The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show's 2015 Designer Showcase: The Art of Integrating Antiques into Contemporary Interiors

Each year,  the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show welcomes a flock of eager collectors, leading art and design professionals, and top international dealers to the Palm Beach County Convention Center. A hallmark of the Palm Beach social season, the elegant show presents premier offerings ranging in style from classical to contemporary and thoughtful programming that fosters the understanding and appreciation of art and antiques.

One of the most highly-anticipated elements of the 2015 Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show is the Designer Showcase, which features six captivating vignettes created by the world’s most influential interior designers, including Campion Platt, Suzanne Kasler, Gil Walsh, William and Phyllis Taylor of Taylor & Taylor, Lars Bolander, and Jennifer Garrigues. The designers have been asked to create spaces using fine art, furniture, and decorative accessories from exhibitors in the show. The vignettes hold enormous value for visitors as they illustrate how antiques can be integrated into contemporary interiors to elevate and enhance today’s environments. According to Scott Diament, CEO of the Palm Beach Show Group, “The main benefit that the showcase has for collectors and buyers is that they can see what an expert does with the items being sold at the show. When dealers curate a booth, they don’t curate as a designer would a room. They have different goals. The designers are experts in how items fit in everyday life.”

The Designer Showcase, which is in its fourth year,  will be helmed by the celebrated New York-based designer Campion Platt. Platt, who is best known for his luxurious interiors that emphasize fine craftsmanship, contemporary styling, and eco-friendly design, has been featured in Architectural Digest’s esteemed AD100 list of the world’s top designers. He has spent over twenty years honing his personal  style -- a mix of modern sophistication and opulent details, which  is evident in all of his projects, ranging from residences and boutique hotels to lines of furniture and textile collections. To view projects by Campion Platt on InCollect, please click HERE.

Platt, who, along with Diament, hand-picked each of the designers featured in the Showcase, aimed to reinvigorate the event with a panel discussion. “I not only wanted great designers, but people who could contribute to everything surrounding the showcase – lectures, panels, etc. – and add to the interest in the show and the Designer Showcase,” he explained. The discussion, which will be held on Saturday, February 14, at 4:00PM, will be moderated by Veranda’s Interiors Editor Carolyn Englefield and will focus on a variety of design topics, allowing each designer to express their unique points of view. The panel discussion is part of a full day of design-related programming that will also include lectures and book signings hosted by Platt and Taylor & Taylor.

The Designer Showcase vignettes will further allow each participant to demonstrate their singular styles as well as their individual approaches to incorporating antiques into contemporary interiors. According to Diament, the Designer Showcase benefits from incredible diversity among the Palm Beach Show’s exhibitors. “You are able to put an eighteenth-century French item with a mid-century item to create something really interesting,” he says. “To have rooms that are not just designed based on one period, but a diversity of periods really reflects the diversity that is present in the way people live today.” The designers will choose from a stellar roster of exhibitors that includes Avery Galleries, Clinton Howell Antiques, Debra Force Fine Art, Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge Inc., G. Sergeant Antiques, Gerald Peters Gallery, Jeffrey Tillou Antiques, Lillian Nassau LLC, Rehs Galleries, Thomas Colville Fine Art, Tom Veilleux Gallery, and Vallejo Gallery.   

After the designers finish their spaces, each vignette will be turned into an immersive 3D model -- a unique feature facilitated by Platt and InsideMaps, a company that specializes in creating 3D renderings and floor plans of home interiors. InsideMaps will photograph each vignette, including the objects used from the show, and transform them into web-based digital replicas. The 3D models, which will be displayed on monitors at the show, will be accessible on the Palm Beach Show’s website, allowing those who are not at the show to take virtual tours of each vignette from their computer, tablet, or smartphone.   

Among the the professionals participating in the Designer Showcase is Gil Walsh, a Palm Beach- and Martha’s Vineyard-based designer whose refined taste is informed by her classical design training  as well as her profound interest in architecture, art history, and antiques. Walsh’s seamless integration of style and function into her designs is apparent in all of her projects, from private residences, country clubs, resort hotels, and yachts, to corporate headquarters. For her Palm Beach Designer Showcase vignette, Walsh has teamed up exclusively with AERIN, the luxury lifestyle brand from Aerin Lauder. Walsh will feature products from the brand’s home collection curated in such a way to present “a room with a point of view.” Walsh plans to use AERIN fabrics by Lee Jofa, AERIN furniture by E.J. Victor, and AERIN lighting by Visual Comfort. She explains, “AERIN fabrics by Lee Jofa are ideal for Palm Beach, many inspired by Aerin’s travels and very personal memories and experiences, including her grandmother’s exquisite homes. They are a wonderful complement to the look our clients prefer in a myriad of patterns and colorways.  Aerin’s personal style and sophistication make the fabric and her decorative accessories perfect for the Palm Beach look.” To view projects by Gil Walsh on InCollect, please click HERE.

Jennifer Garrigues draws inspiration for her glamorous and exuberant designs from her time as a high fashion model for haute couture designers such as Christian Dior and James Galanos. Her sharp eye for sumptuous materials and graceful shapes allow her to create interiors that are sophisticated yet approachable. Garrigues has offices in Palm Beach and New York City, offering design services for residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. She also offers a curated selection of antiques, furniture, and decorative accessories at her Palm Beach location. Garrigues’ interiors have been featured in Southern Accents, The Robb Report, Traditional Home, Luxe, and The New York Times. To view projects by Jennifer Garrigues on InCollect, please click HERE.

Born in Sweden, Lars Bolander’s daring designs are rooted in his Scandinavian heritage. Clean and functional, Bolander’s spaces stand out thanks to his unique touches inspired by his diverse background and extensive travels. His deft ability to blend ideas and geographic styles makes Bolander a favorite among international clientele. he has showrooms in New York City as well as Palm Beach. Bolander’s interiors have  been featured in House Beautiful, Vogue, Home & Design, World of Interiors, Southern Accents, The Robb Report, American House & Garden, English House & Garden, Chinese Residence, Elle Décor, Architectural Digest, and The Wall Street Journal. To view projects by Lars Bolander on InCollect, please click HERE.

Atlanta-based designer Suzanne Kasler believes that "a room should be collected, not decorated." Her expertly crafted interiors seamlessly incorporate the personal collections of her clients with fine art and antiques, contemporary pieces, and custom-designed furniture. Elegant, timeless, and  inviting, Kasler’s style is rooted in her comprehensive knowledge of interior architecture and decorative arts. Kasler’s classically inspired spaces, charming palettes, and comfortable interiors have been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, and Veranda. She has been named to Architectural Digest’s AD100 and Elle Décor’s A-List. Her interiors have also been captured in two monographs by Rizzoli, Inspired Interiors and Timeless Style. To view projects by Suzanne Kasler on InCollect, please click HERE.

During their 30-plus years in the design business, William and Phyllis Taylor, the duo behind Miami Beach’s Taylor & Taylor Inc., have cultivated a lush, tropical aesthetic that has become their signature style. Inspired by the indigenous elements of climate, water, and the carefree ambience of the tropics, the Taylors’ interiors forge connections between the built environment and nature. From mountaintop retreats to oceanfront estates, the Taylors’ authentic designs are defined by their casual approach to living and their reverence for the simple luxuries of life. Their award-winning interiors have been featured in Metropolitan Home, Coastal Living, Florida Architecture, Florida Design, The Miami Herald, The Robb Report, and their recently released monograph, Classic Florida Style: The Houses of Taylor & Taylor. To view projects by Taylor & Taylor on InCollect, please click HERE.

On January 8, 2015, Diament, Platt, and the 2015 Designer Showcase Committee hosted a Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show kickoff party at the luxurious Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Diament welcomed over 100 guests to the event, which honored the Showcase designers, and shared his excitement for the upcoming show as well as the opening night party benefitting the event’s official charity partner, the American Red Cross.

The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show’s Opening Night Preview Party will be held on Friday, February 13, 2015. The show will remain open to the public from Saturday, February 14, 2015, through Tuesday, February 17, 2015. For more information regarding the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show and the Designer Showcase, please visit www.palmbeachshow.com.