Interior Inspirations & Aspirational Designs

Dwell on Design – Form meets function with a sustainable spin

ASID-LA at the Dwell on Design Show

Dwell on Design, the largest design show on the West Coast, at the Los Angeles Convention Center was my first time attending a trade show as exhibitor. This weekend, I volunteered with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) on their third year at Dwell. A few designers and myself represented ASID as we provided information to the expo attendees and possible industry partners. It was a really fun experience to speak with people and answer questions in a casual environment where you know everyone there is interested in design regardless of which side of the table they stand. On Friday when I first arrived, my immediate thought was, I died and went to designer heaven. I asked a fellow designer, may I move in? He says “yes my dear, do whatever you want put only until Sunday at 5pm.” We were in the same boat of being in utter adoration of this show’s products & style.

Ecofabulous prefab being auctioned on Ebay - Proceeds benefit Global Green USA

The Modern Living showhouse exhibit present by Electrolux,  is a great example of small space living; 392 ft of modern design and engineering went into this compact efficient small living space model presented by Ecofabulous. I particularly loved that this was a great simple & efficient design. There was still room for up to 4 people to comfortable move around. The lines of people touring through is showing that LA is very interested in this style of design but we especially love the price tag. This model went for $65,000 not including the “extra” added in for the show.

IQ Haus was one of the other vendors there that also had prefab homes. Their one bedroom has 920 square feet with a deck goes for $130,000, other models about $99/sq ft. It requires no foundation which saves on the expense. Its eco-friendly and made of composite wood, which they say is termite resistant. They say the house comes in 5 peices that you would put together.  This house could be an off-grid property!

Average Angelenos, especially Gen X’ers who are starting families and/or buying their first homes, has long dismissed the possibility of ever owning a “real home with a yard” in Lala-land. Especially since the economy tanked, with foreclosures, bankruptcies and no job security, most have really gravitated towards these prefabs. This is definitely where form meets function for the right price.

This design was done in a retro country ranch style of reclaimed woods and sheet metal side panel exteriors. The interiors were decked out with vintage pieces cleverly space planned into the compact livable area. This had product demos such as various appliances; my favorite was the chef making chocolate dipped strawberries on the Induction Electrolux hybrid cook-top. The 30″ demo goes for $1699. The best part is that it radiates heat not with the traditional heat distribution such as a gas flame or electric coil. Their demo had a real dollar bill between the heat surface and the pan making the chocolate. I love this especially to have in homes with children, people with physical disabilities or mature occupants where risk of injury is of greater concern.

Dwell on Design is definitely “THE place to go” for the modern day home owner. This year’s show focused on sustainable design as well, I noticed a theme of very modern design, clean lines with integrations of nature with its organic fluid lines. The juxtaposition of man-made materials with organic designs has really been Dwell’s signature style, which is also my personal style. Here are some highlights from the show:

My favorite display of at the Asia Now exhibit

Sleek lines make this ottoman super modern

Root Pouch - innovative ways of bringing home your urban garden

Planter with natural organic lines --what a concept

Please feel free to contact me at christine@duongdesigns.com if you were interest in more information or have a design project you would like to discuss.

Rustic contemporary table from Asian Art Imports

Tags: ASID, Dwell, modern, sustainable