It was an exciting week for design enthusiasts. Between Art Basel and Design Miami, there’s a slew of fresh, forward-thinking launches for you to pore over this weekend. From iridescent sinks to Tiffany lamp–inspired accent tables, these are some of the most noteworthy new looks we saw around town.
Salone del Mobile.Milano kicked off its three-year partnership with Art Basel Miami Beach (and Art Basel Hong Kong) by curating the fair’s Collectors Lounge. Designed by Lissoni & Partners, the space showcased a selection of covetable pieces from big-name Italian brands, including a steel mesh sofa by Paola Navone for Emu and the gently arched, cult-favorite Twiggy floor lamp by Foscarini.
Wexler Gallery wowed the Design Miami crowd with an assortment of whimsical furnishings. Eye-catchers from the avant-garde presentation included Feyza Kemahlioglu’s vining, bronze-and-blown-glass Dreaming in Calligraphy pendant; Henry Baumann’s freeform Excessive Boo resin table; Tom Palmer’s celestial Moon Pool screen; and Sofia Karakatsanis’s Resilience chair, a sinuous solid ash beauty with a scorched, stained and lacquered finish.
Moniomi’s installation for insurance company Chubb quickly drew a crowd to the Art Basel Collectors Lounge. Along with a custom ping-pong table by the Miami-based design firm and flowery chandeliers by Avram Rusu, highlights from the vibrant showcase included a hand-painted tropical plant mural by decorative artist Caroline Lizarraga and a golden yellow Delos sectional by Kravet.
In addition to its gorgeous new showroom at Villa Paula, The Future Perfect unveiled a fresh selection of highly collectible pieces at Design Miami. The display included Autumn Casey’s stained glass Susan table lamp; D-Haene Studio’s solid oak and glazed ceramic Jogakbo dining table; and Karl Zahn’s fluttering aluminum-and-acrylic Bower Bird 02 pendant.
Atra’s atmospheric installation at Design Miami was a sight to behold. The sensory exhibit introduced Swedish-Mexican designer Alexander Diaz Andersson's’s collaboration with wellness technology brand Morphus, and featured a Métaphores fabric–clad sofa equipped with a headset and light-therapy goggles that guide users through a 15-minute meditation session.
Kohler’s booth at Design Miami was an iridescent dream. Created by Harry Nuriev of Crosby Studios, the installation showcased the brand’s shimmery new Pearlized sink finish in an ombre, neon-lit room featuring a glimmering large-scale sculpture that Washington artist David Franklin created with 1,600 handmade ceramic fish.
Alcova transformed the Miami River Inn into a whimsical wonderland, complete with a hot pink checkered courtyard by Patricia Urquiola and furniture manufacturer Haworth. Standouts from the multi-building installation included Brazilian artist David Aliperti’s blossoming poolside sculptures; Latvian designer Dace Sūna’s opalescent Sky-Set light; Alberto Sánchez’s colored glass Tiffany collection; and Franck Genser and Tonester’s celestial “Moonlight, Skylight” exhibition, which featured the lunar-esque Basketball light.
French champagne house Perrier-Jouët called on Laura Cheung Wolf of Lala Curio to create a bespoke installation for the lobby at the Fontainebleau hotel. The exhibit, titled “The Garden of Wonder,” reimagines one of her couture-quality wallpapers as a three-dimensional design adorned with hand-beaded blossoms and wire-rimmed butterflies.
The Savannah College of Art and Design made a major splash at Design Miami with a texture-driven exhibition by a quartet of its esteemed alumni. Enveloped in an ultradimensional wall sculpture by Sarah Fonzi made from thousands of small plaster casts, the booth also showcased a curvilinear desk by Christian Dunbar; embroidered wool tapestries by Adrian Pepe; and a trio of woven metal and cotton light fixtures by Carl Johnson.
Superhouse’s booth in Design Miami’s Curios section was an homage to 1980s American art furniture. Staged within polychromatic scenography by Studio Ahead and Farrow & Ball, the presentation featured works by 12 key figures of the movement, including Alex Locadia’s molded leather Batman chair; Elizabeth Browning Jackson’s mesmerizing Spiral rug; and Howard Meister’s squiggly P. Strut chair.
