Here at Livingetc, our contributing editor Keith Flanagan keeps his finger on the pulse of what's happening on the US design scene — and reports his findings. Keith is a design expert, an editor with an exceptional eye who has a talent for spotting trends as they happen... and often just before they're about to.
As we pivot into a new season, the New York design scene is abuzz – get ready for a plethora of exciting launches (of homeware, accessories, collaborations) over the coming months. Right now, the newness coming from furniture and homeware brands seems to be hinting at a few emerging trends, as Keith's September report shows – from playful table linen to black lacquered accent furniture (yes, it's as glam as it sounds).
Read on to check out the latest from the US scene, including the best home decor stores and the new launches setting the tone for this year's biggest interior design trends.
Secret swivel
Our style editor, Brigid Kennedy, recently pulled together an exhaustive list of modern swivel chairs, and there’s a newcomer that I’m adding to the extended cut. Blu Dot, the always-modern Minneapolis-based furniture brand, just released a plump Looksee Swivel Lounge Chair in its fall collection that has my head spinning.
It features a hidden base that belies its extra functional perk: the chair has an organic shape that hides the swiveling mechanism, making it appear like a static, deep-seated lounge chair. You wouldn’t know it rotates 360 degrees until you sit down, a sure surprise for unassuming guests taking it for a spin.
It comes in a range of fabric, leather, and velvet upholstery, but the latter catches my eye most—a Breezy Blue velvet fits perfectly in the pale blue palette trend, while Copper velvet hits the spot as we lean into cozy fall decor ideas with rich and rusty autumnal colors.
Playful linens
I don’t have much occasion for table linens at my NYC apartment (I’m tragically casual), but as the holidays approach, I might change course after seeing the latest collection at Matouk’s newly opened uptown showroom (in addition to the brand’s first-ever retail space, House of Matouk, which just opened on the Upper East Side).
While the Massachusetts-based maker leans classic, their expanded ‘Wave’ linens go bold with a contemporary edge: a playful and wavy border is finished in bright two-tone embroidery. Set on the table, its edges pop like little starbursts, as if you doodled around your plates and cups with bright markers, making it fancy yet totally fun.
Adding to the current series, a larger placemat version is new this season, all of which come in a range of stylish colors, from vibrant carnelian to aquarius and chestnut–a little something extra for your holiday tablescape.
Brilliant tints
Colored glass is having a moment throughout architecture, and it’s especially on my radar as we head into our cooler seasons, as tints can inject joyful vibes into your space as the temperature drops. But I’m not just seeing these brilliant tints in architectural features: Brooklyn-founded bath company Quiet Town has released an updated version of its popular Sun Shower curtain, now with a grid pattern.
The curtain feels like a clever hack on stained glass; a warm filter that can refresh any modern bathroom, the tinted curtain (the brand’s first printed pattern) was inspired by classic 2x2 bathroom tile placements, which the co-founders Michael and Lisa Fine have in their own Long Island home. The curtain filters light through six nostalgic colorways, and my eye is immediately drawn to warmer varieties like Honey, Butter, and Rose that drench the space in tinted light through the squares much like panes of glass.
Dark mode
Black will always have a place in every New Yorker’s heart, which makes me all the more excited when home decor takes after fashion by switching into dark mode. At the first NYC edition of Belgium's popular COLLECTIBLE, which bills itself as the world's only fair devoted to contemporary collectible design, it was impossible to miss the all-black ‘Popo’ chair by California-based designer Ben Willett, released in a limited run through digital retailer Basic.Space.
The up-and-coming designer counts this as his first dining chair, constructed with stacked MDF and finished in evocative black lacquer. It could punctuate almost any room with a bit of deep contrast, making for an unexpected focal point amongst popular palettes at the moment. Are the days of bland and beige decor numbered? Certainly, this small debut hints at a darker, emboldened take on neutrals.
