Design on a Dime 2011

Co-Chair, Nate Berkus, getting the crowd going. It was all elbows from here on in.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Housing Works' 7th-annual Design on a Dime fundraiser. For those of you who don't already know, it's an unbelievably cool 3-day shopping experience in which some of the best interior designers in the country develop room vignettes -- from new, donated, and thrifted merch -- and then sell everything to benefit those living with HIV/AIDS. It's always loads of fun, and the talent and inspiration never ceases to amaze.

Everyone hanging out in the chic photo gallery/lounge.

I did trendspotting at last year's event for ShelterPop. And this year, two things stood out. Animals (paintings, photos, needlepoint(!), sculpture) and bright color (near-fluorescent walls, floors, bedding, you name it).

Fortunately, I love both.

The Regal Beagle: Form Architecture + Interiors
had me staring forever at this massive portrait.

This year, I was loving more out-of-the-ordinary elements, too -- the wacky things that worked.

Founding chair, James Huniford, always delightfully heavy on the industrial
elements, this time incorporated an atypical surrealist scene. 

Larry Ruhl designed his High Falls Mercantile station, which was gorgeous. 

Decoupaged walls (covered in pages from an old encyclopedia) put you back in time, 

and made the Mercantile's rough-hewn wood elements and botanicals look right at home.

Pothead meets acid trip. This is just wild.
And I couldn't get enough of Arlene Angard's chartreuse booth.

Miles Redd's Pop art-y experience was extraordinary. His use of color is always near-flawless and his balance is never off. Habitually Chic has nice shot of the right wall, which is dotted with black flower-filled vases.

SpongeBob SquarePants?! Nickelodeon made his theme legit--and lovely! 

Asler Valero's wet bar was astounding. The organic paper light treatments were larger than life -- and looked exactly like albino tortoise shells. They just worked.

Monkeying around at Jack Bergamino for Paul Smith, and ogling the always drool-worthy signature stripes.

Somehow I almost missed Daniel M. Pafford's inventive tribute-to-Liz booth.
 The vino was flowing. Well, perhaps the best for last. One humble Q, though: No aubergine walls?

I'm going to cheat a little here and give you some stuff that isn't home design, but as I said, color really knocked my socks off this year. And it was certainly everywhere, in spades. ♥A.