Boutique Design - April 2015 - 8

BEYONCÉ, A BANQUETTE
AND THE BOUTIQUE 18
IT'S A GIVEN that members of the Boutique 18

are highly creative and immensely resourceful
individuals-otherwise, they would not make our
annual roster of up-and-coming interior designers.
Still, each year offers up some wonderfully unique
instances of those traits in action. This, the award's
10th iteration, is no exception. Two noteworthy
examples: Rockwell Group's Thom Forsyth drew
up a paper sculpture dress that caught Beyoncé's
eye, while K2M Design's Kelly Cook came up with a
timely solution for getting a large banquette into a
space with a too-small entrance.
Forsyth recalls the thrill of having Beyoncé's
team call, saying the singer/song writer/actress
wanted to use his design for a paper sculpture dress
that she planned to wear during her performance at
this year's Grammys. "It didn't happen-but she had
the dress and tried to make it work!" he recalls. That
situation probably comes as no surprise to Rockwell
principal and studio leader Greg Keffer, who was
among those putting Forsyth's hat in the ring for
the B18. "Thom has grown quickly to become a true
leader in my studio, crafting concepts and designs
for a very diverse range of projects," Keffer noted.
"He also has a talent for sourcing and designing
custom furniture and unique FF&E for his projects. But even more unusual is that he has the valuable attribute of maintaining client relationships-a
difficult trait to possess, as it involves both design
and business leadership."
Meantime, in nominating Cook to the B18,
K2M design director Kelli Schaffran noted that
the honoree-to-be was on a project "where the
banquette ordered for the space was too long to

come in through the doors. So Kelly contracted
with a company to supply a crane to get it brought
in through a window opening. She figures out how
to get things done!"
For more on the accomplishments of Forsyth,
Cook and the other members of the B18's class of
2015, turn to page 30. In addition, we're continuing
our effort to reconnect with past winners, via the
"Boutique 18 Update" that's now a regular feature
in our Buzz section. This month we catch up
with Gensler's Aurora Carlon (class of 2013) who
recently moved from that firm's L.A. office to its
Seattle locale.
One final Boutique 18-related note: If you'd like
to meet this year's honorees in person, please be
sure to attend this year's BDwest, April 8-9, at the
San Diego Convention Center's Sails Pavilion. The
class of 2015 will be inducted at a pre-show ceremony from 5:30-6:30 pm on April 7 at the Omni San
Diego Hotel, and will also be feted that night from
6:30-8:30 pm at the BDwest Opening Reception at
207 at the Hard Rock San Diego. Then, the following
day, the 18 will sit with me for a lively give-andtake from 4-5 p.m. on the Sails Pavilion Terrace. For
more on BDwest and all it has to offer, please go to
boutiquedesignwest.com

EDITORIAL
Executive Editor
Mary Scoviak
mary.scoviak@stmediagroup.com
Editor
Matthew Hall
matthew.hall@stmediagroup.com
Art Director
Kelly Farrar
kelly.farrar@stmediagroup.com
Assistant Editor
Christina Green
christina.green@stmediagroup.com

SALES
Associate Publisher/
Business Development Manager,
Midwest/West
Melani Beattie
melani.beattie@stmediagroup.com
(312) 218-5691
Business Development Manager,
Northeast
Michael Schneider
michael.schneider@stmediagroup.com
(212)-404-6936
Business Development Manager,
Southeast
Scott Rickles
scott.rickles@stmediagroup.com
(770) 664-4567

CORPORATE
President
Tedd Swormstedt
Senior VP Hospitality,
Publisher, Boutique Design
Michelle Finn
michelle.ﬁnn@stmediagroup
(312) 961-2772
Audience Development Director
Christine Baloga
Book Division Director
Mark Kissling
Production Coordinator
Linda Volz
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Boutique Design - April 2015

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