2021 was a whirlwind year, as life started to find a brisk new rhythm in stark comparison to the slowdown of 2020. Things ramped up quickly! It was a full and fulfilling year with many thrilling challenges and opportunities, and the team at Laurence Carr Inc was excited to welcome travel and live audiences back into our experience as the year went on.
I’m a big believer in celebrating our victories at the end of each year, to help bring into focus our goals for what’s to come… So, let’s have a look back at what 2021 has brought for LC Inc:
Last spring, I was honored to host an expert panel discussion on The State of Circular Practices in the Design, Architecture, and Furnishing Industry for Circular City Week New York 2021, with esteemed guests Susan Inglis (SFC), Mark and Jason Phillips (Phillips Collection), Walter Bridgham (Lenzing) and Rama Chorpash (Parsons School of Design – The New School). If you missed it, the video recording of this webinar is available on our YouTube Channel.
Shortly after, we celebrated the premiere of our EarthXTV original series, Chez Laurence, in which we highlight manufacturers in the furnishings industry that are leading the movement toward normalizing circular and sustainable methodologies.
Our inaugural season was such a success that I’m thrilled to announce we’ve just wrapped production on Chez Laurence season two, coming to EarthXTV in early 2022! Stay tuned for more on that as soon as we have the details to share!
And, as part of NYCxDesign 2021, I was honored to be a guest on the “Nurturing Nature” episode of The Mic podcast with host Debbie Millman, discussing my thoughts on sustainability, circularity, and design practices that can better our world.
In early Fall, I was thrilled to unveil the Salon de la Circularité, my custom vignette for High Point Fall Market’s Sustainability Stories activation, for which I designed a luxury lounge space featuring some of the most progressively circular brands in the industry. Here, I was incredibly proud to also introduce the first design from my new line of vessels made in partnership with Nature’s Legacy, crafted from 100% cradle-to-cradle certified materials. Stay tuned for the full release of this line of Laurence Carr originals, coming in early 2022!
At High Point Market, I also enjoyed hosting The Big Shift: Why Circular Design is the Way of the Future, an expert panel discussion with industry pioneers and manufacturers, including Susan Inglis (SFC), Kathryn Richardson (Libeco), Cisco Pinedo (Cisco Home), and Chad Bolick (Unifi), and participated in several other educational programs.
As a proud native of France, it was a thrill to be featured by MOM (Maison Objet and More) as a curator of on-trend products for their Digital Days Desirable Development initiative in October. You can view my selections here.
Recently, I was invited to host a great panel on Wellness + Healthy Materials for ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan Talks Fall 2021, which you can read a profile on here.
Speaking of ICFF, a Designer Profile about me just came out this week, where you can learn more about my background and some of my favorite things lately!
Last but certainly not least, I am exhilarated to have received a 2021 Designhounds Changemaker Award earlier this month. This award was given to design influencers who created real change by helping others navigate business challenges; creating new programs or pivoting their own business models during 2020.
To have Laurence Carr Inc honored for our contributions to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability and circularity in the industry, through the development of Chez Laurence with EarthXTV is incredibly moving, and a powerful affirmation that we are on the right track as we look forward to 2022!
I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store for Laurence Carr Inc, and for the growth of sustainability and circularity in the interiors industry and beyond. I am so proud to be a part of this incredible mission, and grateful for all the opportunities I’ve received this year.
Here’s to a healthy, sustainable, and peaceful 2022! Wishing happy holidays and a prosperous new year to you and yours. Thanks for being a part of our journey!
