The Most Memorable Moments of Dwell on Design Los Angeles 2015
Dwell On Design by Brandi Andres
“I’m the kind of person who is easily bored, so for me it is super essential to go into new territories,” says world-renowned designer Marcel Wanders on stage for the DODLA keynote.
When designers, architects, and design enthusiasts all converged at Dwell on Design Los Angeles, a number of extraordinary happenings occurred. From prefab tours, to product highlights, games, teepees, and an awesome selection of speakers, here’s a glance at what you may have missed at this year’s best design show in America!
Artist, designer and HGTV star David Bromstad pulled out all the stops with the introduction of two enormous tipis—one of which perfectly featured his circular Meridian Sectional Seating Collection, found at Grandin Road. During his onstage session on Sunday, Bromstad discussed the ease with which it is to add small, yet powerful accessories to an outdoor setting, such as inside the tipis, by placing decorative pillows, throw rugs, and table decorations to the space. Let’s not forget the almost pet-like, felt-covered Rock Pillows!
In the same area, Kodama Zomes launched its outdoor hammock/swing, which is no doubt on everyone’s summer wish list.
Walking around the show floor, one of the Dwell Store items that came up in many-a-conversation was the handmade shuffleboard by Chandra. Another favorite was the Microgarden Indoor Garden Kit, created by Infarm with partner Tomorrow Machine. The origami-like folding planter allows for the growth of an indoor vegetable garden.
Aside from the fabulous Dwell Store finds, this year’s exhibitors showed off their most innovative designs. One such company is FluidStance, whose “hoverboard” technology creates continuous movement for those who stand at work, much of the day. The Level board increases the range of motion and heart rate for a more uplifting daily grind. While the Sactionals by Lovesac entertainment earned its own feature article, it just wouldn’t seem right to leave them out here.
We can’t leave out the Modern Family Pavilion, which may have proven too much fun for some parents, whose kids had no interest in leaving the modern play area.
On Friday, Dwell President and CEO Michela O’Connor Abrams, along with Marvin Windows and Doors‘ Christine Marvin, shared insight into upcoming business and design trends in the New Face of Affluence session. And on Saturday, we had back-to-back awards shows, in which we announced the winners of the Dwell on Design Awards and the AIA|LA Restaurant Design Awards.
Juice Served Here wins AIA|LA RDA Jury Prize (Photo by Chris Jordan)
Six establishments took home Jury Prize awards, including Ody + Penelope (Los Angeles), Terroni (Downtown L.A.), and The Bachelor Farmer (Minneapolis) in the restaurant category; two Los Angeles designs: Idle Hour and Verve Coffee and Juice Served Here in the cafe/bar category; and the L.A. hotspot Harlowe, which won took home the award for best lounge/bar.
Year-after-year, the prefab home tours are at the top of our attendees’ favorite must-see exhibits. This year was no different, with two Method Homes prefabs—one for Monogram Modern Home and the other for Make It Right—and another by LivingHomes for Airbnb.
It goes without saying that designer Marcel Wanders‘ keynote address on Friday evening was absolutely enlightening. “Nothing grows old faster than the new,” says Wanders, whose all-too-quotable sentiments were the perfect kick off to the weekend’s events.
While we’d love to summarize the entire weekend for you, there were simply too many brilliant moments to do so in one post. With that said, we hope to see you at next year’s event, the weekend of June 24-26, 2016.
