R 20th Century Design showroom was the first stop of the day. R 20th Century represents a distinguished group of historical and contemporary designers whose work is among the most innovative and finely crafted of their time. Zesty Meyers and Evan Snyderman founded R 20th Century in 1997 to realize their combined goal of promoting a closer study, appreciation and preservation of 20th and 21st century design. R is currently developing exhibitions and publications on the designers it represents — a diverse program that includes work from North America, South America, Europe and Asia produced between 1945 and today.(source) Evan walked us through the store and talked about some of the artists they represent. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and cute. I was really intrigued by artists Hugo França, Jeff Zimmerman and David Wiseman. Hugo França creates functional and sculptural work from discarded wood found in Brasil. Finding wood left behind by deforestation requires constant scouting in the Trancoso, Bahia, area. Finding his way on foot, by donkey or canoe, he relies on the Pataxo …

The second stop was Craig Van Den Brulle. Craig Van Den Brulle is the owner of the upscale Craig Van Den Brulle furniture store in the Nolita section of Manhattan, which opened in October 2007. Van Den Brulle has been in the home furnishings industry for over 10 years. In 1997 he opened Capitol Furnishings; the celebrated boutique featuring 20th Century home furnishings and his own “urban classic” designs. Capitol quickly became an essential shopping destination for the city’s most influential architects, interior designers and collectors. Van Den Brulle has now expanded from the original Capitol Furnishings to a 3,000 square foot flagship store which is just one block away on Elizabeth Street. He is the designer of the VAN DEN BRULLE signature collection, a line of upscale furniture and home essentials inspired by clean lines and modern simplicity. In addition to selling home furnishings, Craig Van Den Brulle buys modern designer pieces from the 1930’s to the 1980’s. They also have a rental service for the film, television, and magazine industries. To complete this …

Todd Merrill is located in a building with beautiful stone carvings.  It was another store that was packed to the gills with furnishings.   You always were discovering something new that was missed in this store. Todd Merrill Antiques features American and European vintage furniture, antiques and lighting from the 1920’s to the 2000’s. Including rare and unique furniture by Paul Evans, Karl Springer, James Mont, Gio Ponti, Adnet, Fornasetti, Venini, Tommi Parzinger, LaVerne, Vladimir Kagan and many more. Todd Merrill Antiques has opened a new 4000 square foot shop focusing on American and European designer furniture and lighting from the 1920s through the 1980s, at 65 Bleecker Street in New York City. The new showroom is on the ground floor of the Bayard-Condict Building, New York’s only building by esteemed architect Louis Sullivan. The historic landmark space is located at the top of Crosby Street at the intersection of Bleecker Street, and looks directly down into the heart of Soho.(source) It was at Todd Merrill that I finally began to understand how important Paul Evans …

Moss is one part of a space that holds three stores. The other two are Flos and Moroso. This trio of stores were my favourites on this trip. In 1994, former fashion entrepreneur Murray Moss opened Moss in a small gallery space in Soho, with a determination to transform the public perception of industrial product design. The store quickly became internationally known for its product selection and presentation, with clients ranging from highly informed design professionals, to celebrities, students, and tourists with maps. The shop grew and evolved — expanding to nearly 7000 square feet in late 1999 when Moss’s partner Franklin Getchell joined the company. Together they expanded the product base to include furniture, especially from Italian manufacturers, lighting, watches and jewelry, books, tabletop and a significantly increased focus on the studio work of the designers we offered(source). Moss also has a small section of unusual jewellery and watches. It’s just as eclectic as the other offerings in the store.  They aim to have more than just home furnishings for sale which attracts a …

Flos occupies the corner of the shared building with Moss and Moroso.  It’s home to some seriously hot looking light fixtures. You can find designers like Philippe Starck, Jasper Morrison and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni here. Today Flos is an international organization that offers a complete range of residential, commercial and even custom-made lighting products that can be seamlessly integrated in any office, hotel, or store, together with a specifically designed line of informative materials, among which a corporate manual. Flos contract division assists architects with the know-how it acquired over its forty years of experience not only as a manufacturer, but also as a specialty lighting systems designer for a wide-range of challenging environments, such as museums, stores, and theatres.(source) The store itself is quite minimal with a few tables. Most pieces are displayed on shelving built into the walls.  The standout item in the store is the oversized Kelvin LED lamp design by Antonio Citterio with Toan Nguyen in 2009. The Hooo!!! & Haaa!!! Lamp By Philippe Starck, Jenny Holzer, Moritz Waldemeyer and Baccarat …