Everything That Made Dwell’s Editor-in-Chief Pull Out His Phone at This Year’s Design Miami
A furry cabinet, a Seussian floor lamp, and more photo-worthy work at the 2024 edition of the fair.
At any given design fair, there’s one question people always ask each other: What did you like? I can never answer. You can mainline everything going on in contemporary design in an afternoon or two—whether you’re an admirer or a collector. But I’m terrible at giving hot takes. Roughly two weeks after an event ends, I go back through my photo library, and if I have a picture of it, I either loved it or hated it, which is to say I had a strong reaction.
If I really loved it, I’ll figure out where to spend more than a few passing minutes in a fair booth with work by the designer. If I hated it, I’ll ask myself why and hopefully learn something about how my taste is evolving. Either way, I always look forward to Design Miami, currently taking place on its home turf—they also do editions in Basel, Los Angeles, and Paris—with presentations by more than 50 galleries and designers. The fair opened on December 3rd and runs through the 8th. Earlier this week, I walked the aisles with photographer Ysanya Perez looking for highlights. Here are some of things I think I’m going to love when I finally revisit the images I snapped.
Design Miami’s hometown edition featured more than 50 exhibitors in the sprawling tent in Miami Beach where it sets up shop every year.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
A giant lighting piece called "Strawberry Tree" by the Haas Brothers loomed over one corner of the fair.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
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A floor lamp by A+A Cooren at Carpenters Workshop was equally Seussian.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
A bar cabinet at Friedman Benda by Fernando Laposse, who often works with traditional Mexican crafts, is wrapped in a furry layer of yarn made from agave plants.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
The Future Perfect’s bustling booth included a "greatest hits" of designers from their roster.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
Sometimes I don’t always have to go back through photos to know something is great; the solo presentation of lighting by Christopher Baker at Dobrinka Salzman Gallery was one of my favorite things at the fair.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
Designer and Dwell 24 alum Lucia Echavarria, who calls her furniture line Magnetic Midnight Maison, had a solo presentation at Lamb Gallery’s booth. She works with traditional materials made by craftspeople in Colombia.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
Anya Molyviatis explains the weaving process behind her sculptural wall textiles at SCAD’s booth. The school regularly exhibits at the fair.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
This was cool. At Czech glassmaker Lasvit’s booth, a cluster of glass pendants seemed to change the color of the light around them as they moved. They’re actually highlighting or blocking parts of the color spectrum as they slowly turn because they’re made from lanthanide oxides extracted from recycled electromagnets. I had to Google it. The Design Miami presentation was a little precious for my taste, but I could see designers doing interesting, experimental things with the materials.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
Merida Studio presented muted textiles by Sylvie Johnson. Their dark, Japan-inspired booth offered a respite from the frenetic preview day at the fair.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
More furry furniture—it’s definitely a trend—made appearances throughout the fair, including these stools by Fernando and Humberto Campana. They are part of a larger initiative by Instituto Campana to build a park in Brotas, Brazil, where the designer-brothers spent their childhood.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
Finally, I couldn’t not include these playful tabletop objects by the Haas Brothers at R&Company.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
And that’s a wrap. See you at Design Miami Basel in the spring.
Photo by Ysanya Perez
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