New York’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) reached a major turning point this year — which made it all the more fitting that the physical heart of the show was dedicated to a prominent feature exhibition entitled “The Crossroads.” 

After co-locating with WantedDesign Manhattan since 2019, ICFF appointed WantedDesign co-founders Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat as its co-brand directors late last year. The announcement was an exciting one — Hainaut and Pijoulat have always managed to strike a savvy balance between the commercial and creative aspects of the industry, presenting beautiful designs while also encouraging deeper reflection about the ideas behind them. Sure enough, the duo wasted no time in making a few strategic adjustments to the joint ICFF+WDM convention’s Javits Center floor plan.

Scroll through to see some of the installations, products and innovations that impressed us as we were walking this year’s show — as well as the rest of New York.

Hainaut and Pijoulat’s first act was to hand the design of prominent ICFF+WDM feature areas over to Rodolfo Agrella (more on him in a minute), who delineated key destinations through the use of bold colours. The Wanted Interiors Lounge (enclosed within a border of Ligne Roset Togo sofas and accented by lighting from David Weeks) was yellow.

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The plant-filled Oasis x Material Bank lounge was green. Each of these zones was easy to spot from afar, creating prominent landmarks that made the show easier to navigate while also building up a stronger sense of place.

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Hainaut and Pijoulat’s next major upgrade has involved commissioning feature exhibitions that ensure the fair touched on timely themes. One of this year’s exhibitions, “ECO Solidarity,” was the second edition of a concept introduced last year that is quickly becoming a fair highlight.

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Co-curated by Hainaut and Polish Cultural Institute NY curator Izabela Gola (and designed by DesignTO Artistic Director Deborah Wang), this year’s display introduced nine international firms working to address environmental and humanitarian crises.

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Proposed solutions included new building materials made from recycled plastic waste (Terratico) and vases made by recycling the glass components found in electrical appliances (Studio Plastique, shown).

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The fair’s other big anchor attraction, “The Crossroads,” was conceived to act as a bridge between the ICFF and WDM sections of the show. Designed by David Rockwell alongside Wallpaper’s U.S. editor, Pei-Ru Keh, the exhibition brought together established and next-gen American designers to explore the idea of American design.

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A big part of the appeal of “The Crossroads” was the way that it made room for exceptional work that might otherwise not have found space at the fair. On the one hand, the exhibition included brands like Fort Standard and Bower — Brooklyn design-build studios that are leaders of New York’s modern designer-maker scene, yet haven’t exhibited at ICFF in recent years.

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On the other hand, it also made space for more avant-garde up-and-comers like Liam Lee, who was recently shortlisted for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize and currently has work on display at the Noguchi Gallery. Seeing him in the Javits Center made it clear that ICFF+WDM has its finger firmly on the pulse of emerging design.

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Breaking out of the rigid convention format, living room-like vignettes placed intriguing combinations of domestic furnishings side by side, showing how different colours, materials, forms, and styles can successfully complement or contrast one another in an American home. Fabulous floral wallpapers by Superflower Studio drove the idea home.

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Moving to individual brand booths, Turf wowed with Canyon, a collection of double-panel wall tiles with marble-like veining, and Stone Textures, a graphic finish inspired by natural patterns. A red Plaid ceilingscape hung overhead.

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ICFF+WDM continued to celebrate bold colour choices in the red-hued stand mounted by d’armes, which showed off a new wall sconce version of its comma-like Hyphen fixture.

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Anony and Mary Ratcliffe Studio shared space at another red booth, launching new half pipe-like lighting and a grey-oiled collection inspired by rock formations, respectively.

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More red awaited at Mexico-based outdoor brand Mexa, which expanded its Barcelonette collection with a new dining table featuring legs wrapped in cord.

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Danver unveiled a bright, Bauhaus-inspired outdoor kitchen system, Cosmopolitan, designed by Daniel Germani.

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Armadillo displayed two new hand-dyed wool carpet collections, Eden and Corsica.

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Zachary A. debuted two (unexpectedly light!) concrete outdoor dining chairs, Bridget and Dewey, both featuring clever silhouettes designed to provide comfort while also helping with water drainage.

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Taking a seat on Montauk’s Antoine sofa, shown in a pale blue bouclé, was the closest we’ve come to sitting on a cloud.

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For its part, Bernhardt Design previewed upcoming seating (some of it slated to launch at NeoCon) by Terry Crews, Noé Duchafour-Lawrance and Claudia and Harry Washington.

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Pablo Lighting also teased an upcoming launch, a net-like chandelier that can be condensed or expanded with a simple pull or push.

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Usually known for more traditional Shaker furniture, Sawyer Made surprised us with this surreal wonder.

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New enhancements to Juniper’s Multiverse lighting system include a linear ambient strip, as well as additional track heads.

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Stacklab showcased its ultra-customizable Stackabl lighting system in Upper East Side-style neutrals.

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WantedDesign Manhattan’s Launch Pad section highlighted the unbridled creativity of independent designer-makers, with standouts including Kim Swift, who designed a dining table equipped with multiple cheese boards that spun with pinwheel-like flair.

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Wangyichu Wangyichu wowed with a throne built from aluminum ventilation tubes.

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David Hwang was another impressive newcomer, pairing reeded glass and curved metal to elegant effect.

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We also loved these charming glassblown table lamps exhibited by TZ Maker Studio.

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Speaking of charming, Cyrc expanded its collection of impressive 3D-printed forms with new side tables and a coffee table.

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More 3D magic was found in these digitally knitted floor lamps by Brooklyn design studio Thehighkey.

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“Tools for Everyday Life” prompted Northumbria University students and staff to focus their attention on typical work tools like rulers, hammers and the like. Each of the interpretations on view had its own unique take on form and functionality.

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Last year, we were thoroughly charmed by Caleb Ferris’s delightful pasta furniture. This year, he was back with the Noodle Throne, a fun yet also sophisticated piece that won both Best Seating and Best In Show.

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The intricate wooden veneer slices of NJ Roseti’s new pieces helped him earn Best Body of Work.

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Will Choui’s Brutalist-inspired 1979 collection was another demonstration of how quickly promising young designers evolve into heavyhitters.

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Yet another returning favourite was Bowen Liu, who reimagined pieces from her existing Helle collection in an entirely different material — glass.

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Ceramic makers Sin expanded beyond accessories to unveil a shelving unit supported by forms that imitated columns and other traditional architectural elements.

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Heller made the ultimate case for the role that platforms like WantedDesign Manhattan’s Launch Pad can play in the design industry. Last year, recent RISD graduate Anna Dawson exhibited Swell — a wall-mounted, wave-shaped catchall — at LaunchPad. New Heller owner John Edelman (former CEO of Design Within Reach) spotted the design, loved it and immediately set to work putting it into production.

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Notably, this was just one of several launches for Heller during New York design week. A short VW bus ride away at the nearby Heller Gallery, the brand introduced a bevy of designs that had been in Heller’s archives or product pipeline when Edelman bought the company.

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As part of its hall-of-mirrors like Heller Gallery display by Rodolfo Agrella, Heller also launched two brand new chairs by Atlason Studio, including Limbo, shown here.

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Elsewhere around the city, excellent group exhibitions left us with plenty to chew on. In “The Knockoff Show,” design collective Colony enlisted its members (including Studio Paolo Ferrari and Hiroko Takeda, who collaborated on the upholstered chair seen here) to respond to a historic design in a way that would articulate the difference between an homage and a direct copy.

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One of the most fun contributions was the “Lindsey Adams” chandelier by Bec Brittain, who recreated the design language of her former employer, Lindsey Adelman, using her own kit of lighting parts.

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Moving to Chinatown, a collaboration between L.A. gallery Marta and New York auction house Catalogue Sale presented 12 archival examples of “impromptu seating” — including a chair made out of tires and a cardboard seat that (at least based on the intricate origami-like geometry revealed when you flipped it over) had likely been built by someone with a design background.

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Working off of these precedents, 12 contemporary designers were then invited to complete improvised chairs of their own in a tight three-day timeline, using exclusively found materials. Shown here is one by Chen Chen & Kai Williams.

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A collaboration between Stellar Works and Sony (showcased at the former’s Canal Street showroom) was another surprise standout, displaying conceptual prototypes that used interactive screens, speakers and sophisticated motion-detecting technology to stage hospitality environments that transported visitors to soothing rainforests or tranquil lakes.

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Come cocktail hour, Flos welcomed Skynest (a domed suspension light by Marcel Wanders that launched last year in Milan) stateside with a Sunday night fête.

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At the Finnish Design Consulate, Finnish manufacturer Made by Choice unveiled the Sieni chair, a collaboration with Brooklyn-based Michael Yarinsky.

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Capping off our grand tour, we also stopped by Lambert et Fils to admire Isle, the Montreal brand’s new introduction with Zoe Mowat that focuses on rich materials and clean geometry.

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