Bold Statements Headline This Year’s Dining by Design to Benefit DIFFA
At New York’s Dining by Design to benefit DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, the message was unmistakable.
1. Firm: Rockwell Group
Host: Knoll
Theme: In the spirit of creativity, artist Jon Burgerman grabbed a paint pen to doodle on the dry-erase paint coating the walls, floor, and ceiling.
2. Firm: Naula
Theme: The serpentine lines of the entry’s upholstered seating paid homage to the kinetically charged art of Keith Haring, an early HIV/AIDS activist.
3. Firm: M Moser Associates
Theme: A tag from the mysterious guerilla artist Banksy brought the rosy optimism of love to the custom polyester wall covering.
4. Firm: Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design
Host: Sunbrella
Theme: On a tablecloth made with acrylic manufactured by Glen Raven, concentric circles and lines turned HIV/AIDS statistics into graphic art.
5. Designer: Ali Tayar
Host: Interior Design
Theme: In a display produced by SilverLining Interiors, the late architect’s op art stripes radiated hope, while acrylic-framed examples of past Dining by Design vignettes displayed his expansive talent.
6. Firm: Rockwell Group
Host: Roche Bobois
Theme: To highlight water’s importance, the Lab at Rockwell Group installed jets to cast a veil of mist over Fabrice Berrux’s tables and Sacha Lakic’s chairs.
7. Firm: Echo Design Group
Theme: Embodying the power of change, a zebra hand-painted in spots, not stripes, inhabited a safari-inspired world complete with campaign furniture.
8. School: New York School of Interior Design
Mentor: Tyler Wisler Home
Theme: Connoting action, triangles of painted and Mylar-skinned cardboard surrounded a table set with acrylic flatware laser-cut by the students.
9. Firm: ICrave
Host: Design Within Reach
Theme: To transport guests to Palm Springs, California, a bowl full of cerulean plastic beads served as a swimming pool for Barbie and Ken dolls.
10. School: Pratt Institute
Mentor: Elizabeth Bolognino Interiors
Theme: Health outreach workers fabricated the acrylic shapes cascading through a cutout in the table to represent the 37 million people living with HIV/AIDS.
11. Firm: Gensler
Hosts: 3Form and Herman Miller
Theme: Shaped to recall two HIV/AIDS awareness ribbons joined, neon hearts were reflected by the coating on the tabletop.
12. Designers: Betil Dagdelen and Cristina Grajales Gallery
Host: 1stdibs
Theme: Pendant fixtures and benches, handwoven with satin cord, paid tribute to home furnishings in Dagdelen’s native Turkey.
13. Firm: Studio O+A
Host: Teknion Studio
Theme: The circle, as a symbol of unity, manifested itself in a galaxy of suspended plastic spheres and papier-mâché lamps.
