This week in design, a new ordinance in Los Angeles County means that ambitious home cooks may soon begin to upgrade to kitchens that can handle restaurant-level operations. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, events, recommended reading and more.
Business News
Earlier this year, news broke that Amazon is planning a new e-commerce site offering discount items delivered directly from China, designed to rival low-cost competitors like Temu and Shein. According to Gizmodo, this week new reports revealed that Amazon will set price caps on select products on the new website—including $9 for bedding, and just $20 for sofas. In the case of other e-commerce giants, offering goods directly from China for exceedingly low prices often comes at a cost, frequently involving exploitative labor practices and resulting in flimsy, low-quality products.
In less than two weeks, billionaire landlord Charles Cohen of Cohen Brothers Realty is scheduled to see several of his company’s properties—including the Design Center of the Americas—hit the auction block in a $534 million foreclosure sale led by lender Fortress Investment Group. As The Real Deal reports, if the auction fails to satisfy the full amount Cohen owes, Fortress could potentially pursue a claim against Cohen Realty for the remainder—though the company itself appears to be in serious trouble. According to newly released court records, a January audit revealed that Cohen Realty lost $22.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and recorded negative equity of $502.5 million in a potential precursor to a bankruptcy filing. Based on the numbers, the audit pointed to “substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue.” Elsewhere, a new deposition from the ongoing legal proceedings revealed that Cohen’s assets tied to its debt—a portfolio that includes the DCOTA—are operating at a collective net loss of $42 million. Until the auction takes place on November 8, the possibility remains that Cohen and Fortress may settle the foreclosure case. Neither responded to The Real Deal’s request for comment.
A data-protection nonprofit organization has filed a complaint against Pinterest, claiming the platform is tracking users in Europe and using their personal data for targeted advertising, Agence France Presse reports. The Austria-based advocacy group, called None Of Your Business, alleged in a statement that Pinterest users are opted in automatically to data sharing—a practice that violates the European Union’s privacy laws, and allows the social media platform to “unlawfully profit from people’s personal data without them ever finding out.” A Pinterest spokesperson stated that the company had not yet seen the complaint, and that its targeted advertising strategy is in compliance with European regulations.
Williams-Sonoma is facing its third false-advertising lawsuit this year. This class-action suit was filed in a California federal court after a customer claimed the retailer falsely advertised free shipping on its website for its subsidiary brand Rejuvenation. According to Top Class Actions, the plaintiff, Dimitri Kermani, purchased an item on Rejuvenation’s site during a “Free Shipping Site-Wide” promotion, and was subsequently billed $159 in shipping fees, which he later learned were due to a weight restriction. Now, Kermani and his lawyers are seeking to represent consumers who were charged similar fees. The suit comes just two months after Williams-Sonoma was sued by Crypton for allegedly using its trademarks to falsely advertise Pottery Barn furniture, and six months after being fined $3.2 million for falsely advertising products as “Made in the USA.”
U.S. textile recycling startup Circ has brokered a deal with Indian company Birla Cellulose—one of the world’s largest producers of fibers used in clothing and home textiles—that could accelerate the commercial use of recycled fabric, Vogue Business reports. Through the partnership, for the next five years Birla Cellulose will purchase a minimum of 5,000 metric tons of pulp per year from Circ’s recycling facility and then convert the material into fiber for clothing brands to purchase. After the bankruptcy news last year from fellow U.S.-based recycling startup Renewcell (previously one of the industry’s leaders in getting textile recycling to scale), the partnership between Birla and Circ could mark the start of the first wave of recycled textiles brought to the mass market.
This spring, beleaguered e-commerce site Burke Decor was sued by DTC lender Ampla for an alleged breach of contract and “fraudulent misrepresentations” made by founder Erin Burke. The case has already had a few twists and turns—this summer Burke filed for personal bankruptcy, thereby removing herself as a defendant—and now it has another: Ampla has (at least temporarily) dropped its suit. The move comes on the heels of an order from the court asking for clarification on a jurisdictional issue, suggesting at least the possibility that the lender is backing off due to a legal technicality, and the case was dropped “without prejudice,” meaning that it is free to file another suit on similar claims. In a Facebook group dedicated to Burke Decor’s jilted shoppers, customers continue to share stories about missing product—alongside tales of the occasional refund, sometimes in the form of a direct Zelle payment.
Launches and Collaborations
Artistic Tile has tapped designer Ryan Saghian to create a new pattern, Metamorphosis. The design began as Saghian’s original artwork, which was then refined using AI technology into a finished product that features brass and stone pieces placed in a geometric, mosaic design.
Home decor brand June St. George has unveiled The Eloise Collection, inspired by Eloise at the Plaza, in time for the beloved children book’s 70th anniversary. The resulting collection includes pillows, rugs, pet beds and blankets, all decorated with motifs from the Eloise books—the brainchild of writer Kay Thompson and illustrator Hilary Knight—including taxicabs, bows and checkerboard patterns.
Milan-based design fair Salone del Mobile will expand its presence in China with two upcoming events this November. The first will see Salone partner with the West Bund Art & Design fair in Shanghai November 8 to 10, showcasing a performative installation by artist Matilde Cassani; the second will feature the debut of the “SaloneSatellite Permanent Collection 1998–2024” exhibition from November 11 to 21 at the Arts Pavilion in Hong Kong.
Home textile maker Coyuchi has welcomed actress Naomi Watts as its first brand ambassador. To celebrate the debut of the partnership, Watts curated a selection of items from the brand that reflect her own interest in healthy and sustainable living.
Showroom Representation
West Hollywood, California–based design gallery Mogul is now representing the work of Italian design duo Barberini & Gunnell. Founded by architects and designers Francesco Barberini and Nina A. Gunnell, the firm specializes in sculptural collectible pieces, often using eye-catching materials like mirror-polished steel and quartzite to create highly reflective tables, chairs and artworks.
Recommended Reading
While the male demographic has long dominated the power tool phase of the DIY home renovation process, a growing online community is seeking to upend those norms. For The New York Times, Annemarie Conte explores the growing number of social media influencers, Facebook groups and in-person workshops dedicated to encouraging women and gender-nonconforming DIYers to dive into the gritty side of design, by providing resources focused on woodworking, welding and home construction.
On a side of social media known as “FlipTok,” TikTok content creators are racking up views for videos in which they source vintage furniture and modify the pieces to suit their modern tastes—a process that, in some cases, sparks outrage among users who want to defend the sanctity of antiques (or simply find the flippers’ refurbishment choices tacky). For Elle Decor, Stacia Datskovska surveys designers, content creators and furniture experts on where to draw the line when it comes to furniture flipping.
In recent years, major cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco have implemented mansion taxes: a regulation that typically involves a one-time fee on high-end real estate transactions, attracting opposition from real estate professionals who fear the practice curbs residential real estate sales. In The Wall Street Journal, Candace Taylor explores the impact these taxes have had, including how the funds collected from such measures have been used to address local housing issues.
Cue the Applause
The International Society of Furniture Designers has announced the winners of the 2024 Pinnacle Awards, honoring professional and student home furnishings and textile designers who demonstrate artistry, craft and innovation in the pieces they bring to market. For the full list of winners—which features brands like Bernhardt Furniture, Currey & Company and Kravet across categories covering furniture, home textiles, floorcoverings, decorative accessories and more— click here.
