Showstoppers

My press pass Monday afternoon allowed me to double dip and attend both trade shows at the Javits Center: ICFF [International Contemporary Furniture Fair] and the National Stationery Show. So much ground to cover in so little time. Some stylish finds:

1. Lilly, Lilly, Lilly.
What can I say? I did see a huge crowd at Caspari, whose napkins, plates and cards I also love, but the entire outing was a smashing success once I hunted down and found the Lilly Pulitzer Stationery booth [#3220]. Saw all of my lovely Lilly notebooks, folders, pens, party favors, calendars and totes in one pretty space. Buyers and storeowners from around the country were browsing and ordering. "Get that," I wanted to say. "And this." Lilly doesn't let you down; everything was all pink and green and uplifting. Of course, the booth had Lilly touches: a beautiful crystal chandelier, and company reps dressed in bright Lilly pants and sweaters. Let's just say that I couldn't wait to get back to Paper Boutique on Bellevue Avenue, Montclair in the pouring rain today to get a new Lilly notebook to track our spending/saving/bill paying. An excellent, excellent investment.
Surprise: The Lilly stationery line is produced by Lifeguard Press, a company I've long been a fan of. They're in Bowling Green, KY and now have a line of stationery from Jonathan Adler too, which is also chic and colorful.
Web: inthepinkonline.com

2. WETSTYLE Designer Bathrooms.
Chicago-based Kate Knox invited me to attend and check out this booth. It was the second time in a week that I've been called in to look at upscale bathrooms and boy, is it making me want one. This Montreal company is all about "the purest form of luxury" [see photo above]. They have a freestanding deep soaking tub in the "Be" collection that has a special internal integrated overflow design, so the water won't spill over. WETSTYLE also makes coordinating, hand-crafted black walnut furnishings--cabinet, drawers, storage shelves and my personal favorite, the shelves that fit across the tub so you can balance your soap, a candle, a loofah, a book or a glass of chilled champagne. I mean, really. I want that, and especially the glam white rounded tray attachment. "The accessories are included in all bathtub sales," said company president Mark Wolinsky. "And New York is our biggest market." Yeah. I can definitely see these designs in the W Hotel or Soho lofts. Sigh.
Surprise: The built-in shampoo niches.
Web: wetstyle.ca

3. Innovation Home Cubed Deluxe Sofa Bed.
Designed as only Danes can do it, the Cubed Deluxe chair opens up into a bed. Loved it--the new answer to the Murphy bed. It will retail for about $1100 [sofa size, about $1500]. It originally caught my eye because it was in hot pink fabric. Looked like something Mary Tyler Moore may have had in her Minneapolis pad. But that was just the sample; the real color will be camel or black leatherette. "This modernized pink will go very well in New York, but if we try in Kansas, they will not buy it," said Tomas Nielsen, General Sales Manager. True enough.
Surprise: This company found a way to make furniture sexy. The inside back cover of the catalog shows a blonde with a black cocktail ring and pink lipstick lounging on one of their supple pieces with shiny chrome legs.
Web: innovationliving.com

4. MU Steel Folding Chair.
It's been around for about two years in Japan, and soon it's coming to America. The rep, Shiho Kunihiro, told me they've tested it thousands of times and it can hold a person weighing up to 350 pounds. It was so adorable, and you can get the smaller size for kids. Perfect for toting on the subway, to grandma's for the weekend, to someone's house on Thanksgiving because they never have enough chairs. Will retail for around $150. I love the great seat colors: orange, red, green, blue, yellow, black and best of all, white.
Surprise: The seat covering looks just like leather, but it's vinyl.
Web: info@mutsumi-giken.co.jp