This week in design, homeowners looking for an elevated outdoor experience for their feline friends have a new feature to consider: the catio. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, recommended reading and more.
Business News
President Donald Trump’s trade policy has brought billions of dollars into the U.S. Treasury and reoriented our diplomatic relationships around the world. Now, two new analyses look to explore the effect tariffs are having at home. According to The Wall Street Journal, despite the president’s goal of revitalizing domestic manufacturing, fewer Americans work in manufacturing than at any point since the pandemic ended, with a decline of over 200,000 jobs since 2023. Elsewhere, factory activity declined for 26 straight months through December, and manufacturing construction spending fell for nine months in a row following the start of Trump’s second term. While some economists are optimistic that tariffs could boost U.S. manufacturing in the long term, in the short-term, they’ve led to higher material costs and sourcing challenges. Meanwhile, a study from the nonprofit think tank Tax Foundation says that Trump’s trade policy has led to an average tax increase of $1,000 per American household in 2025, and is estimated to amount to $1,300 in 2026.
An investigation conducted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Associated Press, The Post & Courier, AL.com and PBS’s Frontline reveals that carpet manufacturers, including global leader Shaw Industries, continued using toxic chemicals known as PFAS to make their products stain-resistant, and conspired to avoid regulatory testing even after discovering that they posed significant health risks—particularly for the communities surrounding Shaw’s headquarters. Reporters found that the Dalton, Georgia–based company discarded toxic chemicals from mills across the state’s northwest region, contaminating drinking water for hundreds of thousands of residents in Georgia and eastern Alabama. Ongoing research has since detected the presence of PFAS in the area’s water, soil, fish and wildlife—and in local residents. Some researchers have even referred to the region as a PFAS hot spot. While companies like Shaw and competitor Mohawk Industries state that they have complied with regulators and ceased the use of the chemicals since 2019—nearly two decades after executives were first made aware of their inherent danger—the risks remain even today: A report conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency last year found that, based on wastewater testing, “PFAS have been and continue to be used,” by carpet manufacturers.
Country Willow—the home furnishings retailer that operates under the name Willow Furniture & Design—has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, Furniture Today reports. According to the filing, the company reported liabilities of $10 million to $50 million, owed to between 50 and 99 creditors—including companies like American Leather, Kravet and Four Hands. Founded in 1996, the company has offered furniture, home decor and design services from its showroom in Bedford Hills, New York.
Furniture Today also reports that continued economic pressure on regional furniture retailers has impacted another longstanding operation: After closing its nine-store retail fleet and laying off its entire workforce late last year, Circle Furniture has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The Acton, Massachusetts-based company listed estimated assets of $1,000,001 to $10 million and liabilities of $10,000,001 to $50 million, owed to an estimated 200 to 999 creditors, including Visual Comfort, Loloi Rugs and Hooker Furniture. Circle, which had been in operation since the early 1950s, first announced its impending closure in a company-wide email on December 23, which stated that “circumstance [sic] have gone against the business, and we can no longer afford to continue operations.”
Lutron Electronics has acquired surface finishing and metal coatings company Tanury Industries. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 1946, the latter has provided metalwork services to a variety of industries, including jewelry, gifts, high-end motorcycle and automotive parts, and private and commercial aviation. The company has also been a longstanding supplier of metal faceplates for Lutron’s lighting systems, and the acquisition allows the brand to bring these offerings in-house. Tanury will continue operations out of its headquarters in Lincoln, Rhode Island, where a fire broke out yesterday evening.
The Lenzing Group—an Austrian-based manufacturer of renewable fibers for textiles and nonwovens—has acquired a majority stake in TreeToTextile, a Swedish company that creates eco-friendly fibers from wood pulp, Home Textiles Today reports. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Through its new controlling position, Lenzing plans to boost production at TreeToTextile’s existing demonstration plant in Nymölla, and fund the preparation of the former research company’s first industrial-scale facility. Backed by minority stakeholders like H&M Group and Inter Ikea Group, the Swedish brand has set its sights on fashion, home textiles and industrial applications.
Investment firm 26North Partners has acquired a controlling interest in residential kitchen appliance group The Middleby Corporation, owner of brands like La Cornue, Viking and AGA. The $540 million transaction will give 26North a 51 percent stake in the company, with Middleby retaining a 49 percent non-controlling interest. Following the acquisition, the joint venture will be rebranded as Composition Brands, according to a LinkedIn post from 26North founder Josh Harris.
Launches and Collaborations
Galey Alix, the host and producer of HGTV’s Home in a Heartbeat, has launched her second peel-and-stick wallpaper collection for Home Depot. The new collaboration features 12 patterns with real-touch texture, available in a variety of floral, botanical, minimalist and geometric designs.
In honor of the new Wuthering Heights movie, Airbnb is inviting guests to stay in a replica of Thrushcross Grange—the estate where Cathy, the protagonist of the film and novel, lived in luxury as lady of the manor. Located in Holmfield, England, the residence is available for up to two guests to book for three one-night stays in February and March, and includes breakfast, horseback riding in the moors and a visit to the Brontë Parsonage Museum in nearby Haworth. Bookings are first come, first served, and open on February 20 at 7 a.m. EST.
Recommended Reading
Gas stoves have long been the design world’s clear favorite, in contrast to the unseemly coils and patterned glass found on electric cooktops. In recent years, however, induction cooking—in which heat is generated via electromagnetic currents—has emerged as the new face of the luxury kitchen. For The New York Times, Rachel Wharton explores how new design capabilities in induction appliances have prompted high-end designers to embrace the category’s potential.
For House Beautiful, Janae McKenzie wrote “An Ode to the ‘Auntie Aesthetic,’” consulting interior designers and drawing upon her own experiences to illustrate a common appreciation for curating bold, collected and distinctly personal spaces among generations of Black women. “I claim the auntie aesthetic in my own space, from my jewel-tone sofa to striking art celebrating Black beauty on the walls,” says Brooklyn-based designer Camia Brown. “It’s unapologetic, hospitable, and stylish: everything they taught me a true home should be.”
For couples who cohabitate, a breakup often necessitates the division of belongings and home items. It also clears the way for both parties to take a fresh approach to design. For The New York Times, Dina Cheney examines how homeowners and apartment dwellers have used the end of a relationship as a chance to express their individual interior style. As one newly single person put it: “We didn’t really go together, and neither did our stuff.”
Call for Submissions
Benjamin Moore and Luxe Interiors + Design are now accepting submissions for their fifth annual “Faces of Design” campaign, which celebrates collaborations between architects and designers and their painting professionals. The contest will select six teams to star in a photo and video shoot featured in Luxe’s September/October 2026 issue. To make a submission before the February 15 deadline, click here.
