Contemporary furniture at Javits Center

The 23rd annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair begins Saturday at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. North America's premier contemporary design show regularly sees more than 24,000 attendees each year and more than 550 exhibitors will showcase their latest designs to the trade. Here is a look at some of this year's most compelling new designs, all at the show for the first time this year.

WHAT 23rd annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair

WHEN | WHERE Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 11th Avenue between 34th and 39th streets, Manhattan

INFO Tickets are $50; ICFF.com

Cruz control

Designer Jack Rodie, inspired by early memories of 1961 Impalas cruising down California streets, made this cherrywood and leather Cruzin club chair ($3,400) to capture the easy feel of those slow rides. His company, Jack Rodie Designs (booth 2006, jackrodie.com), handcrafts its furniture primarily with regional hardwoods, using environmentally friendly finishes. A chair such as this takes about 40 hours to make.

Task master

Jinseok Hwang wanted to give life and emotion to the basic task lamp. Inspired by the movements of humanoid robots in movies and comic books, he designed Lobot, a prototype lamp whose name is a portmanteau of "lighting" and "robot" as well as "robot" and "low tech." That said, the lamp moves into the future with an LED light source with an anodized aluminum body and an endlessly adjustable hinge system. Since Hwang, currently a senior industrial designer at Frog Design in New York, is still seeking a manufacturer, there is no retail price yet, but he says he hopes his showcase at the ICFF will help him along (booth 1061, studiolobot.com).

Rock on

Zorine Pooladian (booth 876, zorinedesign.com) makes each one of her sculptural rocking stools herself, using a combination of computer-assisted design software and handfinishing techniques. Both her open, octagonal Aria stool, top, and her solid Beat design, bottom (prices on request) are made to rock in two directions, and they're intended to be as fun to sit on as they are visually compelling.

Tipping point

The cantilevered Equilibrium bookcase ($1,090) from Malagana Design (booth 801, malaganadesign.com) may appear to be ready to tumble, but its design actually allows the 6-foot-tall structure to securely hold 120 pounds of books. Created by Alejandro Gomez Stubbs, the bookcase is available in white, blue or gray, or in custom colors by request.

Sleeping arrangements

Founded in 1997 by college friends who decided to build the furniture they couldn't afford, Blu Dot (booth 1808, bludot .com) is dedicated to providing affordable modern design with a whimsical twist. Their new upholstered Hush bed ($1,299 to $1,699) continues this aesthetic with a kinked, slipper-thin headboard, padded footboard and sides, and stainless-steel legs. Available in four fabrics and four sizes.

Spider Woman

Banish your phobias with Dupenny's (booth 2402) Irrational Fear wallpaper (about $134 for a 20.5-by-118-inch roll), which is covered in adorable (or creepy, depending on your disposition) eight-legged crawlers. The company embraces retro, cheeky design, and uses sustainable inks to print its papers digitally in the United Kingdom on high-grade nonwoven paper while recycling all its trimmings.

Hide and eat

Black+Blum (booth 2302, black-blum.com) have solved the problem of the ugly grill with this covert take on outdoor cooking. The Hot Pot BBQ ($124) looks and acts like a regular planter until it's time to eat. Then the top comes off, and the included tongs come out, turning even the smallest balcony or garden terrace into a tailgate party. Made from stainless steel with a heat-insulating ceramic coating, the whole device measures a mere 14.6 inches in diameter, with an 11.4-inch cooking area.