Milan Design Week 2016 | Gessi Equilibrio + My Wish List

            
 MY WISH LIST

1. Freestanding Gessi Bath + interior Garden

 One of the benefits of joining a Designhounds trip is that it's both well organised, and carefully curated. This means that the week is packed full of events, all over the city, and held by some of the world's leading design brands. Having access to the teams, behind these brands, is what it's all about and Gessi did not disappoint, with the mesmerising performance by artist and philosopher, Marsel Lesko, at the launch of the new Equilibrio range. This was held at their flagship showroom, in Milan, during Salone del Milano      

 

2. These Gessi Architectural Washbasin Fittings

 

 3. Laser Cut Stone Wall Tiles 

To be frank, this barely covers the beautifully crafted and extensive range of bathroom fixtures, and so, when in Milan, you will have to visit the Gessi showroom. The building itself, was once a cinema, and it's mostly below ground. What the design team have managed to achieve, in this rather unique space, is nothing short of extraordinary.  Well worth a visit. 

Have you ever ordered from Gessi? Are you familiar with this Italian brand?

CITY OF LIGHTS: HIGHLIGHTS | BLOGTOUR LAS VEGAS KBIS 2016

Who needs the Bellaggio fountains, when you have such a pretty display of colour and light?

From my previous post, you will know that I was fortunate enough to invited by Veronika Miller CEO of Modenus and Designhounds, to join 24 interior designers from around the world, on a design tour. This years event, held in Las Vegas was sponsored by KBIS, Thermador, TOTO, BLANCO, Top Knobs, WoodMode, Mohawk, Mr Steam and Wilsonart. We were invited to celebrate their latest products and share the experience with those we engage with online, every day.

Las Vegas, the City of Lights... 

 Following an extraordinary week in Las Vegas, attending the KBIS2016 show with the team from Modenus & Design Hounds, I have to say that it hasn't been easy, knowing were to start. It was such a big trip, with so many memorable experiences, and so I will be breaking it down over four posts, starting with an overview of the trip, and some of my personal highlights...

1. MEETING THE DREAM TEAM

Look at these beautiful faces!

Writing about the 24 interior designers, invited to attend BlogTour, would be a blog post on it's own right. Meeting these women, was a personal highlight, for me. Veronika Miller has a gift for spotting good eggs and inspiring intense productivity and love. (I could go on about this woman, but let's save the good stuff, for last...). I've been on two BlogTours and have attended three, in total (one of them was on my doorstep/London) and I have to say that there was something special, about this group of women. I feel very lucky to have been part of this year's BlogTour #KBIS16 event.

It was an absolute pleasure spending time with these, women... 

If you work in the design industry, and you care about what you do and who you do it for, you will love this post by designer, Sarah Walker:  'Why Peer Mentorship Is Essential For Entrepreneurs | Modenus BlogTourKBIS.  Landscape designer, Susan Cohen wrote another wonderful piece: My Hashtag Sisterhood. A wonderful read. 

I see Blanco packed everything, including the kitchen sink, for the KBIS event... | Photo Credit: Tori Aston 

 2. THE BLOCK PARTY | RESPONSIVE HOMES


Talk about making an entrance... Twinkling lights against the vast Nevada skies...  I LOVED IT. We were given free access to the show homes designed by Responsive Homes  - Design Director, Bobby Berk, and it was a delight to see two modern homes, designed so well. We need this in the UK.  (More on this, soon...)

Yeaaah, I'd say this house was built for good times...

If you have a minute, listen to Designer Bobby Berk talk about the process of creating the modern home, for millennials. It's fascinating. He is certainly one to watch...

3. THE NEW AMERICAN HOME

Photo Credit: Wall Street Journal

 This was such a staggering piece of collaboration between American heavyweights Thermador, and The New American Home, that I'll posting more about this, separately - the interior were Right Up My Street.  In the meantime, have a look around and join me in dreaming of life lived well, very well...

Photo Credit: Wall Street Journal

Love the use of metals, and other natural, light enhancing, materials... 

4. AN EVENING WITH TOTO & Cortney Novogratz | SW Steakhouse at the Wynn  

The Team from TOTO USA, notably COO Katsuhito Nojima, & HGTV Interior Designer, Cortney Novogratz | Photo Credit: Tori Aston

Having spent time with the people behind the brand, TOTO, it made perfect sense that they invited Interior Designer Cortney Novogratz to speak about her work, and how and why she specifies TOTO products. Aside from being extraordinarily talented at creating spaces that both excite and make complete sense, she was a delight to listen to: Utterly grounded and so passionate about her work. This evening was another personal highlight for me. 

The dinner we had was so good, it was an emotional experience...  | Photo Credit: Tori Aston

Ann Porter and Veronika Miller, CEO of Modenus Media | Photo Credit: Tori Aston

TOTO NeoRest 750H

NeoRest 750H | Groundbreaking technology

TOTO | The future is here, right here... There is so much I want to share with you, about this brand. TOTO is one of the most extraordinary companies, thriving, today. Yes, they hire the best teams, sure, their products are elegant, beautiful and cool, but it's the technology behind their products which leaves their competitors in the dust.

We've specified TOTO loos, in one of London projects and I'm going to write a special post about this because, aside from the emotional experience my client had, when the first TOTO loo was installed, onsite (more of that, later!), it's an extraordinary product. Revolutionary.

Photo Credit: Tori Aston 

Do you see what I mean? IT WAS EPIC! And we're only half way there...

Coming up, tomorrow, more highlights from the KBIS2016

• Thermador
• BLANCO
• WoodMode
• WilsonArt
• TopKnobs 
• Mr Steam

Ready, Set, Design | BlogTour Las Vegas 2016

    Image thanks to Anne Porter of Kitchen Studio of Naples 

All 24 interior designers, carefully selected for this exciting event, have arrived at The Cosmopolitan, here in Las Vegas. This means that, at last!, BlogTour 2016 is about to begin. BlogTour is in its 5th year and the build up to this year's event, the largest to-date, has been monumental.   

       Images form BlogTour NYC 2013

Aside from the known fact that Veronika Miller, CEO of Modenus, is gifted, when it comes to bringing people together, she also has a good nose for what makes a successful business, how best to brand and market it. That she does this in such a way that builds genuine friendships that extend beyond spreadsheets and expectations, should tell you something about this charismatic woman. I'll sum it up with one word: Tone. She sets a good tone - the right tone, with everything she does. I admire her, enormously. 

         Image thanks to Flo von Pelet

It's worth pointing out that the interior designers who have been invited to attend and engage in this event, here in Las Vegas, are also business owners. We understand the value of engaging with leading brands, via social media. However technological our worlds become, 'face to face' meetings will always trump a 140 character drive by. 

Although a sponsored tour - and it must be said, the sponsors (Blanco, Thermador, TOTO, Mr Steam, Wilson Art, Top Knobs, KBIS., Mohawk and WoodMode) along with Modenus, have organised fantastic events, over the next few days, we have not been paid to be here.  I'm personally delighted to be here, to meet other designers, see great design and meet the people who work hard, behind the key brands that supply the UK market (and those aspiring to do so). But most of all, I'm here because Veronika is. If she's excited about something, I want to know about it. 

I don't know what the next few days will bring, but I know it will be great. Please feel free to follow us all, on Instagram and Twitter, via the following hashtags: #BlogTourKBIS #BlogTourLasVegas #designhounds. We'll be sharing the experience with you, as we go - do pop in to say 'hello'...