I love trade shows. Many times, tradeshows are a blender; the mixing of different materials, ideas and design perspectives produces unexpected product combinations and potential ideas that challenge manufacturers and designers alike. When I heard that BKLYN DESIGNS was holding its annual tradeshow of contemporary furniture, lighting, accessories and art in my own backyard of Brooklyn, NY, I knew this would be a combination of function and beauty, right alongside grit and magic. Brooklyn design has its own unique look, and that look is becoming very popular across the country with younger generations.

Founded by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, BKLYN DESIGNS was one of the first trade shows to shine a spotlight on the creative economy in Brooklyn, and helped put many Brooklyn makers and supporters on the map. With thousands of visitors over a three-day weekend in May, BKLYN DESIGNS is one of the most vibrant design shows in New York City.
[Image: graffitti table.jpg], caption: Welcome to the design jungle: local participants at BKLYN DESIGNS [Image: seminar.jpg], caption: Three days of insightful and informative seminars at BKLYN DESIGNSArranged in conjunction with NYCxDESIGN, New York’s citywide celebration of design, BKLYN DESIGNS took place at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint last weekend. Featuring more than 50 local exhibitors alongside a host of informative industry seminars, pop-up installations and workshops on everything from virtual reality to temporary tattoos, this was a cornucopia of design and a snapshot of the creative diversity of the largest borough in New York City.

“Brooklyn is a hotbed of creative and artistic talent, which is evident in BKLYN DESIGNS’ amazing lineup of exhibitors, partners and sponsors,” said Brooklyn Chamber President and CEO Carlo Scissura. “From hi-tech to handcrafted, we are excited to showcase the latest products and techniques developed in Brooklyn during the borough’s premier design show and one of the anchor fairs of NYCxDESIGN.”
I had never been to the Brooklyn Expo Center before. It is a clean, modern structure nestled alongside old factories with rusted corrugated steel and graffiti-adorned water towers; the setting could not have been better for what we were about to see. Surrounding the Expo Center neighborhood is an array of boutique furniture showrooms and factories. There were many more inspiring designs to be seen across the neighborhood once we walked the show.
When it comes to producing quality furniture, the folks from Uhuru have been making it in Brooklyn for more than a decade. Incorporating reclaimed pieces of the Coney Island boardwalk into some of its furniture, Uhuru is a master at blending metal with wood and texture with sophistication. Many pieces are a feast for the eyes as well as the fingertips. Recently, the company has been slowly building a full-service interior design division with projects in the commercial, residential and hospitality sectors.

The design firm/manufacturer hybrid concept was a recurring theme at BKLYN DESIGNS this year. CBR Studio was another exhibitor that happens to be a multidisciplinary design firm. The practice pursues a wide range of projects, from new residential and commercial construction to custom furniture. CBR was showing its Brindle Table, which provides an elegant balance between density and lightness in a room. The heavy marble top floats above a lean structure of walnut that features construction details found on the outside of the table, rather than concealed underneath; the chamfered edge humanizes the overall experience of the table and draws you in to touch.
Understandably, furniture exhibitors arrived in full force at this particular event. One particularly striking booth was Mark Jupiter, a DUMBO-based manufacturer who specializes in custom designs in which every detail shines.
“All our pieces are made to order,” said Mr. Jupiter. “We love to collaborate with our clients on new creative directions.”

Even local reclaimed wood warehouse Sawkill Lumber got into the act with its Rocking PacMan bench. “Rocking PacMan is a bench about trust, balance and opposition,” declared a sign in the Sawkill Lumber booth. “It’s a love seat see-saw that requires at least two people to activate it; sitting on opposite ends and rocking each other back and forth.” Judging by the demonstrations we saw that day, Sawkill is just as good at fabricating furniture as they are at reclaiming wood; so many of the exhibitors we saw were experts in more than one thing.
Indeed, all across BKLYN DESIGNS this year, the emphasis was on creativity, and usually in a collective manner. The nonprofit Textile Arts Center was holding a pop-up textile studio that hosted live demos and workshops ranging from screen printing to tapestry weaving. “Techniques like weaving, sewing, and dyeing are practical, connective and process driven – common denominators for designers, artists and creative practitioners around the world,” said a banner above the workshop. “These activities foster community and bring creativity back to our daily lives.”

Awarded best in show for its Propeller Table, Krivens Partners makes sure the materials it sources are emblematic of where they came from.
“We do this so that people can buy furniture that has a local history with an authentic a sense of place,” said Daniel Krivens.
The company reclaims materials from such specific places as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and water tanks along the NYC skyline.
“It’s not just about different shapes of tables,’ Mr. Krivens continued. “Our designs are built to facilitate spontaneous interaction between users who might not have otherwise talked to each other. Our furniture is designed to reduce the barriers to new interactions. We make new structures that balance the desire for ownership of personal space with the desire for fluid social interaction. We make places where people are inspired to do their best work.”

Nostalgia for Brooklyn’s industrial and manufacturing past runs deep in many neighborhoods throughout the borough; blending that perfectly with newer cultural influences like the city’s growing creative Caribbean population is the goal of CaribBEING House, a unique mobile multipurpose art and cultural space curated by CaribBEING, a boutique nonprofit organization whose mission is to build community through the lens of Caribbean cinema, culture and art. The House was located in the exterior courtyard of the Expo Center and consisted of a shipping container with floor-to-celling windows, a chic raw interior with bespoke flooring, and showcased a special exhibit of Caribbean film, art and culture.
Right next to it was a great work of art called Fat Boy, which is a combination monumental cherub head and protective bunker. Brooklyn-based artist Leonard Ursachi has created a piece that is as much about searching for home as it is about conflict.
After a lovely local lunch pondering the deeper meanings of Fat Boy, we resumed on to BKLYN BUYS, the curated marketplace that sells beautifully crafted accessories and design objects made or designed in Brooklyn. The pavilion celebrated the wealth of creativity and craftsmanship in the borough, featuring ceramics, jewelry and other accessories from local talent such as Michal Lando Design, WrenLab Ceramics and LESH Group, as well as the work of numerous jewelry students and alumni from Pratt Institute. Strengthening this retail hub, the American Design Club Pop-Up Shop offered products for sale by well-known Brooklyn designers and NYCxDESIGN destinations.

The best exhibitor I saw at BKLYN DESIGNS was Smash Industries, a division of Legion Lighting. These UL-rated fixtures are each unique, graffiti-adorned subway cars with a wide range of lighting applications. They can be direct/indirect, pendants, even just uplights – but the style and authenticity they lend to an interior is really special. This was the first time this company exhibited their products to the public, and I am sure it will be a hit with Millennials and their coworking spaces everywhere.
Another exhibitor that appeared to be a fan favorite was Wax Rax, a vinyl record storage system made in Brooklyn. “This record tower is architecture for your music,” boasted the company brochure that featured six different LP storage options, all made out of anodized aluminum.
This particular trade show resonated with me because I am a huge fan of Brooklyn, but I think it would have resonated with anyone, fan or not, who has an appreciation for honest design, creativity and inclusive perspectives on art and culture. Hats off to the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, which did a great job of curating the lively seminars, workshops and exhibits. Shows like this make me proud to be in such a creative industry, and neighborhood, that continues to grow in size and influence.