This week in design, scientists and designers have collaborated on a handbag made of lab-grown leather derived from Tyrannosaurus rex fossils—could a sofa be next? Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, showhouses, recommended reading and more.
Business News
Another asset in design center landlord Charles Cohen’s portfolio may be headed for foreclosure, The Real Deal reports. This time, it’s an office building at 222 East 59th Street in New York—the five-story D&D Building annex. According to lender U.S. Bank, Cohen Brothers Realty took out a $7.5 million loan connected to the building in 2015. However, Cohen’s company missed payments in September and October 2025, triggering a maturity default after the loan reached its term expiration in October and leading U.S. Bank to file for foreclosure last week. The news is just the latest in the real estate mogul’s troubles, which have been dominated by his ongoing legal battle with Fortress Investment Group over an outstanding $187 million personal guarantee that the lender has been fighting to collect.
Bed Bath & Beyond has agreed to acquire The Container Store for about $150 million in stock and convertible notes, Retail Dive reports. The brand will join its new parent company’s omnichannel retail group alongside Overstock.com, BuyBuy Baby and the newly acquired Kirkland’s, while its Sweden-based Elfa home organization company and Chicago-based Closet Works business will anchor the home services division. Following the transition, The Container Store’s chief financial officer, Brian LaRose, will become CFO at Bed Bath & Beyond. The deal, which is expected to close in July, comes after several tumultuous years for both brands, following The Container Store’s December 2024 bankruptcy filing and Bed Bath & Beyond’s ongoing decline in market share.
Fireclay Tile has acquired Fox Marble, a Bay Area–based stone fabrication, tile installation, and stone and concrete maintenance provider. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fireclay CEO Eric Edelson announced the news on LinkedIn last week, adding that Fox’s platform would take the Fireclay Tile Installation program (which debuted two years ago) “to the next level.” Following the purchase, he will also be CEO of Fox Marble, whose 130-person team will stay on. In the statement, Edelson heralded the forthcoming launch of Fox Training Academy—an initiative that will invest in teaching the next generation of skilled tradespeople working in fabrication and installation.
Idaho has become the 30th state to establish or modernize legislation regulating the interior design profession. Last week, Governor Brad Little signed into law House Bill 790, which creates a voluntary registry for qualified interior designers, as well as a title act for NCIDQ-certified design professionals, allowing them to stamp and seal construction documents for permitting. In passing the bill, Idaho joins a growing number of states (including Utah, Nebraska, North Carolina and Pennsylvania) that have established legislation recognizing the work and qualifications of interior designers in recent years—the result of lobbying efforts from the Consortium for Interior Design, a collaborative advocacy group comprising the American Society of Interior Designers, the Council for Interior Design Qualification and the International Interior Design Association.
Saks Global has reached an agreement with a group of senior secured bondholders to receive $500 million in exit financing when the company emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy status (which it expects will happen this summer). As Retail Dive reports, Saks’s standing with vendors has improved in recent months, as more than 650 brands have resumed shipping merchandise to the department store—up from 500 in March. The company’s sales activity is also improving, with customer spend up 6 percent per store visit and online conversion up 11 percent.
Amazon has added a 3.5 percent fuel and logistics surcharge for third-party sellers that use its fulfillment services in the U.S. and Canada, effective April 17, CNBC reports. In a note to sellers, the company stated that it had thus far absorbed the added costs, but sustained elevation had prompted it to implement the temporary surcharge. In the wake of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, fellow shipping carriers like UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service have also implemented additional fees amid surging oil prices, along with home brands like Four Hands, Lexington Furniture and Sunpan.
Launches and Collaborations
Weezie has teamed up with Leah O’Connell on a new collection that translates the San Francisco–based interior and textile designer’s floral prints—including signature patterns such as the Vivian, Georgie, Holiday, Cora and Harriet—to a range of bath towels, robes, toiletry bags and more.
Pottery Barn Kids partnered with ballet-inspired apparel company Tutu du Monde for a collection of playful nursery and kids room decor, bath products, and toys. Filled with motifs found in the brand’s children’s fashions—including colorful tulle, hand-embellished glitz and romantic pastel palettes—the collaboration runs the gamut from ceiling lighting and beaded canopy bedding to jewelry boxes and backpacks.
Recommended Reading
In 2024, a number of Los Angeles tastemakers were seemingly targeted by the same burglar—someone who was not only after their designer wardrobes, but also their collections of midcentury modern furniture. For NBC News, Rich Schapiro and Ani Ucar unpack the saga, in which the thief managed to lift some of the most iconic pieces in design history (among them an Eames chair, a 1920s Goyard trunk—and a 21-piece Roche Bobois Mah Jong sofa that retails for $58,000) and kept coming back for more. “The pattern is definitely people with good taste,” said influencer Victoria Paris, who was one of the burglary victims. “I loved everybody he was burglarizing. It was definitely a vibe.”
The era of all-white homes appears to be ending—and the pendulum has swung sharply in the opposite direction. For The Wall Street Journal, Laura Hine explores the varying ways the recent embrace of maximalism among homeowners and designers has emerged, from full-throttle more-is-more decorating to a more even-keeled yet personality-driven feel (an approach one real estate agent referred to as “selective maximalism”).
Call for Entries
The Ceramics of Italy International Tile Competition is now accepting submissions. Hosted by Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Agency, the contest will consider entries from architects and interior designers for the first time, including projects that utilize ceramic and porcelain tile from Ceramics of Italy member brands in four categories: residential, commercial, outdoor, and design and new applications. Winners will receive cash prizes, along with a CEU-accredited trip to Bologna for the Cersaie trade show in September 2026. To enter before the June 5 deadline, click here.
