VERANDA magazine recently announced the winners of the first annual Art of Design Awards, a program that acknowledges the influence design and innovation have in defining the luxury industry. VERANDA editors and judges, including Iris Apfel, Clodagh, Albert Hadley, Kitty Hawks, Ursula Ilsa-Neuman, Todd Merrill, Ralph Pucci, and Laura Turner Seydel, selected winners from four categories: Personal Luxury (jewelry design), Trade Secrets (furniture design), Environments (interior design or architect), and Eco-Minded (environmentally friendly products).
VERANDA’s First Annual Art of Design Award winners are:
PERSONAL LUXURY CATEGORY: Todd Reed of Todd Reed Inc. (jewelry designer)
“Luxury isn’t what you have, it’s confidence. In this new, redefined luxury, I think there is a connection to the artist, the art and purpose of the art,” said Todd Reed.
In Colorado, Reed readily admits his career began by turning “road kill” skins into clothing, and buttons into earrings. At Todd Reed’s eponymous company, jewelry is bench made by hand and finished in 18k metals. An insatiable passion for raw diamonds keeps Reed’s repertoire fresh and innovative.
TRADE SECRETS CATEGORY: Jason Phillips of Jason Phillips Design (furniture designer)
“Detail and Pedigree. Luxury is about refined detailing. Bespoke tailoring at every corner. That, married with a respected brand, is a true luxury,” said Jason Phillips.
At 26, the Long Island native spends his time as creative director for the family business, the Phillips Collection. While using 3D CAD systems instead of pen and paper, Phillips devotes the rest of his time to his own collection.
ENVIRONMENTS CATEGORY: Peter Pennoyer of Peter Pennoyer Architects (architect)
“Redefining luxury is about better quality more than it is about quantity…creating a sense of memory a sense of history, a sense of narrative,” said Peter Pennoyer.
The New York native has received awards from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee and Friends of the Upper East Side. Primarily a residential architect, Pennoyer has restored the Colony Club’s 1920s ballroom, suites in the Waldorf Towers and transformed an apartment building into The Mark Hotel.
ECO-MINDED CATEGORY: Q Collection’s Anthony Cochran and Jesse Johnson
“It is very much our hope at Q Collection that our work and its impact to come will play a role in redefining what luxury is today and where it will be in the future,” said Jesse Johnson.
Cochran and Johnson began their path to Q Collection by discovering that there were few, if any, interior design products that were eco-friendly in terms of human health. With their eco-friendly knowledge and interest, the firm was founded to make products that are “better for you, your home and our planet”. The Q Collection is represented in ten design centers nationwide, and its lines are growing.
In celebration of VERANDA’s Art of Design Awards, Design Centers across the country will host a day of open-to-the-public events based on the topic The Art of Design: Redefining Luxury. The day will kick-off with VERANDA’s keynote presentation, where the magazine’s Editor-at-Large Carolyn Englefield will moderate a compelling panel discussion between luxury and design industry leaders. The presentation will feature a 20-minute screening of The Art of Design documentary film. Following the keynote presentation, guests will be invited to enjoy showroom events related to the theme, The Art of Design: Redefining Luxury. To register for the Design Center Market Days, guests must register by emailing VerandaRSVP@hearst.com. Registration is required and space is limited.
The 2010 VERANDA Design Center Market Days are:
Dania Beach, FL
Thursday, March 11: Design Center of Americas
Boston, MA
Tuesday, April 6: Boston Design Center
Los Angles, CA
Thursday, April 22: Pacific Design Center
Houston, TX
Wednesday, April 27: Decorative Center
About VERANDA: VERANDA is one of the world's most exquisitely produced interior design magazines. Published eight times a year, it is distinguished by its artful representation of interiors, gardens, table settings and floral arrangements. The magazine showcases the country's leading designers and travels far and wide to bring its readers some of the most fascinating interiors of the world.
VERANDA is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) and one of the world’s largest publishers of monthly magazines, with nearly 200 editions around the world, including 15 U.S. titles and 20 magazines in the United Kingdom, published through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited. Hearst reaches more adults than any other publisher of monthly magazines (73.8 million total adults, according to MRI, Fall 2009).