FOCAL POINT STYLING: AD HOME DESIGN SHOW + DIFFA + BLOG TOUR NYC 2014

Today is the First day of Spring, along with some exciting trade show happenings! NYC is kicking off Spring with the 13th Annual Architectural Digest Home Design Show, happening March 20 - 23 at Pier 94. Also known as the AD Home Design Show, the event will host 300+ exhibitors PLUS design seminars, cooking demonstrations, book signings, cocktail receptions, along with brand and product launches + debuts. One of the debut's at the AD Home Design Show will be a pop-up shop concept called ‘The Shops’ – an on location retail experience with products available for immediate purchase. The new cash & carry market features The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt, DwellStudio, AllModern (a division of Wayfair), and more. Even if you are unable to attend the event, thanks to social media, you can follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #ADHDS2014.

New York Times Designer Seminar Series Panelists - including NY Designer, Patrick J. Hamilton.

One of the featured seminars will be the Jenn-Air Master Class Studio, featuring exclusive programs including trade seminars organized by Architectural Digest, a keynote presentation by Editor-in-Chief Margaret Russell, and a three-day New York Times Designer Seminar Series. I wish I was able to attend, if only to see & hear my friend, Interior Designer Patrick J. Hamilton speak as a panel member for “Design Dot Com: The Changing State of the Industry,” on Saturday afternoon. Patrick is also one of the several talented designers participating in the Design on A Dime Event, coming up later this Spring in April. More about DOAD coming up shortly, but be sure to check out Patrick's vignette contribution on my previous post: Charity Causes Get Vignette Set, plus read Patrick's blog at AskPatrick.

Co-Located for the sixth consecutive year with the AD Home Design Show will be the 30th Annual DIFFA - Dining By Design Charity Event. DIFFA is Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS and is one of the country’s largest supporters of direct care for people living with HIV/AIDS plus preventive education for those at risk. Founded in 1984 by Patricia Green and Larry Pond, DIFFA has granted funds to organizations which fight AIDS by providing:

preventive education programs targeted to populations at risk of infection
treatment and direct-care services for people living with HIV/AIDS
public policy initiatives which add resources to private sector efforts

The DIFFA - Dining By Design Event will kick-off this evening, Thursday, March 20, with a Cocktails by Design Preview Party from 7 - 10 pm and a Gala Dinner will take place Monday evening from 6:30 - 11 pm. If you are unable to attend these evening soirees, you'll still be able to view the magic tablescapes and dining environments Friday, March 21thru Saturday, March 22 from 11am—7pm and Sunday, March 23 from 10am—6pm. For tickets to attend any of the DIFFA events, visit: diffa.org.

Sneak Peek of one of this years table & dining environment designs:

"Love is Life" table by DVF for Kravet at DIFFA - instagram

In addition to DIFFA - New York, they also have these additional chapter locations:

Chicago www.diffachicago.org

Dallas www.diffadallas.org

Detroit www.michiganaidscoalition.org

Kansas City www.diffakc.org

San Francisco www.diffasf.org

Seattle www.diffaseattle.org

Besides following the AD Home Design show on twitter at #ADHDS2014, you can also follow at #DIFFA -- AND -- #BlogTourNYC. Meet the bloggers of Blog Tour NYC 2014 on Modenus.