This week in design, a Swarovski crystal–covered chair inspired by a piece of furniture in a Vincent van Gogh painting was never meant to be sat on—a fact two tourists learned after damaging the piece in a “sit-and-run” at an art museum in Italy last week. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, events, recommended reading and more.
Business News
The American Society of Interior Designers has released its “2025 ASID Economic Outlook Report,” which examines how current market conditions may impact the design industry, based on data available as of May 20. Among its high-level takeaways, the report notes that while demand for design goods continues to rise, the outlook for design services is less certain, in part due to fluctuating tariff levels—which, if maintained, are projected to drive up building material costs by 5 to 8 percent, depending on the type of construction. Further dampening demand is the increase in the price of home goods resulting from inflation, with household furniture prices up 25 percent from February 2020 to April 2025. Still, the report predicts that if interest rates continue to ease in 2026, demand may gradually rebound. Elsewhere, the document provides an overview of recent housing numbers, consumer spending, and trade and fiscal policy, along with analyses of how recent developments in each area will translate to projected changes in the design sector.
Real estate brokerage Compass filed a lawsuit against Zillow in a New York federal court this week, claiming that the platform is violating antitrust laws and conspiring to maintain a monopoly over digital home listings, The New York Times reports. In particular, Compass takes issue with a policy it refers to as the “Zillow ban,” referring to a stance the listing site took in April, when it announced that any home that was put on the market but not listed on Zillow within 24 hours would be permanently banned from the platform. The rule is at odds with the practice of conducting private home sales (also known as “pocket listings” or “whisper listings”), which some home sellers prefer for an initial marketing period—a format Compass has leaned into.
The Judd Foundation has reached a settlement with Kim Kardashian and Clements Design in the lawsuit it filed last year, ArtNews reports. The suit centered on a 2022 promotional video tour of Kardashian’s company offices, in which she referred to pieces manufactured by Clements Design that were aesthetically similar to Judd’s Chair 84 and La Mansana Table 22 designs as “Donald Judd tables”—prompting the foundation to sue. According to a new joint statement, the Judd Foundation and Clements Design have agreed to acknowledge the “rights inherent to Donald Judd’s furniture and art,” while Kardashian “will now have authentic Donald Judd tables and chairs from Donald Judd Furniture LLC.”
Private equity firm Oakley Capital has purchased a 60 percent stake in Immaginazione Srl, the holding company that owns and manages Italian design company Fornasetti, Women’s Wear Daily reports. The move will transfer majority ownership of the company away from Barnaba Fornasetti—the son of founder Piero Fornasetti—who said in a statement that the acquisition will usher the brand through “a phase of thoughtful, ambitious and value-oriented expansion.” According to Vicente Castellano, an operating partner at Oakley Capital (which is also a part owner in high-end homeware business Alessi and operates out of offices throughout Europe), the firm’s plans for Fornasetti include transforming it into a “global lifestyle company.”
On July 23, national sales training and business development expert Alison Mullins guides you through the process of visualizing your dream design client—and using data you already have to attract more of them. Click here to learn more and remember, workshops are free for BOH Insiders.
In Virginia, Lynchburg-based furniture retailer Schewels Home has acquired 98-year-old Petersburg-based Butterworth’s Furniture, Furniture Today reports. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Following the purchase, the latter will continue operating under the Butterworth’s name, with many of its employees expected to remain in their roles. Schewels operates 52 retail locations in the region, and with this deal it acquires one of the largest stores in its portfolio: a 72,000-square-foot showroom and a 24,000-square-foot warehouse.
Launches and Collaborations
To complement the debut of its new Polychroma collection, luxury Italian jewelry brand Bulgari tapped Italian textile house Rubelli to design 12 bespoke tapestries to display alongside its new pieces at a launch event at the San Domenico Palace hotel in Taormina, Italy. The resulting works from Rubelli feature centuries-old weaving techniques interpreted by Sicilian painter Alessandro Florio and American visual artist Zach Lieberman, who each employed a vibrant, gemstone-inspired color palette.
Rocco has debuted a new limited-edition color for its flagship Super Smart Fridge in partnership with New York institution Katz’s Delicatessen. Together, the collaborators designed the drinks fridge in a bright orange hue, an homage to the city, with references to the Knicks, the Mets, and the subway’s soon-to-be-retired orange and yellow seats. The first 75 orders will also come with a classic New York deli meal at Katz’s, including hand-carved pastrami, corned beef and Dr. Brown’s sodas.
Charles and Ray Eames’s 1975 film Metropolitan Overview is now available to the public as the latest installment in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s From the Vaults series, which highlights pieces from its audiovisual archive. The nine-minute video was newly restored by the Library of Congress earlier this year, and features a proposal from the couple to reimagine the future of the Met with new additions such as an extensive architectural redesign.
Home improvement chain Lowe’s has announced the launch of its Creator program, which allows content creators and influencers to earn commission on sales referrals. The program already includes more than 17,000 creators—including YouTube’s biggest star, MrBeast—who enrolled during its beta phase. According to the retailer, participants can earn up to 20 percent commission on purchases made through their affiliate links within the program.
This summer, London- and New York–based PR and events agency Alpha Kilo is collaborating with Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania–based interior designer Joe Waroquier for the inaugural Nantucket Artisan Work/Shop pop-up at the Nantucket by Design festival. The team will transform the island’s historic Greater Light building into a curated, shoppable installation, showcasing bespoke furniture, textiles, lighting, and objects from an array of top brands and independent makers. The space will also host workshops, panel conversations and whisky tastings, and will be open to the public from July 15 to 18.
Recommended Reading
As wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters tear a path of destruction through cities and towns across the U.S., the rebuilding process is long and arduous—and more often than not, it results in a community that is wealthier and more exclusive than the one that came before it. For The Wall Street Journal, Arian Campo-Flores, Cameron McWhirter and Paul Overberg explore how this process, sometimes referred to as “climate gentrification,” is playing out in places like Panama City, Florida, and most recently, Altadena, California.
Starting in the late 1960s, the peacock chair—or, as it is sometimes called, the rattan throne—has been a cultural touchpoint in Black American decor and social traditions, serving as a literal seat of power for political leaders, revolutionaries, award-winning musicians and everyday people alike. For The New York Times, James Thomas traces the piece’s history from its craft origins in the Philippines through the wicker furniture revival of the 1950s, culminating in its prominence in homes across the country today.
The average homeowner may be curbing their renovation spending as of late, but real estate’s upper echelon has shown no signs of slowing down. For evidence, just look at the luxury projects and lavish amenities—ranging from shark ponds to super-secure safe rooms—that high-end homeowners are executing in markets like Los Angeles, Miami, Palm Beach and Aspen. For The Wall Street Journal, Katherine Clarke consults a group of mega-builders, developers and architects on what it takes to renovate the homes of today’s ultrawealthy.
