The WestEdge Design Fair Brings Out Beauty in Design and People
Opening Night Supports Heal the Bay
If you want to see the beautiful people the place to be this weekend is the West Edge Design Fair being held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA from October 3 thru October 6, 2013. The opening night party, with an impressive Host Committee, which benefitted Heal the Bay was held on Thursday, October 3 from 6:30 to 10pm. From cutting edge design in furnishings, hardware, rugs and stoves 150 brands offered patrons the full design experience. WestEdge Design Fair was co-founded by Megan Reilly and Troy Hanson who have collectively produced and managed events like the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), NeoCon, NeoCon West and the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. Passed hors d’oeuvres, premium drinks like Stella Artois and Sapphire Gin mixed drinks amongst a crowd of design lovers and design industry attendees created an environment of modern edge and contemporary fashion coupled with iconic masters.
Perhaps it is the design that brings the beautiful people out or the beautiful people that bring out the best in design. Whatever the recipe this is a fair to attend for inspiration in fashion and design.
Many of the exhibitors were smaller based companies with a value in friendship, and family. For instance, Scanomat’s rep Noelle Frere demonstrated a $10,000 coffee maker. Who on earth would pay $10,000? Evidently there is an audience for it given their waiting list of 700 people. The coffee maker takes technology to a different level – with the ability to design a custom cup of coffee or karafe of coffee for those elite coffee drinkers who demand a ‘just right’ roasted bean – by accessing an app on your cell phone (Samsung and iPhone are happily enlisted) or iPad. The unit contains a grinder, a refrigeration system for your milk or cream along with a purified, or carbonated water filtration system. I now will stop complaining about the cost of my latte at my premium coffee place on Montana. What is truly neat about the company is that it is family owned. This is the family’s first entry into the noncommercial (or domestic) market and the family should be quite happy with the sales of these $10,000 noncommercial units.
Another family owned design firm was Sun Valley Bronze, designers of exemplary hardware with an exclusive, elite feel. I spoke with Billy Collins whose Uncle started the company by purchasing what would be the beginning of his foundry from a local school shop that had decided it would no longer offer the course. Billy’s Uncle took a concept and since 1991 evolved his family owned hardware lines into a customer oriented, exclusive brand sold by Carter Housewares and Renaissance Hardware locally. The lines can only be purchased through the showrooms. With four buildings and over 40 people, this small family owned company has successfully achieved success in the highly competitive market of hardware by offering service coupled with innovation and quality. They have also utilized modern methods reducing time through an induction furnace to melt the materials in what would have taken hours, now only takes 20 minutes.
Then there was the example of Keith of Bespoke, a gentleman hailing from the UK who settled in – of all places – Iowa. What would bring an astute European to settle in the quaintness of Iowa? The love of a lovely woman would be the answer and Iowa is fortunate (and I am sure Keith). Keith designs and builds beautifully handcrafted cabinetry sourced from woods throughout the world, creating artistic conversation pieces that are durable and one of a kind. A kitchen can take three and 1/2 years to complete and who would have that kind of time to wait? The Queen of England that’s who. And with these one of a kind beautifully crafted creations she can’t go wrong with enhancing her estate.
The Design Fair introduced many wholesome yet innovative home furnishing brands to Santa Monica with an intimate feel good experience. Californians will appreciate the quality that these co-founders brought together – many being some of the best names in interior design.
With an affiliation with Whole Foods, Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows, and Modernism.com, this Design Fair promises to deliver quality and inspiration. The fair continues with more programming and design experiences by targeting homeowners and the general public through Sunday.
$10,000 cup of coffee. Enjoy. http://youtu.be/Dx9zpybKop0
