DECORATION & DESIGN BUILDING HOST'S TASTEMAKERS

Martha Stewart

Amanda Lindroth With Alexandra Angle, Bennett Leifer And Sophie Donelson

New York’s Decoration & Design Building hosted the design industry’s leading tastemakers and influencers during their two-day Fall Market this month. The wealth of knowledge and panelist expertise inspired audiences. The event’s Keynote speakers covered pertinent topics centered around the theme “The Power of Storytelling,” sharing the ways in which they harness the power of their unique tales to evolve their craft and infuse richly layered romanticism into their projects.

Brian Sawyer With Amy Astley And Monique Gibson

Charlie Giannetti

The two-day market kicked off its Keynote events with AD Editor in Chief Amy Astley moderating a tell-all conversation between designers-to-the-stars Brian Sawyer of Sawyer|Berson and Monique Gibson in “Telling Tales,” held in the Cowtan & Tout showroom. The day’s second Keynote, “The Power of Experience: Enhancing the Five Senses in Design” moderated by DEPARTURES Home + Design Editor Dan Rubinstein, hosted Martha Stewart and designers Shawn Henderson and Stephen Sills in a discussion regarding the ways in which they leverage the senses to create the ultimate design. The event reached full capacity of guests, who stood among the stunning chandeliers and light fixtures of the Baccarat showroom. The day’s final Keynote, “Wright for Our Time,” moderated by Metropolis Senior Editor Samuel Medina and held in the sleek and modern Vondom showroom, featured a conversation surrounding the ways in which the spirit of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright lives on in design, sustainability and culture. The panelists included Jennifer Gray, co-curator of Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive at the MoMA and Stuart Graff, president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Charles S. Cohen With Amy Astley, Brian Sawyer And Monique Gibson

Day two began in the new Kravet showroom, where ELLE DECOR Editor in Chief Whitney Robinson was joined by legendary designer Bunny Williams with Brian Sawyer and Guy Regal, a dealer and advisor of decorative and fine art, who discussed the ways in which designers act as conductors of an orchestra. This designer’s orchestra consists of architects, landscape designers, art consultants and antiques experts that compose stunning spaces. In the day’s second Keynote, “Interior Dialogues: Rooms That Speak Volumes” held in the STARK showroom, Sophie Donelson, Editor in Chief of House Beautiful, and designers Amanda Lindroth, Alexandra Angleand Bennett Leifer spoke about creating rooms with compelling narratives, and shared a sneak peek into Sophie Donelson’s brand new book, Style Secrets. VERANDA Editor in Chief Clinton Smith was joined by Steve, Brooke and Charlie Giannetti in the newly re branded Style Library showroom for “360-degree Design,” the last Keynote of the market, in which the quartet discussed Brooke’s popular blog Velvet & Linen and the evolution of the Giannetti brand. Guests enjoyed cocktails and viewed new collections from brands such as Harlequin and Anthology following the conversation.

Samuel Medina With Jennifer Gray And Stuart Graff

Keynote participants included: Amy Astley, Monique Gibson, Brian Sawyer, Martha Stewart, Shawn Henderson, Dan Rubinstein, Stephen Sills, Samuel Medina, Jennifer Gray, Stuart Graff, Whitney Robinson, Bunny Williams, Guy Regal, Sophie Donelson, Bennett Leifer, Amanda Lindroth, Alexandra Angle, Clinton Smith and Steve, Brooke and Charlie Giannetti.

In addition to the Keynote events, the market’s multiple in-showroom programs welcomed participants to view collections, share in the excitement of future ventures and get inspired. Wednesday’s programs included “First You Dream,” during which interior designer Victoria Hagan discussed the creation of her newly released book Dream Spaces in the Holland & Sherry showroom. Standing-room-only audiences got an education fit for the digital age at Domino magazine’s “Storytelling Through Instagram” with Real Houses of Instagram creator, Kate Rumson, Bright Bazaar’s Will Taylor and Beacon Hill’s Alexis Audette at the Robert Allen showroom. In “Exploring the Story: Designing Meaningful Spaces” Maya Romanoff CEO Joyce Romanoff and designers Amy Lau and Marshall Watson discussed the creation of emotionally resonant spaces for living, working and playing. The panel, held in the Ferrell Mittman showroom, was moderated by Business of Home Executive Editor Katy Olson. Wednesday evening concluded with cocktail parties hosted in the Lladró, Gloster and Élitis showrooms as well as a prestigious book signing by the iconic Vogue Editor Hamish Bowles, held at Schumacher.

On Thursday, Galerie magazine Design Editor Jacqueline Terrebonne moderated a conversation between designers Sara Story, Gideon Mendelson and William McIntosh about telling the stories of others through interiors in “Storytelling By Design,” held in the Lorin Marsh showroom. Holiday House maven, Iris Dankner, along with Industry Influencer Rio Hamilton, and designers Eric Cohler and Robert Passal converged in the THG Paris showroom for “Holiday House: Ten Years in the Making,” a lively discussion about the newly released Holiday House: Ten Years of Decorating for a Cure, which highlights stunning rooms decorated by more than 75 of the world’s top interior designers. The day’s in-showroom programs concluded with a Special Program held in the stunning Christopher Peacock showroom, with Galerie’s Margaret Russell moderating a conversation between Bunny Williams and her partner Elizabeth Swartz and Christopher Peacock himself.

Showroom program participants included: Alexa Hampton, Alistair McCowan, Hannah Martin, Ellen O’Neill, Priscilla Ghaznavi, Pamela Jaccarino, Michael Cox, Christopher Peacock, Jessica Romm Perez, Will Taylor, Alexis Audette, Kate Rumson, Victoria Hagan, Richard Keith Langham, Wendy Goodman, Jane Shelton, Cindy Allen, Laura Bohn, Erika Heet, Susan North, Katy Olson, Joyce Romanoff, Amy Lau, Marshall Watson, Kate Smith, Janice Parker, Steve Elton, Christopher Maya, Holly Alderman, Melissa Andresko, Karine Achkar, Bjorn Bjornsson, Michele Rondelli, Cynthia Fulstone Nugent, Tom Stringer, Jacqueline Terrebonne, Sara Story, Gideon Mendelson, William McIntosh, Iris Dankner, Rio Hamilton, Eric Cohler, Robert Passal, Katharine Pooley, Bernie de le Cuona, Kathleen Renda, Lee Clarke and Duncan Clarke, Bunny Williams, Christopher Peacock, Elizabeth Swartz and Margaret Russell.

Media partners included: AD, Business of Home, Cottages & Gardens, DEPARTURES, domino, ELLE DECOR, Galerie, House Beautiful, interiors, Interior Design, Luxe Interiors + Design, METROPOLIS, Milieu, modern, New York Design Hunting, New York Spaces, Traditional Home, and VERANDA magazines.

The Decoration & Design Building is located @ 979 3rd Ave (Between 58th & 59th Streets) New York, NY 10022

About the Decoration & Design Building

The Decoration & Design Building is located in Manhattan, on Third Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets, diagonally across from the flagship Bloomingdale’s department store. Known nationally and internationally as the world’s most important home to over 130 showrooms, the DDB represents over 3,000 leading manufacturers dedicated to the very best in residential and business interior furnishings, educational opportunities and resource information. The D&D Building is open exclusively to the trade and welcomes design industry professionals from all over the world. The building also incorporates Upper Story, situated on the 14th floor, which is the building's scenic events venue, conference center and restaurant, with cuisine by celebrity chef and culinary icon, Charlie Palmer. The DDB is owned and operated by Charles S. Cohen.

The DDB hosts two major Market events each year; one in the spring and one in the fall. The Markets, which are often held in partnership with the world’s top editorial voices and industry trade organizations, examine all aspects of design and the decorative arts. Over 2,000 design professionals and industry leaders attend these Market events, with over 150 in attendance at each of the DDB keynote presentations.

For more information, visit www.ddbuilding.com.

Photos Courtesy Of: Andrea Fischman / Lawlor Media Group