Equestrian, Venu and more.Spring of 2015, Tamara and fashion designer Susan Young launched their new home fabric company Root Cellar Designs.  Inspired by decorative art history, the design duo custom design unique modern patterns with a commitment to Made in America and using all natural materials.  Since September 2015 Root Cellar Design fabrics are now offered by the yard to the design trade in Bradley USA showrooms in Atlanta and Chicago.  Their pillows and table linens are sold in boutique home stores as well. Learn more about Tamara and Root Cellar Designs via her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Laurie Gorelick is a Boston-based interior designer providing residential and commercial design services to a discerning clientele.  Laurie did not follow the traditional career path of most designers. Instead, she spent 10 years as a practicing attorney in New York City after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and New York University School of Law. Laurie’s deep-rooted passion for art and design drove her to trade her briefcase for a portfolio. She earned a degree in 2000 in interior design from the New England School of Art & Design at Boston’s Suffolk University (NESAD/SU) and established Laurie Gorelick Interiors after honing her skills as a design assistant at a Newbury Street design firm.  Laurie is also an accredited professional in Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED AP), distinguishing her in the area of eco-friendly design and knowledge of sustainable materials and finishes.  As a part-time instructor in the design programs at NESAD/SU and Newbury College, Laurie mentors designers-in-training. With all of her degrees and experience in academia, Laurie launched her blog in 2012 as a vehicle to impart to design novices the criteria that make for good design. Get to know Laurie via her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Glen Peloso and Jamie Alexander have completed hundreds of residential, hospitality and commercial space projects around the globe. Glen is currently recognized as a design expert on The Marilyn Denis Show, CHUM-FM’s “All About Style” and from his past work on the internationally syndicated HGTV series “Restaurant Makeover”, “Take This House and Sell It” and “Renovate My Wardrobe”. As design journalists, Glen is a bi-weekly columnist in the HOMES section of the Toronto Star and Jamie is a bi-weekly columnist in the HOMES section of the Toronto Sun. Together, Glen &Jamie are bi-monthly columnists in Reno & Décor and Canadian Home Trends, and can be seen monthly on CHCH Morning Live’s “Trend Tuesday”. Their design projects are featured in Canadian House & Home, Style at Home, Canadian Living and Toronto Home among others. Glen & Jamie proudly support Furniture Bank, BuskerFest and Toronto’s Peer Project benefiting at-risk youth. Together, these two talented and well-respected names in the interior design and home décor landscape co-founded Peloso Alexander Interiors in 2013 – a design firm dedicated to bringing beautiful spaces to life. Seasoned in residential, commercial and hospitality spaces with a combined 40 years of celebrated industry experience, Glen & Jamie are forever forecasting and trend-spotting, and succeed in creating environments which dovetail their clients’ lifestyles and personalities with the architecture of the space in innovative, thoughtful and design-driven ways. Follow Glen and Jamie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Jessica Gordon Ryan is a lifestyle writer, photographer and social media strategist for luxury brands, print and digital publications. She has been described as a “tastemaker and lifestyle writer with a stellar reputation as a trend-setting bon vivant.”  She is the owner and creative director of The Entertaining House - a website that has become synonymous with poise and luxury and has garnered attention from top brands designers and celebrities from around the world. Both for her website and professionally she writes dexterously about culture across the board. Her writing and photography have been featured in local, national, print and digital publications such as Fairfield Magazine, Westport Magazine, AtHome in Fairfield County, Greenwich Magazine, Yankee Magazine, The Daily Basics, CTBites, and Coastal Connecticut Magazine where she has written about food, travel, design and architecture. Get to know Jessica via her Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Laurel Bern is an interior designer and design blogger from Bronxville, NY. She’s president of Laurel Bern Interiors a full-service interior design firm that has just completed its 20th year in business. Laurel’s work has been published in National publications and in March 2016 she was the recipient of the Design Bloggers Hall of Fame Award for Best Writing on an interior design blog. She also recently won an award for Best Dining Room from Westchester Home Magazine where she is a frequent contributor. Learn more about Laurel via herFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Regina’s affinity for art and design manifested early, each informing the other. She feeds her spirit with frequent trips to Europe, finding inspiration in the art, fashion and architecture of the world’s major design centers, where art is a part of everyday life. Regina defines interior design as the art and science of bringing our surroundings into harmony with the unique spirit and personality of the individual within their space. Customization is, therefore, the hallmark of every Regina Sturrock Design project. Recognized for its classic aesthetic and the finest attention to detail, the firm’s work has been celebrated on the world stage in both 2014 and 2015 at the SBID International Design Awards in London, England. Learn more about Regina on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Lynn is the New York based editor of the award-winning blog Décor Arts Now where she covers interior design, art, travel and her adventures living in New York City and Montauk. She also is a freelance writer for a variety of other publications and regularly contributes to the blog Cloth & Kind and DXV’s Decade 15 Magazine. While Lynn has had several vocations in her life: Wall Street corporate attorney, mother, interior designer and now writer, she considers her years at Sotheby’s as having the most influence on her point of view. Lynn was awarded the 2015 Design Bloggers Hall of Fame Award for Best Writing. Get to know Lynn via her Facebook, Twitter,Instagram and Pinterest.

The signature style of Mary Douglas Drysdale is consistently recognized as both original and timeless, seamlessly bridging tradition with modern. From farmhouse to townhouse she provides architectural and decorative solutions crafted for the individual but appropriate to the project type. Her career and project work have consistently been honored by the design industry. Mary Douglas Drysdale’s projects have garnered over 60 career covers both in the US and abroad. Drysdale was named 5 years running as one of House Beautiful’s Top 100, and was selected in 2011 as one of the members of House Beautiful’s Family Tree of American Design. In 2001, Drysdale was selected by Architecture and Interiors magazines as one of America’s top 200 practicing architects and designers. Traditional Home magazine honored Mary’s work with an award for “Innovation in the Traditional Style”. This Old House magazine selected Drysdale in 2005 as one of the top 10 design professionals working on old homes in America. In 2009, she was nominated for the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum Interior Design Award for achievement in the field of Interior Design. Viewed in its totality, the consistent recognition of her project work is a clear reflection of her commitment to the quality and successful outcome of any project she undertakes and to the practice of interior design at a high level. Learn more about Mary via her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Deborah von Donop holds a BFA degree from California State University, Long Beach and is a licensed Interior Designer.  She has worked for several multinational companies prior to starting her own business and blogging site dvdInteriorDesign.com which is based out of Greenwich Connecticut. Deborah offers her experience, inspiration and perspective on interior design and industry events. Additionally, she is Editor of the online magazine BlissfullyDomestic.com and a Contributor to the Décor column. She has recently joined industry thought leader and kitchen designer, Chuck Wheelock as Designer and Director of Social Media. When not busy writing about industry trends, you will find her cheering her kids at sports events, concerts and plays, or pursuing photography with her camera in hand. She is blessed to be the wife of one, the mom of three boys, and caretaker of a dog, and two fish! For live coverage and sound bites follow Deborah on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Susan Serra, Certified Kitchen Designer, CAPS certified, is President of Susan Serra Associates, Inc. and Founder of Scandinavian Made and Bornholm Kitchen. Serra’s career in the kitchen and bath industry ranges from judging prestigious design contests, a designer of award-winning work, a speaker on kitchen design in the US and abroad, a consultant to major kitchen industry brands, a go-to source for the media on kitchen design, mentor, and more. Serra’s work and opinions on kitchen design have been widely published in distinguished online and print publications since the 1990s. Serra’s personal style is a mix of Scandinavian/American/coastal inspiration. Serra currently practices as a kitchen designer, kitchen design consultant and personally travels to Sweden to select handmade rugs in Sweden for the Scandinavian Made brand. “The kitchen is where all five senses reside” – Susan Serra Follow Susan on her Facebook, Twitter, Instagramand Pinterest.

Christine Kohut has the ability to tune into to her clients and her desire to bring happiness into their surroundings guarantees that she will not rest until you are pleased. Her work was also an inspiration for a makeover and featured on an HGTV show, and her blog and website got her noticed by The Nate Show.She is always updating her education in color trends and finishes from several paint lines, as well as devotes a lot of time connecting to resources so that she may offer you a wide assortment of lighting, furniture, fabric, and many finishing details.Christine (some call her Chris, most call her Kohut) will listen carefully to expectations, discuss the best plan of action, and work voraciously to ensure complete satisfaction with the outcome. She works hard behind the scenes to keep things simple for the client. She can help people discover what they are missing in their homes, and show them how things all work together when the right pieces are in place. She makes people fall in love with their spaces again. Connect with Christine on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.