Blogfest part 2

Today was another fabulous day at Blogfest with a packed agenda focused on the business of design and important people in the industry that we, as bloggers, should stay connected with. 

We started the morning off with a breakfast hosted by the Hearst Corporation on the 44th floor of Hearst Tower.  Despite Blogfest being dubbed Fogfest, the views from this amazingly redesigned space came and went enough to know that you were enjoying your coffee and your bagel in a prime piece of real estate.  Once we all had a chance to reconvene and chat about yesterday's activities, we took our seats for opening remarks by Kravet in anticipation of an incredible line up of speakers. 

Editor in Chief Dara Caponigro of Veranda magazine kicked off the panel discussions by complimenting American designers with their "can-do" attitudes and their ability mix all styles of design.  She then introduced two on-the-rise designers, Darryl Carter and Timothy Whealon, who then went on to show their work and talk about how to have effectual relationships with their clients.  Both agreed that transparency is the key ingredient in making a project successful.

Following Veranda, we were greeted by Editor in Chief Newell Turner of House Beautiful.  His topic was focused on taking notice of your "ah-ha" moments and creating spaces that you actually want to be a part of.  It was a fun, laid back, and audience-driven dialogue with designers Michael Herold, Jill Goldberg (from Hudson in Boston) and Jon Call - all of which were young, funny, and completely humbled by their recognition.

After a few hours of candid conversation, we had a quick visit to Elle Decor's Modern Life Concept House.  The three story residence in the heart of midtown was an unexpected burst of energy with primary colors and a gorgeous outdoor cabana.  If you have time, it's definitely worth a visit.

And, so onto the D&D building and lunch at the Lee Jofa showroom - what could be better than Dean & DeLuca sandwiches?!  Well, maybe dessert while Alexa Hampton got personal with Traditional Home's Editor in Chief Ann Maine (and maybe seeing a super traditional designer let loose among friends, which of course, made us all sanguine :)!)

Now, all of this actually happened before happy hour.  So to unwind, Baccarat invited us up to their new, soon-to-be lighting showroom - the first in the States - to sip champagne (served by male models) and meet Vincente Wolf - Wow, wow, wow. 

The final event of the day was at GE Monogram's Design Center.  This was really a treat.  Not only was there appetizers and Pinot Noir (you know it's my favorite), but there was lots of staff on hand giving demonstrations of how their products work.  Sliding oven shelving, wok grates, and integrated ice makers are just a few innovative ideas that keep this company spotlighted in kitchen design.

So, night-night - Day 3 is just a few hours away!



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