The past month didn’t always take me where I expected to go. There were unusual launches that had me dwelling on astrology (I’m a Leo, for what it’s worth) and events where I found myself strolling alongside museum-worthy antiques, when I’m usually found at a design preview or pop-up, although there were plenty of those, too.
And while trends are always emerging, this month felt defined by a handful of one-of-a-kind design moments — unusual, at least in our world, remains an exhilarating trait. Here’s just a snippet of what I saw in my latest Design Diary.
CURIOUS FINDS — ALCHEMY OF METALS ALTAR
I didn’t expect to find myself sitting before an altar last month. But there I was on a Thursday morning, legs crossed on a shag rug, facing a sculptural table carved from volcanic stone. I was at the home of Fairfax Dorn Projects to experience The Alchemy of Metals Altar, a collaboration with astrologer-artist Rose Theodora of Vestali Studio — an object conceived to bring the very idea of astrological systems and life cycles a bit closer to earth.
For Theodora, the goal was tangibility, something with which her clients could physically interact (some of us need to see it to believe it). Exploring astrology’s link to alchemy and transmutation, she created a table fitted with hand-cast metallic forms resting in polished niches. “When you pick them up and touch the metals, you immediately feel present,” said Theodora.
You could get lost in the ancient wisdom (like the fact that each alloy was cast by a goldsmith on a specific day, and a specific hour). But the experience itself is perhaps more simple and grounding. For me, I have to wonder if we will see more functional pieces like this in the future: furniture and objects that slow you down and reconnect.
ON MY RADAR — MORPHUS.IO
And if tapping ancient wisdom has merit, one high-design maker is looking firmly to the future. At the new gallery of Swedish–Mexican multidisciplinary design studio ATRA FORM, the item generating the most buzz is the Morphus.io, a lounge chair that uses gentle vibrations — along with light and sound therapy and, perhaps most satisfyingly, a weighted-blanket effect — to stimulate the vagus nerve, helping the body relax and reduce stress. At its core, the chair itself is quite beautiful, with exaggerated proportions (designed to sit just as easily in a meditation pose as reclined, Eames-style) that would look chic even without the tech.
No doubt, we’re beginning to see more explorations in high-design furniture with high-tech function. It’s not an entirely new category — the massage chair has been around since the mid-20th century — but this release just might perform better than the types of products you'd find at Sharper Image. It’s beautiful, comfortable, and, at the very least, an exciting exciting direction for furniture.
EXHIBIT A — THE WINTER SHOW
Image credit: The Winter Show
Image credit: The Winter Show
Image credit: The Winter Show
I spend most of my time saturated in contemporary design, which made an excursion to The Winter Show feel almost like a palate cleanser. Devoted to fine art and antiques, it’s the longest-running fair of its kind in the nation (the most recent marked its 72nd edition), offering an up-close look at pieces that, if they were in a museum, wouldn't surprise me one bit.
But one exhibit that surprised me — bringing the present back into play — was an imgainary space dreamed up by Livingetc favorite Studio DB. The studio transformed an eight-by-eight-foot booth into what co-founder Britt Zunino described as a “tiny jewel box," showcasing a little imaginary interior. A shimmering, celestial-inspired wallpaper designed with Calico Wallpaper (a collaboration released last year) was layered with pendants by Jeremy Anderson and the pièce de résistance: a sculptural fireplace fabricated with Brooklyn-based Arcata, its plaster motifs climbing its surface.
The plaster forms are turned into resin molds, creating a pliable, almost rubbery material placed by hand, with the goal of something whimsical — leaves growing from the ground and morphing into stars. It’s a technique that’s had some recent attention, but one I hope to see more of (a little proof that decorative plaster can be totally contemporary).
DESIGN DROP — THE CORNER CLOCK
Image credit: The MoMA Design Store
Image credit: MoMA Design Store
Image credit: The MoMA Design Store
One product that caught my eye last month came by way of The MoMA Design Store’s fall preview, where the museum shop curated its signature array of colorful, cleverly designed décor. And while there were plenty of pieces worth writing about (including an exclusive tea set by Sophie Lou Jacobsen, with sepia-toned glass and pink-accented handles), the one that delighted me most was also among the least assuming.
Hanging in a corner — I might have missed it if it hadn’t been pointed out — was the Corner Clock, quite literally designed to wedge into those underutilized corners of our homes. You can rest it on a desk, but the more playful placement is tucked somewhere unexpected: high up, where it takes guests a moment to notice, or above a workspace without sacrificing surface area. It’s the kind of product that makes you smile — and to me, that’s the highest compliment.
OPENING NIGHT — SYMBOL HOME
After a brief pop-up last year, one brand that’s been on my radar is Symbol Home. Known primarily for audio storage, the furniture line they introduced (designed to go hand in hand with long listening sessions) included one of the most comfortable chairs I’ve ever sat in in the past few years. Still, that’s a tough thing to take on someone else’s word.
Luckily, Symbol has just opened its first permanent showroom in the Lower East Side. So if you don’t believe me, you can — and should — head to their 3,000-square-foot loft to try it for yourself. Like many of the more compelling showrooms today, it’s designed less like a room full of furniture and more like an actual living room, with a few well-chosen vintage finds rounding out the space. At the very least, it makes for a welcoming visit.