Last night I posted about the DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) Dining by Design exhibition. Today, as promised, I want to share with you a few of the exhibitors that really stood out for me at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. The rest can be seen in my Flickr album starting here.

Marretti Stairs. I cannot overstate how lovely and ethereal these are in person. The living room in my tiny house is (idiotically) bisected by a flight of stairs leading to the second floor. If I could replace them with these self-effacing beauties, I think it would really open up the room. And yes, I have thought about the fingerprints.

Stikwood. Yes, I know it’s paneling, but their product is easy to use, good for the planet, and stunning. Theirs was one of the first promotional emails I received after my credentials were accepted to the show (so I actually read it), and I was completely blown away. It was as good in person as it was on the internet.

Smeg. Smeg makes all kinds of deliciously-designed kitchen appliances, both big and small. I’m especially susceptible to their 50’s Retro line. But when I saw their electric kettle, it made me want to drink tea, and I hate tea. The whole line is lovely, and their colors are perfection.

Calma-E-Gesso. They make game tables in lucite, which sounds idiotic, but you have to see them to understand just how beautiful they are. And honestly, who doesn’t need a lucite pool table or ping pong table? Nobody, that’s who.

Pup & Kit. As much fun as I had looking at the people furniture, I was perhaps most entertained by the gloriously-designed pet furniture by Pup & Kit. Not for the faint of wallet, one of these stunners will set you back more than $600, but isn’t your fur child worth it?

Dean Jackson. Aeropod by Dean Jackson is so intriguing and so confusing, when I looked at it on the internet, I didn’t know how to feel about it. Once I saw them in person and spent some time with Dean himself, however, that sorted itself out. Imagine something that looks like the grille from a classic car which opens to reveal a handsome storage cabinet for your “collections.” Makes no sense, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting one. Who am I kidding? I want them all.

Lefroy Brooks: Dear Boat Bathtub, Please be mine. This thing is a wonder. Made of a solid cast aluminum outer with an acrylic liner, it weighs less than 1/4 of the old claw-foot tubs, but it’s super durable and just as stylish.

Spin Ceramics: We could not get enough of these fantastic face vases. I know it sounds crazy, but they were so fantastic in person, it was almost physically painful to walk away. I felt a little better when I found out the that set of 12 was nearly $300, but not much.

And here are a few of my other favorite exhibitors: