Bobby Berk and Kelli Ellis will co-host the induction celebration for the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Oct. 20 in High Point, N.C.
Among the Class of 2019 being honored is Jake Jabs, president and CEO of Home Furnishings Association member American Furniture Warehouse in Englewood, Colo.
Berk, a furniture designer and entrepreneur, is best known as the design guru on Netflix’s “Queer Eye.” He worked in furniture retail before starting Bobby Berk Interiors in 2006. His new furniture collection is Bobby Berk + A.R.T. Furniture.
“It’s truly an honor to be invited to host the Hall of Fame ceremony with my dear friend Kelli and recognize this year’s esteemed inductees,” Berk said in a news release. “It’s the industry’s event of the year, so I’m humbled to be standing among the leaders who have paved the way for designers such as myself.”
Ellis, a designer based in Barcelona, Spain, has licensed collections with Sunpan, Leftbank Art, Tilebar, Instalinen, Frates and Jaipur Rugs International. She has been the featured designer on TLC’s “Clean Sweep” and HGTV’s “Takeover my Makeover.” She stars in “Design Therapy” on The Design Network.
‘Celebrating creative genius’
“I am beyond thrilled to host this iconic event celebrating creative genius,” she said. “To have my dear friend Bobby by my side is a dream.”
Michael Amini is celebration chairman.
“As a fashion industry, it is important that we remain fresh and relevant,” he said in a news release. “Each year we look for new ways to change the evening in order to keep the induction celebration exciting and a bit unpredictable. We believe that this year’s hosts will bring a renewed focus to the well-deserved significance of interior design to our industry and to the homes we furnish.”
The other honorees are Clement M. Lange of Best Home Furnishings, Paul Maitland-Smith of Maitland-Smith Ltd. and Theodore Alexander and Jim McIngvale of Gallery Furniture.
Read about HFA members in the Shop Talk blog.