Product design award winners chosen for excellence and innovation

Excellence and innovation in product design determined the winners of the 14th Annual Roscoe Awards Competition, sponsored by the Resources Council in New York City. The council is a national nonprofit organization made up of firms and persons engaged in the manufacture, sale, and distribution of interior furnishings products.

Its annual design competition advances the caliber of design and ferrets out numerous worthy new products that are judged for their creativity, quality of craftsmanship, imaginative use of color, and excellence of adaptation or reproduction.

Awards are presented to manufacturers, distributors, and designers not only for their creative achievements but for their significant contribution to the total design environment of both homes and offices.

There were 307 entries, from which 36 Roscoe winners were chosen. Furniture, fabrics, wall and floor coverings, window systems, lighting and lamps, and decorative accessories and fixtures were represented.

``The award-winning designs are real pacesetters for the entire industry,'' says Pauline V. Delli-Carpini, executive director of the council. ``As far as consumers are concerned, looking at these forerunners is like looking into the future. For 14 years, winners have predicted upcoming trends.''

Jurists included Charles Gwathmey, partner, Gwathmey Siegel Associates, New York, N.Y.; Muriel Chess, editor, The Designer magazine; Raul de Armas, a partner in charge of design, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, New York; and Pilar Viladas, a senior editor for interior design at Progressive Architecture magazine.

Jurist Muriel Chess commented, ``We were particularly impressed by the fabrics and wall coverings this year. I also particularly admired the new fold-up chair from Harvey Probber Inc. of New York, and the composition marble floor and wall tiles from ArmStar of Lenoir City, Tenn. ``These new tiles are 90 percent crushed marble and 10 percent resins and vinyls. They come in a variety of colors, and in 12 inch by 12 inch tiles as well as larger squares.''