Design titans honored at the annual Sir John Soane Gala
On October 22, a starry crowd including Tory Burch, Lord and Lady Sassoon, and other members of the glitterati flocked to the University Club of New York to attend the Honors Awards for the Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation. The annual gala is held in celebration of both the museum and legacy of 19th-century English architect John Soane, who designed iconic British landmarks like the Bank of England. This year’s esteemed honorees were renowned architect Jeanne Gang of the AD100 Studio Gang and the celebrated design journalist Hamish Bowles. Throughout dinner and dancing, the two were recognized for their visionary eye and contributions to the field.
AD PRO Hears…
…New York designer Robert Stilin has launched an online shop. Mirroring the AD100 talent’s interiors—like his Red Hook abode—the collection of furniture, lighting, artwork, and accessories exudes elegance and warmth. Look out for beauties like a glazed ceramic table lamp that takes the form of an ancient amphora and vintage finds such as Pierre Chapo’s modular T22 table.
Porthole Ashtray by Gucci available on the Robert Stilin Shop. Glass, brass, steel, suede, and cotton, manufactured in Italy, circa 1970.
Courtesy of Robert Stilin Shop
…Vaughan, the British maker of furniture, decorative lighting, and accessories has tapped Nicholas Hodson-Taylor as creative director. Most recently design director for Guy Goodfellow, Hodson-Taylor previously worked at David Collins Studio and Nicky Haslam’s NH Design, so he’s bound to draw from his portfolio of swank interiors.
…The Créateurs Design Awards has named AD100 Hall of Famer Norman Foster as the recipient of the 2025 Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award. Foster, who founded the London-based architecture and design firm Foster + Partners in 1967, has been at the forefront of sustainable and urban design. This ethos has been magnified in projects like the revamped Reichstag in Berlin, London’s pedestrian-only Millennium Bridge, and Calgary skyscraper The Bow.
… The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art has announced the winners of the 2024 McKim, Mead & White Awards for Excellence in Classical and New Traditional Design. Recipients included AD100 honorees Robert A.M. Stern and Ferguson & Shamamian, as well as Directory members Hendricks Churchill and Janice Parker.
Openings
British design goes beyond clothes at Burberry’s NYC showroom
On October 16, the Burberry flagship reopened its doors on East 57th Street, which is its oldest location in America. To celebrate, creative director Daniel Lee invited esteemed guests including Cher and Tyra Banks for an evening soirée on the Upper East Side. Post-renovation, the three-story flagship is an ode to British design: Limestone flooring evokes historic English institutions, as does the wrought-iron balustrade on the spiral staircase, which, on the first floor, is crowned by horsehead-shaped finials. Replicas of Burberry’s gabardine and war-era trenches are on view in a circle of mannequins, which perch on an organic camouflage rug designed by British contemporary artist and frequent Burberry collaborator Tom Atton Moore. Guests can learn more about other historical styles from the brand via accompanying plaques displaying educational QR codes.
Which brings us to the nitty gritty: When working with wood, there are a few options. For that paneled look, with long beams running vertically along the walls, you need to work with solid wood. It’s more expensive, and lends a touch more hand-hewn look, like the “bento box” effect Bush mentioned earlier. But solid wood doesn’t make sense in every context. Say you want to wrap a cabinet or use wood on a surface that isn’t totally flat: Thin-cut wood veneer is the way to go—it’s more stable, can have radius curves, and offer more finish and grain options. As Bush explains, “It’s used typically in a more urbane setting,” like the slick Los Angeles home he designed for a client, where he used elegant, vertical grain mahogany veneer in the living room and den.
Inside the Los Angeles Home of designer Giampiero Tagliaferri, built by architect E. Richard Lind, a protégé of Rudolph Schindler, in 1939, walls are clad in original redwood paneling applied in a graphic checkerboard-like pattern.
Sam Frost
In his own Los Angeles home, AD100 talent Oliver Furth used a mix of solid walnut and veneer on kitchen cabinetry, walls, ceilings, and bathrooms. “It felt modern, to me, to use this same material on many different surfaces,” he explains. “Since we have many walnut trees on our property, the material felt authentic to our site.” But it’s a concept he’s explored in projects too, like the landmark A. Quincy Jones house he renovated for artist Mary Weatherford, entirely clad in plywood, or the rift-cut white oak paneling and bookshelves he’s making for a library in Beverly Hills. “In our current climate of fast-casual, instant influence, TikTok fantasy, people are craving authenticity and connection to nature,” he muses.
In Oliver Furth and Sean Yashar’s California Canyon home, walnut paneling wraps the bathroom, which also features a folding walnut-and-leather tub cover.
Yoshihiro Makino
The interior walls and staircase of this Northern California home built in 1915 and decorated by AD100 firm Commune are made of redwood.
Trevor Tondro
It’s impossible to talk about wood and not mention the AD100 firm Commune—whose own offices are fully paneled in Douglas fir. “For us, wood-clad interiors have always been relevant,” says cofounder Roman Alonso, mentioning such gems as a Santa Cruz beach house, lined inside and out with locally salvaged Monterey Cypress, and a historic off-the-grid cabin in the Angeles National Forest that uses knotty cedar and white oak. Alonso acknowledges the recent uptick in client requests for this look. “It seems to be tied to the desire for warmth and coziness; a reaction to the all-white and beige idea of luxury that has been prevalent in interiors recently,” he reasons. But he says some of this is only natural. “A number of our projects are along the California coast, where wood just makes sense. It feels like it’s always been there, and it ages gracefully.”
The Big Sur weekend retreat of Electric Bowery’s Cayley Lambur, and her husband Kyle Blasman was built by the legendary coastal California architect Mickey Muennig and clad, inside and out, in a square-edge clear vertical grain old-growth redwood, as shown in the bedroom pictured.
Chris Mottalini
Limed stained oak wraps the private living room of this Paris pied-à-terre by AD100 designers Luis Laplace and Christophe Comoy.
Los Angeles’s design set descended on Nickey Kehoe’s sumptuous showroom last Thursday for a festive evening of noshing and networking. Around 80 members of the AD PRO Directory joined the Nickey Kehoe team and AD’s West Coast editor, Mayer Rus, to introduce new products, mingle with fellow designers, and talk all things decorating.
The AD100 designers Nickey Kehoe have two locations: a flagship in Los Angeles and a recently opened showroom in a historic New York town house.
Photo: Roman Tyukayev
Mayer Rus, AD’s West Coast editor, toasts alongside AD PRO Directory members.
Photography Courtesy of Nickey Kehoe
As the night kicked off around 5 p.m., conversations were immediately flowing. One attendee dished to Rus about a new client. Another mentioned a moody bachelor pad he just wrapped up work on. An architect and designer duo discussed a new project in the pipeline.
But the evening wasn’t all work and no play. Others enjoyed a glass of wine beneath the towering monstera plant anchored in the middle of the showroom. Those seeking a quieter spot opted for chats on a cozy sofa in the back of the shop, tucked away in a room hung with fabric swatches.
Drinks at the showroom’s Plain English kitchen, provided by Avaline
Photography Courtesy of Nickey Kehoe
Guests nibbled from charcuterie boards while sipping Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wine by Avaline or, for those avoiding a Friday morning hangover, Ghia’s zesty non-alcoholic aperitif, Le Fizz—though one cheeky guest elected to bring her own whiskey.
As is the case with many parties, the kitchen was a popular watering hole. Designers coalesced around the butcher-block-topped island in the model Plain English kitchen while dipping hunks of Gjusta bread into tzatziki and hummus.
The showroom was peppered with pieces that showcased Nickey Kehoe’s new collaboration with Farrow & Ball. One standout dining table was painted in Charlotte’s Locks, a fiery peach hue, which popped against a set of sturdy blond wood chairs. Custom Nickey Kehoe Collection furniture is newly available in nearly 300 Farrow & Ball shades, from playful brights to rich jewel tones.
AD PRO Directory members—some of whom made the trek from Orange County and the Valley—agreed that the chance to talk shop with fellow designers was an opportunity they didn’t want to miss.
“Owning your own design firm in LA can be a little isolating—you’re working in your own office or at your house. So it’s so nice to get out and connect with other designers,” says Alex Yeske of Alex Yeske Interiors.
Mayer Rus, AD’s West Coast editor, toasts at the event.
Photography Courtesy of Nickey Kehoe
The momentum paused only briefly as guests gathered for remarks from Rus and Medora Danz, president of Nickey Kehoe. “AD PRO and the AD PRO Directory was a vision of my boss, Amy Astley, from the time she came to Architectural Digest,” said Rus, “so thank you for being a part of that community.”
Danz echoed the sentiment of gratitude. “The work that you do [and] the creativity that you put forth to clients is an extension of the creativity we feel and want to share every day,” she said. “So thank you so much for choosing our things, for choosing this profession, for supporting each other, and for supporting us.”
“Company type” refers to your business structure—it could be an LLC, a proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation (learn more about the breakdowns here).
Terms of sale or type of account refers to how you’ll pay for goods. There are usually three options of payment terms: proforma, net 30, or COD. Proforma is the way to go for new customers. It means you agree to pay for all goods before the vendor ships them out. Net 30 is mostly reserved for well-established design firms who have a good credit history with a vendor. Under those payment terms, a designer has 30 days to pay their invoice. COD, or cash on delivery, is not typical for new customers either.
Even pro interior designers with years under their belts often choose proforma payment terms to keep their accounting books clean. This approach ensures that their financial statements accurately reflect current expenditures for the month, rather than tracking future bills. Proforma payment terms simplify the payment process and make accounting records more straightforward.
One note: It’s smart to ask a trade partner how they accept payment. Credit cards might be standard for e-commerce, but don’t be surprised if a showroom requests a check or a bank wire to complete a transaction.
Trade references is a request on the application that often confuses new business owners who might not have references. However, references are only required for those who want to create a credit account (meaning paying in net 30). Since, as a new customer, you selected the proforma options and will be paying for goods in advance, you can leave this section blank. Resale refers to the section where you’ll need to provide your resale license or resale number and state of issue. Often, you’ll be asked your “type of business,” which is simply “interior design services,” and “description of property being purchased” (meaning what you plan to buy from this vendor), which can be a general answer like “interior design goods” or you can be very specific by listing, for example, wallcoverings, carpet, fabric, etc.
The rest of the application is usually pretty straightforward, and since you’ve already gathered all of your necessary information and paperwork, you’re well on your way to completing this application.
How to Write a Killer Business Plan: Your Step-by-Step Guide
Follow AD PRO’s comprehensive guide on how to set up your firm for success with an effective plan
Final steps
After finalizing the application, what comes next? You wait. And waiting time varies—some vendors will review your application and provide a response within 24 to 48 hours, others need five business days, while some others could take up to two weeks to get back to you.
Once approved, you’ll be notified by a sales rep and issued a vendor ID number to use when purchasing, and they’ll also share terms and conditions of using their services. At this point, you have designer login access to your trade account, and you can begin sourcing immediately.
If, by chance, your application is not approved—which happens in a few rare cases—then you still have options. You can seek out other vendors, since there are a plethora of wholesalers, retailers, and vendors who will sell to trade only. Otherwise, if you’re set on using (and reselling) the goods from one particular manufacturer, then see if it’s possible to join the company’s affiliate sales program. After proving yourself in this way, it’s likely you’ll be accepted for a trade account the next time you apply.
Join Now
Become an AD PRO member for only $25 $20 per month.
What’s next?
It’s not uncommon for a trade company to have an opening minimum order—this refers to the amount of money you’ll need to spend with a vendor to establish an account. Every brand is different, but minimums can range from $500 to $2,000. This should be stated up front, but it’s good practice to ask about minimums because you might find a piece that fits within your project budget but falls below the limit. That will be hard to explain if your client already has their heart set on it. It’s also worth asking if there’s a minimum to reorder with that same vendor.
For clients without their own spa or the square footage for ensuite options, a wet room satisfies the functional end of a soothing bathing ritual. “Clients love a wet room that includes a shower, tub, and steam room so that it feels like a spa,” says Kingston. Djerrahian says clients are excited by orienting the room around the shower. “A wet shower area is large, a feature element, and baths, sinks, and toilets are finding their way in and around that wet area,” she says. “They are quite fab,” agrees Shakoor. “It becomes a conversation space. While one person is taking a bubble bath, the other is showering or using the spa features. Sounds pretty sexy to me.”
Designer Victoria Sass of AD PRO Directory firm Prospect Refuge Studio enlivened this Minneapolis powder room with a rich material palette, including a Bluette onyx vanity stone and Roman clay paint and trim.
Photo: Chris Mottalini / Styling: Katja Greeff
Checkerboard Zellige tiles surround the tub and extend onto the floor in the primary bath of actor Johnny Galecki’s Nashville home, designed by AD100 studio Pierce & Ward.
Photo: Ty Cole / Styling: Colson Horton
Less sexy, but vital, are issues of upkeep. In a wet room, Shakoor says, “the tub area could feel not as glam if the showering area is used the most, which would keep everything covered in water spots.” She recommends a whole-home water filtration system and ventilation in that case. “A powerful exhaust system will quickly dry the area and avoid that steamy, watery look on the surfaces.” And speaking of surfaces, Kingston advises making selections based on “longevity and durability, with a serene classic palette for the primary bathroom. The powder room gets to have the fun!”
For clients that prefer to go all-out, Shakoor is on board. “The flooring choice should be jaw-dropping in color, pattern, texture,” she says, “to further create that luxurious feel you get when featuring a free-standing tub.” Why stop at the tub? For a recent project in Quebec City, Djerrahian installed “a large, handcrafted sink basin as one enters the main area.” All this doesn’t come cheap, of course. “Given that most bathroom components, like faucets and toilets, come in standardized colors, making a bespoke bathroom is very expensive,” she says. But for many homeowners, the chance to push the boundaries of a room so significant is priceless. —Jesse Dorris
Here Are the Bath Products Top Designers Keep in Their Arsenal—and You Should Too
When it comes to blinging out the bathroom, the possibilities can be overwhelming. We asked six designers from the AD PRO Directory—Hommeboys Interiors, Young Huh Interior Design, Amy Studebaker Design, Post Company, Atelier Davis, and Aquilo Interiors—to come clean about their preferred bathroom lighting, decor, storage, and more. Browse their complete edit on AD’s shopping channel.
Alex Mutter-Rottmayer and Austin Carrier of HommeBoys Interiors.
The Sonoma, California–based practice is inspired by the seamless blend of indoor-outdoor living.
Hommeboys Interiors fuses California cool with daredevil details—and each time, they leave us wanting more.
A Detroit native, Huh is now based in New York.
Huh keeps traditional style alive in this classic bath with semi-sheer roman shades, rich marble, and savvy millwork.
Photo: John Bessler
Industry vet Young Huh knows a thing or two about how to make a bathroom uniquely your own.
Studebaker has helmed her award-winning design practice for nearly 15 years.
Square tile adds retro charm in this colorful bath.
St. Louis, Missouri–based Amy Studebaker can charm any room with her playful eye for pattern.
Leigh Salem, Ruben Caldwell, and Jou-Yie Chou of Post Company.
The firm has experience in both design and construction, creating a holistic interior agenda.
Whether designing homes or hotels, Brooklyn, New York– and Jackson, Wyoming–based Post Company always curates showstopping spaces.
Jessica Davis of the atelier, pictured above, helms offices in New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
Texture galore can be found in this bathroom by Davis.
Photo: Emily Followill
From Atlanta and New York City, Atelier Davis punches up even the most petite powder room with a dose of derring-do.
Carmen René Smith of Aquilo Interiors is based in Oakland, California.
Smith designed this Sebastopol Powder Room with eye-catching details aplenty.
Ready to make a statement? California’s Carmen René Smith isn’t afraid of bold stones, polka dots, or botanical wallpaper in the bathroom.
What Bathroom Tech Is Here to Stay?
Smart toilets and AI controls are in, and interactive mirrors are out (for now), according to designers
Greene’s design of the unit is a cornucopia of color and texture. Each of the rooms has its own distinct identity, creating a sense of discovery as you glimpse each additional space. In the living room, a bronzed mirrored wall is paired with a plum pink built-in bar. The guest bedroom is composed almost entirely of bold blue furnishings and finishes, while the primary bedroom’s cream and blush palette is more delicate, though no less entrancing. “First and foremost, I wanted to enhance the architecture and material palette established by Jean Louis Deniot’s office, but put my stamp on it by creating a sumptuous yet approachable decor that felt move-in ready,” Greene told AD PRO by email. “In any new construction, it’s imperative to add texture, so we used a lot of wall coverings and lush fabrics for the window treatments in every room.”
The designer also hoped to subtly highlight the building’s Art Deco stylings. “There are slight Deco references throughout, namely in fabrics with geometric prints or higher sheens (think satins) as well as the bronzed mirrored wall in the living room and the pair of custom-tiered silk light fixtures,” Greene explained. “I intended to strike a balance between the historic architecture of the building and the contemporary nature of a new residence in the 21st century without being overly deferential to Art Deco. We just kept it in the back of our minds when concepting.”
Condos in the building start at $1.875 million and include access to 50,000 square feet of private amenities. The building is approaching the first phase of its reopening, which is expected at the end of 2024.
News
After four years with no cut, the Fed (finally) lowered its interest rate
Last Wednesday, September 28, the Federal Reserve announced that it was lowering its key interest rate by half of a percentage point. It’s the first reduction since March 2020—a change that many prospective homebuyers have been crossing their fingers for for months in hopes that mortgage rates would lower soon after. Only time will reveal the full effect on these latter rates, but there is certainly cause for optimism for anyone waiting on a decrease.
According to a report prepared byRealtor.com, the quarterly mortgage rate forecasts from Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, and Wells Fargo are all in alignment that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate will average out to 6.2% between now and the fourth quarter of 2025. Fannie Mae forecasts that top figure, while the MBA states 6.0% and Wells Fargo expects 5.9%.
Nick Boniakowski, a third-generation realtor and the head of agent partnerships at Opendoor, shared his insights with AD PRO. “I expect that mortgage rates may see a slight decline—though it will likely be modest,” Boniakowski told AD PRO by email. “However, the Fed has signaled that there may be more cuts in the future, which means there may be more relief for buyers on the horizon.” Still, he encourages prospective home buyers to consider factors outside of mortgage rates as they consider the right time to buy.
“As mortgage rates decrease, more buyers are likely to enter the market, which would increase competition and could drive home prices up even higher,” Boniakowski explains. “There is still a lot of uncertainty in the market and variables at play, which is why I advise that the best time to buy is ultimately when it’s right for you and your financial situation, instead of trying to predict economic shifts. Shop for the best rates and for the homes you can currently afford. You can always refinance later on better terms if they become available.”
“The houses usually find us,” says Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse cofounder and cochair Ellen Hamilton, on how the organization locates an appropriately worthy venue for the biennial neighborhood fundraiser. This year, the honor falls to a stately late-Greek Revival town house on Clinton Street, which, unlike many previous show homes, is actually not for sale. “The homeowner happened to be sitting next to a client of mine, and she said ‘I’m moving, and I don’t know what to do with my old home—I don’t want to sell it, and I don’t want to rent it.’ My client said, ‘Call Ellen! She’ll completely transform it for you.’”
It was, of course, too tempting of an offer to refuse, much to the organization’s delight. But securing a suitable home for the show house was only half the battle: Hamilton, fellow cofounder Erica Belsey Worth, and Leyden Lewis, this year’s Honorary Design Chair and the founder of AD100 firm Leyden Lewis Design Studio, then needed to find the right designers to transform each of its rooms. They cast a wide night to find the talented roster, reviewing around 400 names culled from industry editors and design-forward friends in the neighborhood. The whittling-down can be grueling, and what can secure a designer a winning berth is sometimes ineffable: “We’re always looking for what we call that ‘Brooklyn vibe,’” Hamilton says.
The Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse 2024 is now open through November 3. Tickets for touring are available here. Exterior landscaping by Project Plant.
Photo: Tori Sikkema Photography
The lucky 16 who were selected only had a moment to celebrate, however. They were granted access to the home on August 8 and had to be finished with renovations no later than September 19, leaving a little over a week to make finishing touches before the Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse opened to the public. “We all work hard and fast!” Hamilton says. But none of the final spaces feel rushed, or slapdash. In fact, there’s a surprising cohesion to the rooms, despite each designers’ separate vision.
This, perhaps, speaks not only to that intangible “Brooklyn vibe,” but the designers’ own ears to the ground of what trends are emerging for 2025. If the show house is any indication, dark, moody hues coating walls and ceilings will continue their reign. This choice is apparent as soon as you walk in, in JMorris Design’s foyer, which the AD PRO Directory talent accented with rich, blue-tinged Amazon Green by Benjamin Moore and walls paneled in a tree-lined mural from Eskayel. Downstairs, the mudroom by Shapeless Studio deepens the shade with inky-blue walls and ceiling and another custom mural—this one featuring a playful cloud scene by Esme Shapiro. But no area embodies this color trend more than the subterranean media room, designed by Batliboi Studio. Meant to evoke the feeling of an old-time movie theater, the space is enveloped in oxblood and warmed with regal doses of amber, crimson, and mauve via copious pillows covered in Indian textiles and a Bang & Olufson wall speaker covered in Kvadrat fabric.
Design wise, we also clocked a permeating influence of the Vienna Secession movement, which inspired AD PRO Directory firm JAM’s tomato-hued “midnight study” space, as well as Landed Interiors’ primary bedroom, which features a showpiece pendant light from the period. (The piece is so good that creative principal Lynn Kloythanomsup says it will be going straight to her personal collection post-show house.) Many designers chose to emphasize the home’s rich interior architecture. In their top-floor “Creative Study,” emerging firm Casa Angulo extended the crown detailing and coated it and the ceiling in a chocolate-hued high gloss, lending a richer level of sophistication to the jewel-box space.
If the market’s latest debuts have any lesson to tell, it’s that the design community indeed works better together. From Daniel Arsham’s Surrealist-inspired bath fixtures for Kohler to Tase Gallery’s animalistic styles for Nordic Knots, industry brands across categories are coming together to bring thoughtful new offerings to designers’ tool kits. Looking for the latest in furniture, decor, lighting, and beyond? Meet the industry’s latest dynamic duos.
Henry Holland x Harlequin
Photography courtesy Harlequin
Henry Holland surrounded by his earthenware and fabrics
Photography courtesy Harlequin
Henry Holland x Harlequin
London fashion designer turned ceramicist Henry Holland’s brazen aesthetic translates seamlessly to textiles. Taking cues from nerikomi, the Japanese pottery technique of stacking and cutting colored clay, Holland’s debut lineup of fabrics and wallpapers for Harlequin features organic forms and warm hues that pull directly from his own earthenware and glass creations. Consider Southborough, a hypnotic chevron ombré, or Blenets Check, a large-scale check emphasized in pile with embroidered bouclé. Some of the prints are Holland selects from the Harlequin archives, including floral Ludaix and moiré-style Elsworthy, which called to mind his family’s summer home in France and the flashy green suit he wore at his wedding, respectively.
Léa Zeroil x Modern Metier
Photo: Adel Slimane Fecih
Léa Zeroil x Modern Metier
Photo: Adel Slimane Fecih
Designer Léa Zeroil and Modern Metier founder Minh Ngo
Photo: Adel Slimane Fecih
Léa Zeroil x Modern Metier
Among the arresting product drops at Paris Design Week earlier this month was Léa Zeroil’s Solstice collection for the contemporary European design platform Modern Metier. Locally based Zeroil, who worked for AD100 designers India Mahdavi and Laura Gonzalez before striking out on her own, grew up in sunny, scenic Corsica, and that proximity to nature has informed the six pieces—a carved ash chair, two sand-casted brass and aluminum mirrors, and three lights—comprising Solstice. While the Vigne pendant, a dangling silk-wrapped sphere, recalls just-bloomed fruit, the Libra sconce, nestled into a glazed ceramic handle, nods to the solar disc in Egyptian mythology. Put simply: j’adore!
Mark D. Sikes x Samuel & Sons
Photography courtesy Samuel & Sons
Mark D. Sikes x Samuel & Sons
Photography courtesy Samuel & Sons
Mark D. Sikes x Samuel & Sons
Los Angeles designer Mark D. Sikes relishes time at Orange Hill Farm, his idyllic Ojai abode thronged with citrus trees. Unveiled this month, his collection of the same name for Samuel & Sons captures that appealingly slow-paced lifestyle in elegant cords, borders, and fringes in a refreshing palette of Leaf, Berry, Azure, Goldenrod, and more. City, an assemblage of rosettes, nods to Orange Hill Farm’s Georgian architectural influences, and Coastal’s stripes draw from the nearby Pacific Ocean. But it’s Country’s checks and frayed edges that evoke a truly rustic getaway.
Daniel Arsham x Kohler
Photography courtesy Kohler
Daniel Arsham and the Landshapes freestanding tub
Photography courtesy Kohler
Daniel Arsham x Kohler
When Daniel Arsham’s refined (and rentable) cabin opened at the Destination Kohler resort in Wisconsin over the summer, its bathroom, brimming with pieces from the New York artist’s Landshapes collection for Kohler, made a particularly stunning impression. Now that Landshapes has officially launched to the public, fans can replicate the Midwestern retreat by snatching up the likes of a vessel sink inspired by converging water droplets, a surreal birch mirror, and sconces that glow behind sheets of rippled glass. WasteLAB tiles crafted largely from recycled materials that conjure ridges of sand are an ideal backdrop for the freestanding bath reminiscent of Arsham’s eroded sculptures.
Centered by Design’s Claire Staszak and the Méditerranean Rêverie collection
Photo: Julien Fernandez
Centered by Design x Isidore Leroy
Photo: Julien Fernandez
Centered by Design x Isidore Leroy
As a child, Claire Staszak was gripped by Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, so it’s not surprising that Miss Havisham’s untamable garden sparked Paradis Perdu, one of the six designs in her Méditerranean Rêverie range of wallpapers for French heritage brand Isidore Leroy. Along with that majestic depiction of a rambling South of France landscape, Staszak, founder of Chicago-based AD PRO Directory firm Centered by Design, embraced lemon-adorned trellises, shell motifs, castle-inspired paneling, and Venetian marbling to pay homage to timeless European interiors.
Tase Gallery x Nordic Knots
Photo: William Jess Laird
Tase Gallery x Nordic Knots
Jessie Andrews, the multihyphenate behind Tase Gallery in Los Angeles, has long adored Nordic Knots. After filling her home with the hand-woven, Scandinavian-style rugs, she pitched Nordic Knots founders Liza Berglund Laserow and Fabian Berglund on hatching a few of her own designs. Diamond, a restrained but whimsical geometric pattern in shades of dusty white and blush burgundy, is balanced with Tigris, an animal print that audaciously fuses brindle, zebra, and tiger elements. The three designs—retro in flavor, yet contemporary in scope—were fittingly lensed inside LA’s iconic Stahl House.
Xavier Donnelly x Tulip
Photography courtesy Tulip
Xavier Donnelly x Tulip
Photo: Andrea Fremiotti
Xavier Donnelly x Tulip
Xavier Donnelly has vivid memories of his grandmother’s labyrinthine farm in northeastern Vermont, so the creative director of Ash—who recently turned heads with his alla prima painted wallpaper panels for Backdrop—had much to draw from when Tulip Shades invited him to design a four-piece capsule. Derived from Donnelly’s nostalgic illustrations of curving trees and exuberant botanicals, Caledonia takes the form of a classic drum, a graceful bell, or an ethereal paper lantern. For this hand-drawn print, Donnelly melded the idyllic foliage with crisp architectural lines, a nod to his own New York apartment.
Ryan Lawson x Ressource
Photography courtesy Ressource
Ryan Lawson x Ressource
Photography courtesy Ressource
Ryan Lawson x Ressource
New York designer Ryan Lawson believes color is integral to storytelling. And because the best stories are often told around a dinner table, the 12 bespoke shades of paint he developed for French maker Ressource are a tightly edited ode to food and drink. There’s calming sunchoke and dry vermouth, for instance, as well as punchy persimmon and brooding Porto. Although each hue can stand on its own brilliantly, Lawson designed the palette with adventurous combinations in mind, their layers telling an even richer narrative. Something worth savoring, indeed.
Beata Heuman x Mille Notti
Photography courtesy Mille Notti
Beata Heuman x Mille Notti
At the age of 15, Swedish-born, London–based designer Beata Heuman was gifted Mille Notti sheets that she still loves using today. More than 25 years later, the Stockholm textile house has called upon Heuman to bring to life the Durham bedspread, a reimagining of the antique double-sided Durham quilts flaunting intricate patterns and contrasting colors that she’s long been collecting. It pairs well with the crisp powder pink and powder blue percale sheets that take their hues from late 19th-century unglazed English porcelain, as well as the pillowcase and duvet cover embellished with piping that Heuman likens to hand-painted details on ceramics. Maximalists, however, will gravitate to Willow, the navy percale print that reinterprets an 18th-century plate Heuman snagged in Cornwall on a grand scale.
Jeffrey Alan Marks x The Rug Company
Photography courtesy The Rug Company
Jeffrey Alan Marks x The Rug Company
Bicoastal interior designer Jeffrey Alan Marks relishes life on the water, and Lost at Sea, his debut assemblage for the Rug Company, reflects his reverence for coastal landscapes with a nautical mélange of tranquil blues and seagrass greens rendered in silk and wool. Fantastical Dunemere, for example, references the ethereal sand dollars found at one of Marks’s favorite beaches, Avalon calls to mind the wildflowers sprouting on Catalina Island, and Miramar depicts a vintage fishing net. Windansea, meanwhile, is an ode to his early surfing days in La Jolla. With these dreamy blue and white abstracts, good luck not getting carried away.
Jungalow x Paperless Post
Photography courtesy Paperless Post
Jungalow x Paperless Post
Image courtesy Paperless Post
Jungalow x Paperless Post
Travel fuels much of artist, designer, and author Justina Blakeney’s work, and a sense of wanderlust indeed pervades the Jungalow founder’s Paperless Post invitations for birthdays, weddings, baby showers, dinner parties, and housewarmings. A glamorous Art Deco palm tree and animals cavorting in the savanna are just as transporting as the trippy geometric and mud cloth borders that instill excitement for upcoming fêtes.
APPLY NOW
Grow your business in 2024 with the AD PRO Directory
From significant business changes to noteworthy product launches, there’s always something new happening in the world of design. In this biweekly roundup, AD PRO has everything you need to know.
Product
Paris Design Week debuts that ADeditors can’t stop thinking about
From September 5 through 14, Maison & Objet anchored Paris Design Week, both of which comprise the annual flurry of offbeat installations, elaborate window displays, and eye-opening workshops savored across the city. Countless showroom visits yielded product unveils from French furniture houses and beyond, and AD editors are still swooning over a select few.
At wall coverings maker Élitis in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, for instance, Dorothée Delaye presented a limited-edition coffee table, pouf, chair, and outdoor table alongside her commodious Zéphyr sofa that evokes 1970s conversation pits. With its curved armrests and lumbar-support cushions, the swank sofa frame can be swathed in either mustard-tinted velvet or a square-emblazoned print with burgundy piping.
The latest works by Marion Stora are meant to complement her debut Opening Acts collection, unveiled earlier this year.
Photos credit: Paolo Abate
French fashion house Yves Salomon reimagined five iconic Pierre Chapo designs, enveloping the wood pieces in its signature intarsia textiles. First unveiled during Salone del Mobile, the collection made its Paris debut at the furrier’s Rue de Castiglione headquarters. Despite this contemporary treatment, the collection still retains a decidedly retro air: the bed Chapo originally designed for writer Samuel Beckett in 1959, an ottoman, a balance arm lamp, and two sculptural chairs—including the Sahara, one of the earliest collapsible offerings on the market, all of which meld rich wood details with the intarsia’s upcycled shearling scraps.
Equally imaginative is Making Out, Marion Stora’s range of furniture that transformed The Invisible Collection’s Rive Gauche gallery. From the hand-embroidered headboard and suede side panels enveloping the Le Baiser bed to the Cosima coffee table anchored by glazed earthenware legs, the seven jubilant pieces underscore Stora’s reverence for craftspeople.
Ashen tones and sinuous curves define Lindye Galloway’s new furniture label
The Palermo Counter Stool from Le Maé by Lindye
Photography Courtesy of Le Maé by Lindye.
The Venice Dresser from Le Maé by Lindye
Photography Courtesy of Le Maé by Lindye.
In 2020, Costa Mesa, California-based AD PRO Directory designer Lindye Galloway made her first foray into retail, giving her mega social media audience access to the pieces that define her earthy, organic interiors. This popular online shop has now morphed into Le Maé by Lindye, a dedicated furniture label for Galloway’s comforting heirloom-quality designs, such as the arched Mallorca credenza, velvet-seat Porto bench, and reeded brass-accented Lagos floor mirror. “As our design studio grew, we recognized a need and desire for our style to be available to a broader audience,” she tells AD PRO. “Our studio remains the muse for all things Le Maé by Lindye…. From here, the sky is the limit.”
AD PRO Hears…
…Little Green is taking color-drenching up a notch with the coining of Double Drenching—that is, combining colors with different undertones from the same family. Up to the challenge? The company’s Intelligent Paints might be the place to start, as they can be applied to almost any surface without primer.
…the inimitable designer, collector, arbiter of style, and AD100 Hall of Famer Mica Ertegun’s private collection is headed to auction at Christie’s beginning November 19. Titled Mica: The Collection of Mica Ertegun, the sale will encapsulate a series of design, decorative art, jewelry, and fine art pieces, including rare collection standouts from Joan Miró, David Hockney, and, notably René Magritte’s L’empire des Lumières, which has an estimated value in excess of $95 million.
Openings
Gifting becomes a breeze at Anastasio Home’s debut showroom in Connecticut
As the apex of fashion week sweeps the city, it’s safe to say that Milan is a zoo at the moment: Loro Piana, Prada, Bottega Veneta, oh my! AD has kept a close watch on the latter Italian house ever since creative director Matthieu Blazy replaced Daniel Lee in 2021. Under the French-Belgian designer’s direction, the brand has seeped into oeuvres outside of ready-to-wear, expanding the Bottega Veneta universe into varied visual mediums beyond the leather goods they’re so renowned for. Consider this season a whimsical departure, but also completely true to form: for its spring/summer 2025 show, taking place on September 21, Bottega Veneta announces The Ark, a limited-edition lounge chair collection inspired by Zanotta’s Sacco seat.
The set design for Bottega Veneta’s SS25 show, held in the middle of Milan Fashion Week.
Photo: Matteo Canestraro
The chairs are both true to form and a crucial component of “a joyful world with a sense of wonder, populated by friendly companions that make you smile and say ‘wow,’” Blazy explains. He commissioned the collection after drawing parallels between the beanbag chair’s softness, anti-formalism, and plasticity—all of which are elements characteristic of Bottega Veneta’s signature bags. The Sacco was designed in 1968 by Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro—but Blazy’s version renders the seat in animal forms crafted entirely in leather. 15 animals are featured at the Milan show, and will be available in various designs: dog, panda, rabbit, bird, snake, ladybug, chicken, dinosaur, otter, elephant, cat, fox, bear, horse, and whale.
Set design has become crucial to fashion’s world-building—or so it seems for Blazy. For the SS23 show, Bottega Veneta tapped the renowned late Italian furniture designer Gaetano Pesce to create a slick of swirling resin to coat the floors. Four hundred unique Pesce-designed chairs were readied for showgoers to perch on before they were later sold in batches for the year to come. This started an ongoing chair collaboration series for the brand. During the winter 2024 show, Blazy featured adaptations of Le Corbusier’s iconic LC14 Tabouret Cabanon seat. But with the latest collection, Blazy explicitly asks: why should we put away childish things?
The yellow colorway of the dog Sacco chair.
Courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
The white chicken colorway will be on sale at Design Miami.
Courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
The chairs don’t always seem to match up with the clothes on the runway. When Kate Moss wore a white t-shirt and jeans made entirely out of leather for the brand’s SS23 show, the statement didn’t necessarily go hand in hand with the Come Stai? collection’s lacquered smiley face vernacular. But thinking outside the box, which often requires a bit of mental unbuttoning, can lead to the best ideas around form and craft. This is why The Ark fits into the same world as Pesce’s resin floors, and Kate Moss in not-denim denim. It’s all a bit whimsical, and different, and a natural part of Blazy’s unique universe.
Limited quantities of The Ark will be available on the Bottega Veneta website on Sunday, September 22. Following through with the biblical reference, there will be just two of each animal. The Ark will next be available at Design Miami in December, where the light gray rabbit and white chicken will be sold exclusively. Over the next six months, the collection will continue to be sold in small numbers.
.jpg)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
