Kips Bay Decorator Show House Reveals Palm Beach Plans, Art Basel Gets Postponed, and More News This Week

A Top Designer Picks Her Favorite Things

AD100 designer Pamela Shamshiri is a master at curating exciting products for her clients’ homes. For a recent collaboration with Autotype Design Club, she translated that skill into a series of limited-edition bundles for various rooms in the home: the office, the kitchen, the bedroom, and the bathroom. Ten percent of all sales will go toward a scholarship in interior design hosted by Autotype and Studio Shamshiri.

Openings

A Virtual Showroom Aims to Help Fill the IRL Void

As design firms work diligently to make up for the lost exposure of canceled design markets and trade fairs, product introductions have taken on a slew of new creative concepts. For its latest launch, the modern lighting maker Sonneman–A Way of Light has introduced its first virtual reality showroom, modeled precisely after its Dallas Market Center showroom, which would normally be welcoming trade professionals this time of year for Lightovation. Virtual attendees can now get a 360-degree tour of the manufacturer’s sculptural fixtures, as well as access to save and share SKUs, among other organizational tools, within the portal.

On the Design, Art, and Fashion Fronts, Brick-and-Mortar Openings Abound

The new Jim Dove showroom officially opened this week in Palm Beach. The space, which shows off the architect’s work, is replete with De Gournay wallpaper and L’Atelier Paris stoves. Also of note, fashion label Marni debuted a colorful new Meatpacking District location. Dubbed Marni Meatpacking Market, the Manhattan store is a study in saturation that showcases the brand’s home furnishings and design object wares particularly well. Last but certainly not least, the Future Perfect unveiled its collaborative Arflex Gallery pop-up show today. The effort perfectly illustrates what the Italian furniture manufacturer is all about. 

Business

The Hotel World’s Hottest Amenity? COVID Testing Sites

According to a new CDC ruling,  beginning next week, travelers must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before entering the U.S. As such, international hotels are making efforts to provide accessible testing on their properties. One such example is the Dominican Republic’s Case de Campo Resort & Villas, which will be delivering PCR tests in a private concierge lounge for a fee.

Wellness Is On the Mind

Mental and physical well-being feels more important than ever right now. So the time is ripe for bath and kitchen fixture brand Fantini to host its Wellness Week, featuring programming on how the design industry can create spaces that soothe. It begins with a Zoom webinar on Monday, January 25, featuring talents such as Alessandro Munge; continues on Thursday with a session on color moderated by Laura Guido-Clark; and ends on Friday with a yoga class taught by Alia Bisat.

Hires

A Fresh Board and Slew of Nominees Make News

The International Furnishings and Design Association has a new board of trustees. Most notable of the appointments, Karen Dzendolet, previously of the New England chapter, has been named chair for the 2021 term. Additionally, the National Young Arts Foundation has shared its nominees for the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts. The list, which focuses on high school students, includes a number of individuals who excel in art and design. A bright group of fresh talent for what will hopefully prove to be a much brighter year.