This week in design, one Brooklyn designer went through 300 dozen eggs over the past six months, all in service of producing furnishings decorated with an eggshell lacquer—a design tradition that extends back more than a century. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, events, recommended reading and more.
Business News
The Trump administration moved to roll back tariffs on both China and the U.K. in recent days following negotiations with both countries. As The New York Times reports, the president announced last week that he intended to sign a trade deal with the U.K., withdrawing some of the tariffs placed on the company’s exports. Then on Monday, news broke of another trade agreement when the U.S. and China released a joint statement agreeing to suspend some of their respective tariffs for 90 days. For now, the current 145 percent U.S. tariff on Chinese imports has been brought down to 30 percent, while China has reduced its 125 percent duty on American goods to 10 percent. The agreement will kick off additional negotiations between the two countries.
OpenAI has debuted updates to ChatGPT with the goal of making the tool more shopper-friendly. The new features offer direct links for users to buy products, along with images, reviews and pricing data. The updates follow a February report from consulting company Capgemini, which found that roughly two-thirds of millennials and Gen Z (closely followed by Gen X) have replaced traditional search engines with tools like ChatGPT when hunting for product recommendations. Meanwhile, a research report by Adobe revealed that consumers are buying more from generative AI’s suggestions, with a survey of 5,000 U.S. consumers revealing that 39 percent have used generative AI for online shopping, and 53 percent plan to do so this year.
Gianni Fortuna has stepped down from his role as CEO of upscale kitchen company Arclinea, part of the Italian luxury design conglomerate Flos B&B Italia Group, Women’s Wear Daily reports. Angelo Monaco, who joined the company as sales director in 2018, will assume the top role effective immediately. The news marks the third major executive departure at Flos B&B Italia Group within the last year, following the exit of former executive chairman Daniel Lalonde in January and the departure of Roberta Silva, formerly CEO of lighting company Flos, in 2024. According to WWD, sources close to the situation say the moves come amid broader restructuring attempts within the company, which has reportedly entertained informal offers to buy its furniture group in recent months.
The Manufacturing Revitalization Corporation of America—a private equity firm that invests in domestic manufacurers—has acquired Nevada-based direct-to-consumer furniture brand Semi Exact. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Moving forward, Semi Exact’s products will be made in MRCA facilities. The furniture brand’s co-founder, Elton Rivas, will continue on with Semi Exact following the purchase, leading a new business unit that will include two other recently acquired consumer brands: Subpod, which produces an in-ground composting system; and Hungry Bin, maker of freestanding compost bins that convert food scraps to fertilizer.
On May 28, creative business consultant Sean Low is back to share best practices and techniques for managing clients, and will demonstrate how essential it is to set boundaries from the very beginning of the project. Click here to learn more and remember, workshops are free for BOH Insiders.
Home furnishings producer Dorel Home has announced a restructuring plan that will consolidate the operations of its residential home furniture brands—which include lines like Novogratz, Cosmo Living and Ameriwood Home—under its Cosco Home segment, which also produces items like folding furniture, garage cabinets, workbenches and more. As Home News Now reports, the reorganization will lead to a significant number of layoffs during the second quarter of the year, as the sales, marketing and product development divisions are merged into Cosco Home. Dorel Home attributes the cost-cutting measures to lower-than-expected sales and margin levels during the first quarter. Moving forward, the company told HNN that it is actively pursuing other opportunities to decrease its overhead and operating costs—including a reduction in SKUs and a smaller distribution footprint—which will be finalized by the end of June.
Two independent home furnishings businesses are closing their doors. As Furniture Today reports, family-owned Tennessee furniture store Quality Furniture Co. is closing after 56 years, as husband-and-wife owners Butch and Carolyne Jones prepare for retirement. Meanwhile, in Mount Olive, North Carolina, another family-owned company, Bobby Denning Superstore, is also going out of business. Owners and sisters Donna, Paula and Gwen Denning are retaining the property and pivoting to focus on their family’s real estate business as they wind down the retail furniture operation.
Launches and Collaborations
The American Society of Interior Designers has debuted a new design guide geared toward providing design professionals with a framework to better serve the needs of an aging population. Developed by ASID’s Universal Design Committee as a follow-up to the organization’s Senior Living Guide, the new resource—called Reimagining Aging: A New Way Forward for Adaptive Living in the Home—outlines eight key areas of focus, including alleviating isolation, promoting autonomy, integrating wellness and prioritizing connectivity through design. The report also provides research-driven case studies illustrating how designers can address diverse client needs and challenges, along with technical recommendations for clearances, ADA reach range compliance measures and industry standards.
Assouline has debuted a collection of objects and home fragrances, marking the start of a new category for the luxury book publisher. The Library Collection includes several pieces inspired by the Assouline family’s favorite items—including bookends, book stands, trinket boxes, a tray, a backgammon set and more—crafted in wood, leather and brass; and available in red, camel and brown color palettes. An accompanying home fragrance evokes notes of fresh lemon, aged rum, musk and sandalwood.
Trove Object Gallery launched earlier this month, offering one-of-a-kind handcrafted objects from nearly 50 independent makers around the globe. Founder Hadas Teuscher established the curated digital gallery with the goal of highlighting sustainably created items that tell a story and utilize craftsmanship in service of cultural preservation. The site’s diverse array of makers and pieces include Colombian artist Marcela Cure’s clay vessels, Japanese sculptor Noe Kuremoto’s folklore-inspired pieces, and French architect-turned-ceramicist Caroline Desile’s sculptural works.
Recommended Reading
While so-called millennial gray and modern farmhouse style dominated decor over the last decade, it seems that the pendulum is quickly swinging in the opposite direction—toward the more-is-more maximalism of the 1980s. For House Beautiful, Kate McGregor consults designers on how elements of Memphis design and Italian postmodernism are making their way back into homes today—and why the “ultra-expressive aesthetic” is resonating right now.
After months of slumping consumer interest due to a difficult housing market, home brands now face a new wrinkle: Thanks to tariffs, customers are either backing away entirely from new purchases or stocking up before the economic climate gets much worse. For Modern Retail, Melissa Daniels dives into how companies like Havenly, RH and other home retailers are adjusting their supply chains, inventory and prices in order to navigate the shifting trade landscape.
Cue the Applause
The International Furnishings and Design Association will soon be accepting applications for five professional grants, awarded through the organization’s Educational Foundation. Open to professionals working in interior design or furnishings-related fields, as well as design educators and participants in design programs, the available grants include the Irma Dobkin Universal Design Grant, the Ina Mae Kaplan Historic Preservation Grant, the Elizabeth Brown Grant to Interior Design Programs, the Tony Torrice Professional Development Grant and the Valerie Moran Memorial Grant. Applications will be accepted between June 1 and June 30; for more information, click here.
