It was a sleepy summer in New York's design scene — out-of-offices were on more often than off. But the energy is finally back. Fall has arrived with clever launches and major openings just in time for the holidays, and I’ve made it my business to see the bulk of them.
Several brands have sprung to life and launched collaborations with splashy names (like Framebridge’s collection with Farrow & Ball — four years in the making), while long-anticipated openings (like Maharam’s new Gramercy showroom, a temple to textiles) have refreshed the streets with new design destinations. All in all, the spirits are high.
And things are only starting to heat up. Here's just a snapshot of what I saw over the past month or so, now that we're all back to our day jobs — plus a few things currently fueling my daydreams.
COLOR THEORIES
Benjamin Moore always has one of the biggest Color of the Year announcements of the year.
The espresso martini in my hand wasn’t an accident at a recent party for the debut of Silhouette AF-655, Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year. The hue — grounded in espresso with a touch of charcoal — nods to the kind of tailored suiting that proliferates catwalks season after season.
All week, I’d asked friends to predict the color, and most assumed something louder; instead, the choice has a bit more depth, leaning into the warmer, richer neutrals and chocolatey browns interior designers are embracing of late. For me, it’s a balanced color with staying power: just like the stylish suiting it references, it’s both structured yet soft, masculine yet feminine, trendy yet timeless. Dare I say it’s fashionable? I dare.
COLLAB WATCH
The Haulm counter stool is part of a collaboration between CB2 and the rockstar's interior design studio, Kravitz Design.
I've never met a cord stool I didn't like—but I wasn't expecting to love one from Lenny Kravitz. The new Haulm counter stool is part of the rockstar's third collaboration with CB2, a 62-piece drop that channels European modernism through Malibu's relaxed, enviable lifestyle.
It has a handwoven cord seat in a geometric pattern, just like familiar Danish varieties, but it's reframed in stainless steel (the cool metallics trend continues) to give it a contemporary edge.
The other standout, for me, is the Nagara lighting series: rice paper shades contrast with polished wire frames, bringing soft illumination with visual structure. It feels vintage and brand-new all at once, a wordier way of saying timeless.
MATERIAL MATTERS
Mixing matte and iridescent in the same collection opens up new design possibilities.
Patina can be romantic. It's a quality that many designers I've spoken to recently are looking for, but it's hard to create from scratch—without looking artificial, at least. TileBar's new fall collection walks the line well, leaning into timeworn aesthetics that still feel modern.
The standout is Open Terracotta, designed by ceramic expert Paula Purroy and handcrafted in Italy: a clever mix of matte and iridescent squares grouped in earthy color palettes. It’ll create that lived-in feel that’s particularly rare in new construction (hence why an exposed brick wall may always be a hot commodity) or clean-lined interiors that beg for character. It's rustic charm for your modern interiors... without waiting a century for it to happen all on its own.
SHOP TALK
Maharam's showroom as been designed by architect Neil Logan, the same name behind Maharam's headquarters, located on the same block.
I've watched from afar as Maharam unveiled new showrooms in Chicago, then London, then Los Angeles — and so it feels momentous that the New York-founded textile house finally opened a street-level space in the city where it all began.
It's the brand's first multi-label showroom (including Edelman leather and Knoll Textiles) in NYC, and you'll find it within a reimagined and restored Beaux-Arts storefront in Gramercy.
Inside, long custom plywood tables display squared textiles in cubby-like grids — like a patchwork quilt just waiting to be sewn together. For design nerds like myself, it's a new pilgrimage to see the latest debuts, plus iconic designs by the likes of Alexander Girard, Anni Albers, and Charles and Ray Eames.
DESIGN DROP
These frame triptychs come with a life-size hanging guide to get the spacing perfect.
Not to sound like a broken record, but repetition in interior design is one of the most reliable tools in a designer’s playbook. It was also the quiet star of Zoë Feldman’s new collection of gallery walls for Framebridge. Her Mini Triptych may feature the smallest frames in the batch, but the series offers a clever and compact way to create easy rhythm pretty much anywhere, and in the bold Madrid & Blush colorway, the trio doubles as a foolproof way to decorate with red, a famously tricky hue that still packs a punch.
And while we’re doubling down, Framebridge also launched The Farrow & Ball Collection, bringing the legacy paint brand’s most beloved colors (like India Yellow, especially popular with the celebrity crowd) to antique frames that feel a touch more modern drenched in matte hues.
I thought their campaign for the launch was brilliant, styled with tone-on-tone interiors (like an Etruscan Red frame on an Etruscan Red wall), which nails the color drenching trend. This collaboration was well worth the wait.
What’s on the horizon? I’m expecting to see more brands tapping into experiential moments with immersive showrooms, not to mention a rush of new products hitting the market just in time for holiday deliveries. Stay tuned.