This week in design, a Brooklyn hardware store said goodbye to 62 years of business in style—with a New Orleans-worthy second line parade. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, events, recommended reading and more.
Business News
A federal judge struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed ban on noncompete agreements, which would have taken effect on September 4, Reuters reports. U.S. District Judge Ada Brown argued that the FTC does not have the authority to enact a sweeping ban on noncompete agreements—though it can still regulate them through case-by-case enforcement—and that the agency did not provide sufficient evidence detailing specific, harmful examples of these deals to justify the new rule. The decision marked a win for groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which moved to oppose the rule after claiming that it would harm workers and the overall economy. Supporters of the ban—which would affect 30 million U.S. workers—say noncompete clauses violate antitrust law and suppress workers’ wages and mobility.
Williams-Sonoma Inc. is facing a lawsuit filed by Crypton, which claims the company has been using its trademarks to falsely advertise furniture in Pottery Barn stores over the past two years, Home News Now reports. The suit claims that Crypton had supplied its performance fabric treatment to Williams-Sonoma through textile producer Valdese Weavers since 2016, and in 2022, when Crypton announced it was switching to a new treatment without PFAS chemicals, the mega-retailer allegedly ordered Valdese to use an “inferior third-party treatment chemistry” instead—while continuing to market its Pottery Barn furniture with Crypton trademarks.
Coast to Coast Accents, a Memphis-based accent and dining furniture manufacturer and wholesaler, has been placed into receivership after defaulting on financial obligations to its lender, Home News Now reports. Last month, Fifth Third Bank alerted the company that it owed nearly $900,000 on a real estate term loan and more than $3 million on its revolving loan—a notification that came after the company failed to pay certain property taxes, file annual statements for 2023 and make a loan payment on July 1. A filing last week in the U.S. District Court of Western Tennessee revealed that both the company and its lender agree that Coast to Coast is unable to manage operations in the face of its “material and continuing” defaults. According to the court, the decision allows a receiver to step in for “managing, protecting, preserving and operating and, if necessary, liquidating the entity defendant’s business or assets.”
The American Society of Interior Designers has released the top trends from its “2024 ASID Economic Outlook” report, analyzing the current state of the economy and its impact on the interior design industry. The findings include an update on the single-family residential home sector, in which high interest rates and rising materials and labor costs have elevated the cost of construction, prompting builders to pivot to smaller homes made with more affordable materials and appliances in order to draw in buyers. As for residential home improvement—which remained robust from 2020 to 2022, thanks to the pandemic—spending is on track to decline in 2024 and 2025, also due to higher interest rates and construction costs. The full report also touches on employment, hospitality and workplace trends, and it will be available later this month in the research section of the organization’s website.
The U.S. Justice Department and eight states are suing real estate software company RealPage for allegedly using an algorithm that illegally helps landlords coordinate price increases, The Wall Street Journal reports. Filed in the Middle District of North Carolina, the suit hinges on RealPage’s rent-setting software, which collects data from millions of rental units in order to suggest prices and lease terms to its landlord members, who oversee roughly 3 million units. The company denies the allegations, stating that its users make up a relatively minor portion of the overall market and that its software can also recommend lowering rents. In recent months, the issue has received increased scrutiny from Congress, which is currently considered a bill that would ban algorithmic pricing systems.
Launches and Collaborations
Ikea is testing out a new online marketplace for secondhand furniture, Dezeen reports. The peer-to-peer resale Ikea Preowned platform will enable customers to buy and sell used Ikea products, allowing sellers to set their own price and be paid either directly from buyers or in store credit (worth an additional 15 percent). Currently being tested in markets in Madrid and Oslo until the end of the year, the program is scheduled for a global rollout if it proves successful.
Salone del Mobile.Milano has partnered with Bloomingdale’s in New York for an installation called “Italian Design: From Classic to Contemporary.” Curated by architect Ferruccio Laviani, the display will be hosted on the store’s sixth-floor home department and will feature 23 Italian brands—including Artemide, Foscarini, Kartell and Porro—from September 4 through 29.
Showroom Representation
Boutique showroom Estudio Casa is now representing Anees Furniture & Design in its showroom at the Denver Design District. The family-owned custom furniture manufacturer has served the Chicago area for more than two decades, producing handcrafted pieces for residential and commercial clients.
Recommended Reading
Brittany Catucci, a 27-year-old public relations director in Emeryville, California, rents her townhouse—along with her furniture, repair tools and even clothes. As The Wall Street Journal reports, she’s part of a growing number of young Americans who are rethinking the concept of ownership in the wake of record-high housing prices, leading to a flood of new opportunities for renting goods of all kinds—from daily necessities like furniture and clothing to baby equipment, art pieces and even potted Christmas trees.
Art students arriving on campus this fall will have the option to study a relatively new—and controversial—artistic medium: AI art. For Hyperallergic, Isa Farfan surveys the new courses and certificates rolling out at art institutions across the country, many of which are designed to prepare graduates for a future in which artificial intelligence is integrated into their practices and professions.
Shunned for years in favor of wood floors, wall-to-wall carpeting is suddenly making an unexpected comeback—and reentering the market with a brand-new image. In The Wall Street Journal, Antonia van der Meer dives into how today’s broadloom is catching the eyes of homeowners and designers by offering a cozier, more eco-friendly spin on the carpeting of decades past.
Call for Entries
Houzz is now accepting applications for its 2025 scholarship program. The platform invites students to apply for any of five $2,500 scholarships: Women in Architecture, Residential Design, Sustainable Residential Design, Residential Construction Management, and Skilled Trades. For more information or to apply before the March 31 deadline, click here.
In Memoriam
Traci Zeller, a Charlotte, North Carolina–based interior designer and attorney, has passed away unexpectedly. In the years since founding her namesake firm in 2010, Zeller has left an indelible mark on the design community, serving in organizations like the Design Leadership Network and publishing work in top shelter magazines ranging from Architectural Digest to Better Homes & Gardens. A graduate of the University of Richmond and University of Virginia law school, Zeller began her professional journey as an attorney. She went on to work at global law firm Paul Hastings, and had previously held a prestigious position as a judicial law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. When her growing family moved into their first house, those dreams quickly changed—within a few years, the self-taught designer had transitioned to a design career at the helm of her own firm. Along with landing projects both in Charlotte and across the country, Zeller’s work was featured in the inaugural Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas in 2020. Beyond her industry achievements, friends say she was a dedicated mentor who generously dispensed advice and encouragement to countless early career designers. “Traci was a shining star in our industry. She helped elevate design in Charlotte to new heights,” says friend and fellow designer Lisa Mende. “She was eager to share her knowledge and experience with others because she believed ‘A rising tide lifts all boats.’ She will be sorely missed by all who were lucky to know her.”
