Interior Design’s Best of Year 2022 Submissions Now Open

Summer is in full swing, but it’s never too early to start thinking about Interior Design‘s Best of Year Awards, especially since there’s an extra incentive to submit sooner than later this year (lower submission fees if you get yours in by August 12)! The 17th annual ceremony, which spotlights the most innovative and noteworthy design achievements—and creatives—around the globe will be hosted by editor in chief Cindy Allen and live-streamed as part of DesignTV by SANDOW later this year. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to submit now through September 7!

Check out our submission guidelines and eligibility below.

Products: All must have been introduced between September 2021 and September 2022. Products/collections may be entered into one or more categories. Products may be entered into one or more categories.

Projects: All must have been completed between September 2021 and September 2022 (with the exception of the “on the boards” category, reserved for in-progress projects). Projects may be entered into one or more categories.

Student products: Open to products launched or exhibited, either in conjunction with a class or a (virtual) show. Submitters must be graduate or undergraduate students enrolled in accredited design programs globally. Student submissions have a dedicated submission form here.

Eligible product designs include: accessories, architectural products, fabric, furniture, kitchen and bath, lighting, and wall covering. Products and projects that have been previously awarded or published are not excluded from entry.

We look forward to seeing your exciting submissions for standout products, projects, people, and students in the A&D community!

EARLY-BIRD SUBMISSION DEADLINE: AUGUST 12, 2022

Rebecca Moses Joins Cindy Allen for Interior Design’s Inaugural ArtbyDesign Talk at PENN1

Marking the debut of Interior Design’s new office locale at PENN1 in Manhattan, editor in chief Cindy Allen hosted an ArtbyDesign talk with artist Rebecca Moses June 23—the first of more to come—drawing a crowd to the building lobby. The event, held in partnership with Garden on the Wall, offered emerging designers an opportunity to connect with each other and learn how one of the industry’s beloved creatives built, and pivoted, her career over the years. “She changes people’s lives,” Allen said of Moses, laying the groundwork for the conversation to come.

Kicking off the discussion, Moses shared insights into her the beginnings of her career, touching on her first pull toward design at the age of 14. “I always wanted to be a fashion designer,” she said. Mission accomplished. Graduating from FIT, she went on to work with Pierre Cardin.

As images of her early designs flashed across the overhead screens, Moses stressed the importance of taking risks, referencing her move from New York to Paris where she made a name for herself by creating her own collection. “When you live in fear you achieve nothing, have to confront fear and step over it,” she said. “What’s the worst that can happen? You fail. But failure leads to discovery.” This mindset powered her career forward.

In Europe, Moses found success—and love. “I fell in love with an Italian man,” she said, noting that this led to yet another new chapter, this time in Italy. As the conversation continued, Moses turned her polished Italian accent on and off as if on cue, providing a theatrical telling of her past as she talked about the evolution of fashion, design, and technology.

Despite the chic storefronts that displayed her pieces over the years, Moses retains a fascination for the behind-the-scenes work done in factories. “I love to understand how something is made, it gives food for more creative energy. That’s what Italy taught me,” she said, noting that there are endless opportunities for growth—even in the darkest of times. After the death of her husband, Giacomo Festa Bianchet, Moses shifted her focus from fashion to art, creating cheeky illustrations for esteemed magazines. Fast forward to the start of the Covid pandemic. As the world shut down, she helped people create community—and feel seen—by connecting with them on social media and offering a portrait drawing in return for a bit of insight into their lives at home. The resulting project, “The Stay Home Sisters,” honors the lives and work of countless women who worked as nurses during the height of the pandemic.

As for the young designers in the room, Moses offered a bit of advice: “You all have a lot of mystery inside you,” she said. In other words, use it!

Designers and Manufacturers Share Insights on How the Built Environment Can Transform Health

Imagine positively impacting the health of hundreds of people at once without a medical degree. Impossible? Not for the A&D community asserted attendees at Interior Design‘s Health and Wellness roundtable at theMART in Chicago June 14.

Hosted by SANDOW Design Group EVP and design futurist, AJ Paron, and Interior Design managing director, Helene Oberman, a group of designers and manufacturers came together during NeoCon to discuss ways the built environment can address pressing challenges, including equity, accessibility, and inclusivity. “Even before the pandemic, health and wellness was something we wanted to tackle and this is what we need to keep talking about,” said Paron, kicking off the discussion.

The group agreed that behavioral health is becoming a focus in conversations internally and with clients, especially when it comes to adding restorative areas. These range from sensory rooms, which enable the user to withdraw from external stimuli, such as the roar of a crowd in a sports stadium, to submersion rooms that give the user agency to transform the space—outfitted with floor-to-ceiling video screens on three walls—into a calm oasis of their choice, such as a beach or forest. “We need to bring these things to the table and say: ‘hey, have you thought about this?'” said one designer. “These should not be an exclusive experience; these solutions should be baked in throughout our projects,” added another.

And if clients question the impact of such solutions, it all comes back to science. “You absolutely can improve health and wellbeing through the built environment,” said one attendee. “There’s new information coming out of the neuroscience community showing we have unconscious biological responses to the built environment… Design offers people an opportunity to change their brain waves, similar to meditation.” The group discussed ways to tap into the parasympathetic—rest and digest—nervous system through use of soothing patterns, such as the triangular shape of three dots, which mirrors our first experience of facial recognition as infants. “The geometries we use as designers impact us positively or negatively,” he added.

Armed with this knowledge, the conversation shifted to the link between equity and material health. “We want to look at material health from the full lifecycle of a product,” offered one designer, noting that transparency is essential, as are resources such as the Living Building Challenge Red List and Perkins&Will’s Precautionary List. But regional health also is part of the equation. “As we approach projects, we look at regional health indicators based on where a project is located,” offered another, who noted that the EPA has a tool to assess climate and health in a given area. “Then we begin looking at different design strategies—it’s one way we’re able to talk to clients and make sustainability tangible to them.”

Ultimately, the group agreed education is vital to creating meaningful shifts in terms of sustainability, equity, and inclusivity, all of which impact overall health. “We need to course correct the education system to include new concepts for health and wellbeing—this needs to be part of design discussions early on,” said one attendee. Not to mention fruitful discussions out of the classroom, like this one.

A special thank you to our roundtable partners: Garden on the Wall, Lutron Electronics, Mannington Commercial, and Mecho Shade Systems.

Interior Design Hosts 9th Annual HiP Awards at theMART in Chicago

More than 250 design luminaries gathered at theMART in Chicago Sunday night for Interior Design’s ninth annual HiP Awards ceremony, marking the start of NeoCon. As the night got underway, the well-heeled group of designers, creatives, and manufacturers mingled with cocktails in hand—most after a two-year hiatus—before snagging a seat on the steps at Marshall’s Landing for the ceremony.  

As editor in chief Cindy Allen took to the stage, the crowd offered a communal cheer, setting a celebratory tone for the evening. “Are you happy?” Allen asked, speaking above the hum of applause. “Because I’m so happy to be here!” Then she unveiled one winner after the next.

This year’s Product winners reflect an extensive range of industry talent, from carpeting that draws on hypnotic desert hues to a sleek outdoor shower that fits in just about anywhere, highlighting the importance of sustainability and innovation. As for HiP People winners, Allen offered ceremony attendees a glimpse into the narratives that shaped their distinguished careers—noting that each story is nothing short of impressive. “I’m honored to be recognized for sustainability efforts,” says HiP Rising Star for Sustainability Jane Hallinan, interior design at Perkins Eastman. “Material health is so important and I hope to continue encouraging others to prioritize specifying for the environment.”

Spirits remained high throughout the evening as attendees embraced the opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues, including a few in town from overseas. “It’s so great to be back at NeoCon, there’s a whole new energy,” says HiP Rising Star Madison George, interior designer at Huntsman Architectural Group. “It feels different and really fresh.”

“It’s surreal,” adds HiP Hospitality Leader Dan Mazzarini, principal and creative director of BHDM Design. “NeoCon and these awards feel like the celebration that is our industry—they’re so emblematic.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Take a look at the winner’s gallery and catch a glimpse of event highlights below.  

PrevNext

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The HiP Awards ceremony also was live-streamed on DesignTV by SANDOW. In case you missed it, be sure to check out the replay here.

A special thank you to our sponsors: Andreu World, Arcadia Contract, Encore, Davis Furniture, Formica, Haworth, Innovant, Interface, JANUS et Cie, Keilhauer, Mannington Commercial, Mohawk Group, Shaw Contract, Turf, VS America.

A Sneak Peek at SANDOW Design Group’s NeoCon Lounge and Upcoming DIFFA Pride Auction

SANDOW Design Group is making a scene at NeoCon! As the A&D community readies for the upcoming festivities at theMART in Chicago, we’re putting the finishing touches on DesignScene by Sandow, a must-see gathering space on floor 3 with plenty of room to unwind, talk design, and lean into the action.

Pop in to see Interior Design’s ShowDaily newspaper being produced live (and drop off new product materials!), catch a glimpse of ongoing industry roundtables with design leaders, witness the video team bring DesignTV by SANDOW segments to life in the film studio, or kick back and relax with a complimentary coffee thanks to Miele. A replay of Interior Design’s HiP Awards ceremony also will be featured on various screens throughout, in case you miss the live event Sunday evening.

But that’s not all. Interior Design will be celebrating Pride Month with a colorful—and meaningful—installation created by LightArt and 3form for an auction to benefit the Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS, which kicks off Monday, June 13 and runs through 12pm CT on June 15. Auction items from major brands will be on view in the gallery-like space within DesignScene and bids can be made online. Proceeds will benefit the local Chicago chapter of DIFFA, which grants funds to organizations providing treatment, education, and assistance for people impacted by HIV/AIDS, homelessness, hunger, and mental health issues.

This year, the Sustainability Lab by Metropolis also is back by popular demand showcasing new innovations and conducting free educational programming. Toast with our good friends at Material Bank who will join in the festivities by hosting a Happy Hour Tuesday, June 14 at 4pm CT.

Be seen, and be part of a space that is all about community and celebrating what we do best. Hope to see you at DesignScene by SANDOW!

A big thank you to our partners who provided products throughout DesignScene by SANDOW: Carnegie Fabrics, Davis Furniture, Haworth, Interface, Keilhauer, Mohawk Group, OFS, ReSeat, Shaw Contract, and Uhuru Design.

The 1930s: Celebrating 90 Years of Design

Our profession on parade, as adapted from A Century of Interior Design 1900-2000 by this magazine’s former editor in chief.

The year is 1932. Donald Desk’s Radio City Music Hall opens in New York, and the Cranbrook Academy of Art opens in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, while the American Institute of Interior Decorators holds its first annual conference and launches the Decorator’s Digest. (Five years later, the magazine becomes an independent publication, changing its title to Interior Design.) In 1931, Edward Wormley beings working for Dunbar Furniture- an association that will endure until 1968. With Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as the last director, Germany’s Bauhaus is closed by the Nazis in 1933. That same year, Herman Miller shows its first modern furniture, designed by Gilbert Rohde, at the Century of Progress world’s fair in Chicago. In 1935, the ocean liner Normandie, its interior designed by Jean Dunand and Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, among others, takes it maiden voyage. The following year, an architecture firm called Skidmore, Owings & Merrill hangs out a shingle. Frank Lloyd Wright completes Fallingwater in Bear Run, Pennsylvania, in 1939.

Editor’s note: Explore more coverage of design through the decades here.

Design Highlights

1932 – Alvar Aalto designs the Paimio chair; Marcel Breuer Associates builds a house in Wiesbaden, Germany, as shown in this floor plan; and The Decorator’s Digest debuts.

1935 – Dorothy Draper & Co. redecorates the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco, and Gerald Summers comes out with a tea trolly.

1936 – In Racine, Wisconsin, Frank Lloyd Wright completes the Johnson Wax building, home to this desk; in Como, Italy, Guiseppe Terragni designs the Casa del Fascio and its interiors; the Decorator’s Digest features a Hedrich Blessing photography of the stairway at a Frazier & Rafferty residence in Lake Forest, Illinois.

1937 – Nelson and Mary Rockefeller move into their New York apartment, designed by Jean-Michel Frank.

1938 – Hans Knoll strikes a pose.

1939 – Franco Albini designs this desk for himself, two decades before it goes into production for Knoll.

Hot Off the Press: The Debut Issues

Interior Design Celebrates 90 Years of Design

Interior Design Through the Decades

Editor’s Note: In honor of Interior Design‘s 90th anniversary, we’re taking a look back at nine decades of design, from cover art by illustrator Jeremiah Goodman to shifting styles, palettes, and trends. Throughout 2022 we will be celebrating timeless designs, unveiling a new decade—or two—of archival material each month.

To see coverage from each decade, click on the issue covers below.

Celebrating the 1960s

Celebrating the 1950s

Celebrating the 1940s

Celebrating the 1930s

Milestones of Design

Gone But Not Forgotten

These innovative designs are both of their era and beyond it—proving that a touch of sophistication and style always has staying power.

1936 – Often left on view as a status symbol, the Hoover vacuum cleaner, designed by Henry Dreyfuss, acknowledged that style sells.

1941 – Rail travel on the City of Los Angeles was a dress-up occasion, with the Hollywood club car featuring Polaroid film applied to windows to cut the glare.

1968 – The Dual 1019 hi-fi record changer from United Audio was a boom to designers faced with small spaces.

1969 – Superscale photos and drawings could fill an entire wall, turn the corner, and keep on going; this one was 19 and 1/2 feet long.

1971 – Jack Lenor Larsen used a plunging neckline to show a wild, wide variety of patterns.

Selling It

Archival Ads Over the Years

From the eclectic to the chic, check out these archival ads featured in Interior Design over the years.

1958 – Dunbar Furniture’s Edward Wormley teaches a lesson on quality and taste.

1967 – Women dressed for furniture shopping as they would for the opera.

1989 – Head over heels for Billy Baldwin, this company reintroduced five of his designs.

Interior Design’s re:Source Goes Offscreen and into the Arizona Desert

Interior Design‘s re:Source event returned to its live format in sunny Arizona after more than two years in the virtual realm. Earlier this month, 75 designers and manufacturers gathered at the Omni Scottsdale Resort at Montelucia for the four-day event, which kicked off with a welcome reception on the lawn followed by dinner.

Sandow Design Group EVP and design futurist, AJ Paron, opened day two activities with insights into the many design opportunities and challenges shaped by the pandemic. “How do we design such an incredible, user-center, multi-sensory experience that will outweigh the virtual experience or staying at home?” she asked the group. One thought: sensory integration. Not mention designing for accessibility and inclusion. After Paron’s remarks, designers and manufacturers jumped into a series of meetings before taking time in the late afternoon for some rest and relaxation followed by cocktails and dinner. Meetings continued into the third day as attendees took advantage of the chance to see friends and colleagues in person, soaking up a welcome dose of IRL face time. Spa, yoga or a meander through the desert botanical gardens anyone?

Check out our event highlights below:

PrevNext

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

A very special thank you to our event sponsors: Architectural Surfaces, Arden Studio, B+N Industries, Bover, Cascade Architecture, Cosentino, Davis Furniture, Fiberbuilt Umbrellas & Cushions, Garden on the Wall, Kaswell Flooring Systems, Moores & Giles, MPS Acoustics, National Solutions, Perennials | Sutherland, Rakks, Sloan, Turf, Woodard | Craftmade, Xtreme Interior by Tamlyn

20 Years – Milestones

HiP Awards Submissions Now Open

NeoCon is around the corner, returning to its usual June run, which means Interior Design‘s HiP Awards are fast approaching, too. The HiP Awards, which honor top designers in the industry as well as groundbreaking products, will be hosted by editor in chief Cindy Allen and live-streamed as part of DesignTV® by SANDOW on June 10. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to submit now!

DEADLINE EXTENDED: ENTER BY APRIL 27, 2022