This week in design, no man cave is complete without “Hex” lights, the hexagonal LED fixtures that are taking over barbershops, gyms, luxury garages and entertainment rooms. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, recommended reading and more.
Business News
A trove of collectible design pieces fetched $96 million at the Sotheby’s global headquarters in New York on April 22, setting a record as the most valuable design auction in U.S. history, Wallpaper reports. The 107-lot sale was drawn from the private collection of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg, whose New York home had been designed by the renowned French decorator Jacques Grange. Key items from the sale included furnishings by Jean-Michel Frank and Jean Royère, as well as an ensemble of 15 mirrors designed by Claude Lalanne for Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, which brought in $33.5 million—itself the highest price ever for a work of design.
Williams-Sonoma has officially relaunched college furnishings brand Dormify. Jennifer Kellor, president of Dormify, Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen, told Modern Retail that the company is hoping to reach Gen Z, envisioning the consumer base as the “next generation of West Elm or Pottery Barn customers.” This represents a second life for Dormify, which found great success as an e-commerce platform in 2011 and seven years later secured $3.45 million in Series A funding led by American Eagle Outfitters. By 2024, however, the business was facing mounting debt, leading to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in November of that year and then the sale of its intellectual property to Williams-Sonoma last May for a reported $1 million.
Banner House (formerly Magnussen Home Furnishings) has signed an agreement to purchase case furniture brands American Drew and Kincaid from La-Z-Boy, Furniture Today reports. The deal is expected to close in mid-May; further terms were not disclosed. Banner House is the parent company of Magnussen Home, as well as Pulaski Furniture and Samuel Lawrence Furniture, which it acquired in December. According to a statement from La-Z-Boy, offloading the two brands will allow the company to focus on its core North American upholstery business, though the retailer will continue to offer case goods products in its stores.
Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and TJX (specifically its HomeGoods, Marshalls and T.J. Maxx subsidiaries) will remove the use of mohair from their private label collections following extensive campaigning by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. As Home Textiles Today reports, PETA began urging retailers to abandon the material after an investigation revealed mistreatment of goats in mohair operations in Lesotho and South Africa. In response, a growing list of retailers have instated mohair bans, including Zara, Gap, Banana Republic and Ralph Lauren.
Sit, Sleep, Supply—parent company of home furnishings brand Simmons Living—has purchased upholstery manufacturer JCooperUSA from an undisclosed investors group, Home News Now reports. The acquisition includes JCooper’s stationary upholstered furniture line as well as its manufacturing plant in Vardaman, Mississippi, which will help Simmons strengthen its domestic production capabilities and reduce exposure to tariffs, company president Mark Price told HNN. Following the purchase, JCooper co-founder Patrick Rinehart will remain in his current role as president.
Design firm O’Hara Interiors is closing after nearly 40 years in business, with founder Martha O’Hara citing a family illness as the motivating factor behind the decision. According to Designers Today, the company will wind down around the fourth quarter of this year, closing its offices in Minneapolis, Austin and Dallas—though many of the firm’s 15-person team will launch their own design practices. Kate O’Hara, Martha’s daughter and the firm’s CEO and creative director, will also continue on in the design industry. She and her Thrice Media co-founder, Nicole Heymer, acquired the Design Influencers Leadership Conference late last year, and the duo plan to relaunch the event in 2027.
A former York Wallcoverings CFO has been found guilty of embezzling more than $1 million, CFO Dive reports. The employee, Tina Feuerstein, has been convicted of eight counts of wire fraud after using a company credit card to buy luxury furniture and designer clothing—spread across more than 3,800 purchases—during her time on York’s C-suite from 2016 through 2023. Meanwhile, evidence that surfaced during Feuerstein’s trial revealed that she had previously embezzled more than $250,000 during her time in the accounting department of another company. Feuerstein’s attorney and York Wallcoverings both declined CFO Dive’s request for comment. Feuerstein’s sentencing date has been set for August 26.
Launches and Collaborations
Crate & Barrel debuted a new collection in collaboration with designer Tiffany Howell and actor and model Laura Harrier. Inspired by vintage cinema and fashion, the 87-piece assortment spans furniture, lighting, textiles and decor, centered around a 1970s-inspired palette, complete with hues like tobacco, copper and cream.
Recommended Reading
Victorian or Edwardian, Baroque or rococo, art nouveau or art deco—even the most seasoned designer may have trouble telling the difference. For T: The New York Times Style Magazine’s How to Be Cultured issue, Julia Halperin consults the chief curator at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London for a quick refresher on major design movements throughout history. Other pieces in the package touch on topics like “How to Tell an Original From a Fake” and “The 10 Most Important Chairs.”
Homeowners have more access than ever to professional-grade kitchen tools and appliances, but are they actually cooking with them? For The World of Interiors, Ben Benton argues that the transition to slicker kitchens has scared home chefs away, and instead makes the case for messier spaces that lend themselves to real-world use.
