This week in design, a Philadelphia-area homeowner was surprised when, without applying for any such contest, she was awarded the distinction for “the ugliest house in America.” Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, events, recommended reading and more.

Business News

President Donald Trump’s sweeping new set of tariffs took effect last Thursday after months of delays, AP reports. Exports from more than 60 countries faced a universal base rate of at least 10 percent, while certain nations and regions faced higher levies: 15 percent for the European Union, Japan and South Korea; 20 percent for Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh; and 25 percent for India, to list a few. While China was excluded from that round, the pause on new tariffs—originally set to expire on Tuesday—has been extended another 90 days until mid-November, CNBC reports. The Trump administration claims the new policies will reduce America’s trade deficit, but at least for the first half of the year, it was exacerbated as importers stocked on up goods before the levies went into effect, leading to a $582.7 billion trade imbalance that was 38 percent higher than in 2024.

Meanwhile, as tariffs become a more permanent fixture of the U.S. trade landscape, a growing number of companies are passing the costs on to consumers. As The New York Times reports, prices rose in June for items heavily impacted by tariffs, including home furnishings, toys and appliances. On average, prices for imported goods have ticked up roughly 3 percent since early March, after many retail brands ran through reserves stockpiled before tariffs took effect. Companies that absorbed tariffs in the hopes that trade talks would result in lower rates are now forced to follow suit: Flooring company Mohawk Industries, for example, announced that it was raising prices 8 percent last month, and starting this month, consumer products giant Procter & Gamble is planning increases averaging 2.5 percent on a quarter of its U.S. products. In related news, the latest Consumer Price Index revealed that while overall inflation has held steady at 2.7 percent compared to the same time last year, core inflation climbed 0.3 percent over the course of July, marking a 3.1 percent year-over-year increase. That statistic represented the fastest annual pace of growth in five months, providing another signal that businesses are passing tariff-related costs on to consumers.

Vornado Realty Trust, owner of the Architects & Designers Building on East 58th Street, has put the property up for sale and is asking for roughly $250 million, The Real Deal reports. On Vornado’s latest earnings call, founder and chairman Steven Roth stated that the company is also open to offers on the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. “We will sell for the right price at the right timing,” Roth said on the call. “Nothing is sacred.”

BridgeTower Media—the publisher of Furniture Today and Home Accents Today, among others—has acquired Grace Media, the publisher of Window Fashion Vision and producer of the International Window Coverings Expo. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Established in its current iteration by Grace Media founder Grace McNamara, the publication, which she acquired in 1986, has reported on the windowcoverings industry for four decades and operated the annual IWCE since 1997. Moving forward, BridgeTower plans to scale Grace Media’s audience while expanding its own presence in the trade show business.

After canceling this year’s fair, IMM Cologne will return in January 2026 with the theme “World of Interiors” and exhibitors from more than 26 countries. Fair organizer Koelnmesse says the event is primed for a promising return, as more than 70 percent of the exhibition space is already reserved.

Cabinetry manufacturers MasterBrand and American Woodmark Corporation announced last week that they will merge in an all-stock deal, creating a combined company worth an enterprise value of $3.6 billion. The arrangement stipulates that each of American Woodmark’s shares will be exchanged for 5.15 MasterBrand shares, ultimately allocating 63 percent of ownership to MasterBrand and 37 percent to American Woodmark. Following the merger, the two companies plan to combine their customer-facing platforms to create a comprehensive cabinetry resource that expands their geographic reach. The deal is expected to be finalized in early 2026, after which American Woodmark will become a wholly owned subsidiary of MasterBrand. As Reuters reports, the merger comes amid a difficult few months for both brands, with stocks of the companies falling by about half over the past year as the effects of high interest rates continue to weigh on building activity.

CoStar Group, the real estate analytics company that owns Homes.com and Apartments.com, is suing Zillow for copyright infringement, alleging that the platform used its photos to advertise listings without permission, The New York Times reports. In a lawsuit filed in New York’s federal court last week, the company accuses Zillow of using nearly 47,000 photographs taken by CoStar-employed photographers and registered in the U.S. Copyright Office (including thousands that feature the company’s watermark) to drive traffic to its database of properties. CoStar founder and chief executive Andrew Florance told the NYT, “What’s been stolen here is a lot more than just the photos. [Zillow] wanted to get into the multifamily business and they did it by using our assets and taking shortcuts.”

Art Blocks, a Texas-based platform for generative artists and collectors, has entered into an agreement to acquire Parisian generative design studio Trame. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2020, Trame has collaborated with designers and artisans to launch a series of works created alongside generative algorithms, resulting in pieces ranging from Venetian mirrors to woven tapestries and French bistro chairs. The studio has partnered with Art Blocks since 2022, with the latter serving as a platform for Trame’s releases. Following the purchase, Trame will retain its name, leadership and network of artisans while also utilizing Art Blocks’ resources to scale up, covering a broader range of products and markets.

The High Point Market Authority is teaming up with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (based in nearby Winston-Salem) for the creation of a documentary film centered on the biannual trade show. HPMA’s vice president of marketing and communications, Ben Muller, will serve as a producer of the film alongside Deborah LaVine, dean of the UNCSA School of Filmmaking. The process is set to begin at Fall Market this October, when members of the film crew will descend on the trade show to begin research, with filming expected to take place during Spring Market 2026.

Launches and Collaborations

Pottery Barn has introduced a new collection in partnership with lifestyle and apparel brand Roller Rabbit, known for its colorful, hand-drawn prints. The resulting range includes bedding, decorative pillows, rugs and wallpaper.

British furniture designer Max Lamb has teamed up with Balinese hospitality brand Potato Head Studios to debut a homeware collection made of materials derived from reimagined waste, including marbled recycled plastics, retired hotel linens, salvaged ceramics and natural dyes made from compost. The result is an array of furniture and home goods—such as plastic chairs, refillable candles, bamboo lounge seating and hand-shaped ceramics—that offer a new perspective on upcycled design.

Ruggable is reuniting with heritage brand Morris & Co. to introduce a new category of home goods for the collaborators: washable pillows. The collection features Morris & Co.’s romantic, botanical prints on pillows in a variety of sizes.

Rejuvenation has teamed up with New York design house Roll & Hill for the debut of the Lorna lighting collection. With radially fluted glass shades and solid brass accents hand-assembled by artisans at Rejuvenation’s Portland, Oregon, factory, the selection of chandeliers, pendants and wall sconces channels art deco aesthetics.

Showhouses

The 2025 Southern Living Idea House will debut this summer in a 4,500-square-foot home that sits on five acres of woods alongside a scenic lake in Keswick, Virginia. The space will be reimagined by a team of design professionals, including interior designer Charlotte Moss, developer Molly Hardie of Keswick Real Estate, builder Allan Pettit of Alexander Nicholson, architect Julie Dixon of Rosney Co Architects, and landscape architect Eugene Ryang of Waterstreet Studio. The showhouse will be open to the public for tours from August 14 through December 21, with a portion of ticket proceeds to benefit the charities Building Goodness Foundation, Hospice of the Piedmont and Yellow Door Foundation.

Recommended Reading

Between frequent restructuring efforts and C-suite shakeups, it’s been a challenging few years for recipe and lifestyle site Food52. But for one employee, there seemed to be no end to the boom times. For The Cut, Charlotte Klein unpacks the story of former Food52 executive Shannon Muldoon, who was indicted last year on charges of grand larceny after using more than $270,000 in company funds for personal expenses, including luxury clothing, lavish vacations and pricey meals at exclusive restaurants.

By age 65, more than 25 percent of American women live alone; by age 75, that statistic jumps to 43 percent. Yet, more than half of Americans over 50 say they’d be willing to live with a friend, according to data from the AARP. In The New York Times, Lisa Miller writes about a tiny-home community in Texas that puts that concept to the test, where 11 retired women who range in age from 60 to 80 years old live in harmony on a shared plot of land. The only rule? No boys allowed.

Since replacing her home’s wall-to-wall carpeting with luxury vinyl plank several months ago, design journalist Kathryn O’Shea-Evans has been hit with a wave of remorse for the retro flooring she left behind. As she writes for The Washington Post, she’s not alone: A growing number of professional designers are coming back around to wall-to-wall carpet, which can help reduce noise levels, offer a sense of tactile comfort and introduce a nostalgic vibe when carried out with quality materials.

President Trump has had no shortage of new design ideas since re-entering office, though his plans have now expanded to include the construction of a vast new addition to the White House complex. For Dezeen, Ben Dreith offers a look at the design professional who has been tasked with designing the 90,000-square-foot ballroom in question: architect James McCrery, a proponent of classical aesthetics who has since been spotted traversing the White House roof alongside the president.

Call for Entries

Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Houzz Scholarship Program. Aspiring construction and design professionals can submit for any of the five $2,500 annual scholarships, with categories including Women in Architecture, Residential Design, Sustainable Residential Design, Residential Construction Management and Skilled Trades. To submit an application before the March 31, 2026, deadline, click here.

The Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association is now accepting project submissions for the 24th edition of the Tile of Spain Awards. The annual contest awards cash prizes to design professionals who have demonstrated innovative applications and expert installation of Spanish ceramics in interior and exterior settings, and is open to architects, interior designers, installers, students, and other members of the design community. To make a submission before the October 20 deadline, click here.