Few designers have shaped both the skyline and the domestic landscape as profoundly as Arne Jacobsen (1902–71). The Danish architect and designer is remembered not only for modernist landmarks such as Copenhagen’s SAS Royal Hotel but also for furniture, lighting and objects that have become part of everyday life, from chairs to cutlery. More than half a century after their debut, Jacobsen’s designs continue to define the language of modern living – quietly radical in their time, yet still relevant today.

His design philosophy, centred on the concept of total design – a harmonious integration of architecture, furniture and interior elements, was guided by functionalism and simplicity, ensuring that it was accessible and enduring. He believed that form follows function, and that good design is essential to a good quality of life, emphasising proportion and the seamless combination of materials to create unified, human-centred environments. Now, as Prestel launches a new monograph exploring his work, we reflect on Jacobsen’s career and the events that shaped it.

Between architecture and design: who was Arne Jacobsen?

Jacobsen's early life and education

Born in 1902 into a middle-class Jewish family in Copenhagen, Jacobsen originally dreamed of becoming a painter. His father, a wholesaler, persuaded him to pursue the more stable path of architecture. After a stint as an apprentice stone mason, he enrolled at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1924, where he produced his first pieces of furniture. His professors included Kaare Klint, regarded as the father of Danish modernism, and Kay Fisker, one of Denmark’s leading functionalist architects, who instilled in Jacobsen a disciplined approach to proportion and material.

In 1925, aged just 23, Jacobsen worked with Fisker on the Danish pavilion for the Paris World Fair, where he won a silver medal for a wickerwork design known as the Paris Chair – an early example of his natural flair for sculptural form.

Family and travels

Two years later, Jacobsen married Marie Jelstrup Holm, with whom he had two sons, Johan and Niels. He established his own studio in 1929 and began to explore the idea of total design. Travels with Marie across Europe proved to be a rich source of inspiration: everywhere they went, Jacobsen painted watercolours and took experimental photographs, capturing the nature and architecture around them. These studies would continue to inform his practice throughout his career.

Civic commissions and ‘total design’

In the early 1940s, Jacobsen completed two significant public buildings: Aarhus City Hall, designed with Erik Møller, and Søllerød Town Hall, in collaboration with Flemming Lassen. In both, the architects took responsibility for the interiors as well as the architecture – designing everything from furniture and lighting to bathroom fittings, door handles and signage. This holistic approach cemented Jacobsen’s reputation as a designer of complete environments.

It was during the Søllerød commission that Jacobsen met his second wife, Jonna Møller, a textile printer who produced fabrics for the project. They married in 1943 and developed a creative partnership, with Jonna helping to translate Jacobsen’s botanical studies and watercolours into textile patterns.

Jacobsen the botanist

That same year, as a Dane of Jewish descent, Jacobsen was forced to flee Nazi-occupied Denmark. He and Jonna lived in exile in Sweden until 1945, where their creative collaboration deepened. Jacobsen continued to paint botanical studies, many of which Jonna adapted into textiles that were put into production by Swedish department store Nordiska Kompaniet.

After returning to Denmark in 1945, the couple eventually settled at Strandvejen 413 in Klampenborg (1951), a home and studio Jacobsen designed for the family, complete with a botanical garden containing more than 300 plant species. His lifelong passion for botany inspired him to create buildings where architecture and nature are symbiotic, such as the Munkegaard School (1957), where every classroom opens onto its own garden, and St Catherine’s College in Oxford (1964), where he personally selected many of the trees and plantings to complement the modernist buildings.

Arne Jacobsen's legacy

Jacobsen’s influence extends far beyond his lifetime. His architecture and furniture continue to be reissued, studied and celebrated as milestones of modern design. The Arne Jacobsen Foundation preserves his archive and supports research into his work, ensuring his philosophy of total design remains visible to new generations. More than half a century on, Jacobsen’s creations still shape the way we live – proving that clarity, simplicity and a respect for human experience never lose their relevance.

SAS Royal Hotel

Jacobsen’s international breakthrough came with the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen (1958–60), the world’s first design hotel. Commissioned by Scandinavian Airlines to symbolise postwar modernity and international travel, it was conceived as a 'gesamtkunstwerk' – a ‘total work of art’. Jacobsen designed not only the building but also the interiors, furniture and fittings – from the famous Egg and Swan chairs to cutlery, door handles and even ashtrays. While much of his interior scheme was later removed, Room 606 remains intact as a rare glimpse into his holistic vision, embodying his belief in complete, cohesive environments.

Other works by Arne Jacobsen

Beyond the SAS Royal, Jacobsen left his mark on education, housing and civic buildings. Early residential projects such as the Bauhaus-inspired Bellavista housing complex north of Copenhagen (1934) showcased his embrace of clean lines, light and sea views, bringing functionalism into everyday life. The Søholm housing development (1951–55) in Copenhagen’s Klampenborg suburb further demonstrated his skill at designing humane, light-filled homes. At Rødovre Town Hall (1952–56), one of his first major public commissions, he refined his modernist vocabulary into a civic context, with a focus on details that bear the hallmarks of industrial manufacturing.

At Munkegaard School in Copenhagen (1957), he balanced architecture with landscape, weaving courtyards and gardens into the learning environment. At St Catherine’s College, Oxford (1964), his first major project abroad, he created a modernist campus where buildings, furniture, textiles and planting formed a seamless whole. Finally, the National Bank of Denmark in Copenhagen (1961–71) revealed the same rigour on a monumental civic scale, with refined proportions and meticulous detailing. His approach consistently blurred the line between architecture, interiors and nature.

7 Arne Jacobsen designs to know (and own)

Further reading

Back in 1999, the UK controversially lost a portion of William Morris’ archive when the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in California won the bid to acquire it. Measures exist to prevent such cultural exports – for example, the UK government recently managed to keep an iconic Barbara Hepworth sculpture in the country, allowing institutions to raise the funds to purchase it. In 1999, however, no such intervention occurred, and the Morris materials went to the US.

Now, Morris & Co. – the original company founded by Morris, today part of the Sanderson Design Group, a luxury interior furnishings brand – is partnering with The Huntington to present The Unfinished Works, a new collection of 26 designs derived from previously incomplete sketches by Morris and his creative director, John Henry Dearle.

The collaboration began when The Huntington found over 50 unfinished works in its archive. These pieces, spanning a variety of mediums including fabrics, wallpapers, tiles and stained glass, existed in varying stages of completion. Their discovery sparked the idea for Morris & Co. to bring these dormant designs to life.

The Unfinished Works features a range of designs – from wallpapers and borders to fabrics, weaves and embroideries. The colour palette is drawn directly from Morris & Co.’s historical logbooks, ensuring authentic pigmentation and tonal accuracy.

Produced in the Morris & Co. studio in Chiswick, London, and manufactured at the brand’s historic UK factories in Loughborough and Lancaster, the collection is not just about recreating the past. It also adds a contemporary layer to the work, in the pioneering spirit of Morris himself. The creative team used Morris and Dearle’s notes and references as both blueprint and inspiration – interpreting them through a contemporary lens. This project bridges both time and geography – uniting the present-day Morris & Co. with its 19th-century origins, and reconnecting the UK-based company with the archive that had once seemed lost.

‘As artists, we’ve asked ourselves not what we should do, but what we can do to preserve, refine and complete these exquisite pieces of archival art, making them relevant not only to today but also to the future as part of art history,’ says lead designer Jess Clayworth. ‘The “Co.” in Morris & Co. is alive and well in The Unfinished Works.’

William Morris (1834-896) was a towering figure of the nineteenth century – a political theorist, publisher, environmental campaigner, poet and, of course, designer. He founded Morris & Co. in 1861, which grew into a thriving Arts & Crafts business. In reawakening its unfinished works, the brand reconnects the threads of a remarkable legacy in a true testament to the enduring relevance of Morris’s vision.

The collection will be available through Morris & Co.'s website and selected retailers

In a picturesque 17th-century monastery in Salve, a town in Italy’s south-eastern region of Salento, a design exhibition brings together the work of fifteen contemporary creatives to celebrate local craft heritage and landscapes.

‘Intrecci•Intertwinings’: designers experimenting with southern Italian craft

Many of the designers in the show, titled ‘Intrecci•Intertwinings’, have harnessed materials or making methods from the Salento region, also known as the ‘heel’ of Italy. The exhibition marks the first chapter of a broader initiative to culturally regenerate Salve and the surrounding area, ensuring its identity and economy transcends the confines of seasonal tourism.

The majority of participants are Italian, and include glassmakers 6:AM, designers Duccio Maria Gambi and Andrea Vitti, and Tipstudio, the material research-driven design practice of Imma Matera and Tommaso Lucarini. Organised by the municipality of Salve and Maria Elena Perrotta, the exhibition is co-curated by design specialists Valentina Rito and Giacomo Niccolai.

‘In curating the exhibition, we wanted to bring forward practices that intertwine, as the title suggests, the tangible and intangible heritage of the Salento region with contemporary narratives,’ says Rito, who has family heritage in Lecce, a province in Salento.

The three themes explored in the exhibition – light and ritual; threads and weaving; material and roots – are all ‘grounded in the territory’s cultural history, but interpreted through new languages,’ Rito says.

The former Capuchin monastery, surrounded by cypress trees on the outskirts of Salve, is ‘an active participant in the narrative’ of the exhibition, Rito adds. ‘Its architecture, original frescoes, untouched rooms full of memory – all of this deeply informed how the works are displayed and how they are read.’

The choices of designers and artisans for the show responded to the three chosen themes. ‘We were looking for people with a deep understanding of processes and materials, who could fully embrace the exhibition’s exploration of heritage, both in terms of craft and the use of local resources,’ says Rito.

6:AM, which attracted acclaim for its Milan Design Week exhibition this year, has created blown glass sculptures for the exhibition using powdered ‘Pietra Leccese’ (Lecce stone), a limestone local to the region.

Andrea Vitti, a designer from Lecce, presents ‘Bolla’, a centrepiece made from local olive wood, crafted in collaboration with wood turner Rodolfo Rolli. Like many olive trees in the region, the source tree for the work was affected by the plant disease Xylella – but, through this creation, finds new life.

Florence-based designer Duccio Maria Gambi developed new work for the show during a residency with local stone manufacturer Bianco Cave. His work with Lecce stone resulted in a series of furniture pieces, slabs and a wall piece that experiment with decorative liquid pigments. Graphic motifs on the stone slabs make reference to engravings left on rocks at a beach in Lecce, as well as images from Gambi’s own memories of holidays in Salento.

Other exhibitors include artist and designer Cosma Frascina, Spanish architecture and design studio Mayice, Milan-based designer Marco Guazzini and lighting artisans Morghen Studio.

The team behind ‘Intrecci•Intertwinings’ sees the exhibition as a ‘platform’ where design becomes ‘a catalyst to reflect on identity, transformation and the future of the territory,’ says Rito. ‘The goal was to foster a dialogue where contemporary design becomes a way to revisit, reinterpret and revitalise traditional knowledge.’

‘Intrecci•Intertwinings’ takes place at the Former Monastery of Capuchins, Salve, Italy, 31 August to 14 September 2025

Plaster Paris Studio – comprising Tessa-Rose Vardy and Olivia Engelhardt – began as two friends with a shared interest in space, objects and furniture. Today, the pair explore the intersection between furniture and art, using materials such as ceramics, metal, wood, and plaster. As ‘Birds Eye View’, the studio’s first collection of contemporary artisan furniture and sculptural objects, is showcased in a Paris exhibition coinciding with the city’s Design Week, 3 - 7 September 2025, we took time to find out what makes these emerging designers stand out.

Get to know Plaster Paris Studio

It was a hazy afternoon in Ibiza when Vardy and Engelhardt, decided to launch their joint practice. Spending time in Engelhardt’s garden on the Spanish island in 2017, they spoke about the idea of creating objects together that merged their different backgrounds (Vardy is from South Africa, Engelhardt is from Germany, and they are based in Paris and Ibiza, respectively ). ‘Coming from different backgrounds, we were excited to explore the synergy of what that could look like,’ say the duo. ‘At the time, it felt far off, but in 2024, we finally gave it a name.’

They had met in 2017 while studying in Barcelona. Engelhardt worked in web and graphic design, while Vardy worked in art direction and image. As individual visual designers, they felt they were missing a tangible, hands-on connection to their work. Over time, they dabbled in getting their hands dirty with ceramics, wood and metal.

‘These individual explorations became essential stepping stones, giving us both the technical and creative tools that would form the foundation of Plaster Paris Studio. Everything we learnt along the way has shaped the direction we're in now and contributed to the visual library we draw from today. It was through this process that we found common ground, and from that, our signature style began to emerge,’ they tell Wallpaper*.

The ‘Birds Eye View’ collection is a harmonious balance of brutalism and bohemia, and nods to the two locations in which the designs were conjured up. ‘Curiously, both [our] studios are on islands,’ says Engelhardt of the duo's respective bases. ‘In Paris, we work from the fifth floor of Tessa’s apartment building, tucked between the rooftops of Île Saint-Louis. In Ibiza, the studio was hand-built by me and my family, and has been a sanctuary for us to start our process and get inspired away from the noisy city life.’

She continues, ‘We try to find the best of each place and merge [that] together as an outcome of our work. The song of the cicadas and soft light of Ibiza, in combination with the brutalist contemporary energy of Paris. We love that both environments contrast with each other, and we try to find that quiet space in between. That is really what feeds our work; whether it's through colour or material, we are constantly playing with the dialogue between the two locations.’

Drawing inspiration from these two environments, the designers work balances hard and soft materiality, and warm and cold tones. In their first furniture collection, they explore this contrast by pairing industrial materials such as stainless steel with more traditional and warm materials such as African sapele wood and Japanese washi paper.

‘We always start from a small detail, a texture maybe, or a particular feature in a landscape, and this develops into a concept,’ says Vardy. ‘We try to maintain a refined, aesthetic tone across all of our work, letting the connection to nature shine through, whether it’s in the raw materials we use or the earthy colour palette we mostly turn to.

'Having said that, it’s still important to us that beneath this you can get a sense of the eclectic sensibilities and experiences that make up who we are as designers and people, so adding an element of fun to the pieces we create is something that comes naturally, and even though we’re drawing on references from all different corners of our worlds, this seems to tie everything together.’

The duo's goal is to keep things light-hearted and to allow people to feel surprised when exploring the diversity of their work, which spans from ceramic dog sculptures to industrially charged metal lamps. The pieces are designed to be versatile in the sense that they could be a collector's item or simply add a contemporary warmth to a space. ‘We think there’s something to be said for discovering the connection in difference.’

plasterparis.co, ‘Birds Eye View’ is on show at 5 Rue Bailly, Paris 75003, 3-7 September 2025

There is a quiet power in objects imbued with the maker’s identity, history, and lived experience. Art has long been a vessel for storytelling, its language deepening over time, yet this evolution remains somewhat unfinished; women’s voices continue to be underrepresented, their perspectives still pushing for equal space within the cultural conversation.

Against this backdrop, initiatives that actively shape gender equity in the creative sphere take on profound significance. Among them is the Mecca x NGV Women in Design Commission, supported by Mecca’s M-Power; it's a landmark Australian series inviting globally acclaimed women designers to create groundbreaking new works for the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Collection.

This year, the fourth commission-winner Nipa Doshi, one half of the London-based practice Doshi Levien, will present ‘A Room of My Own’ – a handcrafted, multidimensional cabinet and shrine, to be unveiled on 25 September 2025 at NGV International in Melbourne, where it will become a permanent part of the gallery’s collection.

A Room of My Own: Nipa Doshi's Mecca x NGV Women in Design Commission

Part artwork, part architectural gesture, the piece draws deeply from Doshi’s cultural heritage, echoing the sensibilities that also define her award-winning industrial product designs, where fine craftsmanship meets modern innovation and Indian visual culture.

The cabinet draws from one of India’s oldest storytelling traditions: originating over 400 years ago in Rajasthan, kaavads or tiny wooden cabinets are, to date, made by skilled craftsmen, with hand-painted panels depicting gods, goddesses, local heroes, and saints. As each panel is unfolded, a kaavadiya or storyteller reveals and narrates the tale, layer by layer, like a journey through time.

'My piece, inspired by this tradition, also honours the influential women in my life,' says Doshi. The multifaceted cabinet, part dressing table, part shrine, adorned with abstract portraits of these women, is as much about caring for the body as it is for nourishing the mind and soul. It reflects the idea of women as inherently multifaceted. The piece is architectural and narrative.'

The cabinet takes the form of an elongated octagon: when it's opened up, one side showcases paintings while the other side features a mirror. It can serve as a dressing table or a writing desk.

The paintings depict five central characters from Doshi’s life: the first is titled Loud Ladies. 'This relates to my earliest memory of growing up around my mother’s friends, across different generations. They would gather in the afternoons, talking animatedly about their lives. What I observed was a true sense of community and female kinship; this instinct to support one another. My idea of beauty was shaped then, not only by the way they presented themselves, but also by how they cared for each other.'

The second, titled Maya, honours Doshi’s aunt, a true powerhouse who ran a textile workshop, collaborated with master craftswomen, founded two NGOs supporting women, worked as a chartered accountant, and even established schools.

The third is called Nina – an architect, whose visits to Doshi in hospital were marked by warmth and sartorial splendour.

The fourth is Zeenat, named after the iconic Bollywood star Zeenat Aman from the 70s, celebrated for her avant-garde style, bold on-screen roles, and timeless beauty. At times a village belle, at others a free-spirited hippie, she embodied effortless allure. In the cabinet, Zeenat becomes a symbol of sensuality and glamour; a reminder that it holds space for every kind of woman. 'And in the centre is a self-portrait, reflecting on the ideas of confidence, self-love and respect,' adds Doshi.

This unique piece of work was developed by Doshi in close collaboration with her partner Jonathan Levien and was made in France by Atelier Helbecque. The wonderful colours of lacquer, all hand-mixed in Doshi's studio, are inspired by the vivid world of 1970s Indian cinema, the jewel tones of Jodhpur’s miniature paintings, and the evocative works of Amrita Sher-Gil and photographer Raghubir Singh. Elements of brass and gold leaf add a subtle sheen to the piece, while the glass interior allows light to flow through, eliminating the need for internal lighting.

Perhaps the most special aspect of this project is the creation of a truly one-of-a-kind typeface, made possible by the time and resources provided by Mecca x NGV. Over five months, Doshi designed a bespoke font on mathematical grids, each letter formed like intricate pieces of jewellery. From the precious A, O, and T to the tiniest heart motifs, every detail of each character is exquisitely resolved. The gallery has acquired the typeface too, as part of the permanent collection.

Nipa Doshi's exhibition at NGV

For the exhibition, Doshi has conceived two four-metre-long textile panels that weave together memories of home, both real and imagined, positioned alongside the cabinet. On closer inspection, intimate symbols emerge from her India: a surahi (water jug), echoes of Zeenat and even objects from her studio, all distilled into abstract forms.

Alphabets will be hand-painted by a master sign painter, and the textile panels will be illuminated. Complementing the installation, the museum will screen a specially commissioned film, guiding visitors through the cabinet’s intricate interiors and details, set to the nostalgic rhythms of iconic Hindi film songs.

'I wanted to create work that truly reflects my values in design, both as an individual and as a woman,' shares Doshi. 'I wanted to design a space that I would want to inhabit, centred on well-being. I feel proud and honoured to receive this opportunity; it has opened up another universe for me and my creative endeavours.'

Patricia Urquiola has teamed up with Copenhagen-based design firm Tableau to present a new textile collection for Kvadrat. Unveiled to coincide with Chart 2025 (28-31 August), Copenhagen’s contemporary art fair, the textiles are inspired by forestry and nature in the Nordic region.

Patricia Urquiola presents ‘In Nature We Trust’ for Kvadrat

Designed by Patricia Urquiola for Kvadrat, the collection, ‘In Nature We Trust’, is rooted in the form and colour of the natural environment. It is being presented initially via an installation by Tableau at Kvadrat’s Copenhagen showroom – ahead of an autumn release – which sees the fabrics draped like a canopy and wrapped around tree branches and furniture alike to create an immersive textile forest for visitors to explore.

Coupled with the whimsical installation is a dreamy tablescape, also staged by Tableau (whose past projects include the design of a mental health space in Copenhagen and bringing a Poul Gernes flower lamp to life). Each object, from vases to fruit and plates, is also enveloped in the new textile range.

Delicate bark-like striations are woven into the installation design, while the soft tonal colour palette – from deep blues and olive greens through to warm oranges and lilacs – makes an elegant feast for the eyes.

Urquiola has collaborated with Kvadrat since 2013 and released several textiles, including the world’s first upholstery textile made of 100 per cent ocean-bound plastic (which won a Wallpaper* Design Award in 2024).

The installation is on display at the Kvadrat showroom, Pakhus 48, Klubiensvej 22, 2150 Copenhagen

Launched in 2024 by self-taught designer Emmanuel Popoteur, New York-based studio Goodesign is rethinking modular furniture for modern life. Born and raised in Washington Heights, New York, Popoteur’s route into design was instinctive rather than academic, with roots in skateboarding, clothing design, and DIY architecture.

His debut ‘Eclipse’ collection introduced a system of Baltic birch plywood and stainless-steel bracket furniture, inspired by the structural efficiency of cellular beams. Similarly, his latest ‘Beam’ range – shown in Milan as part of an immersive sound installation by Italian menswear label Stone Island – pushes modularity even further, using simple bent aluminium elements that function as stools or side tables, and can be reconfigured into benches, consoles or shelves.

Popoteur produces all of his pieces in the USA – Kentucky, Brooklyn, and New Jersey, to be exact – and works with a small group of collaborators: fabricators in New Jersey, a CNC specialist, and friends in the art and design world who support installations and events. His design philosophy rejects hype in favour of substance and longevity, creating robust, utilitarian furniture systems designed to live and grow with.

We caught up with Popoteur to hear how he’s redefining modular furniture on his own terms and his plans for the future.

Goodesign founder Emmanuel Popoteur reflects on his first year in business

Wallpaper*: What first drew you to furniture design?
Emmanuel Popoteur: When I was 13, I bought a heat press and began printing and designing clothes. For years, my world was built in graphics and flat planes. Then in 2021, at 22, I created a PVC chair that went viral online and was reposted by major publications. It brought me more praise and fulfilment than anything I’d done before. In that moment, I realized I wasn’t just making objects – I was solving problems in three dimensions, shaping form and space. It felt less like a discovery and more like remembering what I was always meant to do.

I started Goodesign because, although I’d been making sculptural furniture for a few years, I felt limited in the impact it could have on people’s lives. I wanted people to experience my work every day, in their own spaces, rather than just see it in a gallery for one day.

W*: Both of your collections are modular systems that follow a design language or material. What does modularity mean to you, and why is it so central to your work?
EP: I think modularity is the most efficient and responsible way to design furniture, especially in cities. I hate waste – so all my materials are recyclable, like plywood, stainless steel, and aluminium – and modularity means the pieces can evolve instead of being thrown away. I imagine my work living for the next 100 years, maybe longer, because it’s endlessly useful and adaptable to whatever space or life it enters.

W*: How would you describe your design style?
EP: It’s about finding a balance between harmony, form and function to create something soulful.

W*: Who or what inspires you?
EP: My inspirations range from Marc Newson and Tom Sachs to Le Corbusier, African sculpture, and designs that are synonymous with the Black experience – spaces that carry a sense of history, resilience, and natural flow. That’s the energy I want Goodesign to embody.

I’m inspired by reimagining Black spaces – moving beyond institutionalised environments to create warm, beautiful, expansive settings with a deep sense of character & dignity. When we can imagine the most historically oppressed people living with that level of beauty and intention, it liberates everyone else too. Most people don’t think about design as much as I do. But regardless, it’s impossible to not feel it. Well designed furniture and spaces can change emotions, thoughts, actions, and ultimately lives. That vision is at the heart of Goodesign.

W*: Do you see Goodesign evolving beyond furniture?
EP: Goodesign started with modular furniture, but the long-term vision is to create a full design ecosystem – spaces people can actually live in. We’re working toward a cafe that doubles as a showroom, a boutique modular hotel, and eventually a line of prefabricated houses. The idea is that Goodesign isn’t just furniture; it’s a lifestyle and a spatial experience.

We’re continuing to scale and collaborate with people and brands that align with us. Our goal, alongside the cafe, hotel, and modular homes, is to mass-produce our furniture, which often surprises people. We want as many people as possible to experience Goodesign without sacrificing quality. That adaptability, combined with mass production, will be extremely impactful.

W*: What have you learned in your first year since setting up your brand?
EP: I’ve learned so much. Being self-taught means I’m learning as I go. I’ve learned how important it is to balance creativity with structure. I’ve always been about ideas and aesthetics, but the first year forced me to think about production timelines, pricing, and how to get the pieces into people’s homes.

I also learned that Goodesign resonates most when it feels personal – when people see the human hand and the vision behind the brand. It’s made me double down on creating spaces and experiences, not just furniture. Goodesign started as a furniture project, but I quickly realised it could grow into a full lifestyle brand – furniture, spaces, and experiences. That realisation is shaping everything I do next.

Parents and caregivers of the 80 million children living in Europe may not be surprised to learn that in many cities, less than 10 per cent of public space is designed with the youngest in mind. Finding a home with safe green communal space or a playground within walking distance is often a challenge. Even where they do exist, playgrounds are often uniform, unimaginative, or sidelined. Many caregivers will share stories of broken or unsafe equipment, a lack of shade, or inadequate shelter.

Hoping to change this picture is 'Continent of Play', a blueprint published by 21st Europe, a new think tank founded by Copenhagen-based entrepreneur Kaave Pour (who previously headed Ikea's Space10). The plan calls for significant investment in playgrounds, elevating them to the level of civic infrastructure – every bit as essential as transport networks, cultural venues or energy grids. At its core is the argument that playgrounds are vital social spaces, where families gather, strangers become neighbours and trust takes root.

The report, published online, argues that prioritising cars and commerce over open space has been a short-sighted move. Research shows that children with daily access to high-quality play environments are 30 per cent more active, achieve better academically, and experience less stress and isolation. In contrast, a lack of play infrastructure is linked to rising obesity and widening inequality.

There are also environmental benefits: ‘Parks and green areas are not amenities but infrastructure for health and resilience – cooling cities, absorbing rainwater, and offering shelter during extreme weather,’ it notes. ‘Urban green areas lower city temperatures by an average of 1°C, with local effects of up to 2.9°C – a critical buffer as Europe faces more frequent heatwaves.’

To create the blueprint, 21st Europe worked with Copenhagen-based architects Spacon, alongside experts in play, infrastructure, and policy, to ensure 'Continent of Play' is a practical framework rather than just a vision. The proposal was unveiled last week at a summit hosted at Designmuseum Denmark, with the hope that governments, cities, and institutions will rise to the challenge.

‘Architecture has always shaped how we live together,’ says Spacon’s Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen, whose practice has designed a system of modular play equipment for the proposal. ‘Playgrounds are among the few public spaces where design directly shapes childhood, community, and culture. If we treat them with the same ambition as museums or stations, they could become defining civic landmarks for the century ahead.’

The modular equipment proposed is designed for multiple modes of play: active and physical, social and collaborative, imaginative and reflective. In this way, playgrounds can remain relevant across age groups. The components are made from local materials wherever possible – timber, recycled metals, natural composites – reducing carbon footprints while embedding each site in its regional context. The flat-pack design allows them to be deployed quickly across urban, suburban, and rural areas, and adapted as neighbourhoods evolve.

‘Dedicating even 1 per cent of EU infrastructure budgets to play could fund over 100,000 new playgrounds within a decade – enough to reshape childhood across the continent,’ the report states. ‘In times of war and economic uncertainty, some may ask: is play really what Europe should be focusing on? For 21st Europe, the answer is yes.’

21st-europe.com

In marketing imagery for French designer Jean-Baptiste Fastrez’s latest collection, gleaming metal and ceramic household objects are scattered across an arid desert landscape like alien monoliths.

You'd be forgiven for thinking the otherworldly scene was part of a campaign for a fancy design gallery. Instead, it marks a new collaboration between Fastrez and Monoprix – the beloved French retail chain that offers everything from household items to food – alongside the contemporary art and architecture gallery, Villa Noailles.

Discover Jean-Baptiste Fastrez x Monoprix collection

The collaboration between Monoprix and Villa Noailles makes sense: Villa Noailles delivers a space to express creativity, avant-garde design and experimentation, while Monoprix is rooted in democratising design through its collaborations with contemporary designers. The Fastrez collaboration encapsulates both of those missions.

The award-winning designer was inspired by wonder and reflection. The objects, which include bowls, vessels and candles holders among others household items, are contemporary and, with their Space Age flair, feel retro-futuristic.

Objects are finished in purple, silver and gold chrome, with cone-shaped or curved forms which feel familiar, yet unusual – like a scattering of treasures that have fallen from another planet.

The Jean-Baptiste Fastrez x Monoprix collection will be availble to purchase from 16 September 2025 www.monoprix.fr

People go to Ikea for two reasons: its functional, affordable home goods and its Swedish meatballs. This week, the flatpack furniture juggernaut has united both with a special new plate devoted to – you guessed it – meatballs.

The porcelain serving plate offers a sneak peek into Ikea’s upcoming collaboration with Swedish designer Gustaf Westman, whose playful designs (he's also designed a hot dog tray) have attracted a swarm of loyal fans.

‘I love designing objects for a specific function,' says Westman. 'The design is simple, lining up the meatballs so each one is visible, like they’re sitting on little thrones. And while it was created with meatballs in mind, it works just as well for many other dishes.'

Since their launch in 1985, meatballs have become an integral part of the Ikea experience. In fact, according to the company, it sells some 1 billion of the round morsels annually. Traditional Swedish meatballs, or köttbullar, are a Scandinavian staple, often served alongside mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

While Westman's plate is an ode to the meatball, it can, of course, accommodate spherical snacks of your choice, from olives to grapes to sweets.

The best part of the product lies in the humorous instruction manual, making sure meatballs are consumed correctly and in the step-by-step Ikea way.

The plate is the first piece to be revealed from Westman's upcoming capsule, which will also include tableware and home objects – a cinnamon bun-inspired chair, perhaps?

Gustaf Wetsman x Ikea collection is available 9 September ikea.com

As the name suggests, there’s something of a renegade spirit about Manchester interior design practice Youth Studio. It’s a spirit that’s propelled them since day one, when co-founders Liam McGroarty and Oliver Collinge made their mark pitching for a 500-plus apartment scheme against eight established studios, armed with a stack of red baseball caps that read ‘Make Manchester Great Again’. It was, they admit, a ‘totally naive’ riff on a famously divisive slogan – but the tongue-in-cheek gimmick paid off. They walked out of the boardroom with their first major win – and the beginnings of an ambitious new design studio.

Youth Studio: ‘Manchester gave us the space to fail and figure it out'

McGroarty and Collinge first met while studying interior design at Manchester School of Art, on an interior design course that leaned heavily into conceptual thinking rather than technical training. 'We didn’t actually learn the more technical stuff that we probably should have,' they recall. 'But it was great for developing ideas.'

The pair gravitated toward each other and began spending long hours working in the department’s ‘think tanks’, collaborating competitively on separate projects. Their shared mindset and ambition quickly cemented the foundation for what would become Youth Studio.

Founded in 2016, Youth is now known for interiors that fuse raw materiality with a sense of refined imperfection – spaces that feel grounded, but always with a slightly industrial edge, whether it’s a luxury hotel or a stripped-back retail store. From the outset, McGroarty and Collinge rejected the conventional route of middleweight roles and incremental promotions. Instead, they taught themselves on the job – starting with side projects, then landing a veterinary hospital in Saudi Arabia that gave them the financial freedom to leave their day jobs and set up their own studio in Salford, just two years out of university.

That sense of creative freedom – and resistance to being pigeon-holed – continues to shape the way they work. ‘Manchester gave us the space to fail and figure it out. There was less competition and less pressure than in London,’ Collinge reflects. ‘We’re proud of our northern roots, but we never wanted to be a cliché of “Manchester design”.‘

The studio has scaled up and down over the past decade, recently choosing to stay small and selective, prioritising creative autonomy over growth for its own sake. Today Youth is a team of five, based in Manchester, with projects across the UK and Italy. 'Clients come to us because they want us,' McGroarty explains. 'We found that our USP is being hands-on.'

They describe their approach as driven by feeling rather than trend – creating spaces that prioritise atmosphere as much as aesthetics. Travel and real-world research play a big part. Trips to Antwerp, Milan and Copenhagen have fuelled new ideas, and they collect references ‘like magpies’, drawing not just from interiors but from fashion, film, food and place.

For McGroarty and Collinge, it’s not about building an empire – it’s about building a body of work that holds together, project by project. ‘We're not trying to be everything to everyone,’ they say. 'We just want to design places we’d want to be.’

Youth Studio: five projects to know

Hyll Hotel

The latest addition to Youth Studio’s portfolio is Hyll, a country retreat set within a 16th-century manor house in the North Cotswolds. The brief was to create guest rooms and public spaces that feel quiet, elemental, and deeply rooted in place. Guided by a philosophy of subtraction over addition, Youth employed an earthy palette of stone, timber and linen to reflect the surrounding landscape. The spaces are intentionally pared back to slow the pace and sharpen the senses, inviting guests to reconnect with nature, time and self.

Voodoo Running

For cult running brand Voodoo’s first physical store, Youth designed a space that goes beyond retail – doubling as a community hub for runners. The 80 sq m space is designed to capture the energy of movement and endurance, with a raw yet inviting aesthetic.

Adanola

Youth’s ongoing collaboration with sportswear label Adanola has seen the studio create a series of retail environments that balance warmth and minimalism, combining timber, stainless steel and stone. The curved details nod to classic sporting environments, while the stripped-back layouts make room for both product and pause.

Sorella

Located on the outskirts of Manchester, Italian restaurant Sorella draws inspiration from the Pugliese trattorias discovered on the studio’s research trips to southern Italy. Here, Youth created a moody, intimate setting using a material palette of stone, wood, and marble layered with candlelight, textured surfaces, antique furniture, and bespoke freehand typography.

Arthur House

For workplace project Arthur House, Youth Studio reimagined a 1963 modernist landmark by Cruickshank & Seward. The brief was to honour the white-concrete building’s original brutalist character – monolithic, restrained, and functional – while layering in tactile details such as warm engineered wood and soft lighting, and carefully choreographed circulation.

youth.studio

Once a purely functional fixture, the humble bathroom sink has undergone quite the transformation over time. No longer chosen solely for size or colour, it has become a focal point in its own right – a piece that can anchor an interior scheme or express a designer’s material obsession. Advances in fabrication, from precision stone-cutting to experimental glass casting, have opened up new possibilities for form and texture, while a shift towards more indulgent, ritual-driven bathroom design has encouraged a sculptural approach.

Here, we round up some old favourites alongside new launches that put eye-catching design firmly at the forefront.

8 statement sinks for your bathroom

Centre stage

Double act

Soft focus

Glass act

Force of nature

Corner stone

Pleats please

Curve appeal

Also see: our bathroom design ideas for 2026

Founded by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby in 2001, Universal Design Studio has long been a benchmark for thoughtful, high-quality spatial design. Over the years, its output has expanded from commercial interiors into exhibitions, cultural projects and large-scale workspaces – all underpinned by a meticulous approach to craft and storytelling.

As 'Feel the Sound', an immersive exhibition designed by the studio, comes to a close at the Barbican Centre (you can catch it until 31), we caught up with Universal Design Studio Director Paul Gulati – who has been with the practice for two decades – to reflect on the studio’s evolution, the role of sensory experience in design and what might come next.

Wallpaper*: Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to join Universal Design Studio?

Paul Gulati: I studied architecture because I wanted to do something creative – I was always obsessed with drawing and mark-making. At the same time, I was releasing music on Aphex Twin’s label, Rephlex, in the 1990s, and I still have a sound studio. That exploration of sound has come full circle with our 'Feel the Sound' exhibition.

I initially set up my own studio, but began freelancing with Universal in the early 2000s – around 2004 or 2005. I was really drawn to the culture and craft of the studio. I’d seen the Stella McCartney project and was so impressed by the level of detail. I just wanted to be part of that. The passion for doing work to the highest standard was really addictive – and that’s why I’m still here.

W*: How has the studio changed in the two decades you’ve been there?

PG: It’s evolved a lot. Back when I joined, we were all based in one building in Shoreditch – Universal, Map, and Barber Osgerby. It felt like a design campus. Now we’re more spread out, and that reflects how the practice has grown. Edward and Jay always intended to build something that could evolve without being completely reliant on them, and that spirit is still here.

We started with small retail projects – some luxury, some department stores – and then opportunities opened up in cultural work and hospitality. 'Cold War Modern' at the V&A was a key moment, and winning the Science Museum’s 'Information Age' pitch came from people being intrigued by how we told stories through retail design. That idea of bringing narrative and materiality together has led us into all sorts of sectors – often in ways that were partly deliberate, partly happy accidents.

W*: What’s your role now, and how does the studio’s collaborative model shape the way you work?

PG: I’m one of three directors on the Universal side, alongside Carly Sweeney and Jason Holley. Others have played big roles over the years too. The name 'Universal' really reflects how we work – it’s not about a single authored voice.

We try to leave ego at the door. For me, it’s about staying creatively involved, nurturing client relationships and helping develop the business. But none of us want to be detached from the design process. If a space works – not just as a beautiful image, but for the people using it – then we’ve done our job. That means being hands-on and giving the team agency. It’s a talented and diverse group, and quite a few came through academia – some were even students of ours.

There’s a kind of cohort mentality: a wide range of work, but a shared philosophy and commitment to quality that keeps it feeling cohesive.

W*: Is there a red thread that runs through Universal’s projects?

PG: Storytelling is key. Whether it’s a retail space, a workplace, or an exhibition you’re only in for an hour, we’re always thinking about how to elevate the experience through materials, detailing and the senses.

We design from the inside out – we don’t have separate architecture and interiors departments. It’s one team, with different backgrounds and perspectives, coming together to create something holistic.

Aesthetics matter, of course – they need to resonate culturally and emotionally – but for us, they’re the result of deeper decisions about function, atmosphere and intent. We’re not chasing a signature style. It’s about crafting something meaningful for the people using it.

W*: Tell us more about 'Feel the Sound' at the Barbican. How did that project come about?

PG: We’d worked with the Barbican Immersive team before on 'Our Time on Earth', which explored material stewardship and led us to research natural and overlooked materials – some of which we ended up using in commercial projects like The Jellicoe.

'Feel the Sound' was originally pitched as a music show for 2025 and has been produced by Barbican Immersive, co-produced by MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, Tokyo, Japan. We wanted to challenge the idea that spatial design is primarily visual. Sound is often a secondary concern – or seen as a problem to solve. But we wanted to use it creatively.

Instead of isolating installations in separate rooms, we designed an open route with sound-insulated transitions that use white noise to create a kind of auditory palette cleanse. It’s a spatial tactic that relies on sound, not just sight. If you don’t notice it – if the sound doesn’t clash – it’s working.

These kinds of projects are a chance to be more experimental. We invest the time to research and test new approaches and materials. The goal is to feed those learnings back into our commercial work. That circular relationship is really important to us.

universaldesignstudio.com

For all its undeniable beauty, dedicated public spaces are a rarity in Beirut; an outcome of years of urban neglect, economic strife and conflict. With her latest installation work, Lebanese artist and designer Nathalie Harb is attempting to restore this lost sense of connection through ‘Pretend It’s a Pool’, an ensemble micro-architecture project that has transformed the rooftop terrace of the Beirut Art Center (BAC) into a space for people, play and community (on view until 20 September 2025).

'Pretend it's a Pool': Nathalie Harb at Beirut Art Center

Nestled between the dry bed of the Beirut River and the busy Armenian neighbourhood of Bourj Hammoud, the whole showcase sits above the hustle and bustle of the city offering visitors the chance to slow down, relax, and re-imagine the possibilities of life.

'I was interested in that space between the public and the intimate,' Harb told Wallpaper*. 'The project unfolds in this panoramic, exposed setting – open like a worksite or a wasteland, full of holes – where imagination can take root. Each micro-architecture offers a different view or sensation.'

'From up there you have a 360-degree view; the fabric of Beirut laying bare in front of you, in all its fragility,' she continued. 'It reminded me of the first time I met Beirut after the [Lebanese Civil War], when rooftops became places for moments of love, secrecy, and rewriting a new layer of stories; sometimes erotic, often intimate.'

Originally inspired by the desire to install a public pool on the roof terrace of BAC, ‘Pretend It’s a Pool’ sees Harb partner with fellow creatives Joseph Kai and Lea Kayrouz to build an urban oasis of temporary shelters, improvised tents, cushions and beds, where every piece is a multifunctional, interactive installation. Vibrant textiles wrap the structures and flutter in the warm summer winds, featuring up-close drawings of eyes, shoulders and limbs, accompanied by fig trees and herbaceous plants.

'Joseph’s work often moves between the body and the city,' explained Harb. 'Sensuality and desire are intrinsic to the urban landscape, just as the city becomes part of the body. I invited him to bring that sensibility here. His drawings fold into the installation like a second skin, infusing it with the kind of closeness often absent from public life.'

'Lea is a long-time collaborator,' she continued. 'In ‘Pretend It’s a Pool’, we share authorship. Her contribution here focused on the idea of ‘commoning’ through domesticity, identifying the shared practices, tools and urban artefacts that spark imagination and cultivate collective responsibility.'

The eponymous ‘pool’ takes the form of a small, blue, circular structure decorated with undulating waves, evoking nostalgic memories of the Lebanese summer; the bucket of water standing by for when the mains supply runs out; the tub for soaking in when the heat climbs too high. Abstract yet familiar, this central element – itself an imaginary substitute – is a catalyst for joy, play and pretending. Visitors are also encouraged to build their own improvised shelters and add to the project, using kits provided by the organisers.

The site also functions as a hub for social activations, including musical performances, and even a potluck dinner in which guests shared home-cooked meals with strangers, further emphasising the communal spirit of ‘Pretend It’s a Pool’.

'I hope [visitors] leave with the sense that they have inhabited the city in another way, even for a short time; that they have stepped into a space where public and intimate can meet, and where small gestures are valued as strategies,' said Harb. 'Many of the actions within the installation are gestures of tenderness. It’s a kind of joyful resistance that ensures continuity in survival.'

‘Pretend It’s a Pool’ will run at Beirut Art Center until September 20, 2025

Jisr el Wati, off Corniche an-Nahr, Building Safe, street 93, zone 66 Adlieh, Beirut

Going under the hammer with Sotheby's this September, Pauline Karpidas' art and design collection is perhaps one of the world's most valuable and eclectic. The British collector and arts patron has a penchant for Surrealism, and her London home is filled with masterpieces by Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy, René Magritte, Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons, among others.

Pauline Karpidas, the art collector

Born in Manchester, she moved to London and met her future husband shipping magnate Constantine Karpidas (himself a collector of 19th-century and impressionist art) as a student. According to Karpidas, it was he who opened her eyes 'to the beauty of wonderful things' and encouraged her lifelong collecting journey to begin.

A visit to Greek gallerist Alexander Iolas's home in Athens helped Karpidas discover Surrealist painters, and the two worked closely to assemble her collection of artworks (she convinced him to come out of retirement to work with her). That moment also marked the beginning of Karpidas' art education, as the budding collector spent the following several years fully immersed in contemporary art culture through readings and visits to leading museums and galleries.

Her collection grew organically from there, the result of a mix of intuition, exploration, education and advice from Iolas. But what followed was also a series of incredible encounters with artists and creatives, for whom Karpidas became a patron and friend – these included Warhol, François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne (the husband-and-wife duo known as Les Lalanne), Paloma Picasso, Ernst, Peggy Guggenheim, and more.

'Ever since my journey into the arts began, I have had the great honour of meeting a world of wonderful individuals who have made this collection possible, from Alexander Iolas, who opened my eyes and was my mentor, to many of the incredible artists themselves,' recalls Karpidas. 'I have always seen myself as a temporary custodian for their creations, and it feels like the right moment for the pieces that make up my London home to find their next generation of custodians. This is by no means an ending, as I will continue to live among art, read books, collect new works and support artists, as I have done for so many years now.'

The treasures of Karpidas’ London home

The upcoming sale will feature most of the contents of Karpidas' home, including bespoke design commissions that were created for the space. 'Pauline is a true visionary, championing the concept of living with art and design in dialogue,' says Jodi Pollack, Sotheby’s chairman and co-worldwide head of 20th Century Design. 'The design in her London home was anchored by a trove of pieces by Les Lalanne, many of which the market has never seen before.

'So many of these are unique commissions, personalised to Pauline’s taste and ethos, and representing today the very pinnacle of Les Lalanne’s creativity and artistic legacy. The choreography of Pauline’s extraordinary home was further elevated by [more] unique commissioned works by pioneering designers such as André Dubreuil and Mattia Bonetti. The totality of the assemblage is a true art form and vision.'

Karpidas met Les Lalanne in 1978, visiting them in their workshop outside of Paris, and became one of their first collectors, when they were not yet well known. Included in the Sotheby's sale will be an owl-adorned bed, expected to fetch over £200,000, and a butterfly chandelier, going for £150,000. Other pieces are a monkey table, a bronze Ganesh, as well as furniture and jewellery.

Bespoke pieces by Swiss Paris-based sculptor and designer Mattia Bonetti include mirrored frames for Karpidas’ living room windows, a set of ten dining chairs, and a library that originally held her vast art book collection and sculptures that mix genres and eras, from a Roman marble head from the 1st century AD to a 1967 René Magritte bronze.

Karpidas' taste in design is decidedly eclectic, with a wealth of materials, styles and colours coexisting across the collection. A pair of bright blue Hervé Van Der Straeten lamps, for instance, flank a Mattia Bonetti bed of the same hue, while Francis Picabia's Untitled (L'Espagnole) painting is hung nearby.

All this and more – from objects by Puiforcat and Fornasetti to bold sofas designed by Jacques Grange and made by Maison Decour – combines in this incredible collection.

From 8-16 September 2025, it will be possible to view the full lot before the auction.

Sotheby's 34–35 New Bond Street, London W1A 2AA

The Wallpaper* USA 400 celebrates Creative America in all its dazzling breadth and diversity. Our snapshot of the people who are shaping the country’s creative landscape in 2025 spans community builders, tastemakers, business leaders and more. It’s all a testament to the abundance of stellar talent that’s defining the discourse here in the United States – and the world more broadly.

Here are the names to know in America now.

Wallpaper* USA 400: a guide to Creative America in 2025

Creatives working in fashion, architecture, visual arts and more: the rising stars getting us excited for the future.

ADAM CHARLAP HYMAN AND ANDRE HERRERO
Principals, Charlap Hyman & Herrero

AIDEN BOWMAN AND JOSH METERSKY
Self-taught designers and founders of lighting studio Trueing, which takes inspiration from their art history and engineering backgrounds

ASTRAEUS CLARKE
Furniture and lighting designers, based in Brooklyn

AUGUSTA HOFFMAN
Interior designer

CASEY KENYON
Interior designer

CATHERINE HOLSTEIN
Founder of womenswear label Khaite, known for its balance of masculinity and femininity, strength and softness, structure and fluidity

CHASE HALL
Artist who applies coffee to cotton canvas (both inextricably linked to Africa and slavery) to explore ‘the impossible absolute of biracial identity’

CHRIS MAGGIO
Photographer, his work playfully reinvents the genre of Americana and subverts internet culture

CHRIS WOLSTON
Artist and designer who has collaborated with with the likes of Fendi, Phillip Lim and Dior

DANIEL PATRICK GILES
Founder of Perfumehead, an olfactory label that challenges traditional perceptions of fragrance

DAVID FARRUGIA
Founder, Uniform Object

DEAN LEVIN
Artist-designer and architect

DEVIN WILDE
Ceramic artist creating geometric works in clay

DONNI DAVY
Make-up artist, founder Half Magic

ENY LEE PARKER
Ceramic designer and artist

ETHAN HIDALGO
Furniture designer, founder of Studio Hidalgo

FREDERICK TANG
The founder of the eponymous architecture studio creates contemporary chic that’s not afraid of colour

HEATH WAGONER
Designer

IDO YOSHIMOTO
Artist and arborist whose work focuses on forms and objects from the natural world

ISABEL ROWER
Ceramic artist

JAYE KIM
Ceramic Artist

JEAN AND OLIVER PELLE
Founders of design studio Pelle, which merges art and engineering to create expressive lighting, furniture and design objects

JEREMY ANDERSON
Visionary ceramic artist, taking the material to unexplored creative expressions

JOHN MAY & ZEINA KOREITEM
Founders of architecture studio Millions

JOMO TARIKU
Ethiopian-American artist and industrial designer defining a new design language of modern African-themed furniture (featured in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie set)

KATIE STOUT
Artist and designer who creates furniture and objects that use traditional craft techniques and materials, but which are shaped by an urge to subvert utilitarian forms with unexpected results

LEAH RING
Designer/founder of Another Human

LIAM LEE
Creates biophilic furniture using colour-saturated felt

MARQUEL RASHAAD WILLIAMS
Designer

MARTINE GUTIERREZ
Artist and performer

MAX WORRELL AND JEJON YEUNG
Founders of architecture studio Worrell Yeung, creating architecture that looks effortless and transforms the lives of its users (see Worrell Yeung’s refresh of a Charles Gwathmey home)

MILES GREENBERG
Performance artist

MINJAE KIM
Korean-born designer whose work explores ideas of identity and belonging (Kim has previously shown alongside his artist mother, at Matter Projects)

MISHA KAHN
Blurs boundaries between sculpture and design with a wildly imaginative approach (as seen in our interview ahead of Kahn’s 2020 Friedman Benda show)

NATALIE SHOOK
Designer

NICHOLAS OBEID
Furniture and lighting designer

NOAM DVIR AND DANIEL RAUCHWERGER
Partners, BOND

NOEL HERNANDEZ & VIKTORIA BARBO
Co-Founders, Ollin

OLALEKAN JEYIFOUS
Nigerian-born, New York-based visual artist and designer whose work reimagines social spaces that examine the relationships between architecture, community and the environment

PETER B STAPLES
Founder of lighting design studio Blue Green Works, known for its sensual yet masculine approach to form

RIFF STUDIO
Thoughtful, young, research-based architecture and design studio

RYAN LEIDNER
Founder of young and dynamic eponymous architecture office with a flair for creating residential spaces that commune with nature

RYAN TWARDZIK
Founder and designer of Unform Studio

SAM KLEMICK
Founder of Studio Sam Klemick, furniture design practice that utilises salvaged materials and deadstock/vintage textiles

SARAH BURNS
Furniture Designer and founder of Old Jewelry Store in New York City

SOPHIE LOU JACOBSEN
French-American designer whose focus is on simple objects and rituals that elevate the user experience

STUDIO S II
Erica Sellers & Jeremy Silberberg’s Brooklyn studio crafting interiors, furniture and lighting

TASKA CLEVELAND
Interior designer

UTHARAA ZACHARIAS AND PALAASH CHAUDHARY
Indian-born founders of studio Soft-Geometry

ZACK NESTEL-PATT
Founder, Ah Um Design Studio

Entrepreneurs and CEOs at the helm of the country’s leading design companies, from globally renowned furniture giants to small brands making waves in the design world.

BEN SOLEIMANI
Founder, Ben Soleimani

BEN WATSON
Chief creative officer, MillerKnoll

DAVID CALLIGEROS
Founder, Remains Lighting Company

GABRIEL HENDIFAR
Artistic director and CEO, Apparatus

GARY FRIEDMAN
CEO and chairman, RH

GREGG BUCHBINDER
Owner and CEO, Emeco

HOLLY HUNT
Founder, House of Hunt

JANICE FELDMAN
Founder, Janus et Cie

JERRY HELLING
President and creative director, Bernhardt Design

JON SHERMAN
Founder, Flavor Paper

LINDSEY ADELMAN
Founder, Lindsey Adelman Studio

NARGIS AND NASIR KASSAMALI
Founders, Luminaire

NICK AND RACHEL COPE
Co-Founders, Calico Wallpaper

SIAMAK HAKAKIAN
Partner, DDC

TONY MANZARI
President, Edelman, Knoll Textiles and Maharam

TYLER HAYS
Founder, BDDW

The creatives who have infiltrated the world of show business: architects and designers contributing to the aesthetics of popular culture, from cinema and theatre to museums.

DAVID ROCKWELL
Architect and designer, creator of sets for Oscars ceremonies and Broadway shows

FRANK OCEAN
Artist, founder of Homer

HERON PRESTON
Artist, fashion designer, DJ

RAMISHA SATTAR
Chappell Roan's creative director

TERRENCE O'CONNOR
Photographer and creative director

VICTORIA BRYNNER
Founder, Stardust Brands

WILLO PERRON
Canada-born designer known for his collaborations with Rihanna

Hailing from the realms of music and cinema, these stars’ creative excellence and entrepreneurship capably stretches to jewellery, fashion, art and more.

COLE ESCOLA
Comedian, actor and playwright

DONALD GLOVER
Actor, comedian, rapper, singer, writer, director, and producer known as Childish Gambino

MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN
Founders of fashion label The Row

MEGAN STALTER
Comedian and actor

PALOMA ELSESSER
Model

PHARRELL WILLIAMS
Record producer, rapper, singer, with fashion and design collaborations with Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Adidas and Pentatonic

RYAN MURPHY
Television writer, director, producer, design enthusiast, owner of many architectural gems

SETH ROGEN
Actor, ceramicist, co-founder of cannabis lifestyle brand Houseplant

SOFIA COPPOLA
Film director and screenwriter, serial creative collaborator, including a collection with knitwear brand Barrie and a range of lip balms with Augustinus Bader

TYLER THE CREATOR
Rapper, singer, record producer, and fashion designer

The curators preserving and promoting creative culture, from heirs enthusiastically promoting the family’s artistic legacy to new-generation curators of the country’s leading institutions.

ALEISHALL GIRARD MAXON AND KORI GIRARD
Co-directors, Girard Studio

ALEXANDER MAY
Creative consultant and curator, founder of Sized

ALEXANDRA CUNNINGHAM CAMERON
Curator of contemporary design, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

AMANDA HUNT
Head of Public Engagement, Walker Art Center

ANDREA GLIMCHER
Art advisor

ANDREW BOLTON
Head curator, Anna Wintour Costume Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

ANTWAUN SARGENT
Director, Gagosian New York

BEATRICE GALILEE
Co-founder and executive director, The World Around

CARLOS VALLADARES
Filmmaker and critic

EAMES DEMETRIOS
Board chairman, Charles & Ray Eames Foundation

FLORENCIA RODRIGUEZ
Curator, Chicago Architecture Biennal

HOLLAND DENVIR
Founder of LA Design Weekend

JEFFREY DEITCH
Art dealer and curator

JOE SHEFTEL
Art advisor

JOHN MCILWEE
Architectural preservationist; founder, J McILwee & Associates, Inc

JONATHAN OLIVARES
SVP of design, Knoll

MARIAH NIELSON
Director, JB Blunk Estate and Blunk Space

NICOLA LEES
CEO and artistic director, Aspen Art Museum

PAOLA ANTONELLI
Senior curator of architecture and design, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, and a Wallpaper* October 2020 Guest Editor

RICHARD VILLANI
Creative director, Tom of Finland Foundation

SONYA TAMADDON
Curator

SUZANNE DEMISCH
Gallerist

THELMA GOLDEN
Ford Foundation director and chief curator, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York

WAVA CARPENTER AND ANNA CARNICK
Co-founders of Anava Projects, a creative agency driven by a strong belief that good design can and should make a positive social impact

The ‘no introduction needed’ of creative America: the artists, architects and designers who have helped shape the landscape.

ANNABELLE SELLDORF
Founder of Selldorf Architects

ELIZABETH DILLER AND CHARLES RENFRO
Architects, partners at Diller Scofidio + Renfro

FRANK GEHRY
Architect

FRITZ HAEG
Artist, owner of Salmon Creek Farm

INEZ & VINOODH
Photographers, behind Wallpaper’s portfolio of 50 of America's top creatives driving the current discourse on American culture and its dynamic evolution

JASPER JOHNS
Artist

JENNY HOLZER
Artist

JIM OLSON AND TOM KUNDIG
Founders of architecture firm Olson Kundig

JOHN WATERS
Filmmaker, writer, actor, artist

JOHNNY ROZSA
Photographer and artist

JUDY CHICAGO
Artist, feminist icon

JULIE BARGMANN
Landscape architect, educator, founder of DIRT (Dump It Right There)

KEN LEWIS
Managing Partner, SOM

MARC JACOBS
Fashion designer

MARILYN MINTER
Artist

MURRAY MOSS
Founder of design gallery Moss and design consultancy Moss Bureau

NICK CAVE
Artist known for his fantastical Soundsuits and works that create space for the marginalised

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
Filmmaker

RALPH LAUREN
Fashion designer

RALPH PUCCI
Founder of Ralph Pucci

RICK OWENS
Fashion designer

ROBIN STANDEFER AND STEPHEN ALESCH
Founders of interior design studio Roman and Williams

SHEILA BRIDGES
Interior designer, founder of Sheila Bridges Design Inc

SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU
Partner, OMA New York

SONIA ERAM
Owner, Mameg

STEVEN HOLL
Architect

THOM BROWNE
Fashion designer, founder of Thom Browne

THOM MAYNE
Architect, founder of Morphosis

TOD WILLIAMS AND BILLIE TSIEN
Architects

TOM FORD
Fashion designer

TORY BURCH
Fashion designer

Setting the creative agenda, from interior design and architecture to fashion and jewellery, these are the influencers behind some of the country’s most noteworthy projects, from buildings to jewellery.

ADA TOLLA AND GIUSEPPE LIGNANO
Founders of architecture studio Lot-Ek, whose client list includes the Guggenheim and Google

ADAM SILVERMAN
Sculptor

ALEX PROBA
Founder, Studio Proba

ALEXANDRA AND MICHAEL MISCZYNSKI
Founders of interior design studio Atelier

ALEXIS TOMPKINS AND LEANN CONQUER
Partners, Chroma

ANDRE MELLONE
Founder of Studio Mellone, whose work includes interiors for the likes of Jason Wu and Thom Browne

ANNA KARLIN
Designer

ATHENA CALDERONE
Founder, EyeSwoon and Studio Athena Calderone

BEN MEDANSKY
Ceramic artist

BENJAMIN BLOOMSTEIN AND AARON AUJLA
Artists, designers, founders of design studio Green River Project, whose work includes meticulously crafted furniture and interiors for fashion label Bode

BRETT WOODS AND JOSEPH DANGARAN
Founders of architecture firm Woods + Dangaran and devotees of midcentury modernism (their Desert Palisades house won Best Private House in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023)

BRIAN SAWYER AND JOHN BERSON
Founders of interdisciplinary firm Sawyer Berson

BRIGETTE ROMANEK
Interior designer

BROOKS WALKER
Principal, Walker Warner Architects

CATHERINE BAILEY & ROBIN PETRAVIC
Owners of Heath Ceramics, the tableware and tile company

CHARLIE FERRER
Interior designer

CHRISTIE WARD AND STAVER GRAY
Founders, Ward & Gray

CHRISTINE & JOHN GACHOT
Interior designers behind projects such as Jac's on Bond and Pebble Bar in New York, and high-profile residential projects, like this stunning Montana retreat.

CLIVE LONSTEIN
Interior designer

COLIN KING
Stylist, Artistic Director at Beni Rugs

CRAIG BASSAM AND SCOTT FELLOWS
Founders of lifestyle brand Bassam Fellows

DAVID BERS
Architect

DAVID BUCOVY
Architect

DAVID CAFIERO
Interior designer

DAVID SETH MOLTZ AND KAVI AHUJA MOLTZ
Founders, DS & Durga

DAVID, SUZIE AND RACHEL LUCAS
Co-founders, Lucas Design

DENISE WILLIAMSON
Founder, 180 the Store

DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN
Photographer

DYLAN DAVIS & JEAN LEE
Designers, founders L&G Studio

ELENI PETALOTI AND LEONIDAS TRAMPOUKIS
Founders of design studio Objects of Common Interest (former Wallpaper* Design Awards winners and judges)

ELIZABETH ROBERTS
Architect

ELLIOTT BARNES
Interior designer who honed his craft with Andrée Putman before setting up on his own

ENRICO BONETTI AND DOMINIC KOZERSKI
Co-Founders, Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture

ERIC HOFFMAN
Founder of Hoffman Creative, creating designs for Pamela Shamshiri, Steven Volpe and more

FERNANDA DOVIGI
Interior designer, founder FMD Design

FERNANDO SANTANGELO
Uruguayan-born, New York-based designer; contributed to the design of NYC’s Nine Orchard hotel

GABRIEL ABRAHAM
Founder, Atelier de Troupe

GABRIELLE SHELTON
Sculptor and designer, co-founder of Shelton Studios metal fabrication studio

GIANCARLO VALLE & JANE KELTNER DE VALLE
Founders Studio Valle de Valle

HARRY NURIEV
Founder of Crosby Studios, creating immersive design installations

HUMBERTO LEON
Fashion designer and restaurateur

INI ARCHIBONG
American-Nigerian designer whose furniture and lighting work is guided by heritage and spirituality

JACQUELINE AND DAMIEN HARRISON
Founders of landscape design studio Harrison Green

JAMES CHERRY
Sculptor, lighting designer

JANE MAYLE
Fashion designer, founder of Maison Mayle

JOHN DERIAN
Designer, founder of Decoupage

JOHN SHARP
Landscape designer

JONATHAN CROSS
Ceramicist whose work is created using ancient wood-firing techniques

KELLEY PERUMBETI & MICHAEL YARINSKY
Founders of Office of Tangible Space

KELLY BEHUN
Interior designer behind California home of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz

KELLY WEARSTLER
Interior designer for the hotel industry, residential, commercial, retail and hospitality spaces

KIMBERLY VON KOONTZ
Landscape designer

KULAPAT YANTRASAST
Founder and creative director of Why Architects, the go-to design studio for museums

LEO MARMOL AND RON RADZINER
Founders of architecture firm Marmol Radziner

LEONG LEONG
Architect brothers Dominic and Chris Leong

LISA EISNER
Photographer-turned-jewellery designer

LITTLE WING LEE
Interior designer, founder of Studio & Projects

LUCIEN REES ROBERTS
Interior and landscape designer

MALLERY ROBERTS MORGAN
Interior designer

MATT MURPHY
Designer

MATTHEW FISHER
Stone artist

MATTHEW LEVERONE
Interior designer

MICHAEL MALTZAN
Architect whose work spans everything from housing for the homeless to glitzy museums

MIRANDA BROOKS
Landscape designer

NANCY PEARCE
Designer

NICOLE HOLLIS
Interior designer behind Hawaii’s Kailua-Kona resort

OLIVER HASLEGRAVE
Founder of interior architecture and design firm Home Studios

OLIVER M FURTH
Interior designer

PALI AND JEJO CORNELSEN
Designers

PAMELA SHAMSHIRI
Founder of Studio Shamshiri, has designed homes for musician Paul McCartney and actor Anne Hathaway, and was a Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023 judge

PETER MARINO
Interior designer for high-end fashion boutiques

RAFAEL DE CÁRDENAS
Designer who has concocted visions of modern elegance for clients such as Cartier, Nike and Glossier

ROBERT HIGHSMITH, RYAN MAHONEY AND STEFANIE BRECHBUEHLER
Founders of design studio Workstead

ROBERT STILIN
Interior designer who mixes contemporary architecture with textured materials and vintage furniture

ROGAN GREGORY
Designer of sculptural pieces, represented by R & Company

ROMAN ALONSO AND STEVEN JOHANKNECHT
Founders of multidisciplinary studio Commune Design

RUBEN CALDWELL, JOU-YIE CHOU AND LEIGH SALEM
Founders of interior design studio Post Company, whose projects include Catskills wellness resort Inness and New York restaurant Raf’s

SANDRA NUNNERLEY
Interior designer

SARAH ZAMES AND COLIN STIEF
Founders, General Assembly Studio

SCOTT NEWLIN
Designer

SEAN ANDERSON
Interior designer

SHARON JOHNSTON AND MARK LEE
Founders of architecture firm Johnston Marklee

SONIA BOYAJIAN
Jewellery designer

STEFAN BECKMAN
The fashion industry’s favourite set designer

STEPHANIE BEAMER, CRYSTAL ELLIS AND HILLARY PETRIE
Founders of furniture design studio Egg Collective

STEPHEN BURKS MAN MADE
A global practice uniting craft, community and industry through its hands-on workshop-based approach while always advocating for greater diversity in design

STEPHEN KENT JOHNSON
Photographer

STEVEN HARRIS
Architect

STEVEN VOLPE
Founder of Studio Volpe, whose work includes elegant residences from Manhattan to LA, as well as Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Mrkt in San Francisco

SUCHI REDDY
Founder of architecture and design firm Reddymade

TED MUEHLING
Industrial designer who creates jewellery and decorative objects inspired by organic forms

TESSA WATSON
Creative director and stylist

THOMAS WRIGHT AND JOSEPH FRATESI
Founders of multidisciplinary design and manufacturing firm Atlas Industries

TODD NICKEY AND AMY KEHOE
Co-Founders, Nickey Kehoe

VANESSA ALEXANDER
Founder, Alexander Design

VICTORIA SAMBUNARIS
Landscape photographer

VICTORIA SASS
Interior Designer; Design Director, Prospect Refuge

VIRGINIA SIN
Founder, SIN ceramics

Leaders of design research, start-uppers and business leaders whose creative brilliance is paired with a strong focus on technology and sustainability.

ANDREW KUDLESS
Principal, Matsys Design

BRADLEY BOWERS
Designer using technology and advanced material research to create furniture, lighting and objects

GERMANE BARNES
Architect researching architecture’s social and political influence

GIORGIA LUPI
Data designer, Pentagram partner

JEANNE GANG
Architect, founding partner of Studio Gang, behind the American Museum of Natural History extension

JONY IVE
Former chief design officer at Apple, founder of design studio LoveFrom

JULIA WATSON
Designer, activist, academic, leading expert of Lo–TEK (nature-based technologies for climate resilience)

KATE ORFF
Founder of landscape architecture and urban design practice Scape

MARIE VERONIQUE
Beauty entrepreneur

RJ SCARINGE
Founder and CEO of electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian

TYLER HOBBS
Generative artist, creative coder, painter

VANESSA BARBONI HALLIK
Founder, Co-CEO, and Executive Chair of sustainable fashion brand Another Tomorrow

YVES BEHAR
Founder and principal designer of Fuseproject, a brand development firm working across industrial design, transport and technology

Owners of small boutique hotels and behemoths whose properties stretch beyond the US: the names to know in American hospitality today.

ANDRÉ BALAZS
Properties include Chateau Marmont in LA, The Chiltern Firehouse in London and Sunset Beach on Shelter Island

ARI S HECKMAN
CEO and Co-Founder, Ash

BARRY STERNLICHT
Chairman of Starwood Hotels, which has 1 Hotels, Baccarat and Treehouse Hotels in its portfolio

BRAD KORZEN
Founder and CEO, The Kor Group and Proper Hotels

BRAD WILSON
Managing Partner, Ace Hotel Group

HOMI VAZIFDAR
Founder of Canyon Equity, whose portfolio includes Amangiri and Six Senses Costa Rica

IAN SCHRAGER
Properties include Public New York, Edition hotels in New York and Miami

LIZ LAMBERT
McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality (Partner); Lambert McGuire Design (Partner); and Bunkhouse (Founder)

NADIM ASHI
Properties include the Four Seasons at The Surf Club in Florida

Musicians, filmmakers and sound artists, multidisciplinary creatives telling stories and working beyond objects and places.

CHRISTINE SUN KIM
Deaf sound artist working predominantly in drawing, performance and video, using musical notation, written language, American Sign Language, and the body

DAVID BYRNE
Musician, artist and filmmaker

DOECHII
Rapper and singer

ERYKAH BADU
Singer, songwriter, record producer, actor

HONEY DIJON
DJ and Producer

KIM GORDON
Visual artist, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, now as a solo artist and formerly for alternative rock band Sonic Youth.

LORI SCACCO
Musician and composer

MOSES SUMNEY
Musician

PATTI SMITH
Singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author

SOLANGE
Musician; Founder, Saint Heron

ST. VINCENT
Grammy award winning artist, musician, songwriter with signature guitar line

STEVE LACY
Musician

SWIZZ BEATZ
Producer and collector

Personalities working in a variety of fields, using art and design as a tool to raise awareness and amplify the voices of the oppressed.

ADAM ELI
Activist

ALEXIS BITTAR
Jewellery designer, filmmaker

CATHERINE OPIE
Fine-art photographer, educator

CHEROKEE JACK
Model, Indigenous activist

DANIEL CHEW, TEN IZU, KIRSTEN KILPONEN AND TIN NGUYEN
Members of Concept Foreign Garments New York (CFGNY), a fashion and art collective exploring what it means to be ‘vaguely Asian’

DEANNA VAN BUREN
Co-founder and design director of nonprofit architecture and real estate development firm Designing Justice + Designing Spaces, working to end mass incarceration through place-based solutions

DERRICK ADAMS
Visual and performance artist, curator, work focuses on themes of Black identity and culture

EMILY BARKER
Multidisciplinary artist, activist, work focuses on topics relating to disability, discrimination and capitalism

INDYA MOORE
Actor, model and social activist

JOSH KLINE
Artist, curator, explores how emergent technologies are changing our lives

LEILAH BABIRYE
NYC-based sculptor Babirye uses her work to respond to the anti-homosexuality legislation in her home country, Uganda

MICKALENE THOMAS
Visual artist, studies the Black female body as a vehicle of power, eroticism, agency and inspiration

NAN GOLDIN
Photographer, activist

NANCY KRICORIAN
Writer, humanitarian and activist

QUANNAH ROSE CHASINGHORSE-POTTS
Model, Indigenous activist

ROBERTO LUGO
Potter and activist

DEVONN FRANCIS
Queer first-generation Jamaican-American artist exploring his heritage and culture through art and food

Artists, collectives and restaurateurs who have brought global flavours to the US, using food as a creative medium to connect people.

DONNA LENNARD
Restaurateur

IGNACIO MATTOS
Founder/chef of Mattos Hospitality, comprising restaurants Estela, Altro Paradiso and Lodi

JON GRAY
CEO and co-founder of Ghetto Gastro, culinary collective from the South Bronx, and a Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022 judge

JORDAN KAHN
Chef and creative director, with a penchant for expressionist desserts, and three Culver City restaurants (Destroyer, Meteora and Vespertine) offering deliciously avant-garde dining experiences

KEITH MCNALLY
Restaurateur, owner of several New York restaurants including Balthazar

KWAME ONWUACHI
James Beard award-winning chef

LAILA GOHAR
Artist working with food as a creative medium

RITA SODI AND JODY WILLIAMS
Founders/chefs of The Commerce Inn

SEAN SHERMAN
Chef

SIMON KIM
Restaurateur, owner of COTE Korean Steakhouse and COQODAQ

Designers and artists whose practice has become the basis for a larger scope, serving local networks and connecting people.

ALEX SCHATZBERG
Yoga instructor and entrepreneur

ANN STEPHENSON
Poet

BEN GREENE
Speaker and inclusion consultant

CATOR SPARKS
Life coach

DARRELL THORNE
Performance artist

DAVID GODSHALL
Co-Founder, Terremoto

ELIZABETH BAUDOUIN AND NATALIE SHIRINIAN
Filmmakers, founders of Not All Films and NES Creative

ERIN BESLER
Co-founder, Besler & Sons

JAY EZRA
Founder, Del Vaz Projects

JENNY NGUYEN
Founder, Hello Human

JONATHAN LYNDON CHASE
Artist

KAZEM NADERI
Founder, NAD Projects Inc.

LAUREN HALSEY
Artist, employs architecture and installation art to reveal the realities of urban neighbourhoods

MALI AND ALAN BACON
Founders, Butter art fair

MAXWELL L ANDERSON
President, Souls Grow Deep

MICHAEL FORD
Architect; Founder, Hip Hop x Design

MICHAEL K CHEN
Architect

NORMAN TEAGUE
Designer, maker, educator, focuses on connecting with local communities

PETER DO
Fashion designer, brand is rooted in community and dedicated to supporting New York’s garment district

RAUL LOPEZ
Founder of fashion brand Luar

RICK LOWE
Artist, champions people and communities through social practice-based art projects

RITESH GUPTA
Founder of Useful School, a virtual learning platform that puts people of colour front and centre

ROB AQUINO
Community builder and nightlife producer

SARA ZEWDE
Founding principal of design firm Studio Zewde, which focuses on landscape architecture, urbanism and public art

SEAN YASHAR
Founder, The Culture Creative

SHANE DAVIS
Co-founder and creative director of Public Records, a multi-faceted music, social and exhibition space for the community, and co-founder of new design studio for worldwide hospitality/residential projects, Public Service

SHEENA ZADEH-DALY
Founder of beauty brand Kosas, which offers inclusive shades in its make-up ranges

TAMARA HOUSTON
Author, entertainment producer, founder of heritage development enterprise Icon Mann, managing partner of a mobile design and educational installation, the Pavilion of the African Diaspora (PoAD), which she curated alongside Ini Archibong

WILLY CHAVARRIA
Fashion designer, explores and amplifies the Latino voice

Gallerists and collectors putting great design under the spotlight, bringing historical design, contemporary makers and emerging talent to the world.

ADAM BLACKMAN AND DAVID CRUZ
Founders of Blackman Cruz

ALEX TIEGHI-WALKER
Founder of Tiwa Select, a curatorial platform dedicated to craft and self-taught makers, with a New York gallery space (across the pond, Tieghi-Walker will curate the 2025 Brompton Design District in London this September)

AMAURI AGUIAR & BRYAN YOUNG
Founders of Verso

BENJAMIN CRITTON AND HEIDI KORSAVONG
Founders of gallery Marta, which champions emerging creatives from a diverse background

BENOIST DRUT
Head of design gallery Maison Gerard, which specialises in fine French art deco furniture

BIANCA CHEN & JOEL CHEN
Art and design curator (Bianca), and her antiques dealer father (Joel), who founded JF Chen Antiques

CHARLES CONSTANTINE AND CHRIS HELD
Co-founders, Dudd Haus

CLAIRE WARNER AND SAM VINZ
Co-Founders, Volume Gallery Chicago

DAVID ALHADEFF
Founder of Casa Perfect and The Future Perfect

DEIRDRE MALONEY AND MINYA QUIRK
Co-Founders, Shoppe Object and Afternoon Light

DOBRINKA SALZMAN
Gallerist

ED BE AND JARED BLAKE
Co-Founders, Lichen NYC, a design incubator and store

EMMA SCULLY
Founder of Emma Scully Gallery, which promotes applied arts through a curated exhibition programme

MARC BENDA & JENNIFER OLSHIN
Co-founders, Friedman Benda

GLENN LAWSON AND GRANT FENNING
Co-Founders, Lawson-Fenning

JEAN LIN
Founder, Colony

JEANNE GREENBERG ROHATYN
Founder of Salon 94 Design

JOHN RADTKE
Owner, Somewhere Someplace

KIM HOSTLER AND JULIET BURROWS
Founders of gallery Hostler Burrows

LIN AND MAGDALENA TYRPIEN
Co-Founders, Lyle Gallery

MASON VINCENT AND JACK REDPATH
Founders, Darling Studios

PAUL DONZELLA
Furniture dealer

REYES AND LILLIAN HARDY
Co-founders, Landdd

RODMAN PRIMACK AND RUDY F. WEISSENBERG
Co-founders of design gallery Ago Projects

STEPHEN MARKOS
Superhouse

TARIQ DIXON
Co-Founder, TRNK

YANCEY RICHARDSON
Gallerist

ZESTY MEYERS AND EVAN SNYDERMAN
Founders of R & Company, champions of collectible design from contemporary and modern names

The names defining American fashion right now, both on and off the runway.

ANN CARUSO
Fashion brand advisor and consultant

BRANDON MAXWELL
Fashion designer

CHRISTOPHER JOHN ROGERS
Fashion designer behind Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration outfit

DYLAN CAO AND JIN KAY
Founders of fashion brand Commission, inspired by memories of their mothers when they were women at work in Vietnam and Korea

EMILY BODE
Founder of fashion brand Bode, creating handcrafted clothing cut from antique fabrics, Victorian quilts, grain sacks and bed linens

FERNANDO GARCIA AND LAURA KIM
Creative Directors, Oscar de la Renta; Co-Founders, Monse

FRANCES HOWIE
Creative director, Fforme

HENRY ZANKOV
Fashion designer

JACK MCCOLLOUGH AND LAZARO HERNANDEZ
Creative Directors, Loewe

JOSEPH ALTUZARRA
Fashion designer

MICHAEL KORS
Fashion Designer

MICHAEL RIDER
Creative director, Celine

RACHEL SCOTT
Founder, Diotima

STUART VEVERS
Creative director, Coach

VERONICA LEONI
Creative director, Calvin Klein Collection

When these groundbreaking talents have a show, seek it out.

ADAM PUTNAM
Multimedia artist whose work puts the human body in dialogue with the spaces we inhabit

AMBERA WELLMANN
Artist

AMY SHERALD
Painter

ANNIE SCHLECHTER
Photographer

CINDY JI HYE KIM
Artist

CLARE CRESPO
Artist

DAHLIA ELSAYED
Artist

DOUG AITKEN
Artist

DYANI WHITE HAWK
Award-winning Native American artist

FIN SIMONETTI
Artist

IVANA BAŠIĆ
Artist

JACK PIERSON
Photographer and artist

JASON SCHMIDT
Photographer

JEFFREY GIBSON
Artist. His US Pavilion at the 60th Venice Art Biennale was the country’s first solo presentation by an Indigenous artist at the event

JULIAN WATTS
Artist, woodworker

LOUISE BONNET
Painter whose large-scale works in oil touch on multiple themes ranging from sex and beauty to tension and humour

MAMALI SHAFAHI
Artist

MARIA MOYER
Artist

MATTHEW PLACEK
Photographer and film director

PIA RIVEROLA
Photographer and artist

RACHEL ROSSIN
Artist

RASHID JOHNSON
Artist

RICHARD STAPLETON
Photographer

ROKSANA PIROUZMAND
Artist

SASHA MASLOV
Ukrainian-American portrait and documentary photographer

SHUO HAO
Artist

SHUYI CAO
Artist

SIMONE LEIGH
Multi-media artist from Chicago

THOMAS LOOF
Photographer

WENDY RED STAR
Apsáalooke contemporary multimedia artist

Saunas are increasingly popular outside their native Finland, and today the power of deep heat can easily be enjoyed in the wild and through architect-designed retreats. Meanwhile, hammams, which form part of ancient weekly rituals spanning from Morocco to Turkey, and thermal bathing, popular from Iceland to Australia, have never been so hot.

Now, you can combine all wellness traditions in the comfort of your home thanks to Italian sauna specialist Effe, whose state-of-the-art ‘Petra SH’ system includes a sauna, a hammam and a plunge bath – handy if you don’t have a Scandinavian lake to jump into at the end of your garden.

A home sauna, hammam, and plunge bath all in one

Founded in 1987, Effe is well known for its innovative and flexible designs that can be easily installed in all sorts of locations. Its new system can be fitted in either public or private spaces, from hotel wellness centres to mini home spas. Customers can choose from clear or opaque glass for the front wall, depending on how much privacy is needed.

Launched at Milan Design Week 2025, the new ‘Petra HS’ system is inspired by the centuries-old sauna and Turkish bath traditions. ‘I spent a lot of time looking into the history of saunas and hammams, two age-old traditions that are deeply embedded in different, distant cultures,’ says its designer, Marco Williams Fagioli.

‘I found the symbols associated with these ancient wellbeing practices absolutely fascinating; for instance, the tradition of lowering the height of the door, so bathers had to bow as a sign of respect when they entered. I wanted to incorporate all these aspects into my project, so the experience would be even more stimulating and authentic.’

‘Petra HS’ is built using eco-friendly, recyclable materials. The sauna is clad in Swiss pine, a hardy Alpine wood that withstands the cold and has well-known relaxing and anti-bacterial properties. Its distinct fragrance, warm tones and natural texture help create ‘a revitalising, multi-sensory experience’.

Meanwhile, the hammam cabin features an innovative recyclable material obtained from pure minerals, chosen for its capacity to protect against moisture and thus prevent the proliferation of bacteria. It is enhanced with digital textures that give the material ‘a natural look and an organic feel’. Other cladding options include Travertine Vena Aurum porcelain tiles by KronosCeramiche.

Powered by an Effe Nuvola Smart steam generator installed under the bench, the hammam boasts automatic steam and temperature control, an open-door sensor and a touch-screen control panel. It can be combined with a sensory shower featuring colour therapy and fragrance diffuser.

After a session in the sauna or hammam, you can then submerge yourself in the cold water immersion bath, a practice that stimulates blood circulation, tones tissues and ‘promotes a profound feeling of physical and mental regeneration’. The steel plunge bath is sunk into a bespoke Aspen structure with matching clean lines.

Other recent Effe launches include the ‘Cabanon’ collection of outdoor saunas, designed for Effe by Rodolfo Dordoni and Michele Angelini, and ‘Sei’, a micro wooden structure developed with Agape and Cesare Roversi.

For the past couple of years, we have been following Italian architect and AMDL Circle founder Michele De Lucchi's Substack, and have enjoyed his mix of travel journals, meditations on design and architecture, and regular glimpses into the maestro's thinking and approach to life and design.

'I write about architecture, design, innovation, our common future; about Italy, the places I visit around the world, and the wonderful people I meet. [I'm] dedicated to exploration,' says De Lucchi of his writings.

Michele De Lucchi's sketches

This summer, his Friday newsletters have landed in our inboxes in the form of a pencil sketch. It's a simple format that includes a small drawing accompanied by a brief note, aphorism or question. The sketches, which are delightfully informal, become portals to bigger reflections on creativity and the act of making.

As one might expect from a creative whose work effortlessly balances precision with a quiet sense of playfulness, he is extremely specific about his drawing kit.

'I never leave the house without a sheet of paper,' De Lucchi says. 'I’ve even baptized the little sheets I carry in my jacket pocket as "pocket papers." If I have an idea, I have to put it on paper, preferably with a sharpened 8B pencil. It’s nothing more than ordinary A4 printer paper torn into quarters to fit in my pocket.'

The sketches usually feature De Lucchi himself, wearing his distinctive round glasses, busy in everyday activities such as riding a bicycle, lighting a match ('the inspiration is the spark, creativity is the fire that ignites change', reads the text underneath) or lying on his bed. Simple and raw, both sketches and writings are a very joyful surprise each week.

'I keep the sheets together with archivist’s bulldog clips and let my pockets round the corners and soften the pencil marks,' continues De Lucchi. 'After spending several days in the back pocket of my trousers, the drawings always end up a bit crumpled, worn, and strangely glossy. They take on a distinctive mark that I wouldn’t know how to get otherwise — the mark of the pockets and of my backside'

Australian beauty brand Mecca has unveiled its new flagship on Bourke Street in central Melbourne, establishing it as one of the world’s largest standalone beauty stores. Spanning three storeys and 4,000 sq m, the space by Sydney-based Studio McQualter seamlessly blends heritage restoration with contemporary retail design.

Mecca opens in Melbourne

Housed in the 1930s art deco EW Cole building, originally designed by architect Harry Norris and once home to the legendary Coles Book Arcade, this new flagship also marks a homecoming of sorts. Mecca’s first store opened nearby in 1997, though a modest 60 times smaller than this latest incarnation. There are currently over 100 Mecca stores across Australia and New Zealand.

A multi-level, immersive environment, Mecca’s founder Jo Horgan describes the store as her 'love letter to Melbourne.' It features dedicated zones for makeup, skincare, hair salons, a nail bar, café, and a suite of therapy and treatment rooms. There’s even an auditorium to host Mecca’s educational programmes.

The project was led by Sydney-based Studio McQualter, headed by Donald McQualter, a practice known for its material sensibility and contextual nuance—the Zimmerman New York flagship is among its portfolio of work. Horgan’s brief was clear: 'to create the world’s most extraordinary, innovative and loved experiential beauty destination.' The architectural aim was to develop a distinct concept and spatial identity while remaining true to the Mecca experience.

'Our focus was to pay homage to the heritage while introducing a cohesive and contemporary visual language,' the studio's founders told Wallpaper*. 'Consistent material palettes, artistic interventions, and thoughtful zoning mean each service feels part of a unified experience, while still allowing for distinct moments of discovery.'

This design philosophy translated into a strategy of uncovering and integrating original architectural elements. The building’s terracotta façade was restored, and faience tiles originally produced in Sunshine, Victoria, were complemented by newly recast counterparts from Darwen Terracotta in the UK. The removal of an awning revealed five arched windows, reinstating vertical proportions, and drawing light into the first floor.

Within the interior is now a generous central void, created by repositioning and separating the escalators. This spatial move opened up clear sightlines across all levels to highlight the restored heritage ceiling from the ground floor. A new mezzanine, introduced through this reconfiguration, has also contributed to the overall sense of openness.

At the heart of it all sits the Beauty Carousel – a sculptural, circular anchor on the ground floor. 'It’s a visual cue for discovery and play,' explains Horgan, 'where customers gather, try new products, learn techniques and connect with our team. With space for up to 12 guests, it is a communal space inspired by the joy of makeup, the fun of colour and the feeling of being part of something vibrant.'

Materials, too, are presented in their raw, authentic form – exposed structural elements, hand-finished tiles, and a muted, refined palette. Bespoke furniture, combining vintage and contemporary pieces, introduces variation in texture and scale. Large Venini pendants and sculptural wall sconces bring a soft, understated warmth to the lighting scheme.

'Part of our core design strategy was to peel back the layers that had long obscured the site’s architectural heritage,' the studio notes. Original terrazzo floors were uncovered and preserved, along with exposed concrete columns and ornamental plaster ceilings. A vibrant Aztec tile design from the 1930s was also revealed, allowing the building’s rich history to converse with the new interventions.

“When we stepped into this building, we saw something special,” Horgan concludes. “Not just beauty in the architecture, but the possibility of it becoming a home for everything our customers had shared with us about what beauty means to them.”

Mecca, 295 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Potato Head, Bali’s beach club and hotel turned cultural village, has always been a champion of creative cross-pollination. With a building by OMA and furniture collections by the likes of Faye Toogood and Andreu Carulla, it is clear that design is at the heart of the project. At Potato Head, however, it goes hand in hand with environmental responsibility. ‘When we started Potato Head, [one of our goals was] to be sustainable in a beautiful way,’ reads a note from founder Ronald Akili introducing the first sustainability report from the company. ‘We want to create awareness by inspiring instead of preaching. We want to provide experiences and products where people do not have to compromise on beauty, comfort, and accessibility in order to be sustainable.’

Being zero-waste and contributing to a process of local regeneration were similarly important to the founder, and its newly launched collection of objects by long-term collaborator Max Lamb acts as a manifesto of sorts for what Potato Head stands for, and what a model for sustainable manufacturing might look like in the future.

Max Lamb at Potato Head

Lamb has collaborated with Potato Head for a few years: his first visit in 2019 resulted in a series of in-room objects and furniture, circular designs all created in a closed-loop and produced locally by artisans and makers. ‘I was invited to design these products, the idea was that they should be made in Indonesia, as there is already a wealth of techniques and crafts,’ says Lamb. ‘So I spent two weeks travelling to different craftspeople, and what started as a small itinerary soon grew, as we kept discovering more places, from natural dye companies to ceramic producers, to stone workers who work with volcanic rock to traditionally make the small shrines you find in local homes.’

Lamb, whose practice focuses on making and experimenting (his furniture has been made from a plethora of materials, from cardboard boxes to his grandfather’s tree), was right at home in the rich cultural and artisanal panorama of Bali and its surroundings. ‘Before traveling there, I was learning about the local brick and clay industries, and that sparked a research into the geology of the island,’ he says. ‘I was interested in the Ring of Fire and Bali being a volcanic island, and how the rock formations and the general landscape are informed by its geology and the geothermal activity.’

During his visit, however, Lamb started looking at Bali as a place to produce his work. ‘I was trying to experience Bali as deeply as possible to understand what the production and craft and material opportunities were there,’ he explains. ‘But it was also necessarily a conversation between me as a designer and the hotel, to identify all product opportunities to serve the hotel’s guests.’

At the time, Potato Head was already championing a zero-waste model (having gone carbon neutral in 2017, the first hospitality company in Indonesia to do so), and the conversation soon shifted from craft to waste materials. ‘Being hospitality, there is a constant influx of people and products, food and beverages and packaging being generated, and Potato Head recognised this,’ explains Lamb. ‘So what do you do with these materials?’

One of the first products they created together was a chair, made from recycling 833 plastic bottles. Featuring a colourful marbled effect, the chair has inspired a series of small objects made using the same system, from coasters to trays, all with the distinctive multichromatic pattern.

The plastic is all recycled from delivery packaging and confiscated water bottles (guests are not allowed to enter the Potato Head premises with non-reusable plastics), granulated on-site, and heat-pressed into sheets that are then used to create Lamb’s products. ‘What is great is that they built a factory, but it’s not behind the scene, it’s front of house: you get your plastics confiscated, you see it go into the granulator, the heat press, the CNC machine,’ says Lamb. ‘It's a really great reaction to the uncontrollable amount of waste material being generated through running any hospitality establishment.’

99.5 per cent of Potato Head’s waste – including food – is currently recycled and put back into the hotel, with a minimal 0.5 per cent going to landfill.

Wasted Collection 001 by Max Lamb for Potato Head

This month marks the launch of Wasted, a new brand by Potato Head that Lamb describes as ‘an attitude and an ideology for turning waste into new objects for both hotel guests and the wider community of interested people.’

With products designed by Lamb (who is also currently managing the design process and serving as the brand’s creative director), Wasted is an embodiment of Potato Head’s sustainability mission.

The objects on offer form a panorama of craft in Bali, and the opportunities found in recycling. The eight collections include objects made from HDPE plastics, composted organic matter, recycled linens from the hotel and restaurants, broken and re-blown glass, cooking oil transformed into scented and refillable candles, recycled ceramics, oyster shells, and hand-woven Balinese bamboo.

A small collection of ceramic plates and bowls are made in Ubud by a small pottery, using Balinese clay and a glaze made from broken glass from the hotel’s waste stream.

From the offcuts of his HDPE plastic chair, he has created trays and coasters. This way of working by repurposing materials is second-nature to Lamb: thinking in terms of waste, using the negative to his production’s positive has often been the case with his work (and as a young designer starting out, that was a necessity to be economical with materials). ‘I very rarely speculate: I nearly always only make what people ask me to make,’ he adds. ‘I have a sense of responsibility in my practice, I recognise that it’s very difficult to be productive without being destructive. But I'm very lucky in that I have a hungry audience, wanting to consume my work and commission me to make pieces. And I think there's something very, convenient about the fact that I run a workshop-based design practice.’ This modus operandi is now feeding into his work for Potato Head.

The textile products are a good example of Lamb's thinking throughout this project. 'Hotel linens have a short lifespan, they get stains, they tear, and can't be put back on the beds,' he explains. The collection includes large bags, but also smaller textile objects dyed using marigolds (recovered from offerings left at shrines across Potato Head), like compact pouches, pencil cases and sunglasses cases, that can be obtained from smaller scraps. 'By having a range of different scaled objects or products, we're able to best utilize as much of that material as possible.'

Wasted by Potato Head: what's next

The future of this project for Potato Head is very much about collaboration, as the model for Wasted is meant to become an open-source blueprint for harvesting waste. 'It's not about exporting these products, but about exporting this idea of working,' explains Lamb.

'This is not meant to be good design,' he stresses, noting that an elaborate design would defy the purpose of the project. 'I don't want to just adorn or decorate for the sake of it. It's always about the material, and if the form can be as quiet and simple and functional as possible, then the thing that will really shine will be the material. And then that allows the story of Wasted to be told much more.

'It’s meant to be about using a resource that would otherwise be thrown away, and helping Potato Head deal with the waste they generate on a daily basis. And to set the cogs in motion for establishing a new culture.'

Light-filled and lightweight, this scene-stealing pendant, by Brooklyn-based interior and lighting design studio Workstead, forms part of a new lighting collection, dubbed ‘Lantern’.

An exercise in ethereal beauty and time-honoured craftsmanship, the collection is handmade in the American south by a third-generation, family-run workshop, with the light source shrouded in raw dupioni silk. The lamps are then hand-finished with brass fittings in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

The 36-inch pendant lamp, crafted from two subtly inset, mirrored half-domes joined along the equator, is like a softly glowing creature that appears to float in space. The collection also includes a small pendant option and a wall sconce, each developing the design's gentle forms in new practical directions.

'Like a perfectly cut garment, every seam along the spherical shade is intentional, creating structure, softness, and silhouette,' reads a note from its creators. 'The interior is fully lined, allowing light to diffuse through in a warm, even glow – both functional and sensorial.'

This is a lighting collection offering a sculptural, otherworldly presence that sees each piece hover with a benevolent majesty within a voluminous void.

‘Lantern’ pendant with custom hardware and hand-finished tassel, $12,420, by Workstead

The Dekmantel electronic music festival (30 July - 3 August 2025) returns within the expansive greenery of the Amsterdamse Bos – the city's expansive park – with its vast programme of international musical guests. This year, Zelt Studio founder Johannes Offerhaus has created a design for the 2025 edition's Selectors Stage, one of seven stages conceived for the festival by a diverse roster of creatives.

Curtain 01 is a canopy-like tensile structure surmounting the Selectors stage, making its debut on Friday 1 August, and which over the course of the weekend will see a plethora of live performances and DJ sets.

Dekmantel Festival 2025: Selectors Stage by Zelt Studio

Designed and manufactured in-house by Offerhaus, a designer with a background in fashion and architecture working predominantly in textile spaces and experiences, the textile canopy is part of an ongoing research and experimentation into tensile structures and their large-scale opportunities.

Rain-proof and kept in place by steel anchors, the curtain will appear effortlessly floating, while in fact held in place by what the designer describes as a hand-made 'intricate system of ropes, aluminium and textile.'

We speak to Offerhaus to discover his work behind the stage design, and delve deeper into his practice's textile focus.

Q&A: Zelt Studio founder Johannes Offerhaus on his stage design

Wallpaper*: How did you transition from small-scale textiles and fashion, to working at this large scale?

Johannes Offerhaus: In the last three years, having worked on textile designs at a small scale – attached to the body, I really felt the need to scale up. I wanted my work to be very big – to offer a space for more than just one person. That’s when I started to explore new spaces for these installations to take life in. Dekmantel is a creatively exciting festival, both in terms of the acts playing, the music they bring to the stage, and the stage commissions themselves.

W*: How this commission come about?

JO: When Albert van Abbe (Creative Director at Dekmantel) and I started talking, it felt natural that we were both excited to apply my design ethos and expertise to the Selectors Stage, to give it a whole new character and experience. He conceptualised a DJ booth assembled from pre-fab concrete elements that would form the ‘perfect base’ for playing vinyl. My task was to find a solution, both practical and beautiful, that would do the “undisputed Dekmantel favourite” stage justice. The heavy concrete - a perfect anchor point - naturally invited in a lightweight (visually and literally) textile tensile piece.

W*: How did you conceive the structure?

JO: My process always starts quite intuitively. I'm a trained pattern cutter/fashion designer, so just like in a draping process where form-finding is done around a human body, I start modelling and prototyping with textiles. Only my canvas is not the human body anymore, it's space.

W*: Did any external factor inform or influence the design?

JO: The location and the identity of the stage formed the outset of this project. The location of the Selectors Stage is so intimate and beautiful between the trees of the Amsterdamse Bos. There is this moment at the end of the day, around 8PM, when the dimmed sunlight shines through the trees and you get this komorebi effect on everything. I just want to add to that experience.

W*: What materials and techniques did you use?

JO: Since my installations are mostly form-focused, I always make use of the same set of materials and techniques. Parachute textiles, webbing tape, ropes, cables, and steel. We use an array of old heavy-duty German sail-making machines to stitch everything together. It's very important for me to keep this in-house; we machine sew everything in my studio in Amsterdam Noord. It gives us a really good understanding of the materials and their limitations. Every time we stitch something together, we learn something for the next time. Stitching all these curves into fabric with a minimum amount of wrinkles is the result of the accumulation of those learnings.

W*: What did you learn by working in this way?

JO: The first time I made an installation of this size, I noticed that the design was very clear, until you get all the fabric cut and you have to assemble it. You quite easily get lost among the heaps of fabric behind the sewing machine. And you can't just easily hang these things to check if you did the assembly correctly (I don’t have a studio that big, yet!). Only two days before a festival like this, we know if you have been successful. So now we have a very dogmatic set of steps that we follow in order to be 100 per cent sure things will work out.

W*: What can you anticipate about the festivalgoer’s experience related to your stage design?

JO: What I think is really nice about my output is that my work is done when a festival starts, I don't have to inform the spectator how to interpret the work, and I don't have to present it to them. I can dissolve in the crowd. This makes me able to just look around for unfiltered moments of people interacting with the work. I always take a moment to walk around alone to observe. Obviously, the moment the festival starts, my work merges together with that of others, light designers, sound engineers, DJs, performers, and so I become the spectator as well.

W*: What other elements are going to interact with your stage structure?

JO: Albert van Abbe commissioned Zalán Szakács to create a light design for the Selectors stage this year. It's inspired by 1970s science fiction film sets and rock concerts from the same era, such as the one from Pink Floyd in Pompei. The lights have a halogen type of character: warm whites, amber, and light blues mix in order to create an interesting interplay and otherworldly feeling. It's interesting, you know. To see Zalán already interpreting this design in his own way. He told me the first time he saw the model that it looked like some kind of intergalactic sailing ship.

W*: How will the stage design contribute to the performance?

JO: I always aim to make my installations visually interesting from all sides, even backstage. In contrast to more traditional festival scenography, it doesn't just look good facing forward, and from the back, you are looking at zip ties, duct tape, and stapled fabric. I aim to make sure the stage doesn't just have a face but that it is a space. I hope performers on this stage will recognize that as well, and feel comfortable and at home while playing. I also focused on integrating a functional rain cover in the design, the circular horizontal tarp. It rains a lot in the Netherlands!

W*: Designing with suspended fabric and tension is a focus of your practice - can you tell me more about how you got to this point, and what key projects have come before this?

JO: I started my career as a fashion designer, and even earlier was interning in a haute couture house. Looking back, I now see that I was basically collaging a lot of scale models for potential large installations, but then it was around a human body. I always struggled to make functional clothing and pieces that were so close to the human body.

Next to these technical couture pieces, I also designed larger installations. I really enjoyed making them. It was a design direction that flowed much better for me. So I decided to focus on my spatial design work. But coming from a fashion design studio, I felt a bit lost not knowing how to give meaning to these pieces or what the function of my installations was.

During a pre master Architecture in Amsterdam, I got into contact with the work of lightweight/tensile architects like Frei Otto. Unfortunately, the focus of the institute I was studying at was not in that direction (we spent all day talking about concrete, double glazing, and optimum positioning of toilets), so I decided to stop my studies and crawl back behind my sewing machines.

I started Zelt Studio (Zelt is German for ‘tent’) and continued making my textile installations, learning on the go. Luckily, I found a really good sparring partner and mentor in Harmen Werkman from the company Tentech, who helped with all my engineering. The time he makes for me within our work relationship to help me grow is invaluable.

W*: How would you define what you do?

OH: By calling my installations “tents,” I am forcing myself to slowly find a purpose and function for them. Last year, I designed a large textile installation for the Down the Rabbit Hole festival. I think this installation was the first one I can safely count as part of my tent designs. Even though it still has little more function than offering designed ‘hammocks’ for tired festival-goers and shading. Ultimately, it is a gateway for the terrain.

W*: Why is it important for you to design and build in this way?

JO: I think the way I build is very complementary to my design language. The shapes are expressive, 3-dimensional, bold, and the building materials and techniques I use are soft, lightweight, and friendly. As much as I am a designer, I am a craftsman. A lot of the aesthetic value of the installations is in the execution of all these technical details. Attention to detail is extremely important to me.

Ukrainian designer Nastia Mirzoyan has designed the interiors for a Kyiv-based sex shop and education space. Dubbed Njoy, the shop is nestled in the heart of the city, a few steps from Sofia Square, behind an unassuming facade.

The space, its creator explains, 'is oriented towards supporting open conversations about sexuality, relationships, and self-discovery.' Importantly, a crucial role is played by an in-house book collection curated by the founders, adding an educational dimension to the retail offering.

Njoy, Kyiv: a sex shop and education space

The interiors themselves are minimal, far from the visual cacophony that often dominates such retail spaces, as Mirzoyan working in collaboration with Olena Kruglova favoured a pared-back, sophisticated language in her design.

The shop's walls are left bare, with furnishings following a restrained palette that is both intriguing and unobtrusive. A soothing tone of grey on walls and floors is enriched by the powder-blue shelving (usually populated by the shop's eclectic offering), and a bright red desk.

Using the display structures, the designer created a central arena where the products can become the focus, with the idea of using the space's focal point for events and gatherings.

'The spatial solution is based on the desire to eliminate associations with traditional shops. The architectural language of the interior is deliberate – it avoids archetypes that might cause tension or discomfort. Instead, it leans towards a feeling of playfulness, lightness, and gradual immersion,' says Mirzoyan. 'The space is built as a neutral environment with simple lines, yet at the same time colorful, with light background shades on the shelves and bright colors at the reception and bar areas.'

In a mission to make the space inviting and accessible, she added design elements such as soft seating by Ukrainian artist Serhii Drofa, and bespoke lighting to contribute to the interiors' warmth by dark.

'Overall, the interior is perceived as light and somewhat playful, creating a subtle atmosphere of fun and friendliness,' continues Mirzoyan. 'This is a conscious choice, since in addition to intimate education, toys are also sold here, and this “playfulness” highlights this unexpected aspect of the space.'

Theatre artist Robert Wilson has died in Water Mill, New York, on 31 July 2025. He was 83 years old. The news of his passing was shared across his platforms.

'We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Robert M. Wilson, artist, theatre and opera director, architect, set and lighting designer, visual artist, and founder of The Watermill Center,' reads the note, adding that his death followed a brief illness.

'While facing his diagnosis with clear eyes and determination, he still felt compelled to keep working and creating right up until the very end.

'His works for the stage, on paper, sculptures and video portraits, as well as The Watermill Center, will endure as Robert Wilson's artistic legacy.'

Robert Wilson's artistic legacy

Robert Wilson worked predominantly in theatre and opera, establishing himself as the leading creative to revolutionise the field of visual arts in theatre performance. Since the 1960s, he worked tirelessly to innovate within the genre, with some of his most notable works – such as Philip Glass' Einstein on the Beach, from the 1970s – are still remembered today and a source of inspiration to creatives operating in multiple fields.

'Through his signature use of light, his investigations into the structure of a simple movement, and the classical rigour of his scenic and furniture design, Wilson has continuously articulated the force and originality of his vision,' reads the artist's biography.

Integrating varied creative experiences into his work, he could seamlessly combine light, space and performance in touching, memorable ways. In particular, his work with lighting remains a key inspiration to creatives the world over, as he used light as a powerful dramatic device in a contemporary, always innovative manner.

‘As a theatre maker, I see light as being a central character of a work,’ he told Wallpaper* in a 2016 interview. ‘It’s not only there to illuminate the actors. It can be seen in the context of a play, or as an element on its own.’

Although Wilson worked predominantly in theatre, his influence was widespread across the creative industries, and his polyhedric nature was also evident in the pool of collaborators with whom he regularly created his incredible works, which ranged from Estonian composer Arvo Pärt to Lady Gaga, from Illy coffee to Hermès (and Wallpaper*, as he served as Guest Editor for our magazine in October 2010).

In 1992, he founded the Water Mill Center, 'a laboratory for the arts and humanities providing a global community the time, space and freedom to create and inspire.' Offering creative residences and education programmes across a variety of specialties, the centre is now considered among the leading art institutions championing emerging artistic talent in the USA.

Within the realm of design, Wilson created several chair concepts, glass designs and lighting. The latter, a project with Italian brand Slamp, who worked with Wilson on the lighting design for La Traviata.

Among his last projects was 'Mother', an installation commissioned by Salone del Mobile in April 2025 to illuminate Michelangelo's Rondanini Pietà at Milan's Castello Sforzesco. Featuring a musical score by Pärt, the installation used light to offer a new reading of the Italian sculptor's final, unfinished work. 'I’m creating my own vision of the artist’s unfinished masterpiece, torn between a feeling of reverential awe and profound admiration,' he told us.

British singer-songwriter Anna Calvi, who worked with Wilson on the 2017 opera The Sandman, wrote: 'You were a true genius – your work expressed all the absurdity, horror and beauty of life. How lucky we all were to be able to share in your inner world. You were so warm, charismatic, and yet intimidating, as all the very brightest minds are.'

The announcement of his passing concludes: 'There will be memorials for Robert Wilson held in the near future in locations that were especially meaningful to him. We will announce those in time.'

From paint splatters on work surfaces to cloudy water-filled mason jars strewn with brushes, the aftermath of creativity can be, quite simply, messy. In the heart of Brooklyn, artist and designer Ariela Kanarek Zrihen was fed up with her work process being interrupted by the lack of space in her studio, and tools taking up valuable desk space.

Looking around for a quick fix to store her brushes she spotted a scrap piece of wood, drilled some holes into it, and clamped it to the edge of the table. This brilliant innovation sparked an idea to provide a long term solution in keeping workspaces organised and brushes and tools at the ready.

Introducing the Paintbrush Holder by AKZ.Tools

It was in early 2024 when her idea for AKZ.tools came about. After several months of using her makeshift wooden brush holder, and artist friends asking for ones of their own, she started evolving the prototype. ‘The Paintbrush Holder’ is a simple, yet functional design, featuring a clamp that attaches to the edge of work tables to clear up any clutter and allow for a more expansive workspace. This marks the first product for AKZ.tools.

The Paintbrush Holder is crafted from lightweight aluminium, fixed together with stainless steel screws, and comes in two sizes: small (with 53 brush hole sizes) and large (with 74 holes). The design is sleek and efficient, offering a functional purpose wrapped within a high quality product that artists can rely on.

It will be exciting to see what other functional products emerge from the young, woman-owned design studio, and how this will help aid artists in their creativity and work.

The Paintbrush Holder is available in small ( $89) or large ($119) available at akz.tools

USM just opened its new London outpost, located in Marylebone and offering a panoramic view of the Swiss company's impressive modular furniture portfolio.

This is a strategic move for USM, which has traditionally been based in Clerkenwell, in the heart of the contract furniture district. Moving to Marylebone is an opportunity for the brand to showcase its offering in a more domestic-led environment, expanding its reach to the city's residential market and showing the possibilities of its modular furniture.

USM London opens in Marylebone

The mood in the new outpost is decidedly intimate, with large expanses of shelving and office-oriented furniture displayed alongside home-like vignettes.

The showroom was created by multidisciplinary studio ForEveryday.Life, who designed a space based on USM's 350x350mm Haller grid, creating an environment that is in itself a response to and a reflection of its modular structures.

As you journey through the showroom, you'll discover something for every space, from shoe storage in the hallway to floor-to-ceiling kitchen storage, and units designed to hold plant pots.

The ingenious versatility of USM furniture is further exemplified by some bespoke hacks, such as the theatre room created in collaboration with Leica, featuring a high-performance projector built into a storage unit.

A space for temporary art and design showcases a debut display by ceramic artist Abid Javed, with future plans including a rotating series of exhibitions of emerging and established creatives.

Descending into the lower ground floor through a glass-flanked central staircase, guests find themselves in a listening lounge and bar area, furnished with a pair of Utrecht Armchairs by Gerrit Rietveld, part of the Cassina I Maestri collection.

Elsewhere on this floor, the modular furniture complements a bedroom set, its minimal white frames serving as perfect wardrobe-like storage—and even doubling as a laundry basket.

It is a space that offers a lot to be discovered, whether you're in the market for a full storage solution for your home or want to address a specific need. And the timeless nature of the USM structures (having been around, and unchanged, since 1965) means you are in incredibly good hands.

USM London, Marylebone Square, 12 Cramer Street, W1U 4DA

Martha Stewart can turn virtually anything into a work of art – from wheelbarrows to vodka bottles to brownies. She’d have certainly found a kindred spirit in John Michael Kohler, who in 1883 transformed a lowly cast iron horse trough into an enamel bathtub. His company, Kohler, would grow into one of the most important kitchen and bath companies in the world. Stewart, for her part, grew her own home and lifestyle business into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.

It makes perfect sense, then, that Kohler would tap Stewart to be the face of its latest campaign. As the company’s first-ever Cast Iron Ambassador, the famed entrepreneur and TV personality will collaborate with the company to showcase the craftsmanship, durability and classic style of Kohler’s elegant cast iron offerings – from farmhouse sinks to claw-foot bathtubs.

‘I have been a proponent of enamelled cast iron for decades, all throughout the home,’ Stewart, who has been known to favour classic roll-top tubs and cast-iron cookware in her properties and kitchens.

‘[I] look forward to sharing my passion for the material with the world, and helping others discover its beauty, strength, and lasting value – especially through the lens of the category leader, Kohler,’ she added.

In new campaign imagery, shot by renowned interiors photographer Douglas Friedman at Stewart’s own Bedford, New York stables, the lifestyle guru, dressed in knee-high riding boots, stands alongside a mint-green clawfoot tub surrounded by four glossy Friesian horses.

‘Martha Stewart personifies quality, design, and what it means to live a gracious lifestyle,’ said Kohler’s chair and CEO David Kohler, ‘making her the perfect partner to help us celebrate the extraordinary character of Kohler Cast Iron.’

If you find yourself in Wisconsin between 16 and 19 October, be sure to catch Stewart as part of the Kohler Food & Wine Festival.

In 2003 the late architect and designer Michael Graves became paralyzed from the chest down due to a spinal cord infection. This led him to shift his focus from architecture and industrial design to designing everyday objects for people with disabilities, as well as accessible products and furnishings.

Much like many of the ingenious products that keep his legacy alive, Michael Graves' design studio is also committed to using the power of design to improve healthcare experiences and physical accessibility for everybody, and a fitting example of this ethos is the newly-launched Streamline Cane.

The Streamline walking cane by Michael Graves Design

‘[The cane] was born directly from feedback within the Michael Graves Design community,' explains Donald Strum, president of Michael Graves Design. 'Some users who loved the comfortable derby-style grip of our Quick Fold Cane told us they didn’t need the folding mechanism and preferred something simpler. The Streamline Cane is our response, honouring those preferences by delivering a beautifully styled, non-folding cane that’s intuitive, dependable, and dignified.’

The new cane is designed with a square pole profile and comes in four colours: Slate Blue, Sage Green, Shiitake Gray, and Peppercorn Black. Like with previous cane models from the studio, it is highly functional, and is made from a non-folding aluminium construction, which is durable and lightweight.

The tips are interchangeable, so users can choose between a self-standing or an ultra slim profile, and have the option of hanging the cane over their arm or other surfaces so that two hands can be available when needed. All these functional enhancements are embodied in a silhouette that is warm and welcoming, not overly clinical or gimmicky.

‘The Streamline Cane embodies our dedication to the craft of delight. The name says it all: it was crafted for people who appreciate ease in both appearance and experience,’ shared Strum. ‘Our design philosophy is always seeking to exceed expectations with both its purpose and its personality. As an essential mobility aid, it's also a direct expression of our mission to enhance all people’s lives, regardless of age or physical ability. It’s design for everyday life.’

Design is crucial to shaping a product like this, where user experience is paramount. ‘For people who rely on mobility aids, a product’s look, feel, and usability aren’t superficial; they’re deeply personal,’ shared Strum. ‘It is designed first and foremost as a consumer product of desire; it isn't just supportive; it restores pride and independence by offering a product users actually want to be seen with because it expresses their good taste. It’s practical and emotionally resonant, a perfect example of how Michael Graves Design aims to make the ordinary extraordinary.’

The Streamline Cane will be available in mid-September 2025 on MichaelGravesDesign.com and Amazon.com, priced at $49.99.

Febal Casa has collaborated with Zaha Hadid Architects on a smooth and contemporary collection. Titled ‘Onda’, it comprises a kitchen island and sideboard, a perfect addition to a minimal, and modern home. The collection is visually tactile through the use of materiality, with the kitchen island and sideboard taking on a sculptural form and playing with spatial perception.

Febal Casa and Zaha Hadid Architects' Onda collection

The inspiration behind the collection comes from the sea, more specifically the geology of coastlines, eroded rock formations and the intricate striations that are then imprinted after being continuously knocked by waves. The essence of this is transplanted into the design language, where the result is an equilibrium between a darker colour palette and light and bright detailing.

The Onda Island is designed to be a centrepiece within a kitchen space. The length is customisable, while the depth is fixed. It is crafted with an aluminium frame, and smooth glass doors with a metal effect, colours vary from ‘Bronze’ to ‘Champagne’. There are options of having an integrated hob, with hood and sink, along with modules that can house drawers, trays, and pull-out trays.

The Onda Sideboard, also crafted with an aluminium frame and similar finishing, is defined by a balanced structure and harmonious proportions. Onda and Metal Iridio Onda is an internal structure designed for this collection to create a brighter storage space, due to the extra-clear glass shelves. This break in materiality welcomes a visual lightness to both pieces, and nods to the glassy surfaces of the sea.

The collection is an example of a contemporary interpretation of the dialogue between nature and design. This is rooted in a lot of Febal Casa’s pieces, which are informed by the Adriatic Riviera. ‘What we love about this project is realising the dream which designers and artists had for a long time: to recreate the subtle beauty of nature,’ shared Zaha Hadid Architects’s principal, Patrik Schumacher.

The collaboration between the Italian kitchen company and globally renowned architecture firm marks a matrimony between Italian design and architectural avant-garde, both of which welcome aesthetic beauty and modernity. This collection is an example of transforming nature’s inspirations into considered, contemporary pieces.

zaha-hadid.com

• See more modern kitchen ideas for 2026

The current US administration has ushered in a new era in the creative-cultural compact, with elected officials dismantling tenets that have underpinned societal norms for decades – directly impacting those whose work enshrines how we see and judge ourselves and each other. As relationships, roles and rights erode, so the cultural sector suffers its manifold consequences.

It would be remiss of us to dedicate an issue to the American creative spirit and pretend that it was business as usual. Here, we call upon three powerful voices in design, architecture and fashion to describe the outlook from where they stand, in their own words and opinions. Our trifecta comprises: Murray Moss, the passionate design maven and founder of Moss gallery and Moss bureau: Florencia Rodriguez, architect, writer and artistic director of this year's Chicago Architecture Biennial; and Willy Chavarria, the fashion designer with an activist heart.

We tasked each of them to describe the impact of the present political and social landscape on their personal and professional outlook. What they – and we – share is an optimistic belief in the power of people to pull together in the face of adversity.

Read their essays below.

Florencia Rodriguez, artistic director of the Chicago Architecture Biennial

'Many professionals in the US are worried about their research grants being cut and possibilities becoming more limited due to government spending being significantly reduced within the fields of culture. This is not something that has affected the biennial finances directly, but that impacts how we think and do cultural production. I want this biennial to be inclusive and critical, so it is important that we are open to conversation and are free to express different opinions. I was born in Argentina in the 1970s, and the political situation there at the time meant that we did not have full freedom of speech, and my family had to go into exile for five years. So I guess I have been conditioned since childhood to be able to operate in different environmental conditions.'

Read Florencia's essay in full

Willy Chavarria, fashion designer

'The last six months have been such a dark time in America. It’s been heavy, very heavy. There are days when, in the studio, we just have to act as a support group, because some days feel unbelievable. The closer it gets to all of us, the scarier it feels. So something that we do – that the brand does – is that, aside from design, we’ve been working with organisations that are out there spending all of their time focusing on civil rights. We’ve developed close relationships with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and other organisations like that. We want to make sure that the work we do integrates their work – because when we are doing our jobs in design, we don’t always know the best way to organise. So having these groups that deal with this stuff every day is helpful.'

Read Willy's essay in full

Murray Moss, founder of design gallery Moss and consultancy Moss Bureau

'Culture is a very swarm-like phenomena, and regardless of which particular culture you belong to, any attempt to deviate from it or to go against its tenets once it has gathered enough steam, or to control it and direct its course towards one’s own agenda, does not require (at least not at first) a large group of people, but rather a Machiavellian mindset and the will and skill to use it. Culture can fall into bad hands skilled enough to control and direct its course until a critical mass of people form a tipping point and rewrite portions, or all, of the culture.

My point is that culture – even one that appears solid in spite of being inconceivably vulnerable, and which binds us through shared beliefs and values – can be replaced more easily than imagined, and weaponised if necessary against those who are out of step.'

Read Murray's essay in full

From beautiful walking sticks to stylish pill boxes and grab bars, we’ve noticed a growing number of clever designs adapted to the older generation in the past year or so. Now, it’s the turn of the humble mobility walker, which has just had a minimalist makeover courtesy of Zeal Lifestyle.

After four years of collaboration with users, the young British brand has come up with the distinctive ‘Zeal’ walker, a smart mobility aid ‘designed to promote independence, enhance confidence and provide style’ for the elderly and disabled.

Far from bland and utilitarian, the rollator is not only compact and foldable but also available in a choice of colours ranging from black to pastel shades, with matching accessories such as pared-back bags and backrests.

Each walker is made to order in Zeal’s Surrey workshop, and fully customisable – so customers can opt for a minimalist, all-white look or instead go for a rainbow of colours, mixing a Sage frame with Thistle vegan leather seat and Onyx wheels.

‘Our mission from the beginning has been to remove the stigma of using walkers,’ says Georgia Williams, CEO of Zeal Lifestyle. ‘We know choosing a mobility aid can be a huge decision, so we wanted to design a walker that customers feel proud to use. It is more than just a mobility aid – it’s a choice of style, identity and independence’.

Williams, a retail designer, and Zeal co-founder Joshua King, an industrial designer, started the company after wanting to purchase a walker for their loved ones and realising how limited and uninspiring the options were. ‘What we found on the market didn’t match their style, and as designers, we knew we could do better,’ writes the duo.

Their upgraded version is a lightweight, 5.9kg design that ensures maximum user comfort while providing stability and support. It also comes with adjustable handles, shock-absorbing wheels and enhanced grip handles.

Key to the project is the design duo's focus on sustainability, with the environmental impact considered at every stage, in collaboration with climate partners Flotilla. The ‘Zeal’ walker is manufactured to order using premium, aircraft-grade aluminium that’s infinitely recyclable, and 100% recyclable plastic.

In a first for mobility aids, users can replace or recycle each of its components. The rollator comes with a comprehensive three-year warranty (lifetime for the frame itself), but when time comes it can be disassembled fully, using only three Allen keys.

Leading American bathroom brand Kohler has expanded its ever-growing offering launching a range of indoor and outdoor saunas. Even though they are no strangers to immersive wellness rituals, it is the first time the company has made a foray into saunas, with a launch offering that blends traditional functionality with cutting-edge additions and contemporary design.

Kohler saunas: everyday wellbeing

The debut offering is bound to please all wellness enthusiasts, with indoor and outdoor options starting at 1/2 people saunas for a compact space, up to a 5-people cabin, in finishes that include graphite grey for indoor, Douglas fir and weather grey spruce for outdoor, as well as Scandinavian spruce available for both. Starting at just 167cm wide, it means that you can probably fit a sauna where you didn't think you could.

In terms of sauna experience, Kohler has been scrupulous with its design, featuring subtle backrest sunset lighting, Obeche wood headrests and an intuitive touchscreen system to control heat and light within the space. The sauna works as a standalone structure, or can be embedded into a room.

The new saunas join Kohler's extensive smart wellness portfolio, from hydrotherapy to ice baths, aromatherapy and steam solutions, in a constant push for the Wisconsin company to embed wellbeing into the domestic experience.

'The thoughtful design of Kohler saunas create beautiful and therapeutic environments that invigorate the senses and promote deep relaxation, recovery, and rejuvenation,' said Katie Stevens, GM of Kohler Wellness. 'Our new sauna category makes it easy for customers to find and purchase the right sauna to seamlessly integrate into their lifestyle and the architecture of their home, inside or out.'

As part of the August 2025 ‘Made in America’ issue of Wallpaper* we tasked three powerful voices from the worlds of design, fashion and architecture – Murray Moss, Willy Chavarria and Florencia Rodriguez – with delivering their own state of the nation address, speaking on themes of creativity and community in turbulent times. Here, Murray Moss – warns of cultural trauma in an authoritarian state.

'Culture is defined as the shared beliefs, values, behaviour and norms that bind a group of people together. It is a complex system of learned and transmitted ways of life and the ensuing relationships, encompassing shared attitudes towards literature and art, social structures and material objects, and, of course, politics.

Culture is a very swarm-like phenomena, and regardless of which particular culture you belong to, any attempt to deviate from it or to go against its tenets once it has gathered enough steam, or to control it and direct its course towards one’s own agenda, does not require (at least not at first) a large group of people, but rather a Machiavellian mindset and the will and skill to use it. Culture can fall into bad hands skilled enough to control and direct its course until a critical mass of people form a tipping point and rewrite portions, or all, of the culture.

My point is that culture – even one that appears solid in spite of being inconceivably vulnerable, and which binds us through shared beliefs and values – can be replaced more easily than imagined, and weaponised if necessary against those who are out of step.

This is what is happening in the United States right now. This is why our current government is attacking everything that has, until very recently, defined America, including our universities, our legal system, art, science, diplomacy, empathy, decency. Our allies have become our enemies, and vice versa. The establishment of tariffs followed by endless reversals and the ensuing chaos has become the norm. Winning is paramount. Trump is attacking our cultural creativity, taking over the Kennedy Center and assuming what is good and what is bad performance art. Signing yet more executive orders to stop funding the National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Like a true oligarch, Trump wants military parades in the street in his honour, and a vulgar layer of gold paint over nearly every surface of the Oval Office to serve as a proper royal backdrop.

A new Trumpian culture – based on lies, chaos, flip-flop decisions, open defiance of the rule of law, and the tearing down of the distinct branches of government that have always served as the guard dogs necessary in a democracy – has been weaponised. In just five months. Trump to world: ‘Get out of my way!’

I recently watched a documentary, Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hated, which follows the growing swarm, and for me is a perfect example of how members of the cultural right completely reversed the city of Berlin from a city of tolerance into a city of extreme intolerance, threatening, arresting, endangering and eventually killing those who dared to express opposition. Prior to Nazi Germany, Berlin was widely considered the ‘queer capital’ of the world. During the 1920s, the city was a haven for LGBTQ individuals, offering a degree of openness and tolerance not found elsewhere at the time, and it boasted numerous clubs, bars and cabarets, attracting people from all over the world.

Between 1913-1933, Berlin was also the location of the Institute of Sexual Science, the world’s first sexology research centre. Set up by Magnus Hirschfeld, the institute pioneered research and treatment for various matters regarding gender and sexuality, including gay and transgender topics.

After the Nazis gained control of Germany in the 1930s, the institute and its valuable research libraries were destroyed as part of a government censorship programme. A new Nazi culture brutally turned against any and all sexual behaviour deemed deviant.

The Nazi Party’s ultimate aim was to seize power through Germany’s parliamentary system, install Hitler as dictator, and create a community of racially pure Germans loyal to their führer, who would lead them in a campaign of racial cleansing. Trump aims to do similar through his election as president, as well as through Republican majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. When asked recently on NBC News’ Meet the Press if he must uphold the Constitution, Trump replied ‘I don’t know’. He has also promised to expel all immigrants, whom he deems criminals and tells us they are eating our pets, and he incredulously threatens other sovereign nations like Canada, which he declares the US will annex in order to Make America Great Again.

So what can we do? How can we fight off this siege against our democratic America? This was the assignment given to me and others by Wallpaper*, inviting each of us to identify ways in which ‘rebellion, activism, resilience are of foundational importance to the evolving endurance of the creative sector’.

There are many actions we can take, and have taken, since Trump’s inauguration. But as I’ve described earlier, we must stop the erosion of our 250-year-old American culture as the Nazi Party instigated the erosion of German culture as seen in Berlin. We need to create a reversal of that tipping point.

The odds of success can seem slim, since nearly half of all Americans voted for Trump last November, while, in the 1920s, the Nazi Party was still a fringe group of extremists with little or no political power, receiving only 2.6 per cent of the vote in the Reichstag election of 1928. Protest is our only weapon. Protest at every level. No matter how small or large, we must be seen as taking to the streets across the nation. We need to build our mass visibly. Republicans need to feel the heat in the upcoming elections if they continue to keep stupidly silent. They need to get voted out of Congress.

This has already begun, of course, but only recently has it increased in volume. The LA Times reported, ‘Protestors have quickened the outrage metabolism among members of Congress, encouraged disruptive tactics and largely ended the debate over whether Democrats should work with Trump on occasion rather than universally oppose him.’ A director for political advocacy group MoveOn commented that it feels as if grassroots energy has exploded like a volcano. Trump has become a common enemy for many different liberal and progressive groups who are now working together. Again, we are getting closer to the tipping point.

The worldwide economic depression of 1929 contributed to the German demand for change. In our case, even talk of recession due to Trump’s tariff war caused panic and chaos, as well as a lack of belief in his ‘deal-making’ tactics; the markets – nearly all of them – plunged. But rebellion, activism, resilience are the only ways to positively reverse this dire change from our true values as written clearly by our founding fathers in the Constitution. So, what do we do? We need to create a new swarm.' mossbureau.com, @murray_moss

Beirut-based architect and jewellery designer Shaha Raphaël’s limited edition collection of furniture and objects created for House of Today (shown in Saint-Tropez until 27 July 2025) expresses a delicate mingling of Brutalism and Art Nouveau.

The organic process of creation with Lebanese artisans in Beirut, Tripoli and Beqaa was like a hybrid blend of archaeology and design, where found shells emerged as new kinds of functional fossils. Raphaël worked closely with Chérine Magrabi, founder of House of Today, and they titled the exhibition ‘Low Tide – Marée basse’, which expressed the idea of forms emerging from the sea framed by a scenography designed by Simon Basquin.

Shaha Raphaël's shell-inspired designs on view in Saint Tropez

The collection emerged from Raphaël and Magrabi’s shared love of collecting shells. Raphael began the process by casting shells, drawing and hand-making models that reminded her of fishbones. Together they visited craftspeople across Lebanon, where each object is made, from stoneworkers to aluminium specialists. Magrabi introduced Raphaël to a third generation lampshade maker and a lace maker. What emerged was a series of tables, stools, mirrors as well as tableware, glasses, cutlery, coffee cups, each expressing the precision of her organic, geology-inspired jewellery.

'I loved her sensibility and the quality of her work – she's quite a perfectionist, and always sees things through to the end,' says Magrabi, whose intention with House of Today is to challenge designers out of their comfort zone. The non-profit organisation amplifies emerging designers in Lebanon through mentorship, residencies and exhibitions from Basel to Milan. 'Our aesthetics were aligned and we evolved the collection together with the artisans – adding, removing, exploring.'

Subsequently this collection has seen Raphaël expanding her language in scale, function and experimenting with new materials. Take the Spine coffee table, composed of four aluminium modules – ‘a set of vertebrae’ describes Raphaël – resting upon a ‘comma’ shaped base made of found she-oak wood that has a ‘vanilla’ scent. This piece came from a carpenter from Bekaa, who saves unique pieces of found wood especially for her. Raphaël imagines the table as an infinitely modulating piece, 'We kept it super brute,' she says.

The Claw side tables evocative of ‘crab claws’ are made of the semi-precious stone of onyx, which was left unpolished. The Fossil table is made of a pale southern Lebanese stone with brass legs that cling into carved edges. Three ‘edgy’ fish-bone-evolved pairs of candelabras are coated in three patinas – silver, pink and blue and green. Silver coffee cups with brass handles sit upon brass plates; a chess table is laid with found shells cast in two different patinas.

There’s a lampshade with a brutalist base operated by a delicate chain, she originally imagined as a necklace and decorative spoons in brass and silver, cast by hand in silicon from fossilised fishbones. Raphaël explains: 'I’ve always loved the idea of having to ask yourself the question, is it found or is it designed?'

These mysterious, lyrical objects feel at home in Saint-Tropez, where the spirit of the Mediterranean Sea infuses the community. The ribbon to the exhibition was cut on opening night by Sylvie Siri, Mayor of Saint Tropez, and this summer the town welcomes further creativity with Marseille-based architect Isabelle Castanier’s group exhibition ‘Une Maison á Saint Tropez’ featuring friends and designers including Marion Mailaender, Sacha Parent (both highlighted by the Design Parade 2024) and Linde Freya Tangelder, and Astier de Villatte’s ‘Saison á Saint-Tropez’ with limited edition designs of ‘Triton et Sirène’.

‘Low Tide – Marée basse à Saint-Tropez’ by Shaha Raphaël – 1 Place des Lices, Saint-Tropez, until July 27

'I think there is an artistry in the everyday and finding that is really important to me,' says e-commerce platform Collagerie’s chief creative officer Lucinda Chambers, ahead of the launch of the brand’s latest collaboration with Zara Home (shoppable online). 'Inspiration can come from anywhere: people on the street, the colours of nature, the shapes of the most mundane.'

Zara Home x Collagerie: A Common Thread

The new S/S 2025 collection, called 'Zara Home x Collagerie: A Common Thread', follows the partnership's successful debut last year and embraces the same spirit. Collagerie has transformed the everyday into a richly hued collection of unfussy homewares full of imperfect edges, blurred lines, painterly brushstrokes, bold patchworks and stripes of colour that evoke lazy Mediterranean summers.

'I like the unexpected and the ordinary,' reflects Chambers. 'If your eyes are on “receive mode” all the time, you can’t fail to be amazed. Not only [by] cinema and art and the huge things we have the opportunity to see, but the detail of living, the everyday.'

Injecting a little colour into Zara Home’s famously muted palette, Collagerie’s collection spans 50 pieces across lighting, tableware, textiles, furniture and accessories. Prices range from £7.99 to £419.99, with highlights including a hand-painted serving platter, a low-slung rattan armchair and a footstool in a bold stripy weave.

Standouts are a triptych of technicolour wall hangings and a blanket designed by Margate-based multidisciplinary artist Kavel Rafferty. Known for her vivid use of colour and modern forms, Rafferty shares Chambers’ love of confident expression. 'Kavel is an artist I have admired for many years,' says Chambers. 'Her use of colour to form bold and modern shapes is very dynamic, full of energy. It was wonderful to be able to bring an artist into the mix and work together on this project; of course it has to be the right fit, which it is.'

Chambers, the former fashion director of British Vogue, co-founded Collagerie in 2018 with Serena Hood, previously the magazine’s executive fashion and market director. While their fashion credentials are formidable, Collagerie’s remit stretches beyond the wardrobe into the home – and even the garden – to create a full-spectrum lifestyle.

'I love the idea of “A Common Thread” – interlocking, interweaving, connectivity, which is all about life,' says Chambers of the collection's theme and her brand's wider ethos. 'So the thread idea runs through the whole of the Zara Home collaboration, from the “Coil” vases that are like skeins of thick wool to the tablecloth and napkins [in] ikat [fabric, with] hazy lines blurring into one another.'

The collection is launching in stores and online on 17 July 2025 – and if last year’s launch is anything to go by, it won’t be around for long.

The collection is available at zarahome.com

What is the role of a designer? It’s a question that Hicham Lahlou – who is both an interdisciplinary designer with projects and clients criss-crossing the globe, and also an advocate for contemporary design and designers across Africa – has long sought to answer.

Over a 30-career, Lahlou has become an undeniable voice in global design conversations. His ‘disco’ hookah pipe is in the permanent collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum; he was one of 60 designers selected to be featured in Milan Design Week’s 60th anniversary exhibit, in 2022; and in 2016 was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Republic. As he prepares for the 30th anniversary of his practice, he speaks from his studio in Rabat, Morocco, about his personal journey and the collective possibilities for the continent at large.

In conversation with Hicham Lahlou

Wallpaper*: When did a career in design feel like an inevitability and what is your earliest design-related memory?

Hicham Lahlou: My earliest memory was when I was seven or eight, at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam here in Rabat. My dad was a golf player, but the club itself had beautiful furniture, masterpieces really, and it was these chairs by Warren Platner that were my first interaction where I thought, ‘Wow, this is how someone creates something.’

W*: You studied in Paris at the Académie Charpentier and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière for a degree in Interior Architecture and Design. Given that your formative years were in Africa, how do you feel that training in Paris informed your approach to design?

HL: I used to travel a lot with my parents, not only to France, but it was interesting for me, being there as a student. I can remember renting my first apartment, not far from the Jardins du Luxembourg and Montparnasse. I was there for many years before and after, and when you are in Paris, you interact with architecture and design all the time, every day, so it means you get some influences, you get some references. [Being] there got me into an interdisciplinary way of thinking. And then you build yourself, [because] you sculpt your interiority.

W*: Once you graduated, was a return to Rabat inevitable? And how did building a practice in Morocco become essential to fulfilling your creative vision?

HL: No [return was not inevitable]; I travelled a lot. I was moving a lot in Europe, going to fairs and being invited to show in different exhibitions. When you start to be recognised outside your country, you have to figure out ‘how can I have my place?’ It can feel like a fight. Afterwards, I decided to come back to Morocco to work, in 1996. It was [during] the beginnings of interior architecture and I wanted to contribute fully. That’s not to say that before me there was nothing. Africa has so many old civilisations and cultures, and when you come from a country like Morocco, which is a gateway to Africa (being very close to Andalucia and the Middle East), you feel you are already used to multi-cultures. I knew where I was from and where I was returning to, and that's how I decided to work on projects in Europe and Africa, and later on the Middle East too.

W*: Why was it so important for you to position yourself as an interdisciplinary designer?

HL: It was very important for me to show that design is not decoration. Design is really helpful for human development. It can be the public sector, it can be the private sector, but we should be thinking of how design can alleviate social problems, celebrate our mosaic of culture and how we can use design for innovation. When I was in school there was talk of Charles Rennie Macintosh, Mies Van Der Rohe, Achille Castiglioni and many, many other names and you think, ‘Wow, imagine if one day I can be part of it? Why not? I come from an amazing continent.’ Also, Morocco is often said to be part of the ‘Arab World’, but this is a very new concept, and it is the heritage of colonisation. I was born in Africa. I am from here. And my design practice is about me sending a message; we give culture, we give love, we give technique, we mix materials.

W*: You have worked extensively with designers, municipalities and heritage houses. How do you bring your own design credo to wider projects?

HL: As a firm, we believe in collaboration. For example, we designed the [stations for the] first high-speed train line in Morocco, including the furniture, the interiors, working for over two years with the National Office for Moroccan Railways and other stakeholders. We also designed bus shelters in Fez and Rabat, taking inspiration from Moroccan architecture and Zelige art. I also did a collaboration with [French porcelain manufacturer] Haviland and developed a limited edition collection named ‘Morocco’ that was rooted in our design codes.

I started to collaborate with [French crystal manufacturer] Daum in 2008. It was a big opportunity, as they have been going for more than 145 years and are known for decorative arts. They had worked on several animals, but I developed the oryx, as it is a very recognised symbol in the Middle East, and you also have the African oryx. It was important for me to show that these two parts of the world are connected.

I also did a collaboration with Daum and my fellow African brother Cheik Diallo, with whom I first connected at the International Design Biennale in Saint-Etienne in 2000. We worked on the project [a design object] from 2020 until 2025. It was a long time in development. I travelled to [see him in] Mali and we travelled together to Paris, and we finally came up with ‘Constellation’, inspired by the Dog Star but also related to two civilisations, the Marinid Dynasty of Morocco and the Dogon of Mali. Both civilisations had a high knowledge of architecture, geometry and the cosmos, and so we included design motifs from each. [The piece] is an incense burner, but for us, it is a masterpiece that sits between a design object and art.

W*: Advocacy and developing Africa’s design ecosystem have become personal missions of yours; how did this come about?

HL: Africa is five regions, but actually there is a sixth, the world of people of African descent living outside the continent. As I kept on being invited around the world, I kept on thinking how, with all its traditions, hand crafts, and 2,200 languages spoken, Africa is still not much known [for its design]. So, I decided to do something. I reached out to Professor Mugendi K M’Rithaa and together we co-authored African Generation: The Power of Design. I also [founded] African Design Days in 2017 with the World Design Organization here in Rabat. Can you imagine how much work, how much organisation that involved? But it was essential to create ways for us all to connect, for the younger generation to learn and be inspired. There is still a lot of work to do. I am working on an African Design Academy; we are still looking for investors to build the school, but we have started a partnership to teach an executive master's in Design Thinking and Innovation. I am very happy because we just launched the project at the end of May; we are going step by step.

W*: What would you like your design legacy to be?

HL: Thinking of my 30 years in design, I think things should not just be self-focused. In design, I think we should be talking more about what is happening on the [African] continent, and how it intersects with what is happening globally. I grew up in a family; we talked about Africa, visiting my cousins between Senegal and Morocco, eating [Moroccan] tagine and [Senegalese] thieboudienne – it was very open. As I got older, I travelled more, discovered other designers and realised there is so much more creativity that we need to promote collectively. I don’t want to be ‘the only’ or ‘other’.

hichamlahlou.com

The design for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics 2026 has been unveiled. Hosted by Milano and Cortina, Italy, the Winter Olympic games will be held from 6-22 February 2026, while the Winter Paralympics will be from 6-15 March.

Winter Olympics 2026: the medals

'With our medals, we celebrate the strength of differences: two unique halves joined through the Olympic and Paralympic symbols to create a strong and unified message,' says Raffaella Paniè, Brand, Identity and Look of the Games Director, Milano Cortina 2026.

The design for the Winter Olympics medals features a split surface, connected by the five interlocking rings of the Olympic logo. 'We wanted the design to reflect the idea that victory is never a solitary moment,’ continued Paniè, who led the multi-disciplinary design team behind the concept. 'It’s built through collective strength, support, and unity. This story lives in the surfaces of the medals, where two textures meet and begin a narrative shaped not only by the athletes, but by everyone who helped them get there.'

The medal design is also a nod to the host cities of Milano and Cortina, who for the first time in history share the Winter Olympics games.

Earlier this year, designs for the Olympic Torch by Carlo Ratti were unveiled, and the medals echo the Italian architect's concept of purity and minimalism, letting the Games and their athletes being the prot

'The Mint combines two fundamental and inseparable elements in the design: the artistic tradition of the School of Medal Art – where artists and engravers define and shape the medals – and the industrial reality of cutting-edge production,' concludes Matteo Taglienti, representing the Istituto Poligrafico and Zecca dello Stato, Italy's official institute for all coins, marks and seals. 'This makes each medal not just a technical achievement, but a truly unique object, rich with history and meaning.'

milanocortina2026.olympics.com

Seaweed, honey, lemongrass, forest, dill, conifer, dashi, soy sauce, orange. These are among a cosmos of flavours and aromas evoked through a new series of Japanese teas for modern life presented in crafted paper cups – one of a string of recent ventures by designer Shinichiro Ogata.

For Ogata, everything begins – and ends – with tea. Since launching Simplicity in Tokyo in 1998, the designer has carved a unique creative path, offering a fresh modern perspective of Japan’s heritage-steeped tea world.

It’s not just about the contents of a teacup. Ogata’s creative vision is mirrored in spaces and objects, rituals and moments – all softly minimalist, crafted, layered in stillness and, aligned with the essence of traditional Japanese culture, deeply inspired by the natural world.

His contemporary tea sanctuaries are centre stage – from the minimalist interiors, natural material palette and season-reflecting tastes of modern tea salon Higashiya Ginza in Tokyo to the elemental serenity of Ogata at The Shinmonzen in Kyoto and his overseas flagship Ogata Paris.

Further layered into Simplicity’s creative output are cleanly crafted Japanese ceramics, modern wagashi sweets, artisan-crafted tools, contemporary incenses, atmospheric restaurants (including intimate Yakumo Saryo in Tokyo) – as well as interiors for retail (including Aesop stores) and luxury hotels (from Four Seasons Osaka and Yoruya in Kurashiki to Andaz Tokyo).

Most recently, Ogata launched a series of crafted tea rooms and shops called Saboe in four spaces across Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakata and Okayama), which aim to present a 'new' way for enjoying tea in the modern world.

Key to this concept is its new T., Collection, ten carefully composed teas designed to harmonise with modern daily life, from sunrise to sunset – ranging from Beni (5), a deep wine-like black tea mixed with grape leaves and red perilla to Ko (8), a refreshing spicy-edged hojicha roasted green tea, with ginger, sansho leaves and citrus peel.

Unusually for the Japanese tea world, the tea is available in teabags and presented in the minimalist white form of biodegradable, portable paper cups – which can conveniently be filled with hot water and enjoyed at home or outside.

Modern incense workshops known as Kaori are another new innovation. Intimate gatherings unravelling the invisible layers of Japan’s culture-rich incense world in the hands of experts (and a chance to make your own incense) will take place in serene spaces including Yakumo Saryo, Higashiya Ginza, Ogata at The Shinmonzen and Ogata Paris.

And a connective thread in all these projects? Simplicity’s signature modern riff on traditional Japan, with an aesthetic imprint that goes far deeper than surface beauty. Here, Ogata sits down with Wallpaper* in a private tea room at Higashiya Ginza – and shares his thoughts on the past and the future, tea in the modern world and the timeless need for harmony between humans and nature.

In conversation with Shinichiro Ogata

Wallpaper*: Why tea?

Shinichiro Ogata: Tea is an old Eastern Asian tradition which used to be seen as a form of medicine. Its history goes back thousands of years, much longer than coffee. It’s very simple – you take leaves from nature, grow it, drink it. It’s not only good for your body, it’s a way of connecting yourself with nature – and enjoying tea also creates connections between humans. These are the fundamental reasons I have chosen tea.

W*: Was there a specific moment that woke you up to the beauty of tea?
SO: There was not one single moment. Being Japanese, I’ve always had nihoncha or sencha with meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner – in everyday life. But there is also sado tea ceremony – the traditional way of enjoying matcha tea. It has deeply shaped the history of Japanese culture in terms of arts and crafts, and elevated Japan’s aesthetics. I had a lot of respect for sado in terms of how it shaped Japanese culture, but for me, it was too complicated. It could only survive in Japan. I realised that if we wanted to share the idea of Japanese tea to the world, it had to be simplified and match contemporary ways of living – not only in Japan but for people all over the world. So I had to look at tea with a modern perspective. I had to create a new way of enjoying tea.

W*: Can you explain more about the layers of sado?
SO: Sado is not just about taste. It’s about the experience. The tools. The environment. But for me, the tea also has to be tasty as well as have a modern style. By bringing this culture of tea to the world – my style of tea to the world – I also hope it helps to preserve the ways of Japanese tea farmers.

W*: How would you describe your style of tea?
SO: It is hard to put into words. It has to be experienced, which is why I opened Ogata Paris. You can also see my style of tea at Saboe. It’s what I have been practicing for over 20 years – but with a more modern interpretation. What we created at our original tea rooms Higashiya is very unique and beautiful. But I wanted to have a contrast between Higashiya style of tea – and create a more modern, casual twist at Saboe. That’s also why we created teabags, a first for us.

W*: Tell me about the teabags.
SO: We wanted to create a tea experience that was more casual and approachable. So we made the T., Collection of ten teas. We wanted to simplify the way of selecting tea as well as enjoying tea. The tea bags are made of decomposable materials, no chemicals.

W*: How do these teas align with wider design work?
SO: In Japan, we have a very old phrase: hare to ke. This is like yin and yang, or traditional and modern – two different ways of thinking, harmonised. We always think about this – not only for tea, but also when we are making wagashi sweets. I always look for the contrast in anything I create..

W*: You now have four Saboe across Japan. Can you share more about the concept?
SO: We wanted to explore how we connect with nature. So at Saboe Tokyo in Azabudai Hills, we used a very natural stone finish. Also, the packaging is decomposable. It’s very close to nature but modern. The packaging is also both teaware you can drink from and the container – so it’s contemporary and sustainable

W*: Tell me more about Japan’s relationship with nature?
SO: In Japan, we don’t worship a person like Jesus Christ – we worship nature. We see nature as our god. This idea of Shintoism leads us to the shrine. This idea is rooted in everything through Japanese culture.

W*: And now in modern times?
SO: Nature has always been the most important thing. It is everything. Nature existed before human beings. But today, humans are trying to take over or control nature which is not leading to very good solutions. Humans can never conquer nature. And in terms of all the beautiful energy and shapes you find in nature, even the greatest designer can never go beyond what nature has created. I have a huge respect for what has been created and given to us by nature.

W*: How is this expressed through your designs?
SO: When I select materials, I always look at nature’s five elements – wood, fire, water, soil, air. That is fundamental to me. Even here, in this space at Higashiya, you can see the wood, the fire, the water. All these elements should be included in spaces. Another factor are local materials – like the idea of terroir in France. We always try to have an authentic local connection. For example, we sourced local materials in Okayama for the new Saboe space. It is by applying the old, that we can find a new perspective.

W*: Tell me more about the Okayama Saboe tea room.
SO: In Okayama, what was so unique was the building, a former soy sauce factory and storehouse about 100-years-old. I wanted to keep the old charm of the building but add a new energy. The main focus was preserving as much as possible and adding furniture in line with the era in which it was built.

W*: Hotels, tea cups, spaces – what are the connective threads in your creative projects?
SO: My vision is to create a certain way of being. I’m trying to preserve Japanese culture and the resources that we have developed. I’m also always asking what Japanese aesthetics are and how they are being delivered to the world. I think everything goes back to a sense of being connected to nature. It’s all tied to my vision of creating a certain way of being.

W*: Way of being - what do you mean by this?
SO: We have to learn how to live in the current world. If you look around, nature has been destroyed, there are terrible conflicts and wars. With these conditions, how do we live and how do we look forward? I feel that our idea – our way of being – rooted in Japanese culture, can play a role. Hundreds of years ago, before all these religions started to grow, there was a time when humans simply coexisted with nature. But it is not enough to just look at how we lived back then – we have to interpret this for our current lives So the question is: how can we coexist with nature in the current era? This is what I am looking for and the way of being that I would like to create.

W*: How do you tie this into your projects?
SO: This way of being can be expressed in environments as a holistic experience. It could be a hotel or a residence but something experiential. It’s not just about designing a space – it’s creating a space to be lived in and experienced. To deliver this message, I am keen to establish an education programme – so it could all come together in a kind of school.

W*: What kind of a school?
SO: It’s not so much about me teaching, it’s about preserving the ideas of my aesthetics. One day I will pass away – but I would like these ideas to continue for another 800 years. That is my goal. I’m really focused on delivering this message to the next generation. We already have staff who could be teachers – tea masters, wagashi makers – who have a lot of knowledge of teaching these aesthetics to the next generation. It will probably be a professional school – but in the future, it could be a school that starts at an earlier age. Through all our creations, I hope that we can help create a sense of fulfilment in your inner soul.

saboe.jp

This year's kitchen trends are brought to you by the brands at the top of their league for mixing design with culinary wizardry and gastronomic gadgetry. Every year, we search for the greatest kitchens design ideas from some of the world's leading brands, specialists in the art of blending functionality with sleek design and expert manufacturing.

Kitchen design: the golden rule

These ingenious and aesthetically remarkable kitchens follow the golden rule of kitchen design: creating a space that is efficient and functional. This is reflected beautifully in these modern kitchens, where storage is cleverly incorporated and easily accessible, and functions are contemplated within a controlled aesthetic.

Discover the most impactful kitchen design ideas for 2026, from luminous surfaces to unexpected materiality, from kitchen islands created to collaborate and host seamlessly, to colour delivered like never before. Come with us on a journey to discover the latest kitchen trends, blurring the boundaries between utilitarian design and aesthetic folly, creating inventive new ways to cook, prep and host.

The collaborative kitchen

Monolithic kitchen islands add beauty and simplicity to a kitchen's functionality. We particularly enjoyed Boffi's 'Cove', a Zaha Hadid Design kitchen, originally conceived in 2017 as a limited-edition model, and now updated with a full-length snack counter to match its island. Zaha Hadid Design’s signature sinuous, dynamic forms offer the perfect base for a collaborative kitchen that is big enough to prep, cook and host. Also available this year are new materials and colours for its countertops, including Verde Alpi marble, and for its cabinet fronts, which can be finished in metal-effect lacquer or raw clay mixed with resin.

Silky colourwork

While neutral hues are often still the way to go in the kitchen, in the past few years an increasing number of designers have been offering daring alternative to reductive palettes. This year's superstar is Cesar's ‘N_Elle’ by R&D Cesar, here with the super attractive 'Nuance' glass finish by Spanish studio García Cumini (who also serve as the company's artistic directors). Inspired by the delicate glasswork of the previous century, the silky Nuance finish aims to capture the fluid nature of frosted glass and combines translucency with depth. First applied to worktops, it can now be used to customise the kitchen in caramel, blue, green and red.

Dramatic marble

Marble surfaces in the kitchen are getting increasingly dramatic, and we're here for it. Take Modulnova's 'Blade Lab’, by Carlo Presotto and Andrea Bassanello: the result of the Italian company's meticulous research into new materials and technologies, this kitchen uses heavy Sahara Brown marble for its countertops, units and back panels. Meanwhile, its 1.5cm-thick doors, hollowed out and lightened to allow for easier opening, are paired with glass and aluminium cabinets coated in Bronze Dust, while a full-height bookcase offers a transitional element towards the living area.

Luminous warmth

Unexpected materiality

We are seeing an increasing desire to shake up the kitchen materiality, with some brands leading the way in terms of experimentation and innovation in how materials are used in this functional space.

Henrytimi has been at the forefront of this movement, describing its collections as functional works of art and prioritising the use of natural materials like wood and stone to produce kitchens with a geometric purity and a minimalist aesthetic. Forged in black clay and Nero Fossil stone, the ‘Arca’ features textured curved cabinet doors, behind which are a series of practical drawers, while the raised backdrop not only hides any mess from view, but also works as a bar counter.

Elsewhere, this experimental project by 70 Materia aims to create new elements to complement ‘Satellite’, its modular kitchen system, with the help of emerging designers. It also explores the potential of the brand’s 70 Materia, a material made with cement, water and either sand or gravel, and available in three different mixes. The series includes the ‘G Rover’ table by Cara\Davide, whose ‘off-road castors open up unexplored paths within the domestic landscape’. Equally eye-catching are a totem-like tower by Finemateria and a drawer module with bold display shelves by Groovido.

Designer Jonathan Reed and artist Graeme Black have transformed an old cattle shed in the Yorkshire Dales into a contemporary art gallery. Perched above Lake Semerwater in Raydale, the new Thorns Gallery is truly immersed in the surrounding national park.

It was constructed using largely the salvaged remains of an existing cattle shed made redundant by the end of intensive dairy farming in the area, while respecting both the local vernacular and the strict rules that come with building in a protected area.

Step inside Thorns Gallery

Originally from Scotland, Black worked as an international fashion designer for brands including Armani and Ferragamo, before relocating to the UK. In 2016 he embarked on a regeneration project in nearby Upper Wensleydale with his husband, Reed, an interior designer who has created unique homes for private clients for over 30 years.

Here in North Yorkshire, Black found a new purpose creating artworks inspired by the local forests and trees. The pair then decided to open an art gallery (which also houses a professional kitchen and dining space for hosting visitors) to showcase the work of artists and makers who are inspired by the landscape and work with natural materials.

Its inaugural exhibition, ‘From Nature’ (until 14 September 2025) features works by Black, Simon Gaiger, and, in collaboration with Willoughby Gerrish Gallery, ceramics by Janet Leach.

Black presents a series of large-scale tapestries, handwoven by the Stephen’s Tapestry Studio in South Africa. The richly textured works explore the abstract forms and surfaces of trees and are based on his oil paintings, created during the winter in Yorkshire.

'The idea was looking through the panes of glass in window,’ explains Black to Wallpaper* contributing editor Nick Vinson, who attended the gallery's opening. ‘So that's why I did six pieces to complete the composition. I thought that this movement of the trees, and how they were intersecting one against the other, was really interesting.’

For this three-year project, Black travelled to South Africa to work with Stephen’s Tapestry Studio, whose work he discovered after visiting the 2022 William Kentridge show at the Royal Academy in London (incidentally, Kentridge is also currently showing works in Yorkshire this summer).

‘I went to Johannesburg and we started developing this from the six pieces of ink drawings,’ says Black. ‘I had done a black and white ink with washes and some oranges, but I wanted it to be really intricate in terms of colour. You have the greys and the soft kind of blues and the tan colours coming through; I wanted the trees in the front to be stronger, and I had the ability to do stronger, more interesting colourways with the tapestries.’

The collaborators went back and forth with photographs and swatches to create the mohair and wool pieces using hundreds of different colours. ‘They do mélanges and twists with the mohair, so you'll see some of the areas are more intense. You've got more mélanges going, thicker areas to reflect the idea of the bark.’

‘Bosco Blue II’ for example started off as a black and white painting inspired by the idea of moonlight on trees. To create the tapestry, sections of the painting were blown up and then recoloured with some blue tones and light gray rays.

The process helped Black discover some new aspects of his work. In the case of ‘Longwood #22’, he noticed different details coming through in the tapestry: ‘It was really interesting to see. I was taking different photos with my phone, you know, photocopying them, enlarging them and you were getting all these amazing textures coming through them. There's a whole pastel story sneaking out on the 220 colours.’

Black’s tapestries are presented with long-term collaborator Simon Gaiger’s collection of sculptural furniture, crafted in his outdoor workshop in Wales. Influenced by Gaiger’s childhood in Uganda, Sudan and the Pacific, as well as time spent working as a shipwright’s assistant, his pieces are made from raw timber and steel.

Carved, ebonised and polished, held together by hand forged ironmongery, they bring the dynamic nature of the tree to life, coaxed into functional yet sculptural forms shaped by the innate character of the wood itself, and inspired by the sea and mythology.

The ‘Pwca’ table, for example, is named after Puck – ‘It's a sort of spirit, you like,’ says Gaiger. ‘The legs are steel cut, with a slight suggestion of thorns, and are fitted into the underside of these curved pieces. The name reflects that it's like a sort of shapeshifting.’

Meanwhile the boomerang-shaped ‘Cradle – Artefact’ table, is inspired by museum displays: ‘You often see an armature that holds something like a Roman glass. It's supposed to be invisible, with the artefact suspended in the air – but in the end it's very visible,’ says Gaiger. ‘This is like a found object that drops into this cradle that is just designed to display it.’

Other pieces on show include ‘Angular Unconformity’, a table/bowl inspired by the branches of a tree that has an animated, animal-like form; ‘Ystrad’, made from burr oak and Douglas fir; and ‘Trig’, a three-legged console with fumed oak top and ash legs.

Complementing these contemporary works are ceramics by Janet Leach, dating from the 1960s and 1970s and sourced by Willoughby Gerrish, the gallery behind the nearby Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden. ‘The textures work very well together and you know, the glazes on the pottery reflects some of the textures on the bark of my trees,’ concludes Black.

Thorns Gallery is open by appointment only. ‘From Nature’ is at Thorns Gallery until 14 September. Black’s tapestries will then be on view at Howe + Woven Place, from 2-18 October 2025. The collection of Janet Leach pottery will be exhibited at Willoughby Gerrish, from 5-19 December 2025.

Thorns Gallery
Raydale, North Yorkshire
DL8 3DE

thorns.gallery

When wildfires tore through LA’s Pacific Palisades in January, the descendants of Charles and Ray Eames watched in horror as the flames approached their grandparents’ masterpiece, Case Study House #8. ‘We were on the edge of our seats,’ recalls Eames Demetrios. ‘Our sister Lucia, who has led the charge on the conservation of the house, was watching the surveillance cameras and reporting to us. And then they went dark. It was very scary.’ Thanks to efforts to fell hundreds of trees around the property the previous year, and a large stroke of luck, the house was spared any serious damage. The rest of the neighbourhood, however, was destroyed. ‘After about 24 hours, the cameras came back on, and it was a relief,’ Demetrios continues. ‘But there wasn’t elation because there was so much destruction around it.’

Charles and Ray Eames' Case Study House #8

More familiarly known as the Eames House, the property, which Charles and Ray designed for themselves in 1949, is considered one of the best examples of Midcentury Modern residential architecture in the US. But it represents only a fraction of the couple’s vastly rich design legacy, which their living family members have dedicated themselves to preserving. To help secure that legacy for many more generations, this year they proudly announced the creation of the Charles & Ray Eames Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on safeguarding and advancing the ideals of this visionary duo. ‘What’s really powerful about them is they had a very holistic vision,’ says Demetrios, who explains that the name of the foundation ‘puts these two people at the centre, because they should be. They really broadened the definition of design.’

Announced during Milan Design Week 2025, the new foundation will build upon decades of preservation led by the second and third generations of the family. All five of the Eameses’ grandchildren will serve on the board of directors, with Demetrios as chairman, Byron Atwood as president, and Carla Atwood Hartman and Llisa Demetrios as board members, while Lucia Dewey Atwood will continue her leadership in preserving the Eames House. Fourth-generation Eames family member Jackie Cassel will also sit on the board, extending the caretaking lineage even further. Meanwhile, Eckart Maise, a long-term collaborator of the Eames family, is the first non-family member to join the board, having played an instrumental role in advising both the Eames Office and the Charles & Ray Eames Foundation – his presence marks an important step in opening the institution to outside voices.

As its inaugural executive director, the foundation appointed Adrienne Luce, whose career has spanned positions at The Getty Villa and the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art. Her blend of experience across museums, education and non-profit organisations, and – perhaps most importantly – her deep appreciation for art and design makes Luce the perfect person for the job in Demetrios’ eyes. ‘Adrienne has all the skills that you would wish in a person to take on this challenge,’ he says.

Luce fully appreciates the responsibility of educating the next generation of creatives on the Eameses’ approach and perspectives. Their legacy, she notes, is not only about architecture, furniture, graphics or film; it’s an attitude towards solving problems, and disseminating a positive outlook on the world. ‘Many are familiar with Charles’ quote: “Everything eventually connects,” and that idea really guides the mission of this new foundation,’ Luce says. ‘People might know the chairs, but they don’t know about all of their ideas, or their cultural diplomacy.’

One of the Eameses’ works encapsulating this notion of diplomacy is Glimpses of the USA, which was presented in Moscow in 1959 at the height of the Cold War. Displayed on seven giant screens, the film was commissioned to offer Russians a glimpse of American life, but really served to highlight the similarities between the two countries and their peoples. ‘The Eameses had such an optimistic world view, and they carried that through some pretty tough places,’ says Demetrios. ‘They weren’t romantic about it. They knew there were challenges and things that didn’t go right, but they wanted to be a positive force in the world.’

A medium-term goal of the foundation will be to reintroduce another film, Powers of Ten, to coincide with its 50th anniversary in 2027. The nine-minute landmark educational documentary incrementally zooms out from a scene on Earth to the wider universe, and then back in all the way down to atomic particles. ‘Google Earth was based on the film,’ says Demetrios. ‘Its message of scale has never been more important.’

In 2026, the foundation will also present Eames Architecture, a programme that will focus on the designers’ work in prefabricated residential buildings. This includes the Eames House, which is considered the most cohesive example of the couple’s vision across all of the disciplines they touched. With an innovative modular design built from simple industrial materials, the two-storey house and matching studio are filled with light, and brimming with personality, thanks to the wealth of Charles and Ray’s products and personal effects kept in place. ‘You can see their ideas in physical manifestation,’ says Luce. ‘You can also feel their presence.’

‘It’s a miracle that it survived, and it’s going to remain an incredibly important touchstone,’ Luce adds. Closed since the January fires, the team has been using the time to clean up the exterior and interiors, replacing electrical boxes and rethinking the landscape to further aid fire resistance and bring it closer to the original design.

The house is due to reopen this month, kicking off a new series of events and experiences for visitors – whether they’re Eames enthusiasts, or just along for the ride. ‘There’s a whole subset of people who are the friends of architects and are dragged to the Eames House because they have a car,’ laughs Demetrios. ‘They come with no expectations, and you can see them respond to the magic.’

Critically, the foundation plans to support community rebuilding efforts and aid in the area’s recovery. This ties closely to one of the most important parts of the Eameses’ legacy, Luce attests, which is ‘the idea of empathy and humanity’. She adds, ‘I think maybe we’ve lost some of that, and need to be reminded of these ideas that get at the core of who we are as human beings.’

At a time when cultural institutions in the US are facing multiple challenges and destructive legislation, the optimism and diplomacy for which the Eameses stood – and that the new foundation continues to represent and advocate for – offers a beacon of hope. Perhaps now more than ever, it’s pertinent to remember Charles’ wise words, and remind as many people as possible that everything does eventually connect.

eamesfoundation.org

On the eve of the United States’ semiquincentennial, our August issue celebrates the country’s resilient and rambunctious creative spirit. These are turbulent times for those responsible for its vitality, many of whom are facing threats to their lifestyles and livelihoods. Which is why we have chosen our third annual US Issue to celebrate its culture as an enduring, inspiring force for optimism and change.

For this month’s two cover stories, we visit the Brooklyn home of performance artist Darrell Thorne, and head to the Pacific Palisades on the eve of the reopening of the Eames House to hear how the designers’ family have launched a new foundation in a bid to keep their grandparents’ mission alive.

We profile a rising generation of young design gallerists who are putting social engagement and community before commerce; we drop in on a London gallery for a group show of seven female New York-based artists that are taking a philosophical approach to the visceral dimensions of human experience; and we survey the American domestic interior across four magnificent dwellings, each as different from each other as the landscapes in which they reside.

Along the way, we take a fashion trip on Route 66, get in line for the opening of a staggering number of new and newly refurbished cultural institutions, and (carefully) raise a martini to the centenary of that seminal cocktail’s signature stemware, a fusion of panache and polish as exacting as any mixologist.

Finally, we bring you our edit of the nation’s most covetable contemporary design, and we task three powerful voices from the worlds of design, fashion and architecture – Murray Moss, Willy Chavarria and Florencia Rodriguez – with delivering their own state of the nation address. Theirs is a clarion call for community, itself a cornerstone of the creative urge to stand up and speak out.

Bill Prince
Editor-in-Chief

The August 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands from 10 July 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

At Milan Design Week 2025, Italian luxury kitchen brand Officine Gullo unveiled its Nautical Collection of yacht kitchens – designed to transform the traditionally cramped galley into a central, social hub. On land, kitchens are the heart of the home. Why shouldn't the same be true at sea? Think islands for panoramic breakfasts, bar counters for sunset aperitifs, and cooking stations that serve as gathering places.

At sea, versatility is key. The Nautical Collection includes full kitchen and bar configurations, as well as modular elements for custom layouts. Countertops, cabinetry and walls can be outfitted with wine cellars, refrigerators, ice makers, glass washers, dishwashers, coffee machines, cocktail stations and more. In short, every detail is tailor-made to suit space, preferences and requirements.

Material selection was equally considered by Officine Gullo, which is known for its metal-crafted kitchens. The core material is AISI 316 stainless steel, chosen for its resistance to corrosion, finished in bespoke colours and accented with polished chrome.

The collection includes three standout design concepts. Ocean Flow offers both indoor and outdoor iterations. Indoors, a ‘vanilla frost’ matte pairs with chrome accents. A central island bar with cantilevered seating is the heart of the space, incorporating an ice basin, bottle and tool storage, a coffee machine and refrigerated wine columns. Outdoors, the palette shifts to a ‘cappuccino’ tone, anchored by an Arabescato Corchia marble countertop. Features include a professional barbecue, integrated sink, drawers and wine storage.

The Timeless Tide concept is rendered in matte grey with chrome finishes and Nero Marquina marble, boasting a tasting island that separates the cooking zone from a marble panel framed by eco-leather stools and Officine Gullo lamps. The working area features a double barbecue, a refrigerator, a freezer, an oven, a glass washer and a sink, with fun extras like cocktail and cheese carts.

Sundeck Retreat is crafted for cooking and conviviality on the flybridge. Dressed in a breezy matte blue and topped with Cristallo Traslux marble, its U-shaped hospitality island offers generous seating, a double barbecue, a maxi burner, an integrated sink, large refrigerators, display cabinets and a dedicated cocktail space.

With the Nautical Collection, Officine Gullo extends its legacy of Italian excellence to the sea, merging aesthetics, technology and ergonomic design. The collection – debuted at a special installation at the brand’s Milan showroom back in April – proves that culinary artistry doesn’t have to stay anchored at port.

Welcome to Wallpaper's annual compendium of the biggest and brightest bathroom ideas, as we bring you the coolest, most inspiring modern bathroom designs from the world’s specialist manufacturers. Our favourite new bathroom design ideas for 2026 focus on a series of backgrounds to accompany freestanding bathtubs and innovative bathroom lighting. Follow us as we update bathrooms big and small with futuristic marble, playful pastels, contrast tiling and discrete alcoves that keep your wellness spaces sharp.

Modern bathroom design ideas for 2026: the Wallpaper* edit

Serene alcoves

Lean into the sacrality of bathing rituals with an altar-like bathtub set up. Bisazza's ‘Nefertiti’ mosaic bath tiles form the base for this space, in delightful contrast with ‘Crogiolo Terramater’ wall tiles by Marazzi in the background, while a more classic approach on the floor is offered by Sapienstone's 'Blu Belge' tiles. On each side, Daniel Arsham's 'Landshapes' sconces for Kohler add an eerie element to the setting.

Monochromatic pastels and bold accents

A small bathroom is the perfect opportunity to play with colour and texture, and this rich space comes to life through khaki green ‘Field’ tiles by New Terracotta, punctuated by bright red edging to enhance its texture. That's all you need for a super characterful space, framing the simplicity of Kaldewei's ‘Meisterstück’ bath and Artelinea's ‘Plissé’ unit (with Patricia Urquiola's ‘Balcoon’ washbasin for Duravit.

Contrasting tiling

These brick-like tiles by by Matteo Thun and Benedetto Fasciana for Florim inspired a playful interpretation of a classic tiled bathroom. With contrasting hues on walls and floors, the space feels geometric and dynamic, also thanks to the accented shade on the wall.

Wood panelling

Warm and inviting, this wood-panelled space could be any room in the house, and yet it beautifully complements a built-in basin and freestanding bathtub. The wall lamps by Spanish lighting specialist Marset and Armani Roca's wall mirror (plus the orange accents complementing the wood) add a futuristic flavour to the room.

Futuristic marble

Antolini's Silver Stream Stratos marble is part of the Italian material specialist's Textures+ collection. This unique marble surface combines the natural material's rich veined motif with a graphic texture that enhances its tridimensionality. It also lends itself to delightful contrasts, in this case with Margraf's Giallo Silvia Oro marble, anc with the black accents of the Villeroy & Boch bath and the Scalea Negro Absoluto surface by Cosentino

Dark-tiled corners

Textured tiles create an intimate corner in your shower room, framing the space while adding a luxurious layer to the space. Ragno's 'Look' tiles, shown here in sleek black, are a perfect tool to create contrast, with their glossy surface and multi-dimensional texture. Pair them with a rich palette of reds and greens, and contrasting floors (here in ‘Earthtech’ floor tiles in Pumice Flakes, by Florim) to illuminate the room.

Nestled in Wakehurst Kew’s wild botanic garden in West Sussex, a new installation is unveiled for this summer. ‘Seed Stories’ by visual artist Kristina Pulejkova focuses on the life of seeds, while also serving as a practical contribution to pollinator conservation in the UK.

The installation integrates sustainability, ecological science and digital technology through its four wooden sculptures. Pulejkova designed the pieces not only to serve as artwork but also as hotels for bees seeking refuge in environmentally challenging times.

‘Seed Stories’ by Kristina Pulejkova at Wakehurst Kew’s wild botanic garden

The design is inspired by Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank’s (MSB) collection (the world’s largest underground seed bank and conservation resource for diverse wild plant species). Pulejkova’s functional artworks are constructed from untreated marine ply and cedar, materials chosen for their environmental compatibility and natural antifungal and aromatic properties, are bee-friendly and allow the creatures safety from instances of extreme heat during British summers.

The design of the pollinator hotels is scientifically informed. Pulejkova worked closely with Dr Janine Griffiths-Lee, who leads the ‘Trees for Bees’ habitat restoration initiative. The ‘hotel’ entrances were chosen based on data on bee preferences, colours tailored to the bee’s visual spectrum (favouring blues, yellows and violets, while avoiding reds and greens) The design of the installation enables researchers to collect pollen left behind in the hotels, facilitating the study of which species are attracted to specific tree types.

AR is also integrated into the four sculptures and is accessed via an app. When scanned, each interactive installation presents an educational story about a particular seed from the Millennium Seed Bank, with a focus on the facility's role in climate preservation, biodiversity and global food security.

By installing pollinator hotels directly into the landscape and aligning them with ongoing scientific research, this project contributes to broader conservation efforts. It offers shelter, promotes biodiversity and acts as a living laboratory for understanding how bees interact with different plants and environments. ‘Seed Stories’ also educates the public, raising awareness of the delicate relationships between pollinators, seeds and the landscape we often take for granted.

‘Seed Stories’ was developed in collaboration with Kew’s ‘Nature Unlocked’ programme, which researches the value of UK biodiversity to inform nature-based solutions to critical challenges such as climate change and food security. Beyond the visually organic design, the installation highlights the interconnections between seeds, the future of biodiversity, and pollinators like bees, whose population is declining at an alarming rate.

‘Seed Stories’ is part of ‘Seedscapes’, which runs from 4 July to 14 September 2025 at Wakehurst, Kew's wild botanic garden www.kew.org

Whisky meets furniture in a new collaboration between The Singleton and contemporary British designer Andu Masebo. The single malt Scotch whisky company wanted to reimagine different ways of enjoying the spirit, through modern craftsmanship.

Singleton x Andu Masebo bespoke oak cask furniture

The limited run of bespoke furniture was inspired by Masebo’s trip to the Scottish Highlands, the birthplace of The Singleton. The multipurpose piece is functional and minimal, taking on the form of a side table, drinks console, or stool. The versatile design is adaptable to any interior space, one informed by carefully crafted design.

Masebo’s design codes are informed by the process and the functionality of the end product. His palette revolves around simplicity, the history of a materiality’s origin and how this weaves a narrative for the piece. In this example, oak is the primary material, inspired by the use of oak casks in the Singleton whisky-making process. Powder-coated steel brackets are finished in the Singleton’s signature teal colour, and in the designer’s classic mixed material aesthetic.

Masebo looks towards the intricate details which can be formed when slowing down the craft, and looks for the beauty within the making process. The pieces he creates are not rushed, rather firmly rooted in the present: furniture to stand the test of time and naturally destined to become a contemporary collectors item.

‘Andu’s practice is one that truly resonates with The Singleton’s own values of craftsmanship and connection, so this collaboration has been a joy.’ says Ellie Deans, Diageo Head of Malts UK. ‘The resulting design piece is such a special addition to the idea of that moment where you share a drink with friends in your home, we’re delighted to be able to offer this to the Singleton audience.’

For a limited time, five of the Singleton x Andu Masebo objects will be available to buy via Malts.com, paired with a bottle of the Singleton’s 12 year old single malt. RRP £350.

In partnership with The Good Plastic Company

‘Material Alchemists’, the Wallpaper* exhibition at the Triennale Milano during Milan Design Week 2025, shone a spotlight on 20 designers and studios demonstrating a talent for material exploration and expression. To best display the emerging talents’ work in furniture and product design, Wallpaper* partnered with sustainably minded brand The Good Plastic Company (TGPC) for the exhibition’s show plinths.

Plastic gets a bad rap these days. While it’s valued for its lightweight, durable and malleable properties, and its strength and versatility, the negative impact plastic has on our environment remains.

The environmental damage comes mostly not from the material itself, the people at TGPC explained to Wallpaper*, but from the way it is disposed of.

With around 400 million tonnes of plastic produced globally each year, according to the UN Environmental Programme, and interior furnishings and fixtures accounting for as much as ten per cent of a building’s overall carbon footprint, TGPC recognised the need to support architects, designers and manufacturers in making plastic recycling a standard procedure.

‘The company was established six years ago in Amsterdam with a mission to create a scalable solution for plastic waste,’ says TGPC founder William Chizhovsky. ‘The architecture and design industry had long been eager to use more sustainable materials, but the market had fallen short. The gap was clear: existing options were often inconsistent in pattern and quality, unreliable in availability, and unscalable in terms of production volume.’

This led TGPC to develop Polygood, a sustainable surface material made from 100 per cent recycled polystyrene plastic, which – when turned into panels that nod to materials such as marble, terrazzo and more – has transformed the possibilities for large-scale design and architecture projects.

The ‘Material Alchemists’ plinths were constructed using Polygood panels – more than three tonnes of material was used in total – then returned to the TGPC factory for repurposing after the show’s week-long run. ‘This was possible because we use a single-material composition with no additives, giving it full recyclability,’ says Chizhovsky. ‘Not only can we recycle it ourselves, but any recycling facility is able to process it as well. Through our take-back programme, we offer this solution to any client who requires it.’

Having already worked with brands such as Samsung, Karl Lagerfeld and Adidas, TGPC also collaborated with American industrial designer Joe Doucet to create the ‘OLO’ table, unveiled at New York’s Shelter design fair in May 2025. Made from thermoformed Polygood – specifically, the ‘Growth’ collection, which sees discarded refrigerators, washing machines and consumer electronics turned into surfaces with nature-inspired patterns, in this case the ‘Oyster’ finish – the table explores the aesthetic and functional possibilities of recycled plastic as high-quality furniture.

A recent project with New York’s Humanscale, a global leader in ergonomic furniture and workplace innovation, also integrates ‘Oyster’-pattern Polygood, on the manufacturer’s ‘Float Micro’ table.

‘The goal is never just to create a piece of furniture, but to demonstrate the full potential of the material and its properties. We wanted to show that recycled plastic can be not only beautiful, but also functional and technically advanced. For architects and designers to specify sustainable materials with confidence, they need to trust in their performance and versatility,’ says Chizhovsky.

‘The primary benefit is impact. It’s not just about the large volumes of plastic that we give a second life to, but also the significant reduction in CO2 emissions that our projects enable when architects and designers choose a sustainable material over a traditional one.’

Projects such as the plinths for the Wallpaper* exhibition in Milan, as well as TGPC’s collaborations with designers, show what is possible at the intersection of design and circularity, adds Chizhovsky.

thegoodplasticcompany.com, polygood.com

Amidst the tidy landscape of neatly curated Scandi-style showrooms that unfold at Copenhagen's 3 Days of Design each year, there seems to be a hunger for the mess of real life. Lines are clean, surfaces are bare and uncluttered, yet we’re meant to imagine how these immaculate sofas and unsullied blonde wood tables could to fit within the texture of our own (or, more likely, someone else’s) lives. But in her new exhibition ‘Home from Home’ – a group show staged in collaboration with Noura Residency – Charlotte Taylor has done away with the Scandinavian adherence to minimalism and tonal harmony, with a staging that reflects the chaos of the creative life.

'I feel there is a lack of design showing in a more domestic, accessible way, especially in the context of Copenhagen,' said the designer, perched on a metal chair embossed with wood grain by the Eindhoven-based designer Sheyang Le. The chair sits tucked into a long wood and metal table by Kasper Kyster, scattered with everyday detritus that conjures the notion that its owner simply wandered away mid-working lunch.

There are scraps of doodled-on paper strewn about amongst piles of books, a wooden cutting board with a slice of hard-rind cheese stabbed down the middle by a kitchen knife, as well as several beautifully wrought table top objects by emerging designers, including a sculpted candelabra by the Zurich-based Grace Prince and a delicate metal and paper mobile by London’s Mo Tong. 'It can feel very clean and safe and Scandi here,' she adds.

Each room in the small apartment – a shopfront normally used as a photo studio and event space by Noura Residency – tells a similar story. In the living room, a black and white wool blanket is roughly thrown over a sofa. The bed appears to be just rolled out of after its user has ingested the morning news. It’s a study in lived-in beauty, which comes as no surprise for Taylor, whose career straddles architecture, interiors, and fictional 3D renderings.

But according to the designer, the project became less a mise-en-scène and more an exercise in community building. 'I discovered a lot of new designers in the process, she says. A lot are friends and designers I’ve known for a long time, but many I’ve newly discovered and have built relationships with. The whole project came together by speaking with friends and friends of friends. Everyone was neurotically passionate about it coming together.'

Taylor says that this is just the beginning of the format, which will soon travel to Athens and New York to stage homes away from homes in entirely new contexts.

studiocharlottetaylor.com

Throughout Ukraine’s rural villages, it’s possible to discover glimmers of a centuries-old tradition – painted cottages.

Folk artists, often the home’s matriarch, would surround the doors, windows and thresholds of their humble homes with colourful wreaths of birds, flowers and branches to ward off evil and usher in prosperity and health.

Time and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war have threatened these delicate artworks. But Ukrainian artist and designer Victoria Yakusha, founder of the brand Faina, is looking to honour and preserve the memory of this diminishing artform through a new collection. Called ‘Drevo’, the work reinterprets cottage paintings via a new series of hand-hammered panels.

‘All of our grandmas and great-grandmothers painted their houses inside and out. We decided to give our approach to this tradition,’ says Yakusha, who is based between Ukraine and Belgium. ‘The collection is about female strength, it’s about vitality.’

Yakusha looked, in particular, to the traditional homes of Podillia, a historic region in south-eastern Ukraine with roots dating to the 14th century. Because the walls of the thatched cottages were constructed from clay, many original house paintings have not survived. So Yakusha and her team had to rely on images in books, historical records and a single rural house museum. ‘We wanted to find original house paintings, and we found only one,’ she explains.

She was struck by folk paintings of a tree of life – drevo zhyttia in Ukrainian – and used it as an aesthetic through-line for the collection and its namesake.

Steel, a new material for Yakusha’s practice, felt like an appropriate material to convey the resilience of women and Ukrainian culture. 'It’s about connection and the passing of knowledge from mother and daughter,’ she says.

Because of the ongoing war, Yakusha had difficulty finding metal workers, most of whom are male, to help realise her pieces; they’d all been drafted. ‘It’s difficult for us,’ she says. ‘We only found one man who could do it [because he had completed his military service].’

The result is gleaming steel panels – some no bigger than a book – embossed with minimal outlines of blooms, birds and leaves. Each panel has a female name, taken from books of historical records. Yakusha says the works can be displayed solo, or in groups, like gleaming icons on walls.

Yakusha has launched Drago as part of a special installation at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City. In the building’s grand Beaux-Arts rooms, surrounded by mounds of real wildflowers, the work feels haunting, beautiful and urgent.

'They put their energy into these houses,' Yakusha says of the female painters – a spirit that's been awakened once again.

‘Drevo’ is on view at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York through 10 July 2025.

When designing Cucina Triennale, the new restaurant and café for the Milanese design institution, architect Luca Cipelletti and his studio looked to the Triennale archives for inspiration. Discovering drawings of the original tables designed in 1933 by Gigiotti Zanini for the restaurant, the studio, aided by the Molteni Group’s contemporary furniture brand UniFor, were entrusted with reissuing the design, blending historical memory with contemporary technology.

Cucina Triennale opens in Milan

Located on the Piano Parco and overlooking the Triennale garden, the new restaurant also includes a new seating design, the ‘Triennale Chair’, created by Studio Klass and made by UniFor as a contemporary reinterpretation of the building’s historic furnishings. Made entirely of wood, stackable, practical and clean in design, the chair stands out for its balance of solidity and refinement.

Fixed bespoke elements, designed by Cipelletti and crafted by the Italian furniture company, include a large slatted oak counter, enhanced with four glass shelves and a door with an integrated mechanism, combining functional rigour with formal coherence. Along the walls, six niches unfold, each equipped with full-height wardrobes, low cabinets, glass shelves, mirrors and fixed panels, all finished in brown-stained oak. Completing the renovation are two slatted oak cloakrooms, with counters featuring lacquered fronts and pivot doors, designed to ensure functionality, accessibility and overall visual harmony.

The new restaurant – an airy, light-filled space that spills out into the surrounding gardens – is part of a wider redevelopment of the Triennale, also overseen by Cipelletti in collaboration with UniFor, which aims to restore the original spaces in continuity with Giovanni Muzio’s 1933 design. And it makes the perfect spot for a pre-theatre show dinner or a relaxed lunch with friends.

Triennale Milano
Viale Emilio Alemagna, 6
20121 Milano

triennale.org