Build Boston, the Northeast's "premier regional tradeshow and convention for the design and construction industry", is once again upon us.

Coming November 13-15, the Seaport World Trade Center will be packed with over 350 exhibitors and over 225 workshops covering every aspect of the building trade. "There's something for every building owner/manager, architect, engineer, contractor, interior designer, landscape architect and all other building industry professionals."

Besides the exhibits and workshops, there will be opportunities to meet heads of the design and construction industries, like Robert A. Murray, Chief Economist and Vice-President of Economic Affairs, McGraw-Hill Construction, who will be delivering the keynote address.

There will also be nightly cocktail parties in the exhibit space, and the annual BSA/Build Boston Gala and Design Celebration, which celebrates "young architects and the diversity of our industry." Essentially, it's a chance to eat, drink, and hob-nob with other like-minded people. You can't be all work, all the time, can you?

If you have kids, you know how wild their imaginations are. Try and picture what their ultimate bedroom would look like? I bet the Boom Cabinet, with its exploded-then-frozen-in-mid-air vibe, would fit into a few of the little ones' bedrooms.


(via ThisNext)

mod-mom is giving away a Method market tote filled with Method cleaning supplies. I absolutely love Method products, so you can bet I entered!

If you don't win, you can still get the bag for free.

She's also giving away Blurb make-your-own books, 5 mineral make up kits from Whole Foods, and a mod mini rocking chair from nurseryworks.

Also, don't forget to enter my contest for a free AppleTV!

TSC Construction, a Newburyport-based sustainable construction company, was recently featured on the Fox25 News.

As is appropriate for a company from Newburyport, their aesthetic is classical. "The goal of the historic restoration aspect of business at TSC Construction LLC is simple, to make all building components look as though they have always existed, while reducing the home's carbon footprint. We take into consideration all of the current features in the existing structure and replicate them, while retaining the original designer/builders intent."

TSC Construction LLC
P.O.Box 1194
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-462-0355

New England Home magazine will be hosting a gala celebrating the 2007 inductees to the New England Design Hall of Fame.

This year's inductees, individuals that have had a significant career in residential architects and interior design in New Englad, include Richard Bertman; Lee Bierly; Christopher Drake; Celeste Cooper; Jeremiah Eck; Richard FitzGerald; Graham Gund; William Hodgins; James Volney Righter; and, Charles Spada.

The New England Design Hall of Fame is located in the courtyard of the Boston Design Center; the courtyard was redesigned specifically for the Hall of Fame. The actual induction ceremony happened last month. Each inductee had a birch tree planted along with a plaque and their signature in mortar in the Courtyard. The goal is to eventually have a grove of trees that represent the quality of New England architecture and design.

The New England Design Hall of Fame celebration gala will be "a virtual who’s who of the local residential architecture and interior design community." It will be held Wednesday, November 7 at the State Room. Tickets are still available; a portion of the ticket sales goes to the New England Design Hall of Fame Scholarship fund at the Boston Architectural College.

DesignBoston has teamed up with Tech Superpowers to give one lucky reader a free AppleTV!

Here's the deal: I will ask you a question (below). You will figure out the answer, then email me that answer by midnight on Wednesday, November 7. I will pick one name from all of the correct entries to win the AppleTV!

AppleTV wirelessly connects your PC or Mac to your TV, allowing you to play your iTunes (or YouTube) videos right on your TV. No more trying to watch that movie you just downloaded on the little 17" monitor. Just sit back and watch.

For 15 years, Tech Superpowers has been supporting designers, photographers, students, and other Mac addicts as an authorized Apple reseller. They are "a single source provider for your hardware, software, and peripherals products," as well as the place to go for consulting, repair, training and hosting. (Something you probably didn't know: When the Apple Store genius's need help, they call Tech Superpowers). Their retail store/internet cafe is on Newbury Street.

Now for the question: Tech Superpower believes in conservation and taking care of our natural resources. With their Zero Carbon Initiative, they're aiming to offset what percent of our yearly emissions? (hint: the planet is part of our larger community)

Email your answers to designbostonblog@gmail.com from now until midnight, Wednesday, November 7.

Good luck to all the entrants!

One product that was deemed a failure by one retailer in Seattle is the Polder Sofa by Hella Jongerius for Vitra.

This product is one of more versatile designs to have come along in years. The piece was designed in 2005 and it allows you to sit, recline, to interact in so many different ways without having to alter the piece's form. The sofa's dynamic asymmetrical design allows this wide range of movement.

This product can hardly be considered a failure. The only failure in this instance was the location and local market in which the product was retailed. In the article it was remarked that this product would do well in New York, I believe this to be true. It's different, and the customers who have embraced this piece are looking for different.

Earlier this month, Aishah Farooki and Tina Kroshian of THEREdesign, an Allston-based architectural and interior design firm, sat down with Karen Holmes Ward on WCVB's CityLine to discuss their practice and ways to incorporate clean, efficient design into anyone's space.

Some kind soul uploaded the interview onto YouTube so we can see it:

THEREdesign is a contemporary, multi-disciplinary firm, handling projects from corporate, hospitality, academic, residential, and other clients.

THEREdesign
244 Brighton Ave, Studio 105
Allston, MA 02134
617-782-0833
info@theredesign.com

Do you love Design Public but wish you could get a little better deal? Now's your chance.

For one week only, Design Public is bringing their outlet online. Find open package and like-new items for 20-40% off.

Be quick though, because there are a truly limited number of items available. The exact number is listed next to each item. Once it's gone, it's gone.

Have you been looking for a new architecture-centric blog? If so, east coast Architecture review is for you.

The brainchild of Bradley M. Swarts, an architect in North Carolina, ecAr features news on some exciting architecture around the world - much of it far too avant-garde for a "traditional" city like Boston.

If you're anything like me, you may still have a mix tape or two hidden away, waiting for the day when the tape deck will make a comeback.

To help us come to grips with reality, the plusdeckEX converts cassettes to MP3 files. Via external adapters, it can even converts your old vynil to MP3.

Of course, it can help us escape reality just a little longer by converting MP3 to cassette - that is, if you can find any more blank tapes.

via Core77

That's right. Starting next Monday, October 29, DesignBoston will be having its very first reader contest!

Keep an eye out for further details on Monday morning!

Ideal Bite, the daily go-green-the-easy-way email I wrote about back in July, hit us right in the backside today: eco-conscious office chairs.

One of the plethora of criteria that goes into LEED certification, a good office chair will have the earth's health in mind as much as your's. Here's IB's recommendations for your next office upgrade:

• Ikea Markus Swivel Chair - a reasonably priced option from a company that forgoes PVC and uses only sustainable wood; more options here ($199).
• Hermann Miller Aeron Chair - this way-comfy work of art is made from 66% recycled materials such as aluminum and steel, with 94% recyclable parts ($949).
• Steelcase Think Chair - made with up to 44% recycled materials and available in 12 colors, from the world's first LEED-certified factory. Also: recycled guest chairs ($239-$719).
• Twenty Gauge Steno Chair - adjustable vintage steel chairs restored to working condition; customizable with your choice of fabric ($625).
• HealthyComputing - tips on better desk habits.

Other than their daily email (which you can sign up for on their home page), they also have a blog.

And they're still growing: Soon, there will be Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle Daily Bites. Yet still no Boston...

Since I missed the opening reception (and I've moved down the street from it), this past Saturday I visited CW Quinn. Upon walking in, Chuck (as he introduced himself as) instantly recognized me - I guess I'm becoming some sort of local internet celeb, huh?

Chuck was busy with some clients (which is the point, right?), so I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but I was able to check out the furniture. "Custom modern furniture made with 'time-tested, labor-intensive handcraft processes'" is how I described it earlier, and that' s about the best way to describe it.

CW Quinn
2 White Place
Brookline Village, MA 02445
617-738-1681
info@cwquinn.com

A new question came in, and I'm hoping some of you can help. Joyce recently bought a condo and is looking to polish the concrete floors of the space.

Good morning,

We need your expertise on finishing our cement floors. Hopefully you can help. We have unfinished cement floors and we would like to get them polished. Do you who or where or how this can be done (cheaply)? Oh and we need it done fast! Thanks for your help :)

Joyce

Does anyone have any advice/information/referrals for Joyce?

According to Interior Design magazine, Herman Miller is offering users of the online game Second Life free furniture for their virtual homes and offices.

Why the e-giveaway? To limit the sale of unauthorized knock-offs. " For Second Life users who currently have virtual knock-offs of Herman Miller products, purchased from unauthorized sellers, Herman Miller offers the opportunity to 'Get Real' free of charge (users must delete the virtual knock-offs and the deal is available for a limited time only). First time buyers can purchase designs priced between (Linden dollars) L$300-L$850, or approximately U.S. $1.40 to $3.50."

If Herman Miller is trying this hard to stop knock-offs in the e-world, what do you think they'd be willing to do in the real world?

Who doesn't love a good three-legged chair design? New from Fritz Hansen this Fall, the PK8. Originally designed by Poul Kjaerholm in 1978, the chair was never originally put into production. However, using plans, sketches, and prototypes, the piece has been posthumously resurrected with the help of Kjaerholm's wife, architect Hanne Kjaerholm. The shell is a dyed ABS material that rests atop an anodized aluminum frame. The piece is available in Black, white, grey and red.

Drawing upon inspirations such as Ray and Charles Eames as well as Gerrit Rietveld, the piece's sculptural shell resembles the iconic PK9. Other pieces in the iconic PK series can be found furnishing the 2004 Museum of Modern Art extension and most recently the National Art Center Tokyo.

The votes have been cast, counted, and the results are in: Home Rejuvenation is telling us who the 10 most influential design bloggers are.

Who won? You'll have to check out the results to find out, but I will tell you that fellow Bostonian Holly from Decor8 came in #4. Congrats, Holly!

You can tell that you've been at it for more than a year when you start repeating yourself. This weekend, spend an autumn day (the weather's supposed to be great) walking around New England's largest artist community, seeing great art, and meeting the artists themselves.

The 28th annual Fort Point Open Studios opens the doors to over 200 artists, from painters to a furniture maker.

Metropolis Magazine, long a proponent for green design, declares, "Despite claims to the contrary, products with zero environmental impact do not yet exist."

With all the talk of green-ness going around, it's tough to think that a truly environmentally neutral product hasn't been created. That day may be coming, though. In "7 Steps in the Lifecycle of a Green Product", writer Martin C. Pedersen says, "new approaches to green design point to a day when that might just be possible."

That's right, I've moved from the 19th century Victorian apartment on Ashmont Hill. I needed somewhere closer to school and the job, so I found a place right in Brookline Village - a 5 minute walk to school! No more hour-plus long rides on the T for me.

I'm technically not in Boston anymore (thanks to Brookline residents in 1873 for that) , but don't worry, I won't be changing DB to DesignBrookline.

Sonciary Honnol is letting us in on a secret: At the end of November, Dabbieri Blog is going to be running a contest.

I know what you're asking: What will the winner get? The Dabbieri hand-knotted rug of his or her choice! Some of these rugs can be priced up to more than $7000!

Keep an eye on the Dabbieri Blog for further details.

Richard Meier, the award-winning architect and principal of Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP, will be in Providence next week, where he will deliver the first annual J. Carter Brown Memorial Lecture at Brown University.

"Meier will discuss his work, focusing on his projects for museums and other art spaces from the 1970s to such recent landmark projects as the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome and, most recently, the Arp Museum in Germany."

The lecture will take place in MacMillan Hall, room 117, at 5:00 pm and is free and open to the public.

Back in August, I posted about the opening of Studio Verticale. I recently had a chance to visit them. They were throwing "Door Jam", a media and design industry event to showcase the new store.

Much like me posting this, I was late, getting there right as everything was scheduled to end. That wasn't a problem, as everyone there gave me a warm welcome. Peter Carnazzo, the Principal Installer for S.V. (pictured left, with S.V. owner Mila Talibov and Edmund Chang A.I.A.), gave me a tour of the showroom (He built the showroom, so I'm willing to guess he knows what's what).

After that, Mila and I sat down and talked - for nearly two hours! She discovered a serious lack in vertical architectural pieces that were "better than what everyone has" while planning her own home's renovations. That led to the idea that, several years later, became Studio Verticale.

The studio is a beautiful space. Aside from their vast selection of doors, sliding systems, wall partitions, modular closets and wardrobes, Studio Verticale also carries furniture and lighting. Be sure to stop by the next time you are near Kingston St.

Studio Verticale
115 Kingston Street
Boston, MA 02111

Back in January, I posted about the Bare Hill Barn House. The exterior is just about finished, and Ben is now working on the interior. Take a look: It's quite impressive to see what this 19th century barn is becoming!

Attention Boston-area bloggers: It's time for Blogtoberfest!

For the second year in a row, local blogger Jenny Frazier is telling the local blogger crowd to "put down the mouse, step away from the keyboard, and meet some of your favorite Boston bloggers face to face in a casual setting," set to a familiar autumnal theme: beer.

Blogtoberfest is happening downstairs at the Pour House on Boylston St on Thursday, October 25, from 6:00-8:00 (although odds are that it'll go longer). I'll be there, and I hope to see you there, too!

Dana Zemack, head of Zemack PR & Communications, is one of the many public relations people that has tipped me off to some of the greatness that's happening in Boston's design scene. I found out recently, through Facebook of all places, that she is also a chocolate aficionado, and even has her own blog on the subject.

On The Tasty Show (how appropriately named!), Dana features "tasting notes, recipes, tips, and lots of other stuff about the vast world of chocolate." After looking it over for, well, longer than I should have, I am in the mood for some seriously rich chocolate!

BTW, if you're on Facebook, look me up!

Last year, I told you about e²: the economies of being environmentally conscious. The series is back for its second season, and will feature two sections: e²: design and e²: energy.

e²: design will again be hosted by Brad Pitt. It will feature such figures in the world's eco-conscious design world as Thom Mayne, architect of the San Francisco Federal Building; Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia; and Adriaan Geuze, lead architect of the Borneo Sporenburg development in Amsterdam.

e²: energy will be hosted by Morgan Freeman, and will feature Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Grameen Bank; Amory Lovins, founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute; and Dr. José Goldemberg, Brazil's former secretary for the environment.

You can view a webcast of each episode for a week before it airs on PBS. The first episode was put on the e² website today and will run through the show's airing next Friday. I can't find when WGBH will air it, so the webcasts may be the best bet.

You can also watch trailers, podcasts and more on YouTube.

There are probably a few people in Boston that aren't interested in watching the Red Sox playoff game tonight. Would you maybe prefer something a little more artistic? If so, Gallery Anthony Curtis is where you want to be.

Tonight, from 5:00 to 8:00, Gallery Anthony Curtis is having a reception for two new concurrent solo exhibitions: Andrew Tavarelli: Floating Worlds; and Katherine D. Crone: Boxed Memeory.

From the press release:

Peripatetic by nature, Andrew Tavarelli's work is linked to his global travels and his fascination with foreign lands and cultures. In his current Floating Worlds series, Tavarelli creates an unexpected meeting place for two pop art forms belonging to different cultures and eras: ukiyo-e woodblock prints of 18th and 19th century Japan and Art Deco designs of 20th century Europe and America. Both idealized art forms promoted attitudes and life styles deemed desirable and sophisticated and were saturated with social politics. On his canvas, Tavarelli also seamlessly mixed in imagery from medieval heraldry, Mexican street signs, and Spanish Civil War and Cuban travel posters to create bedazzling visual wonders. Through these powerful images, Tavarelli celebrates and questions the ideas of beauty and masculinity, explores the complexity of gender and social relations in our time, contrast the eastern and western ideals and, above all, pursues his own ideas of visual power and beauty. In his words: "I believe that, in our attempts to make sense of things that are not of our culture, we are forced to look more deeply into our own and into ourselves. Our appreciation for the new and different refreshes our view of the familiar and opens up avenues for exploration."

New York artist Katherine D. Crone creates 3D works that are abstract visual journals. Her approach combines digital photography, the art of book-binding and fiber sculpturing together to capture a fleeting moment in life. The ephemeral images are preserved in book forms and rendered in photographs with a sculptural dimension. Her subject matter is quotidian: light and shadows, water and reflections, architectural detail and panoramic landscapes, images found in her native Long Island and places she encountered during her travels in Japan. Influenced by her academic training in fiber art at Yale, a vigorous Bauhaus design philosophy, and her strong interest in Japanese art, Katherine’s work is minimal and modern, yet it possess a quality that is nostalgic, meditative and transcending. In her word: "Even though each piece may have a personal "back story" for me, the viewer's reaction is what validates my intent."

The exhibitions run through November 3.

Gallery Anthony Curtis
186 South Street
Boston, MA 02111
617.988.8119

"Would you like to supersize that? No, but I will invest in knockoffs".

At least that is what furniture producer Fritz Hansen is alleging that worldwide fast food giant McDonald's has done.

"Arne Jacobsen chairs, including The Egg, The Seven and The Swan are seen as timeless, elegant pieces of Scandinavian modernist design, and are an integral part of the McDonald's strategy to give its fast-food restaurants a facelift and revamp dull decor with upmarket designer fittings."

"However, Fritz Hansen has accused the company of installing "pirate" copies of the furniture in a number of stores. It said it was stopping deliveries to McDonald's immediately, even though it would cost the company "millions in lost sales"."The fact that McDonald's has chosen to use pirated copies is even more surprising since the company itself is legendary across the world in pursuing trademark and copyright suits to safeguard its product and name," stated a representative for Fritz Hansen.

Checkout the rest of the press release here.

Now...who's hungry?

The Big Dig House, a 4,000 sq. ft. home in Lexington built from recycled remains of the Big Dig, is for sale. According to the Boston Business Journal, the house is listed at $2.1M.

The house is quite impressive, and, as with anything related to the world's largest transportation construction project, it's big: "The home weighs nearly one million pounds or three times the weight of an average home and features 26-foot ceilings in the living room, a 1,000 square foot combined great room, kitchen and dining room and floor-to-ceiling windows."

The house is sustainable beyond its reclaimed materials. "Green features in the eco-friendly home include a seven-zone radiant heating controlled by a state-of-the-art computer system and a 600-gallon cistern below the garage floor which waters the rooftop garden."

"The Big Dig home won two international design awards as well as a residential architecture award from the Boston Society of Architects in 2006. It has also been featured on several television shows and is scheduled to be filmed next month for a show set to air on the Discovery Channel."

The home is being sold by William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance.

Speaking of Motley, I was reading the new Stuff @ Night earlier this evening and read about Motley Shoe Store, a new store from Motley owner Doug Palardy.

The store sounds like an amazing space. It "is a clean, showroom-style 'shoe gallery' with a whimsical tree-house feel that Palardy created using mostly reclaimed materials such as railroad ties and found lumber."

Much like his clothing store, Palardy knows what he's doing when it comes to picking what to sell. "The shop carries primarily limited-edition sneakers - both men's and women's styles - from brands including Nike, Converse by John Varvatos, Puma, and Adidas, and will eventually expand to sandals, boots, and leather pieces." Sounds like my kind of shoe store.

According to Stuff @ Night, Motley Shoe Store is set to open in "early October". I haven't been down to the South End in a few weeks. Does anyone know if it's open yet?

Jimmy from Motley Home and Doug from Motley are teaming up for simultaneous parties and sales at both stores.

This Thursday, from 7:00 to 10:00, both stores will offer 25% off to all party goers. There will be giveaways from Goorin Bros. hats, and Chambord cocktails will be served.

Unfortunately, I have to work that night. Be sure to say hi to my girl Honah Lee at Motley Home!

Motley
623 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02118
617-247-6969

Motley Home
652 Tremont Street
Boston MA 02118
617-266-5566

Arclinea, Philip Guarino's showroom of contemporary Italian kitchens, has introduced "a new take on glass-front cabinetry.

"Arclinea's Stopsol ® glass cabinets feature doors in tempered glass with a bronze metallic substrate. Stopsol ® glass panels provide UV protection and are carefully crafted to maximize strength and stability. Aesthetically, they have a pleasing softness, capturing and holding light and reflecting the life of the home. Graceful, with furniture-like detail, the glass cabinets feature an integrated recessed handle and bronzed aluminum frame."

Arclinea
10 St. James Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
617.357.9777

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with representatives from Knoll at their offices and showroom located downtown on Stuart Street. We discussed upcoming lines and also a new exhibit at the Boston Architectural College. The exhibit features 10 pieces designed by the visionary Florence Knoll. The pieces in the exhibition illustrate Knoll's interpretation of Modern design and how it functions in commercial and residential spaces.

The exhibit began on October 4th and goes through October 25.

Boston Architectural College
320 Newbury St
Boston, MA 02115

Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Christopher, my good friend and a new contributor to Design Boston.

Christopher will be keeping us updated on the newest and best products from around the world - something he is especially knowledgeable about.

Welcome to DB, Chris!

I know you love Kartell. And you love sales. How 'bout Kartell's Annual Sale?

Starting Saturday, get 10% off new orders (2007 arrivals excluded), and up to 50% off select overstock, discontinued items and floor samples. But hurry, because the Kartell Annual Sale only lasts until the 14th.

Kartell Boston
10 Saint James Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
617-728-4442

Earlier this year, I wrote about Lisa and James Clunie and their clothing company, Rhombus. Rhombus recently had its one-year anniversary, so Lisa & James are celebrating by giving us 50% off!

For a limited time, browse through their online store, pick out what you like, and type in FF02 in the "coupon" section of the checkout screen. How cool is that!

Also, a big thank you goes out to Lisa & James for sending me a Binary T-shirt. The shirt is super comfortable, and the binary code matches my just-geeky-enough nature perfectly. (The photo above is of me in the shirt, my attention clearly not on the camera.)

This Thursday, stop by the Urban Living Studio for a wine & cheese reception for the painter Hector Ledesma.

Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Hector Ledesma is an accomplished painter with international recognition. He lives and works now in Boston and still travels frequently between his international shows and shows in the United States.

Hector Ledesma:
"My work is rooted in my never-ending curiosity of the world – the earth itself and everything that influences it. Visually exploring the current psychological state of the human being, human images and references to technology juxtapose to address contemporary cultural issues. The work creates a balance of beauty and awareness, even when observing the ecological disruption or political despair. I acknowledge the power of the formal structure of the world while exploring the beauty inherent
in the human experience."

Urban Living Studio
58 Clarendon St
Boston, MA 02116

DWR is teaming up with Knoll in the fight against breast cancer.

Throughout October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month), DWR will be auctioning off 10 Florence Knoll Benches upholstered in pink Spinneyback Riva leather. Nine of the pieces will be auctioned at individual DWR studios (sorry, not at either of the Boston-area studios), and the tenth will be auctioned online. All of the proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. For all the information on the dates and locations, click here.

Go, enter the auction (be generous!), and hopefully you will end up the proud owner of a design icon in a truly limited edition finish.

Lee Phenner, VP of Corporate Identity/Design for Hill|Holliday, a national marketing agency, emailed me to let me know about ReBrand 100. Since the woman's a marketing pro, I'll let her words speak for her:

ReBrand is a unique international branding award competition, and I say unique, that painfully overused word, because in this case, it is.

First, it's genuinely international in scope. Look at the jury and past winners.

It's only three years old, but has prestigious backing (RISD and the Center for Design & Business) and offers exposure through high profile sponsors and solid connections with international media. Feature articles have appeared in Fast Company, Yahoo Finance, CNN Money, etc.

Exposure focuses on the business press, because we can talk to ourselves all we want, but it'd be nice for prospective clients to see what we can do for them.

It spans every (eek, I hate this word) touchpoint, from architecture, interior design, and consumer environments to product design and development to brand communications — identity through advertising and everything in between.

It showcases the "Before" and "After" to reveal the power of the makeover.

It seeks entries from design firms, agencies, corporations, colleges, and nonprofits.

Past awards have gone to major global players like P&G and Virgin, large social services organizations like DAI, small nonprofits like the Alzheimer's Association, and colleges and universities like Vanderbilt.

Big or small, doesn't matter, as long as the work is great.

And it's all run by a phenomenal branding expert, Anaezi Modu.

Here's the kicker: The deadline for the competition is October 10th - one week from today. Go over to ReBrand and get going today.

Good luck!