Walking the rows of this renowned furniture fair, held this year during an uncomfortably warm week in mid-April, it’s easy to spot the latest work by the industry’s top product designers, many of whom are also architects.
Once largely national in scope, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show has evolved into an influential international exposition. This May, a record-breaking 44,000 professionals filled three halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center to visit more than 1,000 exhibits representing the world’s top designers and manufacturers—including those from North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. This migration of ideas resulted in a merging of European aesthetics and technologies with those from the U.S.
Dubbed the chair capital of the world, the northeastern Italian city of Udine hosted its 32nd International Chair Exhibition from September 13th through 16th showcasing the best the industry has to offer in terms of technology, innovative use of materials, and of course, design. - Linda C. Lentz Svelte seating The Residential Chair of the Year, Frida by Odoardo Fioravanti, is an innovative mix of solid oak and thin molded plywood notable for its comfort, light weight, and slim, fluid form. Pedrali, Mornico Al Serio, Italy. www.pedrali.it [Reader Service: November 2008 #200] Hip hybrid The Punk chair by Studio Archirivolto,