Design Beyond with Delta + Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in NYC
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Delta®. The opinions and text are all mine.
Today I’m so excited to share all the details about my recent trip to NYC and how I learned more about Delta® Faucet and their commitment to innovation. It was fascinating, and I gained valuable insight about the Design Beyond™ vision with Delta and their remarkable partnership with the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States dedicated solely to design. It has a notable history having housed the Carnegie family. The architectural details, historical preservation coupled with the latest environmentally friendly technology makes this museum the perfect location for this event!
This is the second year of an exciting event that kicks off National Design Week. This year’s theme situated around designing for the senses. What an incredible opportunity to be able to join the Delta design team, my fellow design enthusiasts, bloggers and influencers at this event in a city that always inspires you to push the boundaries in design – New York!
The night began with beautiful music engaging our sense of sound. An interactive feature wall greeted us. I had the opportunity to utilize touch to customize this wall filled with movable balls in a variety of colors. Gorgeous red paper flowers peppered the room, and each had a unique scent. I literally had a “stop and smell the roses” – I mean paper flowers – moment, and they smelled amazing! The room engaged our sense of sight with a dramatic color palette of dark blue paired with vibrant shades of red.
We then were welcomed by Laura Brooks, Director of Brand Management at Delta, who elaborated on the design mission at Delta and their commitment to pushing the boundaries of design and technology. The co-creator of the Cooper Hewitt Exhibition, “The Senses: Design Beyond Vision” Andrea Lipps, set the stage giving us context and reminding us how we interact with our environment “experiencing curiosity, joy and wonder” via our senses.
Shortly after, Seth Fritz, Senior Industrial Designer for Delta, and Bobby Berk made their grand entrance! I was so excited to hear the dialogue between these incredibly amazing designers! Seth and Bobby discussed how design really involves engaging every single one of our senses – for example via touch, sight, smell, and sound.
Bobby led us through how he engages the senses during his design process. I took a moment to think about how I do the same. I had never thought about it in this context and realized how important considering our senses, with respect to design, allows you to create the perfect product or space. Bobby mentioned that “your home should be your oasis to relax” and I couldn’t agree more! He mentioned for example, how important engaging your sight with lighting and colors in a room and how “you only have one chance to make a first impression” and how you make it is with first engaging the sense of sight.
Seth Fritz introduced the Delta design team behind the latest concept installation. This conversation was engaging and inspiring and led to the reveal of their latest conceptual design installation – Delta Avvalo.
At first glance I thought – wow, this is very futuristic and forward thinking! I began to hear and see more about Avvalo and the background of this incredible design. It was fascinating to learn that with the touch of your hand you can instantly turn on the faucet. With just the simple wave of a hand users are able to adjust the water temperature. If you desire cooler water, simply wave your hand towards the blue color. Avvalo goes beyond your typical porcelain sink and vanity combo. It pushes the design envelope in every single way.
This faucet engages your sense of touch by activating it, sight with the vibrant colors to alert you to the changing of water temperature with blue and red, and sound by hearing the calming sound of the water flow from this innovative conceptual faucet.
After the reveal we had an opportunity to interact with this incredible faucet and it was so easy to operate and a super fun interactive experience all the way around! I had the opportunity to meet the mind behind the design – Tony Spangler, the Industrial Design Project Manager, as he helped me navigate the faucet and understand the design process. He mentioned and reminded me how water is truly this incredible “sensory medium, we can’t exist without it and it is a part of every part of our life.”
Another highlight of the evening was being able to take an after-hours private tour of Cooper Hewitt. I was able to engage all of my senses with the exhibits. These are some of the highlights that I wanted to share with you!
I was in awe gazing up this staircase – the intricate details of the wood and moldings were absolutely gorgeous and oh so grand!
I don’t always take mirror selfies but when I do it’s in front of a beautifully ornate gold mirror that is a piece of history!
The vibrant colors of the museum juxtaposed with the warm wood floors and modern metal and glass.
This fireplace stole my heart with the vintage feel, marble, and molding detail. I felt like for a moment I had been transported back in time…
A forward-thinking concept of future tablescapes that can easily expand and contract to accommodate multiple people and by doing so save on space.
This wallpaper was incredible!
I left feeling inspired and very grateful for this opportunity! Using my Delta faucet daily I of course have a huge appreciation for the design process. In order to remain innovative in a fast paced world, you constantly have to challenge yourself to think beyond design and the design process.
Having a design beyond mindset allows the Delta design team to think beyond our everyday faucets. Major kudos to Delta for gaining new perspectives and pushing the envelope creatively to engage our senses! Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity – I am so grateful for this experience!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Delta Faucet. The opinions and text are all mine.
Thanks as always for stopping by,
