From significant business changes to noteworthy product launches, there’s always something new happening in the world of design. In this weekly roundup, AD PRO has everything you need to know.
Product Launches
St. Frank and Others Make Notable Debuts
For several years, St. Frank has been carefully placing bespoke pieces of furniture throughout their retail spaces. Now, they’re expanding that effort with a full-on collaborative collection. “We’re thrilled to to be introducing our first offering of upholstered furniture in partnership with Forsyth,” St. Frank founder Christina Bryant says to AD PRO. “This collaboration allows us to bring our signature printed textiles to one-of-a-kind furniture pieces as well as bespoke ottomans and poufs.” Beyond such items, fans of midcentury modernism should look out for vintage efforts as well, such as a pair of indigo Eero Saarinen chairs.
The interior designer behind Kelly Martin Interiors has launched a furniture collection by the name of ATELIERxKM. The works, which skew toward dark tones, take inspiration from European design. Also of a continental focus are Dior Maison’s two new tabletop collections. Titled Summer Vibes and Cannage Provence, they respectively focus on tropical pineapple motifs and caning techniques.
Business
DWR Puts a New Payment System in Place
Design Within Reach has officially partnered with Affirm, a platform that allows consumers to buy products now and pay in monthly installments. The partnership will extend to the Herman Miller and HAY brands. Article and West Elm are already participants.
John Rosselli Makes D.C. Moves
On a smaller business note, John Rosselli & Associates is making brick-and-mortar moves. The firm is leaving their D.C. home base in order to open a showroom at the Washington Design Center at Franklin Court. The firm’s Florida location is also shifting, with both new locations expected to open as soon as renovations are completed.
Good Works
Two Companies Donate Profits and Time, Respectively
If you’re searching for a furniture company that’s trying to make the world a better place, consider Azadeh Shladovsky. Shladovsky’s namesake brand designed its new Fractured series of stools pre-pandemic. Now, the company will be donating 100% of the profits from these works to My Friend’s Place, SUPRMARKT, and St. John’s Well Child & Family Centers throughout the year. A trusted source for a slew of celebrities, Shladovsky’s name is clearly one to know.
Elsewhere, Rockwell Group has created structures pro bono for DineOut NYC. An effort spearheaded largely by the city of New York, DineOut NYC is helping to create outdoor dining areas for neighborhoods particularly hard hit by COVID-19.
Sales
Significant 20th- and 21st-Century Design Auctions Take Place
This was a big week for design auctions. A Phillips sale, which focused on 20th- and 21st-century works, included pieces by the likes of Wendell Castle and Jean Prouvé; a Charlotte Perriand design as well as two Alberto Giacometti table lamps were additional standouts. Department head Cordelia Lembo noted ahead of time that “2020 has proven to be a year where we’ve seen a greater importance placed on our domestic environments…and sustained interest in design around the world.”
Sotheby’s also put design pieces from this and the last century on the auction block. A pair of gilt bronze monkeys by François-Xavier Lalanne and a Tiffany wisteria table lamp were among the highlights. Nonetheless, Maurice-Claude Vidili’s Sphère d’Isolation, Model No. S2 was a clear standout in the Important Design sale. The 1971 spherical pod is the embodiment of futuristic and space-age thinking, not to mention a perfectly isolated workspace for this year.
All About Arts
New Shows Worth Taking In Online and Beyond
Starting today and running through August 2, Denny Dimin Gallery will be participating in Artland’s UNTITLED, ART Online fair. Their virtual art booth includes pieces by Denny Dimin artists such as Jordan Tate, Paula Wilson, Erin O’Keefe, Josie Love Roebuck, and more.
Elsewhere, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville has opened a Dale Chihuly exhibition. Ten years ago, Chihuly experienced his first Cheekwood success, and this year also marks the institution’s 60th anniversary.
A Museum Continues to Persevere in the COVID-19 Era
Institutions the world over have clearly been financially struggling. But recently, the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco received something of a lifeline. In partnership with Bettina Bryant of Bryant Estate Vineyard and Wines, the institution has raised over $100,000 to create a recovery fund. The money is helping to keep jobs throughout the shutdown and aid reopening efforts.
Openings
Uptown Manhattan Gets Two Exciting Refreshes
Manhattan’s luxury real estate landscape is filled with special properties. But now, The Belnord, which was first constructed in 1908, has a new asset. Thanks to Hollander Design, the courtyard garden of its Upper West Side premises has been reimagined. “The Belnord’s courtyard park gives residents something a little magical from the moment they arrive home—their own private garden in the city,” Edmund D. Hollander explains to AD PRO. (He’s quick to add too that “an experience like this would not have happened without the visionary ownership of HFZ Capital.”)
Of other, commission-based note, Jack Resnick & Sons completed a lobby for the Gracie Mews, an East 80th Street apartment building. With pieces such as blue Holly Hunt sofas, it’s nothing if not a lovely refresh.
Nantucket’s Primary Design Event Goes Digital
2020 might be quite the different year for Nantucket by Design, but that doesn’t mean that its events-packed schedule hasn’t figured out a way to march on. Starting today, those interested can look for virtual home tours as well as panel discussion and seminar options available online. The event will raise money for the Nantucket Historical Association. Alessandra Branca, Young Huh, Alex Papachristidis, and more are slated to participate.
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
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