Kicking off the first week of spring, design luminaries gathered at McKinnon and Harris’s New York flagship to celebrate the debut of the brand’s artist-in-residence partnership with Blackwell Botanicals, a studio led by artist Anne Blackwell Thompson, who is known for transforming pressed flora into refined works of art. The showroom was abuzz with botanical beauty for the launch party, where a collection of 26 pieces centered on ferns, grasses and aquatic plants was unveiled, their verdant tones a perfect complement to the outdoor furniture maker’s signature hues.  

Along with McKinnon and Harris co-founder and CEO Will Massie, notable guests included Robert Rufino, Gil Schafer, Stewart Manger and Benjamin Reynaert, among 50 other talented designers, landscape architects and art enthusiasts.

For McKinnon and Harris, the partnership is both a celebration and a homecoming. Rooted in Richmond, Virginia, the company has long supported the region’s artisans. Its collaboration with Blackwell Botanicals deepens this commitment, reflecting a shared devotion to the natural world that has shaped the brand’s timeless garden furniture for generations. Displayed among the expertly crafted pieces in the showroom, Blackwell Thompson’s work creates a seamless dialogue between nature and design.

“My process, which involves carefully selecting, pressing and composing each individual botanical element, is a meticulous, time-intensive labor of love,” said Blackwell Thompson. “It is a true honor to have my work shown alongside McKinnon and Harris furniture, whose own devotion to precise, handcrafted detail and enduring quality mirrors the patience and effort I pour into every pressed specimen I create.”

At the festive affair, foliage-inspired hors d’oeuvres were served along with cookies adorned in edible flowers by Sweet Botanical Bakes; a specialty cocktail called the Fizzy Botanist flowed; and the staff donned handmade botanical headdresses created by floral designer Jennifer Figge of Figge Floral Studio. 

The residency will be on exhibit at the McKinnon and Harris New York showroom in the D&D Building through May 15.