Glass-Like Dimmer Knobs I Had to Touch and More Engaging Objects at the Afternoon Light Design Fair
Brutalist flatware, extremely witchy wooden furniture, and drippy candlestick holders made for a tactile show at NYCxDesign’s more curated counterpart to ICFF.
Brutalist flatware, extremely witchy wooden furniture, and drippy candlestick holders made for a tactile show at NYCxDesign’s more curated counterpart to ICFF.
This story is part of Fair Take, our reporting on global design events that looks up close at the newest ideas in fixtures, furnishings, and more.
New York design week originally coalesced around the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), the massive annual trade show at the Javits Center. But these days, the NYCxDesign event calendar is packed with exhibitions, talks, and trade fairs across the city. One of its highlights this year is Afternoon Light, which debuted in 2025 as Shelter, itself an evolution of the online collectible designer retailer cofounded by the organizers of the home accessories expo Shoppe Object.
You can think of Afternoon Light as ICFF’s more indie-minded younger sibling; spread across the fifth and sixth floors of downtown Manhattan’s much-talked about WSA building, the design fair showcases more than 75 brands and designers across furniture, lighting, and collectible works. The mix includes up-and-coming makers—students at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design presented a series of market-ready 3D-printed table lamps that I loved—alongside established names like Danish furniture company Carl Hansen & Søn. But there were also cool-kid brands and independent designers and artists, many of whose work we’ve featured, including Dwell 24 alum Muhly, Matthew McCormick, Ben Willett, Sam Klemick, and Jialun Xiong.
I took a quick visit with Dwell’s senior visuals editor Valeria Suasnavas to scan the objects in the show—here’s what made us pull out our phones.
Muhly and Studio/ Jialun Xiong
From left: Dwell 24 alum Muhly’s display included new collections like the Dekko and the Prairie pendant, the latter developed with Scott Parks Studio. Elsewhere at the fair, Los Angeles’s Studio/ Jialun Xiong also introduced new work that includes color and pattern, like the soft-yellow leather-upholstered Void chair, marking an expansion from its monochromatic practice.
Photo: Valeria Suasnavas
Palet
Palet, from Utrecht, the Netherlands, makes made-to-order glazed ceramic wall tiles.
Photo: Valeria Suasnavas
I’m a fan of Dutch studio Palet’s made-to-order glazed ceramic wall tiles, so this modular installation for the brand’s North American debut caught my eye as soon as I walked in.
Quartered
Quartered launched at Afternoon Light with a hand-painted coffee table available in six colorways.
Photo: Valeria Suasnavas
See the full story on Dwell.com: Glass-Like Dimmer Knobs I Had to Touch and More Engaging Objects at the Afternoon Light Design Fair
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