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Groovystuff Names Design Challenge Winners
May 15,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Green on May 16, 2013
Reclaimed teak furniture vendor Groovystuff has winners for its Groovystuff by Design: Connecting Education with Industry Challenge at High Point Furniture Market.
The four winning students are Ian OHare of Appalachian State University; Ami Seuki of North Carolina State University; Malachi Payne of the University of Idaho; and Bethany DeLine of the University of Minnesota.
The four students placed first from their respective schools in the Popular Vote at Market at the April 20-25 Market for their environmentally friendly product designs and innovative contributions to the home furnishings industry.
Students from their respective schools were charged with designing an environmentally friendly product that reflects the Dick Idol Legends brand and can be produced using sustainable furniture manufacturing practices. Students produced miniature models and product display boards for market attendees to vote on during the High Point Market. The four student designs were voted Most marketable and Most likely to show a profit by retailers, interior designers and trade professionals attending market.
Each student received a $250 cash prize along with permanent royalties for life.
OHare, a second-year Industrial Design student, won for the Khunkhea Table Collection, teak wood table tops inspired by the mountain ranges of Northwestern Thailand.
Seuki, a third-year Industrial Design student, won for the Goza Side Table/Chair, which was built with reclaimed wood.
Payne, a second-year Interior Architecture student, won for the Curve Appeal, which used simple elements and form to take an elegant approach to modern rustic design with reclaimed teak barkwood and reused steel wagon wheel hoops to make an all-purpose chair.
DeLine, a second-year Interior Design student, won for her Montana table lamp, which expresses the modern rustic spirit of Dick Idol through its big-sky silhouette and rough, earthy texture from the reclaimed steel drums found in the Groovystuff Moonshine Collection.
"As a designer intrigued by the possibilities of repurposing materials, I identify with Chris Bruning's commitment to sustainability and transformation," DeLine said. "With direction from the Groovystuff team, we discovered the key to a successful finished product was exploiting the inherently positive characteristics of each reclaimed material."