Now that New York Design week is officially over, we are finally getting a chance to breathe and start writing non-ICFF posts again. For those of you who are tired of hearing about furniture – this is good news for you. But before we get back to business as usual, we want to wrap up design week by sharing our overall impressions of ICFF 2006.

Word on the street was that this years trends were “playfulness” and “eco-chic” (see BusinessWeek’s writeup). While we are obviously fans of both, we find it a little ironic to see these being targeted as “design trends” of 2006, instead of just elements of good design. Of course, as it is every year, ICFF 2006 was filled with a lot of mediocre rehashings of the same old-same old that had to be waded through to get to the real gems. But there were enough inspiring moments to make walking up and down that green carpet all worth while.

Every year, ICFF gathers a bunch of design magazine editors to jury the “Editors Choice Awards.” Alas, Inhabitat editors were not included on this illustruous list, (what?!) so we are going to give out our own awards below. But first, the trends.

2006 Trends:

Design on steroids Normal furniture made very, very large seemed to be a recurring theme:

Giant tea-cup hottub Dutchtub

Monolithic Design – Design made from the sum of its parts Lamps made from electrical cords, candlesticks made out of candles, etc

StudioMold Electric Cord Chandelier

Stallard Candle Candlesticks

INHABITAT 2006 EDITORS CHOICE AWARDS

Best in Show (we must concur with the other editors here): Artenica & Molo

We can’t get enough of Tord Boontje Or Molo

Most Innovative: NONDesigns

NONDesigns Topo Table

NONDesigns Water Lamp

Greenest of the Green:

The Green6 of course

Brent Comber’s reclaimed wood furniture

Iannone:Sanderson Kirei and bamboo furniture

Pretty Shiny Award:

Lite Brite Neon

Cai-Lighting

Niche Modern

Most Arresting Booth: – Mads Hagstrom of FLOW

FLOW

Hipsterest Collection: – Citizen:Citizen

Frederikson Stallard Candle

Frederikson Stallard Cross Brushes

Best Up-and-Comer: Matt Gagnon

We love Matt Gagnon

Best patterns: DForm & Tord Boontje

One of Dform’s gorgeous new patterns

Boontje Boontje Boontje