This week in design, the best seats for rapper and singer Bad Bunny’s monthlong residency in Puerto Rico are in La Casita—a life-size pink-and-yellow house in the middle of the concert arena that pays homage to the island’s architectural heritage. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, events, recommended reading and more.
Business News
The consumer price index rose 2.9 percent year over year in August—the fastest annual pace since January, The New York Times reports. The latest numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics also revealed that the “core” inflation metric, which removes volatile categories like energy and food prices, remained steady at 3.1 percent. Overall, prices for most goods increased in August, including most household furnishings—which reached 9.5 percent inflation. Shelter prices were the largest contributor to the overall monthly increase (represented by the various fees and payments associated with renting or homeownership), rising 0.4 percent last month. The new metrics could come into play ahead of tomorrow’s Federal Reserve meeting, when the institution will decide whether or not to lower interest rates, which have remained in the 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent range all year.
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. acquired the Kirkland’s Home trade name and brand assets from The Brand House Collective in a $10 million deal, Retail Dive reports. The two brands first joined forces last fall in a move to convert several former Kirkland’s locations into small-format Bed Bath & Beyond stores—a strategy that they plan to accelerate, transitioning roughly 75 additional stores through 2026, according to Chain Store Age. Following the purchase, Bed Bath & Beyond will introduce Kirkland’s to the wholesale market, offering the decor and furnishings to retailers across the country for the first time.
Less than two months after Arhaus filed a lawsuit alleging that RH made use of its trade secrets, the home retailer dismissed all claims without prejudice last week, Furniture Today reports. However, Arhaus’s claims against Lisa Chi—who left a position there for her current role at RH (and had worked for RH prior to joining Arhaus in 2021)—remain pending. Named as a co-defendant in the original complaint, Chi faced allegations of misappropriating trade secrets and confidential information from her former employer, which claims that she violated a confidentiality agreement. Her representatives now have until October 14 to respond to the suit.
Hickory, North Carolina–based home furnishings manufacturer Null Furniture is going out of business after more than 50 years in operation, Home News Now reports. Founded in the 1970s, the family-owned business occupied a niche in producing small-scale occasional tables, and has been led by siblings and co-CEOs Aaron Williams and Nina Sadowski since the 1990s. In regard to the closure, Sadowski told Furniture Today, “Competition as a small business has become increasingly challenging, and it’s a burden we can no longer carry.” As Null Furniture winds down, the company is holding a sale of its remaining inventory with volume discounts.
The early stages of construction are underway for the new 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom—a $200 million project spearheaded by President Donald Trump, The Washington Post reports. Additional details surrounding the new structure remain obscured: The Trump administration has neither submitted the project to the National Capital Planning Commission (which oversees changes to federal property in the capital region) nor disclosed the exact location of the new building. The renovation could represent one of the largest at the White House in a century, with plans for the space to hold more than three times the number of people as the existing largest room in the compound, which seats 200.
Sotheby’s more than doubled its financial losses last year compared to the year prior, according to recent filings from parent company Bidfair Luxembourg. As The Guardian reports, the auction house recorded $248 million in losses in 2024, compared with $106 million the year before. Amid a broader slowdown in the art sector, Sotheby’s also saw revenue from commissions and fees fall by 18 percent last year, as collectors closed their wallets in the face of economic and trade uncertainty. In related art world news, Christie’s has shuttered its digital art department, folding the sale of such pieces into its larger 20th and 21st Century Art category. As ArtNet reports, the contraction marks a stark decline from the height of the digital art craze during the pandemic—a period that included Christie’s $69 million sale of an NFT by artist Beeple in 2021—to today’s landscape, in which the trading volume of art NFTs fell from a high of $2.97 billion in 2021 to $197 million in 2024.
Cascale—a nonprofit centered on promoting sustainability in the consumer goods sector—has acquired key assets of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Based in North Carolina, the SFC has supported decarbonization, waste reduction and limiting the use of toxic chemicals in the home furnishings industry for nearly two decades, providing members with resources like accredited sustainability courses and materials assessment tools. Following a transitional period, the organization’s services will be facilitated by Cascale, which counts more than 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics and nonprofits among its global alliance.
Launches and Collaborations
Custom framing company Framebridge tapped Zoë Feldman for a new collection of frames inspired by the designer’s playful approach to interiors. Developed in partnership with Framebridge founder and CEO Susan Tynan—whose Maryland home was designed by Feldman in 2020—the debut collection includes six new gallery walls available in a variety of saturated primary colors and bold patterns, including tortoiseshell, ticking stripes and painted molding.
Modern Matter will soon release a new hardware collection in partnership with author, stylist and entrepreneur Ajiri Aki, founder of Paris-based lifestyle brand Madame de la Maison. The collaboration draws inspiration from Aki’s affinity for 18th and 19th century French design—exemplified by Haussmann-era apartments and decorative elements of the Second Empire and Louis XVI—with antique architectural motifs such as pinecones, swans, lion’s heads and wreaths in the array of tabletop accents and door and cabinet hardware.
Showhouses
The inaugural Art of the Home Designer Showhouse, hosted by Aspire Design and Home magazine, is set to debut this week in a 13,000-square-foot home in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. The space will be reimagined by more than 20 designers—including Leyden Lewis, Tammy Bolden and Vanessa Deleon—and will showcase works from a number of renowned artists and gallerists, such as Jean Arp, Daniel Arsham and Sam Gilliam. The event is open to the public from September 19 through October 19, and proceeds from the opening reception will benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Recommended Reading
Last week, California lawmakers passed legislation banning PFAS (also known as “forever chemicals”)—which have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer and birth defects, among other health issues—in cookware and other household consumer goods. As Hiroko Tabuchi writes for The New York Times, the bill is receiving opposition from celebrity chefs like Marcus Samuelsson, Rachael Ray and David Chang, who either sell or endorse nonstick pots and pans.
When minimalism starts to feel tedious, what does it take to bring a space back to life? Rita Konig’s latest column for Elle Decor muses upon where the line is drawn between maximalism and restraint—pulling anecdotes from design peers like London-based interior designer Joanna Plant and style icons like the late Lee Radziwill for insights on everything from statement walls to wallpaper selections that pack a punch.
Call for Entries
Formica Corporation is now accepting submissions for the ninth annual FORM Student Innovation Competition. The contest invites students studying architecture and design in the U.S., Canada and Mexico to share their original furniture designs featuring Formica products—this year, with the theme of “Mood-Boosting Design,” as exhibited through expressive use of uplifting color and texture. The top three winners will receive a cash prize, and the grand-prize design will be fabricated and showcased at NeoCon 2026. To make a submission before the February 27, 2026, deadline, click here.
Cue the Applause
Architectural Digest has announced the seven firms on its 2025 New American Voices list, which highlights interior designers across the country who are rising stars in the industry. This year’s cohort includes New York designer Noah Ruttenberg, Los Angeles designer Ashley Lavonne, and North Carolina duo Laura Evans and Karie Reinertson of Mother Studio. For the full list, click here.
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