This week in design, people who sell their properties in tip-top shape often return years later for a trip down memory lane—and are sometimes disappointed upon seeing how the new owners have treated their former abode. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, events, recommended reading and more.

Business News
For the second time in Wayfair’s 23-year history, the company has turned a profit. Reporting earnings on Monday, the e-commerce giant pulled in a net income of $15 million—a tiny slice of its $3.3 billion in Q2 revenue, but Wayfair’s first bottom line in the black since Covid. Across the board, the company showed signs of growth: U.S. revenue was up 5 percent year over year, international revenue up 3 percent, average order value up 5 percent, and revenue per active customer up 6 percent. In a note accompanying the results, CEO Niraj Shah called the quarter “some of the best growth and profitability flow through our business has seen since the pandemic.” Shares shot up 15 percent on the news, bringing the stock to a 52-week high of $75.

Americans now make up the largest share of international buyers of high-end homes in London, comprising 25 percent of sales there last year—up from 18 percent in 2023, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to the city’s real estate agents, Americans are increasingly drawn to the London real estate market for the U.K.’s favorable exchange rates and as an escape from U.S. politics. Plus, their money stretches further in London than it once did: $1 million now buys 365 square feet compared to 247 square feet a decade ago. The increase in affordability can be attributed to recent changes in U.K. tax law, which have discouraged investors from buying residential real estate and driven down sales of luxury properties. As a result, there have been 45 percent more price reductions in London during the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.

Job cuts in the retail sector have jumped nearly 250 percent compared to last year, Retail Dive reports. According to data from consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, U.S. retailers eliminated nearly 76,000 jobs in the first five months of this year, a 274 percent increase from the same period in 2024. Many of the layoffs can be attributed to broader economic challenges in the retail industry, which has seen store closures increase under the weight of tariffs, inflation and reduced consumer confidence. The report found that 120,226 job cuts could be attributed to closures of stores, units or plants; 66,879 to restructuring efforts; and 35,641 to bankruptcies.

On a related note, home furnishings retailer At Home, which filed for Chapter 11 in June, has announced additional store closures as it moves through the bankruptcy process, Fast Company reports. When the company submitted its filing, it revealed that it was facing nearly $2 billion in debt and continued sales challenges—problems exacerbated by inflation, tariff-related costs and declining foot traffic. At the time, At Home stated that it would close 26 locations in its 260-store portfolio as it endeavored to right the ship. Now the brand is shuttering an additional six locations—in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey and Utah.

Retailer 2Modern is now accepting the digital currency USD Coin as payment, making it one of the first in the industry to adopt the use of stablecoin—a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value, with the majority pegged to the U.S. dollar. According to a press release, the retailer’s decision was in response to the needs of its audience, one that “skews slightly male and is defined by a future-forward mindset, financial fluency, and a desire for curated, high-end living.” The news follows a broader wave of cryptocurrency fanfare—just last week, Christie’s International Real Estate created a division dedicated to crypto transactions.

Quince has completed a $200 million funding round, raising its valuation to over $4.5 billion, Business of Fashion reports. According to sources familiar with the deal, the round—which more than doubled the direct-to-consumer company’s previous valuation—was led by investment firm Iconiq. Since its 2019 launch, Quince has garnered increasing popularity on sites like TikTok for its dupes of popular luxury items, over time expanding from apparel into home, with merchandise ranging from furniture to decor and home textiles.

Launches and Collaborations
DTC brand Joybird is expanding into the wholesale business. The digitally native millennial-centric company is aiming for large-format home furnishing retailers to present its offerings in a 2,000-square-foot shop-in-shop space. Its initial pieces for the mini showrooms include nine sofas and chairs available in 32 fabric combinations, as well as an array of nightstands, console tables and coffee tables.

Ikea U.S. and Best Buy have teamed up for the launch of a new pilot program in which Ikea’s kitchen and laundry displays will be presented in 10 Best Buy stores across Florida and Texas. Launching this fall, the partnership will see a dedicated 1,000-square-foot Ikea outpost within the selected Best Buy locations, with styled vignettes showcasing a variety of home appliances available for purchase.

Milwaukee-based Chasing Paper tapped New York–based handbag and jewelry company Susan Alexandra for the creation of a new wallpaper collection inspired by the brand’s vibrant, quirky aesthetic. Susan Korn, the founder and designer behind Susan Alexandra, looked to her childhood bedroom for inspiration, drawing from styles popular in the 1990s and early 2000s to craft an assortment of patterns—from rainbow florals to playful hand-drawn stripes—that pave the way for personal expression.

Showhouses
The 50th-anniversary Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York will take place this year in a 9,000-square-foot historic townhouse located at 20 West 12th Street in Greenwich Village. Built in 1900, the eight-bedroom home includes wood-burning fireplaces, a conservatory great room, a private garden and multiple private terraces. Set to be reimagined by a cohort of designers, the space will open to the public from September 30 to October 19. The debut of the new location comes several months after the event was postponed when the original location, an Upper East Side townhouse, fell through.

Recommended Reading
Alongside the typical fare of apparel, wallets, belts and loafers, a growing number of menswear stores are now adding a new category to their offerings: ceramics. For The New York Times, Misty White Sidell dives into the phenomenon of young men taking a passionate interest in handmade bowls, cups and vases, ultimately uncovering how clothing is now something of a “gateway drug” for men to develop an interest in interior design.

Owning a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is one thing to boast about, but only 101-year-old Roland Reisley can say he worked with the architect himself—making him Wright’s last living client. For NPR, Vanessa Romo spoke with Reisley, who provides a firsthand account of his experience with the venerated architect, who took a surprisingly collaborative approach to the project (despite blowing through the original budget).