10 Questions With… Victoria Wilmotte

For Parisian industrial designer Victoria Wilmotte, her studio is a laboratory. The proof is her most recent exhibition “Colorscape” at her new showroom in the city’s 6th arrondissement “Everything starts at my studio, from drawing to welding; it’s a place that suits me and where I like to spend time,” she tells Interior Design. The scenography in her show of mirrors, lamps, and tables possesses coherent visual cues, such as sharp edges being interrupted by bulbous forms of lamps or mirrors.

Vibrant but subdued, each piece signals geometric decisions as well as material experimentation. A thick cobalt hue of blue as well as a bright yellow and lime green manifest Wilmotte’s adventurous but determined color palette, similar to dense powder coated finishes blended with marble’s grandiosity. “I’m surrounded by what inspires me and I have the possibility of making what I want (almost) at the minute,” she adds.

The show was something of a walk down memory lane for the designer who received a design products master’s degree from Royal College of Art where she worked with Ron Arad. Upon graduation, she returned to her hometown of Paris to set up her own studio. There, new work is peppered around, creating an entry into Wilmotte’s mind and work as a landscape of her output from the last decade or so. “I like when a show becomes an experience and I would love one day to show an entire, functional space, such as a restaurant, a bar and create a complete universe,” she adds.

How Victoria Wilmotte Plays With Materiality

Interior Design: As a designer, you work sculpturally, exploring volume and mystery at similar levels. Could you talk about this approach?

Victoria Vilmotte: I’ve always been fascinated by form and construction. For me, design is about shaping volumes, not just objects. I treat every piece as a small sculpture that reveals its mystery through angles, reflections, and balance.

ID: Negative space seems to be a critical element as much as the final physical work. How do you balance these notions?

VM: Negative space gives breath to the piece. I like when geometry isn’t too tight, when voids and solids interact. It’s what makes an object alive and dynamic. Also, I like to mix materials and often it is in this space that the other material intervenes

ID: Circularity and sharpness are seamlessly blended in Folded Frame mirror and Sfera lamps. Could you talk about bringing together these two forms in singular works?

VM: I like tension between opposites: softness meeting precision a bit like in industrial mechanics. A curve can become sharp just by light or reflection. That dialogue creates energy in my work.

ID: In your lamps and fireplaces, there is geometry that is occasionally broken and often repetitive. How do you approach the rigidity of geometry to challenge it from the inside?

VM: I start from strict geometry, then I twist it, literally or conceptually. Repetition gives rhythm, but I love when something unexpected happens—a break, a fold, a distortion.

ID: Your mirrors are about fragmentation, and so are the coffee tables. Could you talk about your approach to function in industrial design?

VM: Function is always there, but I like when it disappears behind emotion. A mirror can reflect, but also distort. I don’t separate use and sensation. I often say that my work is a kind of sculptural design. I like industry and I always make sure that my projects are intelligently reproducible, by taking care of the technics, materials.

ID: Besides bold red and bright yellow, cobalt blue had a strong presence in the show. Could you talk about your journey with this color?

VM: I’ve always loved cobalt blue—it’s timeless, strong, and somehow universal. What I enjoy most is playing across very different materials from Murano glass to industrial paint. It’s the same blue, but with totally different depth and definition. I do the same with the lime green, confronting the same tones of colors on very different finishes, connecting, for example, a Brazilian blue Macauba granite to a dark blue paint finish.

ID: “Colorscape” blends existing work with new pieces. What does it mean for you to survey your trajectory and re-contextualize it?

VM: It’s like looking at my own DNA and seeing how materials and forms have evolved. Bringing old and new pieces together creates dialogue across time.

ID: What did you discover about your practice when revisiting previous works?

VM: That my obsession with geometry was already there, but now it’s freer. I am maybe less afraid to make a mistake.

ID: There’s a clash of natural and industrial materials, such as marble, metal, glass. What possibilities do you see in these overlaps?

VM: I love confronting opposite materials and finishes, in terms of nobility, especially. For example, confronting a very special powder coating finish with a marble is my favorite. I think they complete each other. Maybe it’s a bit provocative.

ID: You also advanced powder coating to obtain glaze-like finishes. What do you think about this non-hierarchical approach to materials?

VM: I love treating industrial materials like noble ones. Powder coating can look like enamel or glass—it’s all about pushing technique to poetry.

8 Highlights From Salon Art + Design 2025

While the creative industry’s New York calendar does not lack fairs focused on art, a one-stop destination for art, design, antiques, and jewelry is a rarity. Salon Art + Design is fills this gap for collectors and dealers, as well as lovers of all things beauty. The fair’s 14th edition which is open through November 10, 2025 at the Park Avenue Armory comes on the heels of last year’s noticeable success. Nicky Dessources who assumed the executive director role in 2024 from Jill Bokor has ushered the fair into a new chapter marked by high sales, inclusive visitor profile, and adventurous programming.

“My goal is to continue the momentum from last year when the energy was noticeably high comparable to the fair’s first few years,” Dessources tells Interior Design. Although she has been involved with the fair for a decade in various roles, her sophomore edition as a leader is what she likens to a musician’s new album after a successful debut. “I am trying not to stick to the pressure and continue to focus on educating the public and new generation of collectors and taste-makers,” she adds.

This year, around 50 exhibitors occupy the booths, among which 11 make their Salon debut. Additionally, the fair boasts an enticing programming that aims to provide space for newcomer exhibitors and voices from a broader spectrum of histories and geographies, while attracting an expansive audience.

Dessources remembers and cherishes the first collectible piece she acquired, which was a porcelain vase from Atelier Courbet, a current fair exhibitor. “I am a great example and proof that you can start your collecting journey at any time and educate yourself to build something personal,” she adds.

Experience The Creative Highlights From Salon Art + Design

Female Design Council

Thursday’s VIP preview, which benefited Dia Art Foundation with a soiree that continued until 9 p.m., saw an immense crowd. Attendees lined up to enter the Armory’s Drill Hall before the grand salon with some of the exhibitors positioned at the venue’s gilded entryway. Female Design Council claims a hallway corner with a vignette of objects designed by their members. A standout is Dana Hurwitz’s reclaimed glass vessels which she has adorned with bulky, even kinky, hardware accents. Erica Sellers’s similarly bondage-infused glass vase contrasts the material’s fragility with pierced metal ornaments. The body, especially female physicality, is palpable in Sophia Wallace’s terra-cotta sculpture from her Swan Series, which replicates the clitoris like a floral blossom in the material’s raw coloration.

Atelier Courbet

The Chelsea gallery has become something of a tastemaker on the overlap of art and sculptural design with their solo shows that linger between allusiveness and function. A fixture of the fair circuit, Atelier Courbet brings the effortless cool of bronze to the forefront though a sleek presentation with Pierre Bonnefille who currently has the first U.S. exhibition of his career at the gallery. The artist’s bookshelf and benches from his Rhizome series both ooze and freeze through his attribution of malleability to the material. The presentation also includes works by Jonathan Hansen, Peter Speliopoulos, and Gianluca Pacchioni.

Virginia Harper and Costantini Design

Among the exhibitors who shine outside the grand dome of the Drill Hall is New York-based designer Virginia Harper who partners with Costantini Design for an installation titled Richiamo. Harper’s woven dividers, titled Global Threads, are peppered around the hallway while metal is the star of Costantini Design’s furniture on display, transformed here into a sculptural collaborative material which serves as the base for different surfaces. Take, for example, the Benino table in which the mutable base is welded into gentle cage-like formation with a round parchment top.

Todd Merrill Studio

Among the main exhibitors, Todd Merrill boasts an eclectic affair with a diversity of materials and colors. The long list of designers on view include Alex Roskin, Aurel K. Basedow, Boris Gratry, Draga & Aurek, Heré Obligi, Maarten Vrolijk, Markus Haase, Pia Maria Raeder, and Stefan Rurak. Part installation and part a domestic setting, the outing delivers a bite for every taste, whether Molly Hatch’s 35-piece grid-structured ceramic wall hanging inspired by a vessel created by the 19th century British designer and theorist Christopher Dresser, or Dutch designer Maarten Vrolijk’s fluid-looking Sakura pendant lighting which marks his first step into illuminated glass. From German artist Markus Haase’s bronze and onyx chandelier to Phillip Jeffries’s unapologetically gilded wallpaper, the booth embodies the true spirit of the fair for responding to a wealth of tastes.

Bossa Furniture

For lovers of Brazilian design, Bossa Furniture‘s booth, a São Paulo fixture which has recently opened a U.S. outpost in Chelsea, is a must-visit. The presentation builds on the gallery’s recent multigenerational New York shows Lucas Recchia: Crafting the Future and Joaquim Tenreiro: Inventing a Modern Tropical Living. In order to give another opportunity to revisit Brazilian designers’ oeuvres, the presentation Past and Present of Brazilian Design delivers the critical cues from the nation’s definitive Modernist style. Tenreiro who passed away in 1992 at age 86 is represented with pieces that prove his clear role in Brazilian design with a rich selection of works, including a lounge chair from mid 1950s: sculptural in form, the furniture piece’s rosewood legs, rattan back, and its mohair upholstery in a soft hue of blue arrests the viewers with its grand presence. Recchia who was born in 1992 uses bronze in romantic finishes, such as the Coria sconce in which an organic form and a beaten surface yields a jewelry-like result.

Craftica Gallery

A newcomer is Craftica Gallery from Warszawa, with a diverse presentation of Polish designers as well as a collaboration with French interior architect Patrice Nourissat for an arresting display. Cyryl Zakrzewski’s dramatic console table Linkana Cellule II is both futuristic and retro, with a rounded and stretched silhouette that is reminiscent of Futurist artists. The object’s birch plywood skeleton is contrasted with hand-carved plywood and milled brass carvings for an equally alien and inviting appearance. Another standout during the preview evening was Zofia Sobolewska Ursic’s Cabinet La Nature est un temple, a romantic take on classic marquetry cabinets. The hand-carved oak storage has a glossy finish to preserve the designer’s elaborate rendition of flowers inspired by Polish painter Stanisław Wyspiański’s images.

Misgana African Art

Dessources’s role is not the only sophomore standout this year—the return of Salon Introduction initiative benefits Misgana African Art, a new gallery run by Seble Asfaw who has been given a booth designed by Rahel Semegn of Abé Interiors to show the works of Toure Coffey. Following Verso’s win for the initiative last year, Misgana takes the torch with a booth brought together in partnership with longtime African art dealer Carlo Bella who also has a booth on view. Asfaw also joins forces with Abé Interiors founders Rahel Semegn to render a display that features work by Toure Coffey whose mixed-media paintings from last year hold abstract rhythms as well as a topographic sense of place.

Milord Antiques

Montreal gallery Milord Antiques attracts visitors with their broad offering of furniture with their playful takes and thrilling looks at the past. An indisputable scene-stealer is a pair of Hyaline leather and glass chairs by Fabio Lenci which he designed for Stending in 1967. The cylinder tubes of cushioning in a reupholstered light shade of brown fall into an inviting contrast with glass arms and backrest, creating a full circle of 1960s’ playfulness and radicalism. Another crowd-pleaser is a sculptured bronze disc-shaped bar, designed by Paul Evans for Directional in 1971. Gothic for most eyes, the massive wall-hung bar reveals a regular shelving structure for bottles and glasses behind its ornate surface which has meteor-like details.

10 Questions With… BoND’s Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger

BoND: A lot of the projects that we’ve been doing until recently have been interior-focused. Lately, we’ve started working on a couple of different ground-ups. With this comes the challenge of looking at climate change and sea level rise, as well as fitting into an architectural legacy that exists here. Let’s say this is a challenge that we started looking at in the past year and a half. The architectural legacy is also a bit of a constraint. Design constraints, however, lead to a richer design process. For us, there is something in this mix of characteristics that actually leads us to design a house that feels different.

ID: How do you balance heritage and innovation?

BoND: You have to reinvent the local. You have to rely on the legacy of modernist architecture and the relationship that it has to the landscape and social life here. But in our ground-up work, we are trying to, first of all, deal with climate, so the houses have to be raised quite a bit. In this case, what does the bottom of the house look like when you are used to seeing houses between the dunes? Now they are about 20 feet up above eye level.

Other challenges include conditioning airflow, a lot of technical things that haven’t been really addressed before just because the construction was really simple. Now, we build more sophisticated buildings that have more technologies that can support these climate changes. However, you don’t want to bring too much technology, either. These buildings become a part of the problem, rather than a part of the solution. There is of course the question of materiality. We traditionally use cedar for exterior and interior, but cedar recently got really expensive. We have actually worked on a new wood material from Texas that resembles a silvery tone of cedar. This material is easier to assemble and to apply.

ID: Could you talk the process of transforming existing Modernist homes on an island famous for its social scene?

BoND: We often work with Mid-century houses that went through a million transformations. They, at some point, received new floors and new bathrooms, but never in a cohesive view. The renovation projects do not just focus on one side or one area—we think about the house as a whole. We try to unify the cedar siding or bring cedar into a place that wasn’t there. We think the bathroom is utilitarian, but also with a bit of humor and sexiness to it. We also design custom furniture for the houses to rethink or reinvent some of the different social conditions. Where do you sit before dinner? Where do you gossip? Where do you hang out on a cold rainy night?

ID: How about constructing these social situations, which require mingling or privacy depending on the situation? Pools and dinner tables, for example, are social magnets, but you also carve nooks.

BoND: We have to be pretty precise and intentional, and imagine what is going to be the social situation that you would like to orchestrate. We create the platforms for living and for socializing. A place can be extremely social during one weekend when you can easily meet 150, 200 people in different situations. We try to design homes where every place would be for spending time, for interaction, and conversation rather than being, for example, on your phone. We create an openness to be able to see between spaces and their connections. It is also about the drama and the interaction with the landscape. In front of a beautiful view, you want to make the most of it.

ID: Working with your community and network is perhaps your overall principle. Your projects feel like the results of a deeper connection with your clients rather than parachuting onto their lives. Could you talk about building connections with your clients?

BoND: Integration is about the relationships we have with clients. We usually either meet new clients out at a party or link though them visiting another house that we designed for a friend of theirs. Most of our clients are younger. During Covid, a lot of houses changed hands, and a lot of the younger people in our age group of 35- to 45-years-old acquired homes.

Obviously, these people have a little bit of extra money but at the same time, they do not necessarily have millions of dollars to spend. The discussions go very quickly to what’s really important for them and their guests. Do you prioritize cooking, for example? We pay attention to these elements because these are usually small places.

ID: What are the advantages and challenges of coming into this business from architecture journalism and finding an organic way to work together?

BoND: Both of us used to be journalists—Noam was a journalist for about 12 years—and that discipline and professional background really set the stage for how we approach projects. A lot of it has to do with creating a story or a narrative for each project, about a set style versus a new style of thinking for each one. In our projects, we want to tell a story that sometimes is a fantasy, something that really captures our community’s imagination. It all starts from words and descriptions.

ID: You do commercial projects, such as Company Gallery and le PÉRE boutique, and many homes. How do you approach a public commercial space as opposed to someone’s home?

BoND: It’s really just the style of thinking—we design galleries like we design offices and offices like we design residential. It is always something unique in the program. We don’t see them so differently. Each project is usually about the timeline and the needs that are different. We try to identify something special and unique about each program. You can apply similar strategies to a 1,000-square-feet home or 20,000-square-feet store as long as the thinking is fresh.

A lot of our projects are with clients that are either artists, collectors or somehow related to art and fashion. They look for a certain simplicity in design, a clarity to make everything legible and simple to operate and live in. We recently designed a cocktail bar in Soho which is a bit typical for us. We have been working on it for the last six months and it will open for the holiday season. We have never worked on a hospitality project before, so we are excited.

ID: You tend to maintain a space’s architectural characteristics as a gesture to its past and a way to hint your client’s lifestyle. What excites you about New York City lofts with their industrial pasts? 

BoND: When we start a project, we have to understand the context and whether we want to fight that context or go with it. If we are working on a home, it means somebody is attracted to its existing character so much that they bought it. We need to understand what they want changed and help them expose parts that they want to integrate into the new design. We try to distill one or two good things that we all like about the space.

ID: A lot of your clients are collectors and artists. Could you talk about your relationship to art, not as a decorative accent but as a statement in your spaces?

BoND: Art reflects a cultural attitude and has the agency of beauty. You can use art politically but also esthetically, meaning you can draw the tones from a beautiful painting and make it into a color palette for a project. You can also bring contemporary photography into a historical environment and freshen it up and wake it up a little bit. Art is a huge driver in our work, also because we often choose the art for the project.

Our relationship with artists also allows us to examine some of the cultural trends and what’s really going in culture. This might be harder for architects to assess from their desks. We don’t think architecture is an art form so much, but it’s a beautiful craft. Art is a reflection of society and culture, and it’s a huge draw of inspiration and another vehicle to understand something about the moment.

We also have to think about the fact that our clients live with these works. We can’t only approach it as something too precious—it is something they live with as a reminder of a certain point in their life with memories of people and places. Art is a huge emotional part of a home.

ID: What have you learned about each other over the years through working together? Is there anything you know better about one another because you are also business partners?

BoND: We have learned over time what we are strong in and what we’re not as strong about. We also know how to come to terms with those aspects. The way we work together really complements each other. We spend a lot of time together, almost all the time together (still not enough time!). Our favorite thing is to be fully doing this, looking at the same project together and going over design questions. Each of us has a little bit different roles in the office, and we also split the phases of a project, but typically both of us have at some point an interface with a project. Noam is the managing partner, and Daniel’s a creative director. But, aside from that, everybody does everything.

ID: Let’s finish with sexiness in architecture. How do you orchestrate a lingering flirty intrigue through materials and configuration?

BoND: Sexiness is a cultural construct. What is sexy for some people may be weird for someone else. We often talk about sex in a not so abstract way, meaning that we have a large clientele who cares about the entire topology of desire. This is something that wasn’t a part of the architectural discourse for many years. It was a taboo, considered esoteric. We discuss it with a lot of clients, and one example is the placement of an outdoor shower. Do you hide it, or do you put it on display? This goes for a lot of things around views throughout the house. What can you see? What’s private? The wink is definitely something that we discuss with clients all the time. We always say that we have made a career out of making people look great in the mirror.

10 Questions with… Jan Hendzel

When walking along Park Avenue, sharp-eyed pedestrians may notice a soaring tower of colorful, stacked spheres in the lobby of Hotel Park Ave. The 12-foot-high wooden sculpture, titled Pebble Jumble, is British artist and designer Jan Hendzel’s first large-scale commission in the United States. The structure—five massive, rounded blocks of wood, in different colors, rising through the hotel’s wooden reception desk— delivers the celebrated wood master’s decades-long fascination with timber within its gravity-defying body. Much like Hendzel’s work in furniture and sculpture, you see a familiar sense of experimentation that embraces tradition with a twist in Pebble Jumble.

Hendzel produces his wide-ranging work from a Thames River-view studio, which he calls a “cathedral of light.” The workspace, where he oversees a team of seven professionals from different backgrounds, was a factory that formerly produced the first transatlantic telephone cables. More than a century later, Hendzel links to the U.S. in his own way, with this commission, at the invitation of the hotel’s creative director, Jacu Strauss.

Jan Hendzel Crafts Bespoke Wooden Creations

Interior Design: Wood is a material that appears in nearly every era, trend, or geography. How do you approach wood to create a timeless look while also remaining contemporary?

Jan Hendzel: Timber is a material of boundless potential, utilized for millennia in the creation of countless objects and dwellings. Infinitely renewable, it adapts to diverse applications. Our methodology involves studying and referencing past masters, fusing traditional techniques with digital innovation to forge a contemporary typology. This approach marries the familiarity of joinery with enhanced, carved proportions. Our work follows that sinuous, flowing path from concept to object, building on the studio’s exacting sense of experimentation that guides us to make objects the best they can be. 

ID: What are some of your favorite types of wood and why?

JH: Our design studio specializes in crafting pieces from British-grown timbers. We possess a deep understanding of timber cultivation and sourcing, which informs our careful selection and specification for projects. Currently, olive ash and Douglas fir are central to our work, valued for their distinct grain variations and working properties.

ID: How do you approach a commissioned furniture piece as opposed to a sculpture?

JH: Our approach aligns in its methodology: We meticulously dissect each brief, then push the boundaries of the project’s parameters. The selection of timber is a crucial early decision, as its distinct qualities inform both the narrative and technical specifications of every commission.

ID: Pebble Jumble greets the visitors of Hotel Park Ave. What do you think about a sculpture’s role as a sign of hospitality?

JH: Our studio aims to bring joy to all who encounter it. Pebble Jumble, for instance, is designed to immediately capture attention, offering a “wow” moment that sets the stage for an unforgettable experience in any hospitality space. Its captivating presence sparks the imagination.

ID: Balance is an important part of your work. Could you talk about both embracing and challenging balance in your practice?

JH: Our design workshop thrives on bespoke commissions, a privilege that allows us to deeply develop each project. Balance, proportion, and composition are fundamental to our work. We see ourselves at the forefront of woodworking innovation; bespoke commissions provide the ideal platform to advance these techniques, which then inform our ready-to-go collections. These unique projects are invaluable opportunities for experimentation.

ID: You both use natural colors of the wood as well as painted surfaces. How is your relationship with colors?

JH: My exploration of color is an evolving journey. I often create a dialogue between materials by pairing natural timber hues, perhaps showcasing the differing grain colors of two oak species. For instance, I might contrast the deep, rich ochre of brown oak (infected with beefsteak fungus) with the golden tones of prime oak. Alternatively, I might introduce sharp pops of color to accentuate the grain’s depth. Every decision I make is intentional, guiding your experience of each piece.

ID: There is a growing interest in natural materials in interior design, partially due to the digitalization of our everyday lives. How do you see the role of wood in interiors of the future?

JH: Timber remains a popular choice in interior design, but its application is evolving. The integration of sculptural elements into both freestanding and fitted timber furniture is creating intriguing aesthetics. Beyond its visual appeal, timber excels at naturalizing a space. Its tactile quality, intriguing textures, and even its scent contribute to a multi-sensory experience. For many, timber evokes nostalgia, offering a sense of familiarity and comfort.

ID: Whether a table or sculpture, there is a sense of completeness and wholeness in your approach to wood. Could you talk about this element of integrality in your work?

JH: We love the opportunity to work with timber, one of nature’s most abundant resources, and strive to embed the story of its creation into every piece we craft. From its origin as a felled tree, through the sawmill and drying process, and finally into our workshop, each creation possesses its own unique DNA. Often, the material’s origin directly influences the piece’s name or design elements. Beyond its functional purpose, the embedded narrative provides additional layers that contribute to a profound sense of completeness.

ID: You often collaborate with emerging young designers and makers. Could you discuss how these partnerships contribute to the future of design and wood-making?

JH: Recognizing the depth of talent among emerging makers, we actively support our team members in their personal design endeavors. To further champion new talent, we established the 11:11 exhibition series. For each show, we curate a selection of 11 established designer-makers and then issue an open call for 11 emerging talents. Each established designer then selects one emerging artist from the open submissions. This unique format showcases an incredible breadth of design talent, allowing emerging artists to benefit from the established designers’ networks and creating a truly exciting design exhibition. It’s particularly thrilling when emerging talents are chosen by their design heroes. We are currently seeking sponsors for our next 11:11 showcase.

ID: You come from a background in patternmaking. How do you translate this period into your current practice, which has minimalist cues?

JH: My background is in engineering patternmaking, a highly precise profession focused on creating original pieces for metal casting and tooling. That apprenticeship taught me the intricacies of working with timber, including measuring, machining, and carving, and the critical importance of precision in forming shapes. Looking back, I now view this work as highly sculptural, albeit with a highly industrialized outcome. Having mastered the art of measuring and marking out, I then taught myself furniture making, which I found to be the easier part. While I don’t consider myself a minimalist, I recognize that some of my pieces reflect that aesthetic.

8 Highlights From COLLECTIBLE Fair 2025

The second edition of COLLECTIBLE fair in New York opened with small-but-punchy changes after last year’s buzzy launch. This year, the Belgian-born fair had 123 exhibitors from 22 countries spanning a single floor at Water Street Project WSA, a recently renovated conference center expansion at 180 Maiden Lane. Wall Street’s glitzy building befitted the fair’s effortlessly sleek profile with its clean-cut atmosphere, backdropped by spectacular city views. The heavy representation of European studios and practices with their bold take on contemporary design suited the setting, which paid a nod to the heydays of downtown New York’s financial and social boom.

Liv Vaisberg, who organizes the fair’s New York and Brussels editions with Clélie Debehault, tells Interior Design that her most important take from last year was a realization of the strength of the city’s local design community.

“It was impressive to see how everybody came together last September—I believe we can build on that,” she says. In line with this awareness, the fair returned with a strong programming, which included a group show on the intersection of design and fashion and another group show organized by design editor and author Hannah Martin in celebration of architectural folly. Visitors of this year’s COLLECTIBLE fair could also visit a suite of tightly themed presentations, such as one dedicated to table tops and another grouping where multiple designers each created a mise-en-scène.

Vaisberg’s other discovery from her experience of bringing her fair across the pond is the speed at which sales operate. “Collectors buy on the spot here,” she adds. “Usually, decorators and interior designers consult and take their time before acquiring a piece of furniture for their clients.”

This energy was palpable in the VIP day’s vibrant atmosphere with collectors, interior designers, and design lovers quickly filling up the circular layout. And according to Vaisberg, the design sector is not as susceptible to the current shakiness in the art market, saying, “Design is much more resilient—people flip and do other extreme tactics with art, but design remains reassuring even when times are hard.”

Interior Design attended the COLLECTIBLE fair 2025, which ran from Sept. 4–7. Here are highlights of the New York–based event.

Discover the Standout Highlights From COLLECTIBLE Fair 2025

Cork Collection by Studio Ahead

The San Francisco-based practice Studio AHEAD organized a special section in the inaugural New York fair last year. For 2025, the duo Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia came back with a display of their new Cork Collection, which blends the titular material with stainless steel for a table, bench, and stool. Using Italian cork with a sculptural heft and smoothness for function, the studio exhibits a vignette of rounded furniture pieces that blends cork’s particular softer touch with steel’s breezy and unbothered presence.

Drag Queen’s Boudoir by Henri Judin

Finnish designer Henri Judin exhibited perhaps the most colorful presentation at the fair with Drag Queen’s Boudoir. The Helsinki-based maker has created a living room with a bold pastel palette and an unabashed celebration of queer joy. Judin’s vision comes out of his drag persona, Carelia, who favors zebra prints and does not shy away from kitschy undertones. In fact, the designer and his husband were present at their booth in drag to activate the domestic setting, which included two wooden dining chairs, a four-color coffee table, a group of mirrors with wooden frames, and a lounge with zebra prints. Judin has been in New York since the summer on a residency supported by the Finnish Cultural Institute.

Toro Manifesto Installation

Vaisberg noticed Toro Manifesto on a recent trip to Mexico City and immediately invited them to participate in her venture. The gallery’s founders were, in fact, familiar with COLLECTIBLE after visiting the Brussels fair two years ago. Even though their Roma Norte gallery opened only in June, their stand reflected a mature outlook on design from their native Mexico, as well as Europe. The running theme throughout the elegant juxtaposition was an unapologetic celebration of ornamentation “not as excess but as a vital gesture.” Backdropped with walls painted in a Farrow & Ball yellow, the presentation included Ehecatl’s three mysterious glass lamps that allude to sacred Mesoamerican flowers, titled Xochipilli. Omareli (Omar Eli Reyes) exhibited elegant aluminum lamps and a shelving unit with sculptural touches in an homage to his experience of working in architectural firms in Mexico.

In Praise of Folly by Hannah Martin

This year’s CURATED section was helmed by Architectural Digest editor and author Hannah Martin. Taking architectural follies as a jumping point, Martin invited visitors to roam around a scenography, which she created in collaboration with sculptor Cat Snodgrass. Rendered in a powdery blue, the setting involved prints of quirky objects on its floor and walls, such as a jelly bean and a silver spoon. Objects peppered across the whimsical scenery included Los Angeles-based designer Sam Klemick’s wooden chair with a large bow tie on its backrest and Fernando Aciar’s ornate egg display tower in ceramic with accents of birds. Martin tells Interior Design that she paid attention to providing a platform to U.S.-based designers in her selection process due to the limited opportunities they otherwise receive.

Room-File Table Display

The London and New York-based design agency and studio Room-File placed an inviting dinner table complete with different chairs and tablescapes by a large window. The arrangement’s scene-stealer was a large Northeastern maple wood table designed by husband and wife duo María Daniela Huiza and Abraham Bendheim of New York-based Juntos Projects. The table’s unique coloration with minty hues creates a balanced contrast with the bold tones of the surrounding seats, including a burgundy stool designed by the couple. They were also represented steps away in the fair’s FASHION Section with a red wine-hued leather and wood chair with a triangular body.

Buket Hoșcan Bazman Showcase

Turkish designer Buket Hoșcan Bazman orchestrated an attractive layout of patinated brass furniture pieces finished with sensual accents of porcelain and textile. Based outside of the Aegean city of Izmir, Hoșcan Bazman brought a gentle and tactile interpretation of a rugged material, forming brass into determined but gentle plays on function. Take, for example, Curio No.2, a long bench punctured with a gentle veil of kilim, woven in Anatolia. Spread across the surface, the fabric penetrates into the brass on both sides and ends up expanding onto the floor, creating a dramatic and even theatrical presence.

Verre d’Onge Glass Display

Run by Flor Amélia Taillefer-Pérez and Jérémie St-Onge, the Montreal design studio Verre d’Onge occupied a cityscape-view stand to demonstrate the visual grasp of minimalist design. A line of handblown glass vessels in various gentle shades was spread across a table, while a long line of photographs that showed St-Onge’s glass-making process was hung throughout the two walls behind. The strong afternoon light washed the vessels in earthy tones with a bright sheen over their mineral palette. Yielding an installation-like experience, the display created a mythic aura around one of the oldest forms of craft while manifesting the timelessness of clean and effortless design.

Uppercut Installation

Antwerp gallery Uppercut is another venture that Vaisberg was excited to bring overseas. Their New York debut was with a two-person outing that pairs South Korean design Yoon Shun with Belgian Freya Tangelder, who operates under the name Destroyers/Builders. The seamless blend of two names results in Shun’s dramatic oak wood and aluminum lamps with heavily burnt surfaces mixed with Tangelder’s aluminum furniture pieces. A standout was her two-seater, dressed with lacquered cotton pads with a raw design over the aluminum surface and small white bronze accents on the couch’s feet. An aluminum low coffee table cast with a lost wax technique held a hefty sculptural presence as well as a tectonic earthiness.

10 Questions With… Brunello Cucinelli

Brunello Cucinelli first came to Solomeo, Italy, where his eponymous luxury fashion brand’s headquarters is now located, in the late 1970s to visit his wife Federica’s hometown. The teeny medieval Umbria town felt almost entirely abandoned. “But I saw beauty in its streets, the view to the valley and the castle with its rich history,” Cucinelli tells Interior Design. Also from Umbria, he felt that the almost “forgotten” town “deserved more attention and a flourishing life.” And as his venture became a global household brand, the designer felt what he calls a “responsibility to give this place a future that honored its past.”

The decision led to a years-long dedication to renovate various buildings across the hamlet town while Cucinelli also built himself and his family a life there. “I firmly believe that each town has its own specific genius-loci, and my goal in every project has always been to respect it, to honor the soul, history, and character of a site,” he says. “Being aware of the harmony and dignity that these places hosted and preserved is a fundamental starting point.” The funding for these ambitious conservation projects, which also span neighboring parts of Perugia, comes from a portion of his company’s profits. He considers the basis of his operations a “humanistic capitalism” for making sure “the profit serves a deeper human purpose.”

The commitment was the subject of a glorious celebration on April 3 when Cucinelli received an honorary doctorate in “Design for Made in Italy: Identity, Innovation, and Sustainability” by the Department of Architecture at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” in Caserta. The university, similar to the designer, is invested in preserving the surrounding architectural legacy with its 16 departments working on former monasteries, convents, and abbeys from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Cucinelli admits he feels “honored, and even more humbled” by the recognition, a major distinction for a non-architect. He considers himself “only a man with a deep connection to Umbria and its communities.” Witnessing his grandchildren at the ceremony was particularly meaningful, “because I feel responsible for their future and the life of our communities beyond the years I will have to share with them,” he adds.

Brunello Cucinelli Preserves Architectural Legacies In Italy

Interior Design: What fascinates you about renovating medieval towns?

Brunello Cucinelli: Medieval towns were built by people who used their hands and respected Mother Nature as an integral part of everyday life. When I restore a town, I am not just rebuilding stone by stone, but I am also trying to revive a way of life that honored craftsmanship, community, and creation.

ID: Tell us when you realized you could make a difference through renovation and urban planning?

BC: I was in Solomeo, Italy, in the early years of my company. The town held a special meaning for my wife, Federica, who was born in this small hilltop village. Our story blossomed in its streets and building a company that was based here had a deep connection for both of us. The vision for Solomeo became clear once we moved into the castle in the center of town, using it as our office space. Surrounded by the frescoes and the old stones, we felt a certain guidance from those that inhabited those walls before us. We started with a small idea and continued to evolve it as the business grew. Both realities became intertwined. The healthier the business, the bigger our restoration ambitions grew. We could use part of our profits to benefit the entire town if we just allocated a portion of them to improving the state of the older structures and streets.

ID: Renovating historic places comes with surprises. How do you think the process helps you understand history, especially as a designer known for timeless designs?

BC: When you appreciate history and philosophy as I do, the idea of renovating an ancient site comes with an added sense of responsibility and a profound thought process to guide each choice. If you feel like a custodian, instead of an owner, your design choices are guided by different principles because you will want each building to continue to live after you are no longer part of their reality.

To touch old stone is to touch time. Each renovation reveals a new layer—a new hand that once shaped that wall, that arch, and that path. In fashion, as in architecture, I seek timelessness because I believe true beauty is not in what changes, but in what endures. Renovating teaches humility. It teaches us that we are not the first nor the last to walk these roads—and that our work must be in service of community.

ID: What parallels do you see between working with fabrics and restoring architecture, particularly when it comes to storytelling through aesthetics?

BC: As a company rooted in Italy and its culture and tradition, I believe that these two elements are connected by an approach to production, craftsmanship, and—more generally—the pursuit of beauty that is deeply Italian. Our culture has always been linked to the search for the union between the beautiful and the useful in every field: craftsmanship, art, architecture. This sensitivity has its roots in our history, whether ancient or more recent, and we have benefited from the know-how and traditions that have been passed down through generations. I believe that the connection between the two is so important that when I opened the Schools of Craft in Solomeo over 10 years ago, I felt we needed to teach not only tailoring, pattern-making, and knitting, but also masonry. Preserving culture in a country with such a rich history also means promoting the important connection that our artisans have with using their hands to produce clothing and restore or build buildings.

Both fabric and stone are vessels of memory. In both, texture is not just a surface; it is a narrative. And I strive to honor this in every item of clothing we produce and in every restored façade we aim to bring back to its original beauty.

ID: Heritage is also a word tied to both architecture and fashion. How do you think about preserving the legacy of a place, much like a brand’s identity?

BC: Heritage is the identity that allows us to look to the future, because heritage itself is something that is built by the juxtaposition of new elements, a bit like how our personal identity is formed by our life experiences. My belief is that belonging to a place, in the sense of having a place where the soul rests, has a great influence on our creativity and genius. I made a conscious choice to live in Umbria, to build my family and my company near the village where I was born. This connection is so important to me and has given purpose and meaning to my life. I believe that a company, like a place, must have its own identity, values, fixed points. Preserving Solomeo was a way of saying: Let’s not forget. We build the future, but we carry our legacy with us. The same goes for our collections. Each piece carries a thread of tradition, even as we aim to remain modern and relevant season after season.

ID: You were in an engineering program as a student but you were also interested in philosophy. What kind of parallel do you see between numbers and ideating on beauty?

BC: Oh yes—that’s a question close to my heart. I carry both sides of these two fields in my life. Mathematics and philosophy have been guiding principles in everything that I’ve done for my professional and personal projects. Numbers are harmony. Mathematics is not cold; it’s the language of proportion, balance, geometry. Philosophy helps us understand why that harmony is important. I’ve always seen design—whether it’s a garment or a building—as a balance between precision and meaning. Between the measurable and the immeasurable. I often quote the great Pythagoras and his explanation of the simple rules for a good life in his Golden Verses. It’s a great example of how philosophy and mathematics together can show us the way to a happy and rich life.

ID: You are known for believing that architecture must have a greater point than simply function. How does your passion for preserving ancient buildings inspire your day-to-day approach to fashion design?

BC: I approach design with the idea of sustainability in mind, as it pertains to having ultimate quality at the core of each project for the elements used and the elevated craftsmanship behind making them. Sustainability in my eyes is also preserving the soul and timeless appeal of any project.

I see “design” as an opportunity of uplifting the human experience and bringing harmony and beauty into the world.

A building that is only functional may shelter you, but it cannot uplift you. The same is true for a coat. When I walk through Solomeo, I am reminded that even a stone path can be poetry. I try to bring that same harmony into our collections by being very attentive to every detail in each garment and look.

ID: Quiet luxury, which is a popular term today, is the way of one’s self-expression—and your brand is considered among its frontrunners. How can architecture achieve a similar sense of nuance, minimalism, and mastery while remaining highly functional?

BC: I don’t think our collections express “quiet” luxury, but they are timeless in their appeal. The level of craftsmanship and detail in our garments speak of such a rich history and approach to manufacturing which I think are not really captured in the idea of “quiet.” I have always preferred the idea of “gentle” luxury because of our attitude in design and the ultimate effect that our clothing has on the person wearing it.

We believe that elegance and grace are important qualities when designing. The choice of each material and the conditions in which each employee works to make these pieces all contribute to the appeal of the items we produce. Similarly, when we thought about new buildings to add to Solomeo, we wanted to respect the landscape of the town and bring new structures that could fit perfectly well into the rest of its rich history.

The most powerful architecture is often the one that blends so perfectly well with its surroundings that it feels as though it has been there since the start. A simple arch. A perfectly balanced façade. Our theater in Solomeo, built in 2008, was designed with the idea that anyone seeing it for the first time would feel as though it had always been a part of this village.

ID: What was the most important message you made sure to convey to young students in your honorary doctorate acceptance speech for the Department of Architecture at the University of Campania?

BC: I told them that I believe in them. I don’t follow the mindset of so many people before me who see young people as lost and troubled. I am inspired by young people—their desire to protect the earth, to have inspiring leaders, to hold adults accountable for their actions. I hope they seek dignity in all that they do and that they continue to uphold big ideals, to be guardians of the earth. I want young people to never forget that their work can be a moral gesture. A way of elevating humanity.

ID: What are your most recent and upcoming renovation and urban planning projects in Solomeo? Are there any buildings that you have just completed renovating?

BC: We are actively working on the Universal Library in Solomeo. It’s inspired by the great library of Alexandria in Egypt, and I hope this will be a new home for all the books I have collected through the years in various languages. I think of this space as a gift for future generations, who will come to visit Solomeo and will be able to indulge in the peace of a space dedicated to culture and history. Books have been my great “teachers,” and I want to design a place that will give them the dignity they deserve.

The Standard High Line Greets Summer With An All-Blue Outdoor Diner

Summer is its own beast for hospitality in New York City. The mischievous weather reinforces a constant zigzag between bone-chilled air-conditioned interiors and the damp-but-vibrant outdoors, all while bars and restaurants are handed down to tourists. In this climate, hotels justifiably seek ways to standout, and unsurprisingly, smartly quirky design promises the visual dazzle.

The Standard High Line responds to the season’s breezy needs with the blue-washed outdoor Soda Shop. Perched right beneath the iconoclastic elevated park, the 1950s-inspired retro fitting offers hotel and outside guests the pillars of a typical diner menu, decked with essentials such as tuna melt and banana split, in the Ennead Architects-designed hotel’s public plaza. New York-based studio Bednark oversaw the design for the on-point visuals after their collaboration last winter for a food and beverage installation in the spirit of British countryside cottages.

Savor Soda Pops At The Standard High Line’s Outdoor Diner

The initial brief from the Standard’s Director of Marketing and Culture Christian Parker for a diner style all-American eatery led to what Bednark’s Luke Perrin calls a “Jetsons-meets-Marty McFly nostalgia, combined with the classic stainless steel and aluminum diners inspired by NASA’s Apollo era.” Perrin attributes their specific vision partially to “the private industry currently reigniting interest in space.”

Parker and the design team looked no further than immediately recognizable signature cues of classic highway diners, such as round fluted stainless steel bar stools which here circle around an 18-foot circular bar and a popping color palette in various shades of blue. A classic soda machine ceaselessly dispenses carbonated water to wash off the greasy grubs. Given that function has to run parallel to optics in an outdoor project, stainless steel—a material which Perrin describes as a “timeless look that withstands weather”—came in handy for the retro-futuristic sheen. A consensus during brainstorming was not to reinvent the wheel when it comes to a canonic look. “Seating and equipment of a soda shop has not changed much over the past 70 years,” adds Perrin.

Jetsons-Meets-Marty McFly In This Retro-Futuristic Diner

After fifteen years in the Meatpacking District where the restaurant and bar scene has left the stage heavily for retail post-pandemic, the Standard continues to brave what Parker calls the “challenge of what we can do next to draw people.” Captivating design surely checks many boxes in this endeavor, especially with the neighborhood’s constant transformation through relatively recent added attractions such as Little Island and Pier 57. “We are going for the experiential element for, let’s say, someone walking down on Little Island who can notice an entirely blue-decked spot and comes over,” adds Parker. A programming will keep the soda shop active throughout the summer, including lawn games, an ice cream dispensary by Van Leeuwen, and a pie counter that not only rotates crusty desserts but also operates as a DJ booth after-hours.

Grab A Bite At The Standard High Line’s All-Blue Diner

10 Questions With… George Yabu And Glenn Pushelberg

Yabu Pushelberg Redefines The Rules Of Hospitality

Interior Design: Let’s start with how you met and started a professional and romantic partnership.

Yabu Pushelberg: We met as 18-year-old interior design students at Ryerson University in Toronto. We were part of a group of friends from school, both working out of our homes and doing little projects. We ran into each other on the streets two years after graduation and talked about sharing a little studio together. At our shared studio, we helped each other with projects to meet the deadlines, and, soon, we realized our work synergies matched. Eventually, we decided to turn this into a business together. We started very humbly with the design of a coffee shop. We had very little but also a lot of fun and passion, which has a lot to do with our longevity.

We became lovers throughout the process. Within the first decade of working together, we started to make some money, although we almost went bankrupt once. Our goal has never been about becoming business people. We are still driven by the desire to have fun and remain risk-takers who push ourselves to do to work in typologies that we have never worked in. We go to places we haven’t worked on, because we’re still curious. Our life is not is not about getting bigger, but about getting better.

ID: How do you distribute tasks between the two of you? 

YP: Distribution is hybrid now. When we first started, we would make a drawing that one of us would start and the other would take over. There were periods when we were on top of each other, doing all the things, which was fun at the beginning. Though, you could also go crazy if you live and work with the same person. As our studio grew, we needed to divide and conquer, but also come together in the end. Today, one of us might start a concept and the other takes over, or one can handle an entire project himself. One of us sometimes gets into the nitty gritty of a project and makes it special. Our rules go back-and-forth and change.

On the other hand, our ethos has never changed from day one, which is why we’re comfortable to be nimble and alter how to approach the right design. There are so many ways of coming up with ideas, and we’re very comfortable breaking them apart and come up with a solution comfortably, without fear.

We once took summer design management courses at Harvard, including marketing and business. One of the things they said was to pick a typology, like if we’re going to design hospitals, then we should design hospitals, or if we want to design offices, then we should stick to it. We ended up doing totally the opposite thing, and we still do so. We take it to a different more difficult road from a business perspective, but from a creative perspective, this is much more interesting.

ID: You both focus on interiors, but you have also recently expanded to product design. How did this growth happen? 

YP: We started hiring industrial designers to create products, because we want to make our interiors better. They’re trained differently than interior people. Then the same goes for textile, so we hired textile designers. We train and mentor people, regardless of what their design school is.

There is a 10-year gap between our two collaborations with Molteni, and the reason was we didn’t have the team yet to make the table that we would feel comfortable with. We waited to have the confidence in doing an object that would pop out. This also meant we had built a form of trust with them.

The way industrial product designers are trained is about seeking a creative problem to solve. Is it about the cantilever of the chair? Is there a metaphor? Are forms working together? What is the negative and positive of the chair? A lot of people come to us for residential interiors, and we turn them down because the project is too easy.

It is interesting to watch different team members. We’re all looking at a chair, let’s say, but with a different angle. Industrial designers spin it around in different angles, upside down, sideways, rotating and flipping over, or bird’s eye view. They design the object, but the rest is in space, which is the benefit that we have. Interior designers can put that object, whether it’s a chair or a table, and give it a purpose, reason and stories.

ID: When we look at your Aman residency project in Tokyo or the bar you designed for Moët & Chandon in Berlin, we always see a bold statement. Sexy texture meet interesting scales and color choices. How do you familiarize yourself with a project in terms of its city? 

YP: We try to get an understanding of a place, and if nobody gives us any information, we build a story, a narrative. In the case of Berlin, we talked about what champagne connotes, not a day-to-day drink for the most part. There are associations of effervescence and decadence. Each detail has an intention, the intense red little alcove, the little peekaboos on the wall, and the champagne colored metal front of the bar.

ID: La Samaritaine department store in Paris occupies a historical building. What were the different elements of embarking on a renovation project, which means heritage and history, as opposed to a clean slate?

YP: The nice thing about that project is that it had amazing natural bones, such as the iconic staircase. The big atrium is always the focus. The visitors are in a natural ring with each floor, but the space is also very intimate. There is no suffocation because of all this natural light. The challenge was this balance of rejuvenating the old lady and and creating a sense of modernity at the same time, all working in a synergy together.

The board found out that all the steel should be painted in a horrible egg yolk yellow. We convinced them to chip off the existing paint to see what color is underneath and found this amazing gray blue. We also convinced the board that this color can be considered historic because it was underneath the existing paint. We eventually would use this blue, which is much more compatible to the murals and the ceilings.

ID: How do you create a communal, inviting feeling and a sense of seductive privacy in your hospitality projects?

YP: Whatever the typology of a space is, we try to use the interior to help somebody have an emotion. Someone could feel centered, energized, or serene. They might just want to sit in a corner and watch people. Most go through the manipulation of the three dimensional space, with how we use lighting, how certain colors pull people, or how a corner is formed. There must be this great sense of discovery.

But for Aman, their ethos is to make guests feel that they are the only person at a resort. And, in order to achieve this physically, there needs to be a specific layout of the public spaces and the paths. For the Aman residences in Tokyo, for example, we created short cuts for those who don’t want to run into their neighbors. In terms of creating hospitable spaces, we, as designers, have to take care of so many different people coming into a specific brand—there might be a person who is coming to a bar to get lucky or someone who might want to go over tomorrow’s presentation in their head. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach that can cater to all customer profiles.

ID: Could you talk about the art consulting aspect of your brand?

YP: We’ve found that the art often doesn’t connect with the story that we, as designers, create for the hotel guests. There is usually no alignment. Art supports what we try to say in a project. The same can also be said for the flowers, the equipments, or the cutlery. And the wrong art can really destroy or diminish the story and give a wrong message. The advising component came out of wanting to make our work stronger and more cohesive. We often have in mind the type of artist that a project needs.

In our early days, we did some installation art and we have friends and employees who are artists. We have an ongoing relationship with an art advisory firm called Hanabi, which is run by our friend Jamie. We are, in a way, one step removed from selecting the art, but we coach him about what we need. Art in a space needs to speak for itself. If the environment is too tight with too much interior around, it won’t play well.

ID: You are a fan of Peter Hujar’s photography. He heavily used furniture pieces such as chairs in connection with the human form. What do you think about the relation between corporality, the body, and furniture when you design an object or an interior?

YP: The Hujar work that we have is purely corporal, and there are no props or objects in it. It almost looks like a non-figurative Henry Moore sculpture even though the subject is the human body.

But of course in Hujar’s overall work, there is reference to history, as well as a political statement. We have a program with the Art Gallery of Ontario, in which we work with their curator of photography and we donate gay, lesbian, and transgender photography to the museum. We’ve donated Peter Hujar, Tseng Kwong Chi, Wolfgang Tillmans, and others. We want to be able to teach younger queer generations their immediate history, from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s and it is important to do this through art, which is a great vehicle.

ID: You have a scholarship program with Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). What kind of investment do you see in supporting newcomers?

YP: We established an excellence-based scholarship in which the recipient gets some money and they have an opportunity to work with us. We also have another center scholarship because we want to push design innovation. Beyond raising money, we’re on the board of TMU as an outside council. We’re also starting new activities where we host salon-style gatherings at our offices in New York and Toronto with guest speakers who educate university students about different topics. We talk about topics related to future, such as longevity and ways to collaborate with different businesses. We try to build bridges with schools and help shape the curriculum a bit.

ID: Hotel projects give designers a freedom that they may not have with domestic interiors. We tend to be more open to experimental hotel rooms but choose a muted setting for a permanent bedroom.

YP: Yes, the guests still must have the feeling that they are in control and know where everything is. Most hotels want guests to feel at home. But we tell them “you know what, sometimes they just don’t want to feel like they’re at home.” This is more about feeling in control, but, yes, not necessarily at home.

A Room Of One’s Own: Local Creatives Enliven Hotel De L’Europe

The wave of challenges imposed on the hospitality industry following the pandemic is no secret. Many enterprises however have weathered the turbulence through thoughtful solutions which often expand to collaborations with creative industries to attract guests with experience-based offers. And although independent hotels perhaps hold larger stakes in the game of survival during economic unpredictability, they also have larger freedom in taking creative liberties and immerse guests with unparalleled experiences.

Amsterdam’s iconic Hotel De L’Europe tapped into an experience-forward concept with a suite of rooms customized by the Dutch capital’s key designers, studios, and artists. The project, which is called ‘t Huys (“rooms” in Dutch), occupies the hotel’s 14 rooms, each re-imagined by the likes of Bibi van der Velden, Ravestijn Gallery, KOKKE House, and Salle Privée. Van Gogh Museum is yet another participant with a room designed to zoom visitors into the mindset of the Dutch master by stimulating various senses. “There is an expression that Amsterdam was built around our building,” tells the hotel’s experience manager Lisette de Koning. Although Hotel De L’Europe has been in operation since 1890, the building itself was erected in the 1600s to host guests as an inn. In a meaningful coincidence, the project also overlaps with Amsterdam’s 750th birthday and serves what de Koning explains as a “guardian of local culture and craftsmanship, a role we hold with great pride.” The idea stemmed from the initial plan of launching an artist residency during lockdowns. Once social life started returning to normalcy, the city’s only independent five-star hotel decided to expand the connection they had already established with local creatives through permanent themed rooms.

Hotel De L’Europe Immerses Guests With Themed Rooms

For KOKKE House founder Daniel Beasley, the collaboration was similar to “being a child in a candy store.” They chose design objects by Ruud-Jan Kokke some of which are in the collections of the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk museum, in addition to paintings and sculptures by Petra Hartman. The highlights include handblown lamps crafted in collaboration with the historic Dutch crystal maker Royal Leerdam and the canopy bed Pootjes! which reinterprets a playful, both slim and bulbous, wooden chair Kokke designed in 1999. “The collaboration offers guests a rare opportunity: not just to see our design classics, but to live with them,” adds Beasley. “It turns a museum-quality experience into something intimate, personal, and real.”

The possibility to live within a museum is perhaps best experienced in the room created by the Van Gogh Museum. “It is not a substitute for a museum visit, but a special addition,” says a museum representative. The design reenacts the energy of a brightly-hued Van Gogh painting, including an audio walkthrough which narrates stories related to a few key artworks. The room also features museum edition replicas of his four sketchbooks and letters to his brother, Theo. The bathroom is reserved for an olfactory experience with scents of sunflower and almond blossom which were integral in the master’s practice. The main show however is the opportunity to stay with a 3D replica of a Van Gogh. Guests can pick their painting—be that The Bedroom or Sunflowers—before check-in and have the replica delivered to their room with a white-glove butler service. “Staying connected to our community is essential, and through ‘t Huys, we aim to offer guests something truly unique,” adds de Koning. “The project is a groundbreaking initiative that reimagines traditional hotel spaces as multifunctional cultural hubs.”

Stay In Hotel De L’Europe’s Revamped Rooms By Local Creatives

KOKKE House Turns A Museum-Quality Experience Into A Fun Living Space

7 Highlights From the Inaugural Design Biennale Rotterdam

The soccer game between AC Milan and Rotterdam’s Feyenoord on February 18, 2025, provided an interesting allegory of two cities’ statuses as European design capitals. The match—ending with a 1-1 tie—took place the night before the unveiling of the inaugural Design Biennale Rotterdam, which continues its programing through March 2, 2025. Unlike Milan’s long-established design gallery scene and the annual Salone, Northern Europe’s design and architectural capital has yet to claim its spot on the international design calendar. Co-organized by Liv Vaisberg and Sarah Schulten, the biennial taps into this need to unite the local network of designers, makers, architects, scholars, and design aficionados while introducing the city’s offerings to a global audience.

Rotterdam is not shy about its knack for design. Its soaring glass and steel-forward buildings are a reflection of a revamped harbor city, once torn by World War II and now home to countless studios, agencies, and manufacturers. Despite heavy-lifters like OMA and MVRDV as well as cutting-edge institutions like Niewu Instituut, the metropole’s influence on the international sector has been rather quiet. “Rotterdam is a city where designers work and produce but don’t show a lot,” Vaisberg tells Interior Design. She notes that interest among design graduates from Eindhoven is relatively new. Schulten underlines the city’s rich foundation: “What we have witnessed during the build up of the biennale is that there is incredible energy and knowledge in Rotterdam which I think comes from a mentality of not just talking, but doing.”

The biennial’s more than two-hundred participants, hailing from all over Europe, materialize the founders’ sentiments on the city’s no-frills tradition. Six venues, which include an office building, a former electricity station, and a tannery-turned-coworking space, host exhibitions put together under various themes. Organizers paid attention to inaugurating the biennial with a “less pretentious” approach, according to Schulten, in celebrating design in all forms. “Rem Koolhaas said once that Rotterdam is the least pretentious city, and we wanted to keep this energy,” she added.

The show’s overarching theme: “What’s real is unfamiliar” carves room for experimentation and open-ended juxtapositions of the moment in local production. The expression is based on a poem from the local poet Rien Vroegindeweij. “For us, it means not to be afraid of the unknown and to acknowledge that to be able to live in the future, we have to adapt to new ways of living and new traditions, and designers are used to this,” says Schulten. This is Us, set up at the early post-World War II building Groot Handelsgebouw, focuses on Rotterdam-based designers, while the nearby office building W70 features various thematic groupings, including those on ornamentation and plastic. The former factory Katoenhuis hosts large scale projects that examine technology’s relationship with design.

Must-See Moments From Design Biennale Rotterdam 2025

Cairn by Laurids Gallée

Resin is among Rotterdam’s prides, with the local designers’ pioneering use of the material, such as Vincent van Rijck in 1990s. Laurids Gallée’s solo presentation of new light fixtures at a storefront space near the city’s bustling main train station captivates the passersby with resin’s disarming visual richness. Each titled Cairn, the Austrian-born local designer’s floor and ceiling fixtures radiate in fluorescent shades of orange and pink, occupying a romantically-set interior with their somewhat futuristic auras and alluringly sleek forms.

This is Us

At another nearby storefront, the biennial salutes local talent with This is Us, a show exclusively dedicated to Rotterdam-based studios, with a title borrowed from the slogan of Feyenoord team. The participants’ diverse backgrounds are reflected in the equally vibrant material palettes and visual statements, which range from demure touches to maximalist takes on aesthetic and function. Take, for example, Audrey Large and Theophile Blandet’s collaboration of an aluminum-coated resin 3D-printed chandelier. The dark green-colored morphic form hovers above a wool tapestry o glitched imagery by Jonas Hejduk. Russo Betak’s enigmatic lamps, titled Pelikan, have curved necks and bulbous shades, made out of none other than shelves of oysters, mussels, and scallops.

JUPITER4 by Gert Wessels

Gert Wessel’s oozing fiberglass JUPITER4 bookshelf is hung at the entrance of a large floor of adjacent office spaces at W70. The Utrecht-based designer’s embodiment of fluidity on a glazed firm surface contrasts the predictability of a corporate interior. Welcoming the visitors to the rigidly corporate interior, the fluid form is at once humorous and innovative while suggesting a tongue-in-cheek approach to function.

Millebolle by Indefinito

At the entrance to the offices, the Italian studio Indefinito exhibits Millebolle, a modular sofa solution with multiple configuration options that lends itself to equally variant social interactions. Made out of large bouncy 3D-knit balls, the couch is a playful take on furniture’s potential in disrupting social rituals, especially within the firm designation of an office space, here with the views of the Rotterdam skyline on the back.

Artemis Mitsiou’s Ceramic Vessels

Artemis Mitsiou’s ceramic vessels occupy a former phone booth, filling the small nook with a breeze of Mediterranean craft. The forms over a minimalist wooden table allude to clay which the designer hauled from a river bank in her hometown in Greece to sculpt their ultimate forms in Rotterdam where she is currently based. The earth material speaks to the local tradition of giving each Greek who prepares to leave their homeland a piece of clay to transport as a piece of memory of the motherland.

Lisa Konno and Laura Maksa’s Office Room

An office room houses an inspiring pairing of fashion and furniture through Lisa Konno and Laura Maksa, two Netherlands-based designers whose different design practices yield a texturally-rich and visually-attractive juxtaposition. Konno, who works in fashion and textiles, exhibits sculpturally-tailored dresses accentuated with porcelain bits, presented not unlike Maksa’s tubular chrome frame seats with polypropylene rope details. All in bright shades, the furniture pieces and the garments orchestrate an unexpected encounter of design through different paths.  

Parabolic Intersects by Zelt Studio

At Katoenhuis, where the 26-foot high ceiling allows for spatial experimentation, Zelt Studio, an Amsterdam-based design practice founded by Johannes Offerhaus, occupies a large room with a portion of their immersive Parabolic Intersects project. Originally commissioned by the Dutch music festival Down the Rabbit Hole last summer, the all-encompassing installation of textile dressed over an elongated wooden structure conveys movement and transformation. Here, Offerhaus, who is also a sailor, cuts a slice of the original outdoor installation and reinterprets it indoors to echo the festival’s breezy spirit. A film projection details the installation’s conception and installation process, while wall sketches and a maquette further materialize the vision.