This week in design, new “climate-adaptive” paint technology means your house may soon be able to change colors with the seasons—and boost energy savings no matter the weather. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, events, recommended reading and more.

Business News
Food52—the media brand and owner of Schoolhouse and Dansk—laid off 40 percent of its staff last week, reducing the company’s headcount from 140 to 90, AdWeek reports. According to CEO Erika Ayers Badan, the cuts have primarily affected the company’s e-commerce marketplace. Moving forward, Food52 plans to invest in growing its media operation and expanding Schoolhouse’s product line in addition to rolling out live-shopping initiatives on Instagram and YouTube. Ayers Badan says the company will be debuting a streamlined version of its online store, with limited third-party offerings and an increased focus on Schoolhouse products. The current round of layoffs isn’t the only staff reductions in recent history: Last February, the company cut 45 employees across all of its brands, following several rounds of layoffs the year before. At the time of Food52’s acquisition of Schoolhouse in 2021, the combined companies fielded 316 employees.

Real estate giant Compass is reportedly in advanced talks to purchase Warren Buffett–owned brokerage HomeServices of America, according to The Wall Street Journal. The acquisition would represent a major consolidation in real estate: Compass was the largest U.S. brokerage by volume in 2023, while HomeServices took the fourth-place spot. If the deal happens, it would come at a vulnerable moment for HomeServices. Along with facing a slow housing market—which saw 2024 sales fall to their lowest level since 1995—the company was forced to fork over $250 million in the landmark antitrust case over broker commissions that settled last year. According to Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report, HomeServices recorded a $107 million loss in 2024, which it attributes mostly to costs associated with litigation. In response to the WSJ’s story, HomeServices sent a statement that no final deal in the potential acquisition has been reached.

Home builders are facing increased uncertainty amid new Trump administration policies, driving many to stockpile supplies in case the currently paused tariffs on Canada and Mexico resume, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to the National Association of Home Builders’ estimation, the cost of building a single-family home could increase between $7,500 and $10,000 if tariffs are fully implemented, considering that more than 70 percent of imported softwood lumber comes from Canada and nearly one-third of imported gypsum (used in drywall) comes from Mexico. In response, many smaller developers are preordering supplies in bulk, designing smaller homes or swapping out higher-quality imported materials for cheaper domestic products—like replacing Canadian-grown Douglas fir wood with southern pine.

A wave of price hikes has swept across the industry in reaction to tariffs levied by the Trump administration. In recent weeks, designers’ inboxes have been receiving notices from brands, some announcing flat, across-the-board increases—for example, Los Angeles–based Noir, which added 4 percent on all items—while others took a more tactical approach, like windowcoverings company Horizons, which informed designers of a temporary 12 percent increase on some of its lines. In a letter to customers announcing price hikes, Howard Elliott Collection president Brian Berk wrote, “We are also receiving letters similar to the one that I am sending you from our suppliers who provide us with fabric, and other raw materials for the products we manufacture domestically. To maintain the quality of our products and continue providing you with the level of service you expect, we’ve had to make some difficult choices.”

A Design Partnership—a full-service public relations firm specializing in architecture, interior design and home brands—has been acquired by Mike Krass, founder of Moon Holdings LLC. According to a statement from the agency, Krass brings a decade of digital marketing experience to ADP, whose services he plans to expand to better serve clients. Moving forward, founder Natalie Norcross will continue to lead business development as the agency’s chief growth officer, and Krass will step in as the company’s new CEO.

Furniture and accessory supplier RW Collective has acquired fellow Mississippi-based business and upholstery manufacturer Bauhaus Furniture, Furniture Today reports. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The purchase has allowed Bauhaus to remain in operation just a week after the company announced that it would be going out of business. Following the deal, Bauhaus will be able to retain its staff, while RW Collective will expand its product offering to categories such as upholstered beds and dining chairs, and establish a domestic manufacturing operation in addition to its existing case goods factory in Indonesia.

New Jersey–based home textile developer Lush Decor has acquired rug importer Trans-Ocean, Furniture Today reports. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 1908, Trans-Ocean is one of the country’s oldest rug importers, with pieces sourced from China, India, Turkey and Egypt. Following the purchase, the company’s direct-to-consumer offerings will be integrated into Lush Decor’s site.

Shipping giants Maersk and Castlery have signed a 10-year freight and logistics agreement to support global expansion, Singapore Business Review reports. Through the partnership, Castlery—a direct-to-consumer furniture company based out of Singapore—will benefit from logistics services ranging from ocean freight, intermodal transportation and distribution, along with warehousing in key markets.

Launches and Collaborations
Jamestown, the developer behind the Boston Design Center and Brooklyn’s Industry City, is plotting a new design district in Charleston, South Carolina. The hub, called the Charleston Design District, will debut in the city’s former naval base this fall with the opening of new showrooms from Kravet, Schumacher and Nashville-based luxury flooring company Textures, which will join designer-oriented brands that already have a space in the facility, including The Urban Electric Co., Fritz Porter and Smithey Ironware. Ultimately, Jamestown plans to devote 150,000 square feet of the Navy Yard to trade showrooms and open a full-service rooftop restaurant by local restaurateur Steve Palmer.

Online furniture retailer Wayfair will open its second brick-and-mortar store next year in Atlanta, Axios reports. The 150,000-square-foot location will feature 19 departments—offering products from categories including furniture, decor, home improvement and outdoor living—along with a restaurant called The Porch.

Ruggable has debuted a new capsule collection with heritage wallpaper brand Gracie Studio consisting of 11 rugs in tufted styles. In designing the collection, the collaborators strove to create a peaceful mood, utilizing colors like cream, blue, charcoal and navy for a variety of serene patterns.

The World Wildlife Fund announced a new initiative called the Deforestation-Free Leather Fund last week, geared toward improving the sustainability of leather supply chains. The group is seeking contributions from brands, retailers, leather processors and manufacturers across the fashion, automotive and furniture industries to fund efforts such as implementing traceability systems to verify responsible sourcing and rehabilitating degraded farmland.

The Wildset Hotel in St. Michaels, Maryland, is hosting its inaugural Spring Design Market this month, welcoming interior designers, makers and entrepreneurs for a series of design talks, demonstrations and shopping. Scheduled for March 28 through March 30, the event will include panels from regional design and lifestyle figures—including Kathryn Lager, Sara Swabb, Melissa Colgan and Darlene Molnar—as well as a curated marketplace, and activations such as a wine class, a cocktail demonstration and morning yoga.

Showroom Representation
British luxury outdoor sculpture brand David Harber will now be represented in the U.S. by the B. Peterson showroom in Palm Beach. To mark the occasion, David Harber will debut the newest addition to its sculpture collection: a limited-edition piece called FLO, crafted in formed bronze, hot patination and gold gilding.

Recommended Reading
In November 2023, a landmark ruling determined that the National Association of Realtors’ standard practice on real estate commissions had long been forcing home sellers to pay excessive fees, leading to a rule change that some economists believed would turn the industry on its head, cutting down the standard 6 percent rate and driving down home prices as a result. As Debra Kamin writes for The New York Times, sellers haven’t seen those predictions come true just yet: Although average commissions appear to be ticking downward, some Realtors and their brokerages have sought out loopholes and pressured sellers to find ways around the industry’s new rules.

Over the past few years, kitchen appliances and cooking products have become an increasing source of consumer panic—especially after a widely reported study last fall found that many black plastic spatulas and utensils may contain low levels of toxic chemicals that can leach into food. For Modern Retail, Melissa Daniels explores how cookware brands like Caraway and Made In are capitalizing on those concerns in their ad campaigns and social media content by emphasizing that their products are free from microplastics and toxic coatings.

The phrase “Welcome to your dream renovation project!” is often used as a euphemism for a fixer-upper—though that term takes on a new meaning entirely when it comes to the property in question: a $6.5 million oceanfront mansion in Florida that’s been hit by three major hurricanes in the last three years. For The Wall Street Journal, Nancy Keates dives into the new challenges real estate professionals face in selling high-end homes located in areas where storms, fires, floods and landslides are becoming increasingly commonplace.

Cue the Applause
The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame has announced its five new Paul Broyhill Future Leaders for 2025, recognized for their leadership, personal growth and communication skills as well as their contributions to their respective companies. This year’s honorees include Aaron Fenske, vice president of sourcing for Ashley Furniture; Jill Johnson, vice president of Tempur-Pedic Brand Management; Scott Kahan, director of product for Regal Fabrics; Jay Anna Mize, vice president of advisory and partnerships for Fashion Snoops; and Zoe Wong, executive director and general manager of international markets for Manwah Holdings.

The Bienenstock Furniture Library has named the 2025 winners of its annual student design competitions for furniture and interior design, which allocates a total of $15,000 to select candidates and their schools. In the furniture design competition, Peter Bonn of Red Rocks Community College secured first place for his chair design, Stahl; while University of Houston student Ruaraidh Ferrier earned second place for his project, Arthur’s Seat. In the interior design competition, Devin Reiman of Saddleback College landed in first place for his design project, Sa Calma; while Forsyth Technical Community College student Jennifer Koerner earned second place for her project, Kintsugi Spa.

In Memoriam
Pilar Viladas, design journalist and shelter magazine veteran, has passed away. A graduate of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Viladas went on to publish a prolific amount of design coverage, serving as Los Angeles editor and architecture editor at House & Garden, contributing editor at Architectural Digest and design editor at The New York Times Magazine and T Magazine for nearly 17 years. During her tenure there, she developed and edited more than 32 design issues, along with attending countless trade fairs, industry talks and design panels as she remained on the front lines of emerging stories and trends in the architecture, interior design and furnishings industries. “Pilar was a true North Star to me in design journalism,” wrote Dan Rubinstein on Instagram. “She was incredibly sharp, had impeccable taste and suffered no fools. She was a lioness amongst hyenas. She set a standard for what we do that I will always try to live up to. Genuine article doesn’t even begin to cut it.” In the years to follow, Viladas continued to publish freelance work, along with providing inspiration and guidance to the next generation of design journalists. “She was a generous mentor, a meticulous and acute colleague and a lovelier friend,” wrote Julie Lasky on Instagram. “This world will be much dowdier without her.”