This week in design, the latest viral design trend—aptly named “cushcore”—involves replacing sleek, low-slung sofas and spare midcentury seating with plush, overstuffed couches for an overall cozier home environment. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, recommended reading and more.
Business News
Haynes Furniture and The Dump—two retail chains owned by the same family—have announced that they will be closing permanently, Furniture Today reports. Going-out-of-business sales, run by asset management firm SB360 Capital Partners, are currently underway. Third-generation owner E.J. Strelitz, who has noted the furniture retail landscape’s turbulence since the pandemic, is slated to retire. The news marks the end of a 128-year journey for the retail operation, which began in 1898 when founder L.D. Haynes launched the first Haynes Furniture store in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1930, Ellis Strelitz purchased the store, setting the business on course to expand into four locations across the state. In 2005, E.J. Strelitz (the business’s current executive chairman) established discount furniture chain The Dump, which grew to encompass 12 locations nationwide. Now, Haynes Furniture will close its four total showrooms and The Dump will sunset its remaining Virginia stores (after shuttering its locations in Arizona, Georgia and Illinois last month).
New York–based company Independent, which owns and operates the Independent Art Fair and adjacent fair Independent 20th Century, has been acquired by U.K.-based events and publishing group Informa, Surface reports. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Under the new ownership, Independent will present a new art fair model, combining elements of museum-like exhibition with a commerce-focused marketplace environment. Following the purchase, Independent co-founder and creative director Elizabeth Dee will continue to helm both events.
Meadowcraft, an Alabama-based outdoor furniture manufacturer, halted production late last month, Casual News Now reports. The brand’s parent company, Wadley Holdings, sent out a notice stating that it is currently “seeking strategic alternatives for the brand.” In the meantime, the company is seeking buyers for Meadowcraft’s remaining inventory. Founded in 1963, Meadowcraft has changed hands several times in recent years. The company was acquired by Wadley Holdings in 2009 after an involuntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 was filed against the company, then in 2023, Wadley Holdings and Meadowcraft were acquired by industrial services firm Airco, Inc. Airco and Meadowcraft did not return Casual News Now’s request for comment.
Last week, President Trump signed an executive order designed to reduce diesel prices, which have neared historic highs in the wake of the conflict in Iran. As CNN reports, the order waives restrictions on red-dyed diesel—a cheaper, tax-exempt fuel alternative typically reserved for off-road applications, that is almost chemically identical to standard diesel and is dyed red for tax enforcement purposes. The temporary measure delays penalties for the use of red-dyed diesel for highway transportation through the end of the year, which could provide a much-needed reprieve to truckers grappling with rising fuel prices. Still, the order would only postpone tax obligations on red-dyed diesel until next year, instructing officials to explore ways to forgive the penalties in the meantime. In the meantime, 10 states have already taken their own steps to improve access to dyed diesel for highway use, in hopes of improving fuel affordability for truckers on a state level.
Anthropic, the parent company behind chatbot Claude, has warned that AI models may soon be able to replicate themselves across internet-connected home devices, CNBC reports. The company shared the findings in a blog post this week, stating that AI models are “months away” from developing capabilities that would allow them to infiltrate items such as smart ovens or Android TV boxes. From there, the AI models could use the home devices’ computing power to run their own operations, rather than tapping into data centers, and spread to other devices. While Anthropic noted that there is still not yet a “full rogue replicator,” the news adds to growing concerns around the potential risks of AI.
Launches and Collaborations
Crate & Barrel and Crate & Barrel Kids have announced an expansion into a new category for the brands: wallcoverings. Together with York Wallcoverings—the oldest and largest wallpaper mill in the U.S.—the brands have introduced more than 45 prints and colorways, ranging from textured neutrals to graphic patterns, designed to complement the company’s existing portfolio of furniture and decor.
Anthropologie Home tapped musician, composer and actor Jon Batiste along with writer, artist and advocate Suleika Jaouad to design a new limited-edition collection that celebrates the art of gathering. Spanning tabletop, decor, furniture and accessories, the 46-piece assortment takes inspiration from many sources—including Jaouad’s Tunisian roots and New Orleans–born Batiste’s musical affinity—resulting in a collaboration resplendent with personal details, such as dessert plates that feature Batiste’s handwritten affirmations and Jaouad’s illustrations.
Joon Loloi teamed up with Drew Michael Scott of Lone Fox Home to design an assortment of 19 rugs and 21 pillows. The collection is characterized by lively patterns like animal prints, intricate borders featuring folk imagery, and designs inspired by antique textiles and tile work.
Recommended Reading
While the social acceptability of smoking remains hotly contested, some accessories are transcending the habit itself. For Elle Decor, Sloane Crosley pens an essay about the return of the ashtray—a once-ubiquitous tableware fixture, now embraced by a generation intent on elevating it to the level of high design that even non-smokers can appreciate. “These timeworn trash cans have always been the redeeming conclusion to a bad deed,” writes Crosley. “They launder vice through taste.”
According to one recent study, 72 percent of all Americans feel comfortable consulting AI for at least one task related to home buying or selling—while another survey found that just over half of prospective homebuyers would feel comfortable buying a home without any human involvement. For Dwell, Marah Eakin explores how chatbots are increasingly encroaching into the real estate process, disrupting everything from multimillion dollar deals to the forays of first-time home buyers as buyers and sellers alike turn to tools like ChatGPT in hopes of maximizing their dealings (even as results vary).
Call for Entries
Ahead of its 2027 edition, the Kitchen & Bath Industry is now accepting submissions for the annual Best of KBIS Awards. The awards program highlights brands and exhibitors that best showcase originality and innovation, heralding emerging trends in the kitchen and bath category across seven categories: Style Statement: Kitchen; Style Statement: Bath; Sustainable Standout; Wellness Trailblazer; Game-Changing Innovation; Most Functional Find; and Best in Show. To make a submission before the Nov. 20 deadline, click here.
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