This week in design, the hottest new home decor trend offers an edgy twist on the biophilia movement, with designers and homeowners introducing (unoccupied) wasp nests into their spaces. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, recommended reading and more.
Business News
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order for an additional 10 percent tariff on Canadian exports, bringing the total levies on the country up to 35 percent. The New York Times reports that the order came as a retaliatory measure in response to a recent ad aired in the United States and purchased by the Ontario provincial government, which used sound bites from a 1987 speech Ronald Reagan gave in support of free trade and against protectionist tariffs. In other tariff news, the Trump administration is signaling progress on a trade deal with China in the wake of threatening to impose an additional 100 percent import duty starting November 1. According to the AP, a possible agreement would see the country agree to purchase American soybeans and resume exporting rare earth elements, while the U.S. would roll back some tariffs. Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping for further negotiations on Thursday in South Korea.
Inflation went up slightly in September 2025. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the consumer price index rose to 3 percent year over year, the biggest annual uptick in price growth since January, though short of many analysts’s expectations. Furniture prices came in slightly hotter, rising at a rate of 3.8 percent. The White House has signaled that the BLS—temporarily closed due to the government shutdown—will likely not release data for October.
Influencer-driven e-commerce company ShopMy has completed a $70 million fundraising round led by investment group Avenir, bringing its valuation to $1.5 billion. Founded in 2020, the affiliate marketing platform allows content creators to earn commission by sharing links to recommended products with their online audiences. In the years since, the company has grown to represent more than 185,000 users—including many in the home space—generating more than $1 billion in annual sales.
B2B e-commerce and logistics company GigaCloud Technology Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire New Classic Furniture in an $18 million cash deal, Furniture Today reports. The finalized purchase would allow New Classic to retain its brand identity and management team, while giving GigaCloud 100 percent of outstanding equity interest in the company and allowing the online platform to tap into New Classic’s network of 1,000 physical retailers.
Several decades-old furniture retailers announced they would be going out of business this month, TheStreet reports. On October 1, Maryland-based Outten Brothers Home—a 78-year-old family-owned and -operated company—announced that it will be liquidating its inventory and putting its building up for sale, without providing a reason for the sudden shutdown. The following day, Texas-based New Deal Furniture—also 78 years in operation—held its own final liquidation sale; it did not say why it was closing. More recently, 77-year-old furniture national retail chain American Signature Furniture announced the closure of its four Nashville-area stores in mid-October. The Ohio-based company, which still operates more than 120 stores across the country, stated that its exit from the Tennessee market would allow it to “realign its market presence and strengthen operations in its top-performing regions.”
Illinois-based luxury furniture brand Marge Carson has debuted a new manufacturing facility in Mexico, Furniture Today reports. The introduction of the new 60,000-square-foot space marks the first time the company has relocated operations in more than 30 years (the prior spot was also in Mexico). According to Marge Carson president and CEO Janet Linly, “Rather than fully relocating, we chose a structure that allows us to support U.S. jobs, designers and suppliers, while continuing to grow our skilled artisan base in Mexico.”
Launches and Collaborations
Brigette Romanek launched her second line of rugs with Loloi. The new introduction features more than 15 new rugs and a selection of throw pillows. Included among the new pieces is the Madi collection, which boasts checkerboard, striped and figurative motifs; and the Romi collection, which features a design framed by a pair of dragons.
London-based wallpaper brand House of Hackney collaborated with three U.S. designers to reimagine a selection of prints by the celebrated English textile maker William Morris. Heidi Caillier, Ray Azoulay, and Pierce & Ward were all chosen to update two floral motifs by changing the colors and scale, bringing the iconic designs to the 21st century.
Moooi NYC has tapped Robbie Williams on a new piece called the Introvert Chair. This is the British singer-songwriter’s first foray into the furniture space, and the design is inspired by his own mental health journey and advocacy. The chair’s swivel function and curved, padded frame—swathed in a soft textile crafted from a blend of wool, alpaca and cotton—are designed to wrap you in a cozy hug.
Grammy-nominated country musician Kelsea Ballerini designed the Burn the Baggage candle for Nashville-based brand Ranger Station. Inspired by a track on her 2024 album Patterns, the candle features fragrance notes of Tennessee iris, orris and sandalwood, and comes in a vessel that can be repurposed as a cocktail glass.
Recommended Reading
As other social media platforms lean into a business model of “engagement via enragement,” Pinterest is hoping to go in the opposite direction: creating a space where users feel safe and inspired. For The New York Times, Jordyn Holman sits down with the company’s chief executive, Bill Ready, for a conversation about Pinterest’s new strategy of protecting the platform’s user base—more than half of which is Gen Z—and what it takes to curb the flood of AI-generated content.
Alexander Widener, the formerly New York–based design marketing manager, inherited an appreciation for the crafts and homemaking tips found in Martha Stewart Living from his mother, ultimately sending him on a path that led to the recent launch of his home decor store and guest cottage, Widener Company, in Wiscasset, Maine. For the Dirt newsletter, Tyler Watamanuk interviews Widener about the vast archive of Martha Stewart Living he recently acquired, and how the magazine reveals deeper lessons about finding beauty in the everyday.
