Design Milk

Benoist F. Drut grew up in an idyllic village northwest of Paris, surrounded by lily ponds and castles—a place that honed his eye for beauty. When he was a teen, he met 18th-century French furniture expert Thierry Millerand. Millerand explained to an inquisitive Drut that the best way to learn about antiques was on the job, but Drut’s parents convinced him to continue his studies. He earned a law degree, but the conversation stayed with him. “That advice fueled my passion, and it was Thierry who

When you think of commercial interior design, American DJ Diplo probably does not immediately come to mind. But at the 57th edition of NeoCon earlier this month, that connection materialized thanks to a brand activation—and dance party—hosted by SitOnIt Seating at the House of Blues, where the famed producer and performer held court as part of the event’s off-site programming. Beyond the DJ sets, this year’s NeoCon calendar featured a wealth of compelling activations, exciting partnerships, and

Emerging throughout Renaissance Europe as conspicuous displays of wealth and knowledge, wunderkammers, or cabinets of curiosity, contained carefully amassed collections of oddities, natural elements, and era-distinctive examples of material culture. The reserve of particularly learned rulers, aristocrats, members of the clergy, and scholarly scientists, these encyclopedic assemblages of religious relics and antiquities were often housed within sumptuously adorned, holistically themed environment

School design often centers on a series of basic classrooms placed together to support study and extracurricular activities for young learners. Yet these facilities can be more institutional than imaginative, and often have little connection to the outdoors, whether in rural or urban settings. For a Dakshana Foundation-funded secondary facility in India, Morphogenesis decided to forgo typology to blend with nature rather than keep it apart, so that it becomes a tool for learning. Located in Kh

Rugs have yet again become a popular medium for fresh, unabashed ideation. Art for the floor, this hyper-refined furnishing typology is being reassessed as a potent and plenteous conduit for pictorial representation and abstract expression. Over the past year, established producers, scrappier start-ups, and independent talents have debuted a drove of designs that render this home accessory—once an afterthought—a foremost focal point of the interior. Reining in this season of extensive explorati

Texture holds memory. From warped wood steps worn down from years of use to the sun-faded fibres of a favorite carpet, time-worn spaces and surfaces bear physical evidence of the past. Celebrating this patina of time––and reflecting on the experiences that shape our lives and careers––a recent soirée at the Bentley Mills Chicago showroom marked both Design Milk’s 20th anniversary and the launch of Bentley Mills’ new Land/Mark collection. The afternoon featured a conversation between Jaime Derrin

After a decade of staging exhibitions inside Manhattan residences, Radnor is opening a gallery in Brooklyn, closer to where the story began. The studio has operated out of Gowanus’s American Can Factory for years, while a meaningful share of its roster—including Egg Collective, Workstead, and Pelle—built early careers in the borough’s workshops and lofts. The new penthouse at Brooklyn Tower arrives for Radnor’s 10th anniversary as both a homecoming and the latest expression of founder Susan Clar

Using material to its fullest potential can seem subjective at first. For Brooklyn-based KLN Studio—the multidisciplinary practice of Sam Keene, James Lepkowski, and Toby Newman—it means allowing a material’s story to be told again and again, albeit in a different language. Drawing on expertise in woodworking, metalworking, and digital fabrication, the studio brings new energy to reclaimed wood through a group of lighting and home furnishings now available through Afternoon Light. Reclaimed mate

Comprising a whopping 60 components—as varied in shape and dimension as they are in aesthetic configuration—the just-released Superflex solution by Danish producer ege Carpets is as agile as it is durable. The offering incorporates two-tone sfumato compositions, tone-on-tone organic-cut collages, marbled and stone-relief effects, florals, and patchwork patterns. Its aim is to imbue the floors of high-traffic commercial and public spaces with more character, facilitating both stylistic expression

Contemporary new builds can arrive with many of their most consequential decisions already made: the orientation, the window placement, the ceiling heights, the boundaries of its floor plan. For Sashya Thind, Principal Designer and Founder of her eponymous studio, the opportunity in this 5,900-square-foot home in Weston, Massachusetts, lay in treating those seemingly fixed architectural conditions as a starting point rather than a constraint. Designed for a young couple, the six-bedroom reside

NeoCon is not for the faint of heart. This year’s attendees visiting The Mart—a building in downtown Chicago so enormous that it used to sport its own zip code—managed appointment-filled days and accumulated impressive step counts. With over 450 exhibitors as well as attendees from 88 countries, the programming for this 57th edition was jam-packed with activations: Sandow’s DesignScene, comprising METROPOLIS’ Sustainability Lab, the Designer Wellness Lounge by Design Milk, and an interactive exp

The design industry is moving away from expected, overly iterated typologies—seating and lighting—and expanding its focus to the more overlooked elements of our interiors. More and more brands are wholly dedicating themselves to previously taken-for-granted categories: finishes such as hardware and accessories like cutlery. This renewed spirit of fresh ideation, centered as much on stylistic exploration as functional reconfiguration, has extended to home textiles as well. With a bevy of wildly

The physical manifestations of growth exist all around us. Plants sprout, live, and die, returning their nutrients to the soil – a perfect cycle of endless energy. Rivers cut through rock, forming new streams that offer less resistance as gravity pulls forever downward. Trees, our protectors of the air and soil, grow in distinct directions as well, beholden to the conditions and nutrients present. Crafted from branches collected from Tokyo’s street trees and local parks, Uneri by Sotanaka

Some homes begin with a site visit while others begin with a passing thought. But this project belongs solely to serendipity. Months before Fariz Mamedov of FM Interiors Design Bureau was formally approached to design this 150-square-meter apartment in central Almaty, Kazakhstan, he would often drive past the residential complex while it was still under construction––musing of one day working on its interiors. Soon after, clients reached out with an apartment in that very building. Whether you

Born and raised in Nicaragua, Lidia Valdivia remembers her childhood residence fondly. “It was colorful, textured, imperfect, and full of personality,” she says. “Nothing was overly designed, but everything felt intentional. I think a lot of my work today still comes back to that.” After Valdivia migrated to the United States, she learned to refinish hardwood floors, which was her first job in construction. It wasn’t until she walked through a 1900s home though that she knew what she was meant t

What comes to mind when we think of sustainability in action? Is it in manufacturing, proximity, materiality, or a combination of the three? In terms of holistic design, every part of the process must be considered with tact, understanding the nuances of the world we exist within. Almost synonymous with the term ‘office chair’, the Aeron Chair from Herman Miller has been a symbol of peak American office design, long regarded as a well-earned gift for a job well done. A stately way t

With “Entrate,” curated by Martina Muzi, MAXXI has been making the most of its lobby by inviting architects to animate the space and truly draw visitors in. Last year, Nacho Carbonell devised an evocative setting in Rome’s Zaha Hadid—designed modern art museum with Memory, in practice. Taking the baton for the second edition is another Spanish practice: TAKK, founded by Mireia Luzárraga and Alejandro Muiño in Barcelona, have conjured a fantastical ambience that is also deeply r

The journey at Solis East begins well before you step into the 7750-square-foot sanctuary: Members ascend by elevator, peering down at St. Lawrence Street before crossing a sky bridge to the entryway. “I like to think of it as a wellness spaceship,” Blessing Adedijo, studio manager, says of the newest pilates studio in Toronto’s east end. Just inside the door, a reception and communal lounge boast wonderfully ethereal qualities — the warm, marble-patterned monolithic central desk is softly lit b

Dappled light is a phenomenon that might seem mundane for some, yet is one of the most unique experiences in our universe. Other planets may have wind, and rock, and atmosphere – but we’re the only one with trees, making their shade quite a special experience. Leaves flutter to and fro, a product of thousands of distinct elements, flowing skillfully together. Pulling on this distinct experience, Heath Ceramics is proud to present the Summer 2026 Collection, inspired by the work of Bienvenue Stud

With seamless flow between all areas of the home, indoor-outdoor rugs are essential in high-traffic areas where people and pets gather. While durable, most of these pieces are on the serviceable end of the spectrum, in basic shades and a few patterns. Two new introductions from Revival Rugs offer plenty of summer-ready color and motifs that pop underfoot. Designed for easy maintenance and longevity, these versatile rugs enhance both indoor and outdoor spaces from kitchens to patios. Shima take