This week in design, advancements in digital printing mean the sky’s the limit for the visual illusions exhibited in trompe l’oeil wallpaper. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, recommended reading and more.

Business News
California retailer Howard’s Appliances abruptly shut down last week, leaving customers with outstanding orders in the lurch, SF Gate reports. A letter sent to employees by the company’s logistics general manager confirmed that the chain’s final day in operation was Saturday, citing “circumstances beyond our control” for the closure. Howard’s—which sold items like refrigerators, washers and dryers, and mattresses from 10 locations across Southern California—opened its first store shortly after World War II, and changed hands last April after being acquired by investment firm S5 Equity.

Retail giant Ashley announced that customers can now purchase the company’s products through AI-powered search engine Perplexity, Retail Dive reports. Shoppers can interact with Perplexity’s chatbot to receive product recommendations and complete transactions via PayPal, all within the same platform. The announcement comes after the debut of ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout feature in September—and follows similar moves from fellow retailers Walmart, which began facilitating purchases through ChatGPT in October; and Target, which launched an app within that same AI chatbot last month.

Ikea has announced plans to shift its production strategy more heavily toward the U.S., Reuters reports. According to Susanne Waidzunas, global supply manager at parent company Inter Ikea, the sourcing adjustment aligns with a broader company initiative that involves producing products closer to where they are sold, rather than coming in response to tariffs, although the shift is timely—Ikea recently increased prices on some products in the States in response to the economic burden of new trade policies. One such manufacturer affected by the shift is Lithuanian supplier SBA Home, which is increasing production capacity out of its factory in Mocksville, North Carolina, as part of a $70 million investment backed by Inter Ikea. Ikea also plans to begin sourcing more from existing U.S. suppliers, including for bulky items like mattresses, which it aims to procure entirely from domestic producers.

The U.S. Department of Energy rescinded its Biden-era definition of a zero-emissions building, announcing that it will no longer provide informational materials or technical assistance related to such projects, The Architect’s Newspaper reports. The move was outlined in President Donald Trump’s recent “Unleashing American Energy” executive order, in which he claims that the zero-emissions definition was at odds with his administration’s policies, specifically for placing “an undue burden on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resources.” Environmental groups like the Sierra Club have decried the removal, claiming that it leaves consumers and builders without clear guidelines for energy-efficient buildings.

Pantone named Cloud Dancer its 2026 Color of the Year last week, referring to the shade as “a symbol of calming influence in a frenetic society” and a representation of “a blank page ready for you to turn your inspiration into reality.” The choice—the color authority’s first white shade to earn the COTY spot since the initiative began in 1999—sparked swift backlash online: Critics called the selection tone deaf in the current political climate, especially amid the rollback of DEI programs, and drew comparisons to Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle ad campaign. In a statement sent to Women’s Wear Daily in response to the criticism, a Pantone spokeswoman said, “The global team at the Pantone Color Institute selected this color for its emotional and creative resonance, not as a statement on politics, ideology, or race. Pantone does not assign political narratives to color; to select or avoid a hue on that basis would give such narratives a significance they do not hold in this process.”

Apartment Therapy debuted its annual “The State of Home Design” trend report, surveying 140 design experts on the decor styles that will dominate in the coming year. According to 89 percent of respondents, inspiration from contemporary English cottages and Parisian pied-à-terres will reign in 2026, as well as styles like maximalism, warm minimal and midcentury modern (modern farmhouse came in last, favored by just 6 percent). The report forecasted that espresso bean, warm mahogany, martini green and marigold will be the top colors in the coming year, while patterns are expected to shift toward simple geometric styles and hand-drawn florals. Respondents also predicted a rise in delft tile, unbleached oak, cork, chenille and perforated metal, as well as a growing interest in alcoves, trompe l’oeil details and book nooks.

Launches and Collaborations
In honor of the aforementioned selection of Cloud Dancer as the Pantone Color of the Year, Joybird has partnered with the color authority to debut a furniture collection evoking the shade’s peace and serenity. The assortment of sectionals, chairs and ottomans features two new fabrics from Joybird—dimensional weave styles called Soul and Karina—and is available in both Cloud Dancer and its complementary blue-green hue, Aquatic.

Salone del Mobile.Milano has entered into a new three-year partnership with Art Basel Miami Beach and Art Basel Hong Kong, which will see the organization behind the Italian trade show contribute to the design of the Collectors Lounge spaces at the annual art fairs. The announcement of a longer-term collaboration came following the debut of the organizations’ first partnership at Art Basel Miami Beach last week, featuring a design executed by Lissoni & Partners with contributions from 35 Italian design brands, including Artemide, Foscarini, Gervasoni and Poltrona Frau.

Chasing Paper teamed up with Locust Lane for a collaboration bringing the wallpaper brand’s patterns to the heirloom rug company’s pieces. The collection features an array of hand-knotted and flat-weave rugs, made primarily in natural fibers like wool and jute and available in Chasing Paper prints such as Cottage Floral, Broken Stripe and Heritage Stripe.

Recommended Reading
Following the announcement of Cloud Dancer as Pantone’s Color of the Year, reporters from The Styles Desk at The New York Times debated this year’s choice, including its potential political implications, the meaning behind the hue’s name, and whether white (which Pantone has never before chosen as COTY in any variation) represents a blank slate or a “flavorless” selection.

When Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand designed the 4 chaise longue in 1928—still produced by Italian design brand Cassina—they introduced a form of furniture that has sparked lasting fascination among the design industry. For Domus, Silvana Annicchiarico pens a love letter to the enduring piece, offering an analysis of its ingenuity and musing upon how it has remained modern nearly a century later.

Cue the Applause
Architectural Digest announced its annual AD100 list last week, spotlighting top talent across the design industry. This year’s list included a number of new names—including Darren Jett, Jessica Helgerson and Remy Renzullo—and returning honorees, such as Alyssa Kapito, Corey Damen Jenkins and Jeremiah Brent. For the full list, click here.

The American Society of Interior Designers has announced its 2025 Lifetime Membership Award recipients, honoring members whose leadership and service have made a lasting impact on the industry. This year’s honorees include Duval Acker, Donna Kirby, Rachelle Schoessler Lynn, Leslie Shankman-Cohn and Ed Starr.

In Memoriam
Legendary American architect Frank O. Gehry passed away last week at the age of 96. As The New York Times reports, Gehry got his start studying architecture at the University of Southern California, and later established his own firm in 1962. He broke into the world of architecture with the renovation of his family’s bungalow in Santa Monica—a redesign completed with a mix of plywood, corrugated metal and chain link, representing the rebellious stylistic approach that would come to define Gehry’s body of work. Though he earned the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1989, one of his crowning achievements came several years later, with the 1997 unveiling of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao—a titanium structure that contributed to the revitalization of the Spanish city and sparked a wave of similar architectural efforts in major cities across the globe. (The phenomenon came to be known as the “Bilbao effect.”) Gehry’s industriousness continued in the decades to follow—during which he completed the design of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the New World Center concert hall in Miami Beach, and the Fondation Louis Vuitton art museum in Paris—and right up until his passing, with several major new products still underway. “You go into architecture to make the world a better place,” Gehry told the Times in a 2012 interview. “A better place to live, to work, whatever. You don’t go into it as an ego trip.”