Porta Romana finds a new home at the DDB

This week, Donghia announced that it would take over representation in New York, at the DDB, of Porta Romana, the luxury British lighting, furniture and accessories company. The brand has had a U.S. presence since 2006, and is available through the Donghia showroom at the PDC. Previously Porta Romana was represented through Zoffany at the DDB. Here's an assortment of their latest lighting designs:


Porta Romana's collections now accompany those of Donghia, Rubelli and Sahco, in Donghia, Inc.'s 18,500 square-foot flagship showroom in the DDB.




Porta Romana Director of U.S. Sales Jack Bentley said of the partnership, "We are thrilled to have found our New York City home with an iconic American brand such as Donghia and to expand our presence in other markets."

"Porta Romana's aesthetic fits perfectly with our own," said Donghia, Inc. President Crans Baldwin. "Our designs speak to the history and tradition of our namesake Angelo Donghia just as Porta Romana keeps to the originality and highest quality established by their founders, Sarah and Andrew Hills (pictured below), over twenty years ago."

Based in Surrey, England, Sarah and Andrew Hills continue to oversee the design and creation of every Porta Romana piece.

Designing Outside the Box panel at the DDB

Mark your calendars! On June 19th, Crans Baldwin, President of Donghia, will moderate an all-star panel of Amy Lau, Campion Platt, David Scott and Susanna Salk (pictured above) as they discuss "Designing Outside the Box". The designers will talk about maximizing their brands, whether publishing books or launching product lines or venturing into television, and how they continue to grow their businesses. They will be signing copies of their new books immediately following the presentation, part of the DDB Design File series.


Campion Platt


Amy Lau


David Scott


Crans Baldwin

For a taste of what's in store, we asked Salk, a contributing editor to 1stDibs.com and frequent guest on NBC's "Today Show", what the topic means to her. "For me, designing outside the box means being unafraid to cross-pollinate your singular voice across a broad range of creative realms and mediums."

To RSVP, please email RSVP@ddbuilding.com or call 212-759-2969.

Sponsored By: New York Spaces, Donghia, Potterton Books

Meet the Designer: Donghia's Chuck Chewning Shares the Scoop (Summer Series Part 2)

Yesterday, we introduced you to Chuck Chewning, Donghia's creative director and one of the main men in charge of the exciting showroom plans at the DDB this fall. We talked to Chuck about how he came to Donghia—here's more of what we learned from Chuck.

"I was invited by Donghia and Bergamo president Crans Baldwin to become involved with Donghia," said Mr. Chewning. "It was revealed that Donghia was looking for a new Creative Director and there were eight candidates then narrowed to two candidates including myself. I was invited to present to the Board of Directors and was awarded the position! I had worked with Rubelli for many years on international design projects so there was a mutual respect that existed!"

Chuck’s attention to overall conceptual design development, documentation and management in interior design is coupled with the cross-cultural experience he gathered from years spent in London, Istanbul and Milan. Having received awards for his work at The Prince de Galles hotel in Paris and the One&Only Kanuhura resort in the Maldives, as well as the Hospitality Design Award (2006), the  European Design Award (2003 and 2004) and the Golden Key Award (2004 and 2006), the new Donghia showroom will soon be the newest addition to his list of achievements.

"My greatest achievement thus far has been the reconstruction of the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens Greece for the Starwood Luxury collection," said Chuck. "It was a huge project that required designing historic interiors that never existed but appeared to have always been there and to have a sense of place."

Needless to say, Chuck’s contributions to the design world have been recognized in countless publications and have been seen all over the world.

Stay posted to GoDesignGo next week for more about Chuck and what his most recent achievements are.

In the News: Donghia Announces Distribution of Hinson & Company

Donghia has recently announce its distribution of Hinson & Company, the celebrated brand regarded for its extensive textile, wallcovering, and lighting collections.

Beginning now in all national showrooms, Donghia will carry Hinson textiles and wallcoverings, lighting. New collections are slated to be introduced biannually beginning in Spring 2012 and Hinson will be merchandised throughout the Donghia showroom network over the next few months.

“This is a significant opportunity for Hinson and I believe that the integrity of our brand will thrive with such an established company as Donghia," said Harry Hinson, founder of Hinson & Company. "Our visions for growth and our commitment to superior quality are aligned."

The breadth of Hinson & Company products will immediately offer designs which are unlike anything else currently displayed in the Donghia showrooms. Hinson will seamlessly integrate into the collections of Donghia forming a destination for both 20th and 21st century iconic pieces.

“We are eager to support the Hinson brand and honor the work of Harry Hinson," said Crans Baldwin, President of Donghia, Inc. "Mr. Hinson is a leader in our industry and we are privileged to help write the next chapter of this brand’s story."

Rubelli owner Andrea Rubelli warmly welcomed the Hinson brand on behalf of his family stating his looking forward "to a profitable endeavor in the United States and ultimately in other nations around the world."