2012 Readers' Choice Awards: Best Products

East Meets West
Durkan

East Meets West, the first product from Durkan’s collaboration with artist/illustrator Oren Sherman, merges Eastern art with Western style. The series’ two collections, Scheherazade and Barocco, both combine dramatic and playful styling into oversized graphic patterns. By combining Sherman’s artistic history with Durkan’s patterning and color capabilities, East Meets West takes the intricate details of a mural and transposes them into hospitality flooring.
www.durkan.com

WINNER:

Kirei Board
Kirei

Kirei Board is a composite panel manufactured from reclaimed sorghum straw, poplar wood bonding layers and a water-resistant, no-added formaldehyde adhesive. The reclaimed sorghum stalks used are a rapidly renewable resource left after the plant is harvested; the removal of stalks from the waste stream helps sequester carbon, making Kirei Board a carbon-negative material. Strong and lightweight, these panels are ideal for wall covering, cabinetry, furniture and flooring in commercial applications.
www.kireiusa.com

WINNER:

Eco-Dimensions Bamboo Wall Panels
Architectural Systems

Eco-Dimensions Bamboo Wall Panels from Architectural Systems offer an inspiring and sustainable solution for designers looking to create a feature wall, accent area or ceiling tile. These lightweight, flexible panels are made from pressed bamboo pulp, and can be painted or stained for an impactful visual statement. As bamboo is a rapidly renewable material, the product is naturally eco-friendly; the panels are also water repellent and sound absorbent. www.archsystems.com

WINNER:

Dewey 6-Top Table
Fixtures Furniture by izzy+

The 6-Top Table is a hospitable extension of the Dewey collection from Fixtures Furniture by izzy+. Inspired by changes in working and learning patterns, the Dewey 6-Top Table creates a spur-of-the-moment gathering place for up to six people in classrooms, libraries or student unions. The table can stand alone, pair with the Dewey 27-inch depth table to build wing configurations or link to other 6-Top Tables.
http://izzyplus.com

WINNER:

Sequel Collection
CF Stinson

Made from 50 percent recycled solution-dyed nylon, the Sequel Collection from CF Stinson is a skillful combination of sustainability, engineering and style. The line features five distinct patterns ranging from soft organic forms (Make Over, Second Act) to energetic lines and geometric shapes (Take Two, Come Back and Next Scene). All five patterns are also GREENGUARD certified.
www.cfstinson.com

WINNER:

Haiku Ceiling Fan
Big Ass Fans

“Industry-leading efficiency, a silent motor, tops-in-class airflow, sustainable materials, quality craftsmanship and minimalist design all combine to make me the perfect air-moving machine.” www.haikufan.com

WINNER:

Technology3 Credenza | AVTEQ

Ideal for creating state-of-the- art meeting rooms, the fully customizable Technology3 Credenza from AVTEQ’s Q-Solutions line of conferencing furniture can house all of your equipment in a highly secure and accessible location. The integrated screen mount eliminates wall mounting, allowing for easier reconfiguration of conferencing spaces. The mount supports a single 103-inch display, two 80-inch displays or three displays for telepresence applications.
http://avteq.net/

WINNER:

Element Disc LED Task Light | Humanscale

Humanscale’s Element Disc LED task light sets a new bar for lighting performance. Utilizing advanced Thin Film LED Technology™, Element Disc offers excellent illumination and light distribution in a slender profile, all with fingertip adjustability. The lamp contains 62 percent recycled and 96 percent recyclable content; it also includes an innovative Passive Infrared (PIR) occupancy sensor, which detects changes in the human heat profile and automatically turns itself on or off.
www.humanscale.com

WINNER:

Harvest Table
Allsteel

The Harvest Table is the newest addition to Allsteel’s Gather Collection of collaborative furnishings. Available in standing and seated heights, Harvest is an ideal solution for boardrooms, cafes or open plan meeting spaces. Its versatility is underscored by the variety of finishes, including 15 laminate and 12 veneer options. The open beam design provides a clean, linear aesthetic but also answers practical needs, with easy access to power and plenty of legroom.
www.allsteeloffice.com

WINNER:

sleepToo
Wieland

Wieland’s sleepToo sleep sofa addresses space constraints within the patient room by creating a “virtual family room” within a footprint of just 20 square feet. An integrated, adjustable-height table provides flexibility, while the pneumatically assisted sleep surface presents itself at the push of a button. A simple, full front design provides a clean look. Options include ottomans, drawers, and a variety of arm cap and leg styles.
www.wielandhealthcare.com

WINNER:

JumpSeat
Sedia Systems

JumpSeat from Sedia Systems features a high-design aesthetic that is ideal for auditoriums, theaters and public assembly areas. Plywood and spring steel create the backbone of JumpSeat’s cantilevered structure. Folding to less than 4 inches thick when not in use, the innovative seat allows for the maximum amount of people in the minimum amount of space. The line is available with armrests and in multiple laminate, veneer and upholstery options.
www.sediasystems.com

WINNERs:

Fontane | GD Cucine

Fontane, the first entry in GD Cucine’s Dogi bathroom collection, combines solid ash, natural stone, glass and marble into a series of clean, simple lines. The wood is available in six water-based stain tones, as well as a special dark finish; its surfaces are offered in eight Corian options, as well as stone and marble. Tall storage units, vanities, benches and other accessories round out the collection.
http://gdcucine.com

Paiova Monolith | Duravit

Duravit’s Paiova Monolith is carved out of a rectangular, acrylic monobloc, resulting in a seamless bathtub with continuous lines. An apron leads from the tub’s interior all the way down to the floor, removing the need for paneling. A host of optional features, including jet systems, colored lights and sound modules allow it to be tailored to the needs of any project.
www.duravit.us

Style Moderne Collection | Samuel Heath

Samuel Heath’s Style Moderne Collection is an Art Deco-inspired line of bathroom fixtures, all manufactured in solid brass and offered with a choice of finishes in chrome plate, polished nickel or antique gold. The gloss black chrome levers and cross top elements give it a modern edge that can appeal to a variety of design aesthetics.
www.samuel-heath.com

WINNER:

Breathe
DIRTT

Breathe from DIRTT allows for the incorporation of plants onto any flat, vertical building surface. The system is easily scalable and expandable, from one panel to a monolithic wall of plants. Designers can use Breathe to bring nature indoors and beautify and detoxify interior spaces—studies confirm that certain types of indoor plants reliably reduce total VOC loads by 75 percent, to below 100 parts per billion.
www.dirtt.net

WINNER:

Orbit XXL
DEDON

To celebrate the 10th birthday of the Orbit lounger from DEDON, designer Richard Frinier has created a supersized version called the Orbit XXL. The new version is 25 percent larger than the original, measuring 87.5 inches in diameter. Offered with or without a canopy and in a variety of fabrics, the Orbit XXL also ships with easy-gliding casters for quick repositioning.
www.dedon.com

WINNER:

The Maharam Collection | Joel Berman Glass Studios

Joel Berman Glass Studios presents an innovative collection that translates Maharam’s signature textile designs onto glass. The Maharam Collection makes use of a flexible precision digital printing process to accurately transfer the company’s designs and colors onto large panels of glass that can be used for building facades, backsplashes and wall dividers. The glass can be scaled to suit site-specific applications in tempered, laminated, drilled or polished fabricated glass.
www.jbermanglass.com

WINNER:

Shift
Think Fabricate

A balance of elegance and function, Shift from Think Fabricate is a structural composition of color, material and form that also provides great wall-mounted storage. It can be assembled into different configurations to accommodate various spaces, from entire walls (Shift Connect) to corners (Shift Corner) and narrow spaces (Shift 48/36/30). The design detail: These cabinets take the classic edge profile and give it a new twist.
www.dobanarchitecture.com