First Look, the annual post-NeoCon event at the New York Design Center (NYDC) is one of those rare events that make the biggest city in America feel like a small town. In typical New York fashion, it is condensed into one four-hour night, extremely well catered, and typically one of the best-attended local A&D events of the year. Food, friends and fun make for a memorable evening of networking and perusing new products.
This year, the 14th annual First Look, was no exception. Over 1,300 design professionals filled the hallways of 200 Lexington Avenue last Wednesday to see and be seen, and to find out what is happening with their colleagues, the industry in general, and the contract market in particular. Unlike NeoCon, First Look is about fitting contract furnishings into the New York City context of the market, not all across America.
As this was not my first rodeo with First Look, I knew the best approach to see everything in the time allotted was to start on the top floor and work my way down. My first stop was the Alea showroom on the 15th floor. I was greeted by my old friend Keiron Bux, VP of Sales + Marketing for the company. The showroom was decked out in fantastic new Alea workplace settings, and I was struck by the quality of their new wall system, the A65. The seamless double-glazed flush doors, without any exposed profiles, was unique to me in the industry. It seems competitively priced, and perfect for New York commercial interiors. âWe were thrilled to have a huge increase of visitors compared to last yearâs event, and enjoyed seeing many familiar faces among a robust contingent of new visitors” said Mr Bux,.”Once again, it was a truly wonderful event.”
Across the hall, at Gibson Interior Products, the party was in full swing with ringmaster Ken Gibson holding court with the best and the brightest of the industry, showing new products from Aceray, Arcadia, Encore, Claridge, and many more brands. He recently added some new lighting companies to his stable as well, which makes it much easier for designers to bundle decorative pieces with task seating and conference chairs. âWe had a fantastic turnout,â said Mr. Gibson. âThe manufacturers I represent were not disappointed, and everyone ended the evening on a happy note.â The popcorn he was giving out in the showroom wasnât too bad either.
Down on the 14th floor was where First Look shifted into high gear. Showrooms from Krug, Boyce and Decca all put their best face forward, and spirits were running high. Stopping by the Gordon International showroom is always a treat. Their contemporary classics never go out of style. Greeted by Sue Ellen Maher, the companyâs national sales manger, she noted âWith ancillary becoming the new primary, we found a strong and steady stream of enthusiastic design specifiers, dealers and end users in our showroom. Everyone was upbeat and enjoying the camaraderie that has been established as a mainstay of First Look since the very beginning.â
Further down the hallway, we entered the timeless beauty of the Luna Textiles showroom and were greeted by industry legend Michael Vanderbyl and Luna Director Alicia Haley, both highlighting their new product introductions. I was pleasantly surprised to see Peter Pinto has joined Luna as their local sales representative; Mr. Pinto has been a trusted ally of many designers for years, and I am sure he will continue to be a valuable resource for those too-frequent textile emergencies happening across design firm libraries.
The folks at Lacour had no problem attracting visitors, as their sit-stand workspace options are some of the best on the market. They are all-around experts with technical furniture, and the showroom looked wonderful. They even had a station offering hand-rolled cigars for those that were inclined to partake. Directly across from Lacour was the Arc-Com showroom, where Northeast Division Manager Stephen Andrews showed us the fantastic strides this company has been making in getting high-performance textiles to look good and stay beautiful over time. I was especially impressed with their vinyl wallcovering options, which are still very much in demand by clients that require a durable and long-lasting wall surface.
My final visit on the 14th floor was to the Levine Contract Furniture Group, local home of such brands as ESI, Krug, Nevins, Stylex, Watson, and many more terrific contract brands. Matthew and Harvey Levine define professionalism in this part of the industry, and they remain trusted advisors on current commercial furnishings. The showroom, as usual, looked great and was brimming with good cheer and great products. The always friendly Sarah Corcoran, my local LCFG sales rep, greeted me and gave me a tour of the impressive new introductions. I left feeling refreshed and inspired, ready to tackle the next floor.
Down on the 13th floor was the first time we saw any carpet showrooms at First Look. Atlas and Masland (both owned by the Dixie Group) have a wonderful shared showroom that highlights their respective strong suits in contract carpeting. Masland has a long history with residential and even high-end wool carpeting. Local representatives Sheri Gorman and Lori Bettancourt were showcasing their new patterns for the Elevate Rug Collection, that features bright and beautiful colors, alongside rich warm neutrals. Perfect for those sophisticated accents that are usually left to the last minute in design jobs. Atlas continues to have its distinctive look, and is very well suited for both contract and hospitality design.
Across the hall, I noticed the Kinon showroom from last year was replaced with a new tenant, Art Addiction. This was a welcome surprise, as dialing-in affordable art that complements a commercial interior has never been an easy task. I wish this company good luck and hope to find out more about them in the future.
Right next door, the KI and Pallas Textiles showroom were well attended and looking their best. Pallas has stepped up their game on the design front considerably in recent years while continuing to offer the same great durability and stain protection. As the comforting sounds of a steel drum player wafted through the air, I made my way through the KI showroom to see the latest in their educational and healthcare offerings. There was plenty to see, and many design possibilities to explore.
Crosby Street Studios, the other carpet showroom on the 13th floor, was sporting a line of flat weave carpeting, which is known for its versatility as a floorcovering or wall decoration. Crosbyâs flat weaves are hand-woven and mix fibers of wool, linen, and ramie; often combining different thickness of carpet fibers to create unique textures or a subtle sheen.
Across the hallway is the unmissable Davis and Halcon showrooms, and home to their local rep group, Napier Joseph and McNamara. Showcasing sophisticated style with a contemporary flair, Davis once again remains at the top of their game. Each new introduction was pitch perfect for the New York market and sure to be a best seller. The same could be said for casegoods great, Halcon, who continue to make some of the best furniture and veneer layups in the industry.
Looking at my watch, I realized I only had an hour of First Look left and a floor and a half to go if I wanted to see everything. I quickly made my way down to the 11th floor and headed straight for the Keilhauer showroom. The furniture pieces inside look just as fresh as they always have, which is no small feat when it comes to keeping up with these busy times in commercial design. Local rep Carol Symchik greeted me inside and gave me a rousing tour of all the new First Look introductions.
I then made my way to the Aristeia Metro showroom, where good friends Bob and Doreen Lefferts brought me up to speed on all of their new offerings from Stinson Textiles, Cumberland, Okamura, CCN, Snowsound and so much more. Aristeia Metro has so much to offer, they can act as a one-stop shop for designers who need everything from casegoods to task seating, acoustic solutions, ancillary furnishings and much more; their staff couldnât be more helpful, and the showroom looked great.
Onward to the Versteel showroom, where I was greeted by Pam Mathias, VP of customer relations and key accounts for Versteel. As is the Jasper, Indiana way, Ms. Mathias could not be more hospitable and showed me Versteelâs strong new introductions. The company is still going strong with their great Maker Project line of furniture. Available in work, counter, and stand-up heights with heavy-duty casters or glides, the table is the center of a series which includes work tables, occasional tables, benches, and a presentation white board. Celebrating the inherent qualities of fabrication and manufacturing, the Versteel âStudio Steelâ process is standard and features a raw finish that is so popular with millennials in the workplace today.
My final stop was the Bright Group, a line of high-end front of house furniture and jaw-dropping ancillary pieces. Bright veterans Lisa Sternheim and Chris Adam gave me a tour of their expansive showroom, which now takes up almost half the floor and is packed with treasures as far as the eye can see. Looking through this latest iteration of the Bright showroom, I found myself ultimately asking the question â what is in here that I donât want to feature in my next project? The decisions of eliminating choices became almost painful.
Alas, as the clock ticked nine and the caterers across the hallways closed up shop, I knew that was my cue to call the 2018 First Look a successful wrap. Once again, everyone involved with the event deserves a round of applause. This is not an easy event to coordinate, and the folks at the NYDC continue to make their building the premier destination for contract furnishings in the biggest city in the country.