Fun and interesting events and seminars are coming up at Boston Design Market at the Boston Design Center, October 2 and 3. Market programs will be offered for consumers and designers to explore current and future design topics and trends. And, as always, it’s fun to check out the Boston Design Center and all that it has to offer.
Keynotes including “Dawning of Interior Design in America” with Michael Carter, “How to Live in a House” with Chesie Breen, and “Upcoming Trends” with Marisa Marcantonio sound especially neat to me! The two-day event includes a “Textile Stroll” at several BDC showrooms.
Speaking of textiles, one of my favorite things about shopping for (or with) clients at the Boston Design Center over the years has been shopping for fabrics and textiles. The virtually unlimited array of selections is wonderful, and I especially enjoy picking out fabrics for furniture and window treatments. It takes experience and know-how to effectively browse the showrooms and their offerings. For newcomers, it can be daunting. A designer with good background knowledge about, and connections to, the various showrooms is invaluable. Several showrooms such as Kravet (one of my favorites) offer furniture programs that combine great fabrics with great furniture options, creating smart and good-looking upholstery pieces for residential or commercial projects.
The Boston Design Center, in The Innovation and Design Building, has an interesting history. Built in 1918, the building originally served as a storehouse for the US Army. During World War II, as many as 50,000 people worked at the South Boston Army base and the South Boston Naval Annex, repairing naval ships and distributing goods and supplies. Even today, you’ll frequently see naval ships at dock for repair or maintenance, plus cruise ships at the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal on the other side of the building. The City of Boston purchased the building in 1983 and established the Boston Marine Industrial Park, and Boston Design Center became one of the tenants. When I first worked in Boston, at Bierly-Drake Associates on Newbury Street, I remember shopping at the original Decorators’ Building on Boylston Street and then shifting over to the new and exciting Boston Design Center in the mid 80’s. Its high ceilings and vast expanse created perfect showroom spaces, and parking was easily accessible at the front of the building.
A couple of hours or even a full day at BDC is well worth the time. It’s interesting and fun to explore the showrooms for furniture, lighting, fabrics, tile and many other design elements! Shopping with a designer by your side makes it even better.