The International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA), which was founded in New York City, put its expertise to work at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in late May. For its IFDA Selects program, volunteer judges, sponsors, and board members from the New York Chapter walked the trade show to observe trends and choose Best in Show for a variety of categories.
In the Lighting category, the award went to Stickbulb for its new Boom Series which “uses minimum components for maximum effect,” according to Chris Beardsley, CEO, co-founder and creative director. “My partner, Russell Greenberg, and I like to build and play,” he says. The Yale-trained architects operate out of a studio in Long Island City. Advised IFDA Selects judge Bonnie Littman, President of USAI®Lighting, “The award-winning Boom Series combines beautiful reclaimed redwood sourced from New York City water tanks with the sustainability and versatility of the LED light source. Standard and custom configurations are available in four LED color temperatures, ranging from a warm 2400K to a cool 4000K, and the average output is 65 lumens per foot.”
The award for Innovative Booth Design went to Two.Parts LLC, which showcased a line of ceramic lighting. “Creating a pure art installation that was beautiful in its own right,” inspired Brooklyn-based architect Christo Logan’s Styrofoam booth, which he worked on with architect and artist Katie Shima Judge Carlos Castaneda selected the booth because of its bold use of a small space, “It broke assumptions about what one could do with a little room, creating stimulating asymmetries in lighting and textures.”
For the Art category, the award went to Israeli artist Iftah Geva for his rotating diamond carbon fiber sculpture from New York City’s Agora Gallery. “I have always been interested in nature, in my experience with it, in it and its laws,” says Geva. “In this creation, I had the opportunity to examine and express themes of strength versus flexibility. The sculptures I create are kinetic, not stationary, and can wander in space.
