A weekly recap to share with you our favorite links, discoveries, exhibitions, and more from the past seven days. This week: an NYC design showroom decorated in the next “it” color, a set of desk accessories to improve any workspace, and a chic ceramic bowl for design-conscious cat owners (like myself!).

Interiors

Has our thirst for oxblood red shifted on to a darker, more burgundy hue? This showroom for New York design studio Astraeus Clarke may be an early indicator. The newly opened space in Chinatown is wrapped in a specific soft-aubergine shade, and provides a moody environment to display founders Jacob and Chelsie Starley’s new lighting collection, Darning. The designs, which comprise pairs of metal pipes, can be spotted throughout the showroom alongside the studio’s earlier pieces and a range of vintage finds. Star motifs also recur on the ceiling and in textiles, as a subtle nod to the brand’s moniker and the founders’ surname.

Four years after Sancal opened its furniture showroom in Barcelona, the Spanish brand decided it was time for a refresh. They returned to architect Isern Serra, who designed the space originally, to once again create a platform for the bold, colorful products. Treating these pieces like sculptures, he approached the industrial-style space like a gallery rather than a residential setting, and grouped the items into four artful vignettes. A collaboration with Vasto Gallery involved integrating collectible designs, as well as several pieces from Rotterdam-based Forever Studio.

When the new owners of this Paris home wanted to add a ceramics studio (because who doesn’t?!), they called upon Mesnil Architectures to create a distinct separation between the workshop and the living areas. Since the late 19th century, the building has been altered and extended to meet the changing needs of its varied occupants, and the architects saw this renovation as a chapter that would celebrate all of these past iterations. The living room is relocated under an existing pitched skylight, which is highlighted in black, while the walls and wooden ceiling beams are painted white. Wood floors are sanded to a pale finish, and new elements like a banquette with patterned upholstery offer a place to relax after a long day at the pottery wheel next door.

Exhibitions

Mexico’s rich history of craft and recent boom in contemporary design combined in this exhibition organized by furniture brand Difane. The CMDX-based company brought together a selection of works from its collection that showcase the country’s handcrafting traditions in fresh forms, presented alongside artworks from Estudio Actual gallery. The pieces on view ranged from the solid walnut Ruth Lounge Chair by Edgar Orlaineta and Simon Hamui with an angular backrest, Juan Alan González’s Basse Table that appears like a pool of metal, and the Glacier Coffee table that Taller Nacional has sculpted from a pink onyx slab, with its zig-zagging underside resting on small blackened steel arches. Titled Áurea, the exhibition ran throughout February.

Discoveries

Sibisibi Studio, a partnership between designer Ju-kyoung Ahn and metal craftsman Yumin Jeon, launched a variety of new furniture pieces at the most recent Designtide Tokyo that demonstrate their fusion of metalwork with PLA plastic. The duo integrated the lightweight, translucent material as the back and arms of a lounge chair, the diffusers for a table and a floor lamp, and panels within a modular screen system. The result is a futuristic, slightly ethereal aesthetic that would make a great addition to a sci-fi movie or TV set.

After presenting one of our favorite collections at Alcova in Milan last year, designer Natalia Criado has applied her signature style that combines silver-plated brass and tiny balls to a range of office accessories — which we need on our desks immediately. From a business card weight and a notepad holder, to stands for diaries and phones, the set is ideal for organizing all of the clutter that accumulates on a work surface. There’s even a coaster and a small lamp to match.

Just when we thought candle season was coming to an end, fragrance maker Ffern will release this Thursday their first candle — a Spring 2025 edition that’s completely natural, and made with a non-toxic, plant-based wax. The shiny double-walled, recycled steel vessel is based on the silverware that the brand’s co-founders remember as children, and the lid is embellished with an enamelled artwork – this season created by artist Cory Fedar. The candle is also captured in gorgeous still life photos by Jess Ellis, which feature soft blue hues that have us even more excited for spring.

Transatlantic furniture studio Darling has collaborated with NYC-based Portuguese designer Diogo Corte-Real, on a collection that celebrates his home country’s maritime history. Titled Caravela after Portugal’s small sailing boats, the range includes tables and shelves with three-pointed forms that mimic a ship’s prow and “embodies the tension between movement and stability.” One version has a solid aluminum base that tapers away from the glass top surface to exaggerate its shape, while the other two feature slender stainless steel frames. Each was produced as a limited-edition batch.

Definitely getting this chic cat dish for my kitty, designed by Joseph Guerra and Doris Design for pet brand Smalls. Based on classic ceramic silhouettes, the Smallserve bowl is also shaped to make feeding time more comfortable. The dish is wide and shallow to create ample room for whiskers, and is elevated on a pedestal to prevent neck strain. A base tray is also provided to catch debris from messy eaters, and each component can be removed for easy cleaning. Two fun color combinations are available — Mossball and Butterblue — to create a bold statement in the kitchen. Purrr-fect (sorry, had to) for the design-conscious pet owner.

Spring sneakers are here! Camper’s latest collab, with Italian brand Sunnei, involved updating a style in the shoe company’s Pelotas family from 1996. The distinctive lightweight, bi-color sole comprises small cylindrical pillars connected by a wavy sheet, while the uppers are made from an 85% recycled engineered knit. Four retro-inspired color combinations are available, and it’s hard to choose a favorite between them.