200th Episode – Design Bloggers Conference
Today in The Lounge, Nick celebrates his 200th episode at The Design Bloggers Conference, an integral reason for how The Chaise Lounge has gotten to where it is today. Special shout out to Design Manager, one of the first sponsors of the show, Benjamin Moore who has been with the show from the beginning, and Porcelanosa. Nick chats with designer and fellow podcaster, Rachel Moriarity, Jeanine and Brian from Aprhochic, Tina Nicole co-founder of Nathan Anthony, the ladies of Four Friends Designs, award-winning fabric designer Mally Skok and finally concludes with Caroline Hipple of Norwalk Furniture and Aviva Stanoff. Stay tuned to the end of the show for the latest Chaise Lounge Updates and JLF Contest Announcement!
Rachel Moriarty
Rachel Moriarty is attending The Design Bloggers Conference for the second time. This year she is attending as both a designer and a podcaster. She is now in the second year of her Podcast, Design + Style, which she produces twice a week with co-host Dixie, and as always, is traveling with her co-host, Flat Dixie. For Rachel, the experience at the DBC is different each time. This year she is interested in affiliate marketing and connecting with brands in the networking lounge. To connect with Rachel visit her website and her podcast.
Jeanine and Brian from Aphrochic
Aphrochic is an Interior Design firm specializing in commercial, residential, branding, and product design. They are the first black company to have their own line of paint, are authors and also have a show on HGTV House Hunter’s page, Sneak Peak with Aphrochic. Their company started with an idea of modern design and culture within the home decor space. Although not designers by training, Jeanne is an attorney and Brian is an academic, they started a blog writing about design with a highlight on diversity. What started as a hobby eventually became their profession. Soon they discovered a product gap in the market where they didn’t see products geared towards people of color. This led them to their first book deal. For Aphrochic design is an ethnographic study into who a person is. Brands now come to them because they like their aesthetic and their focus on the intersection between modern design and global culture. To learn more, follow Aprochic on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook or visit their website.
Tina Nicole
Tina Nicole is the co-founder of Nathan Anthony, a furniture company with LA origins, known for their custom furniture pieces and colorful tone. The company started in 2005 when her husband, a local mattress, and sofa manufacturer who owned his own factory, asked her to come in and pick fabrics. Naming the business after their son, they did a few local trade shows and then the business took off. They now showcase their products at High Point Market and Design Bloggers Conference. This is their first year attending and showcasing at the Conference. To learn more visit their website or follow them on Instagram and Twitter.
Four Friends Designs
Elizabeth, Meg, Renee and Sheila, the owners of Four Friends Design all went to school together at the New York School of Design. After school, the four friends moved away from New York and worked at top design firms across the country. Although they have been on their own for 10 years they continued to stay in touch, utilizing each other as design resources. About two years ago they had the idea to harness the power of their collective minds and various design styles and resources into one business. They started a blog called Four Friends Design which they manage in addition to their full-time job, each taking turns writing posts. The goal of the interiors and lifestyle focused blog is to tell the real truth, from four different perspectives from designers spanning four distinct regions of the United States. To learn more, visit their website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Leslie Price
Leslie Price had a life-changing moment after her parents passed away and she realized while cleaning up their house, that what was most important was creating a home that has memories. She started her company Price Style and Design after a career in home staging. Her blog focuses on before and afters, promoting local artists, and curating furnishings that look great with the artwork from the artists she follows. She typically works on about 20 projects of varying scale at one time as she tries not to turn away projects even if the timing isn’t right. To connect with Leslie visit her website and Instagram.
Mally Skok
Mally Skok was born in South Africa and moved to Boston 20 yrs ago. Upon arrival to the states, she was shocked that every house she visited in Boston was empty. She started helping friends furnish their houses which eventually evolved into decorating. She enjoys helping people live in their house so it feels like a home. Her basic instinct has always been fabric driven. As a young child, she loved color constantly found herself repeating patterns in her drawings. About 10 yrs ago on a trip to India, her sister suggested that she start her own fabric line. Ever since this, her business has grown organically. She prefers to stick to smaller showrooms with a curated selection of handmade fabrics. To learn more visit her website or follow her on Instagram.
Caroline Hipple and Aviva Standoff
Caroline Hipple of Norwalk Furniture and Aviva Standoff will be collaborating on a special event at High Point Market called, The Point. Celebrating authenticity and the maker movement, The Point is an experiential visual event offering different perspectives on the manufacturing process showcasing the process of how a furniture piece comes together. Aviva will be hand painting upholstery panels and Caroline will upholster a Rhonda Sofa from Norwalk Furniture with Aviva’s painted fabric. At the Design Bloggers Conference Aviva is painting Silk Scarves to benefit the philanthropic organization Savvy Giving. Savvy Giving is a non-profit organization providing a newly designed bedroom to children undergoing chemotherapy.To learn more about Norwalk Furniture, go to their website or visit them at High Point Market located in the main building, right behind the registration desk. To learn more about Aviva, visit her website, Instagram or at High Point Market at Interhall 606, across from the main building.
Chaise Lounge Updates
The Student Podcast is coming. The Chaise Lounge is putting a team together to work with students and interior designers to record a student-run podcast. If you are a student, brand or teacher and interested in learning more reach out to us in the Question? or Contact Us section of the website.
#MakeMyChasise Design Competition Want to design a chaise lounge and see it on display at BD west in November? To enter sketch a chaise lounge, and put it on Instagram or Facebook with the tag #makemychaise by Sunday, April 22 at midnight. The top five designs will be announced at the JLF booth on HD Expo. Then it’s up to the community to vote for the top design. The winning designer will receive a trip to NY to attend the show and their winning design will be manufactured and on display during the show. For official rules click here.
Resources
JLF Collections – New sponsor! Furniture for the hospitality industry.
- Upcoming Events
BD West – April 4 – 5
High Point Market – April 14 – 18
HD Expo – May 2 – 4
ICFF – May 20 – 23
NeoCon – June 11 – 13
Wrap Up
If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com. Lastly, find The Chaise Lounge on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter or post a review on iTunes, you may even hear your review read live on our next podcast. With that said keep dreaming big, and keep designing a great design business. See ya!