This week in design, input your preferences and watch as The Wall Street Journal’s new Dream Home Generator chooses from the publication’s vast catalog of published properties to select your ideal abode. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, recommended reading and more.
Business News
In a social media post on Monday, President Donald Trump announced a new trade deal with India that reduces U.S. tariffs on the country’s imports from 50 percent to 18 percent, The New York Times reports. The agreement resulted from a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who according to Trump promised to stop buying Russian oil, buy $500 billion worth of American goods, and drop some of its levies to zero. The new rate marks a decrease from the original 25 percent tariff Trump imposed on the country last spring, which he then doubled in August in retaliation for Russian oil purchases. Many details of the deal remain unclear, including a potential timeline for the lower levies. At press time, the Indian government had not publicly confirmed an agreement and there was no official statement from either country.
Auction Technology Group, the U.K.-based parent company of LiveAuctioneers and Chairish, announced that its largest shareholder is walking away from a potential buyout of the company. Private equity firm FitzWalter Capital had been doggedly pursuing a takeover—submitting 12 offers in four months, all of which were rejected by ATG. The firm had until February 2 to issue a formal offer or give up its pursuit. On Monday, FitzWalter announced that it would make no further offers, “in light of the board’s rejection and refusal to facilitate access to due diligence.”
A number of home companies paused operations last Friday, joining a national strike in response to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and the fatal shootings of civilians Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis last month. Domino magazine paused publishing for the day, announcing the hiatus in an Instagram post that linked to organizations supporting activists on the ground in Minnesota, while design brand Society Social recommended that its audience advocate with elected officials, support immigrant-owned businesses and share “Know Your Rights” resources. Atlanta design firm Blessed Little Bungalow, Los Angeles–based studio Reath Design, and designer and television personality Nate Berkus also took part in the strike.
Boutique leather upholstery company Olivia & Quinn is ceasing operations. According to a LinkedIn post from company president Jared Worrall, the decision came in response to the winding down of the furniture brand’s unnamed parent company. Worrall did not respond to a request for further comment at press time.
Bed Bath & Beyond has agreed to acquire blockchain-based investment platform Tokens.com, CoinDesk reports. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. The purchase fuels the retailer’s announced plans to launch a platform that will allow people to turn certain assets—including home equity—into cash or tradable digital tokens. Scheduled to launch in July, the site will also offer financial services, including mortgages, renovation loans and home equity lines of credit.
The current housing market is favoring buyers, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to analysis by real estate brokerage Redfin, about 62 percent of buyers purchased a home below the original listing price last year—the largest share since 2019. Meanwhile, the average discount for homes in that category was around 8 percent, representing the biggest markdown since 2012. It’s a reversal from the 2020–2022 era, when record-low mortgage rates sparked a number of bidding wars in which sellers held all the power. In December 2025, the housing market had over 600,000 more sellers than buyers, the largest such gap since 2013.
In January, U.S. consumer confidence fell to its lowest level in more than 11 years, with the Conference Board’s monthly index declining 9.7 points to 84.5, Reuters reports. The slide is due in part to an ongoing affordability crisis, in addition to poor perceptions of the labor market, with consumers’ view of job availability at a five-year low. Despite the news, the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, deciding to maintain the 3.5 to 3.75 percent benchmark level at its first meeting of the year last week.
Launches and Collaborations
Mitchell Gold is on the move. After wrapping up a two-year advisory agreement that saw the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams co-founder working with Surya to help relaunch his namesake brand following its acquisition out of bankruptcy, he is starting a consulting firm, Hindsight Forward. His focus will be on holistically advising companies through key moments, whether that’s a new marketing or sales strategy, core product development, succession planning, crucial hiring decisions or navigating an acquisition. “As a CEO, my hands were in a lot of things, and I can help with a lot,” he tells BOH. “There are things we did [at MG+BW] that were great, and I’d love to be able to share them with other people. There were also things in hindsight that I’d do differently … that can be even more helpful.” Hindsight Forward’s first client is California-based art company Natural Curiosities—Gold is helping them with growth strategy as they open a New York showroom. Intriguingly, he’s looking to move beyond the category where he made his name. “If I got the right situation in furniture, I’d do it,” he says. “But I don’t particularly want to do furniture anymore. That’s not really my focus.”
Lyndon Cormack, the co-founder of Canadian backpack and accessories company Herschel Supply Company, has teamed up with Phoebe Glasfurd and Aren Fieldwalker of branding studio Glasfurd & Walker to debut a new home goods brand called Typical. The venture has launched with a cotton terry stretch towel available in a variety of patterns—including bold animal prints, graphic geometric forms and vibrant colors.
Austin-based interior designer Emily Seiders has debuted a new luxury farm retreat and event space located in Round Top, Texas. A seventh-generation Texan, Seiders designed the rental property—which consists of a main farmhouse, two stand-alone cottages, and a variety of recreation spaces, able to host up to 19 guests—with a nod to her heritage, blending rustic elements with contemporary design.
Perigold has named style icon Olivia Palermo as its first-ever brand ambassador. The collaboration kicked off with Palermo designing the interiors of her home in Manhattan entirely through the Wayfair-owned brand’s e-commerce platform, with support from its design services. The products she selected—including pieces like an art deco–inspired Chinoiserie bar cabinet by Maitland-Smith and the sculptural Formation accent table by Global Views—will be available as a curated selection on Perigold’s site.
Recommended Reading
In an ongoing Instagram video series, interior designer Lily Walters has just one piece of criticism for homeowners: “Your home isn’t weird enough.” For The Washington Post, Rachel Kurzius explores a growing movement among designers who are embracing unexpected and offbeat touches in their work—everything from a silver horse head to a bathtub installed on the porch—as a rejection of the “sad beige” minimalist aesthetic that has come to dominate interiors in recent years.
The uber-rich are opening up their lives, sharing their morning routines, recent purchases and private lives with legions of viewers on social media. Could it be a sign that the era of “quiet luxury” is heading out the door? For Town & Country, Tim Teeman examines the rise of the “one percent celebrity.”
In the arena of industries bruised by President Trump’s sweeping tariff regime, rug importers are among the hardest hit. For The New York Times this week, Sydney Ember spoke with the leaders of Loloi about the Dallas-based rug and textile company’s multipronged efforts to protect itself from the economic blows that have come with the current administration’s trade policies—a game plan that involved stockpiling product pre-tariffs, negotiating deals with Indian manufacturers and implementing limited price increases, all in hopes of weathering the storm.
Cue the Applause
Elle Decor has debuted its first-ever Elle Decoration International A-List, calling upon the editors of its 25 editions worldwide to select the most “ambitious and audacious” projects featured in their magazines over the past year. The publication’s U.S. arm honored Alessandra Branca, David Netto and Peter Marino, among other designers; abroad, talents like Laura Gonzalez (France), Fabian Freytag (Germany) and Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva (Italy) made the list. For the full group of honorees, click here.
Boll & Branch has announced the winners of the special design competition the company launched in partnership with New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, inviting students to utilize the bedding brand’s cotton fabrics to create ready-to-wear garments. Student Ji Yun Lim took home the top honor—a cash prize and the opportunity to have her dress produced and sold by Boll & Branch.
Call for Entries
In partnership with Design Milk, Clerkenwell Design Week is now accepting submissions for its CDW Awards, which celebrate the most innovative design leaders and products in the industry. The competition’s second annual edition is open to all participants in the festival, specifically products that launched in 2025 or are scheduled for production in 2026. For more information and to send a submission by the March 27 deadline, click here.
