At the end of each month, DNN Editor in Chief Courtney Porter curates a list of five standout things — design projects, product launches and noteworthy events, that deserve your attention. Together they offer a snapshot of where the design industry stands, capturing emerging trends, influential movements and key developments. Think of it as your monthly briefing on what’s shaping the creative landscape. Here is our edition for June 2025.
1. Aesthetic Trend: Abstract Nature
The abstract nature trend infuses interiors with a poetic blend of calming, organic inspiration and modern surrealism. Often influenced by fine art movements of the past and technology of the future, consider this the seasonal Summertime expansion on the surreal themes we’ve been seeing at the design and art shows at home and abroad.
Richard Yasmine’s Divine Decadence, for example, offers a daring interpretation of the movement, an art de la table collection of sinuous marble vessels bloom with delicate jasmine flowers and bristle with stainless steel spikes.
Ege’s Design Studio’s Abstract rug collection, which I wrote about last week in our Rugs Worth the Buzz round-up is yet a softer example of the abstract nature trend.
2. Tariff Talk: Brooklyn-based Stitchroom is holding on prices amidst tariff turmoil:
While many manufacturers are passing on cost increases driven by tariffs and supply shortages, especially in categories like foam and lumber, we talked to one company who is committed to holding prices amidst the turmoil.
Brooklyn-based workroom Stitchroom is choosing to absorb the impact. “For now, we are absorbing the costs and taking on the risk of tighter margins for as long as possible,” said founder Ella Hall. “We believe it’s important to shield our clients from volatility whenever we can. To prepare, we’re maintaining flexible material sourcing strategies, closely monitoring market trends, and continuing to invest in internal efficiencies so we can respond quickly as conditions evolve.”
The company’s three-month pricing hold is part of a trial period. “Tariffs are ever-changing, and while we haven’t been significantly impacted yet, we’re closely monitoring the situation,” Hall said. “Our goal is always to make decisions with our clients at the forefront. While it’s hard to predict the long-term, we’re committed to maintaining steady pricing as long as possible.”
To support this initiative, Stitchroom has enhanced its operational backbone. “We’ve invested in better tooling and upgraded technology to streamline operations and reduce expenses,” Hall said. “These improvements have allowed us to work more efficiently without sacrificing quality.”
As for how designers and showrooms are responding to tariffs: We spoke with multiple design-trade showrooms on the east coast and midwest, they reported numbers were up with their domestic manufacturers and requests to carry lines made in the US were up as well. No surprises there.
3. Futurism and Technology at NeoCon:
NeoCon 2025 centered the critical role of technology in shaping a more equitable and forward-thinking design landscape.
Each of the three keynote speakers spoke on the intersection of design and technology (You can watch each talk online here). Tech executive Annie Jean-Baptiste presented “Designing for Global Innovation,” emphasizing inclusive, human-centered design as a framework for technological solutions that serve diverse communities.
English design critic and author Alice Rawsthorn explored how design could act as a tool for progress in “Design as an Attitude,” positioning technology as a partner in social innovation. Chris Barton, founder of the Shazam app, delivered “Bring Impossible Ideas to Life,” offering insights into the role of technology in transforming creative ideas into tangible innovations.
Daily featured presentations expanded on the themes of science and digital tools for the built environment. Topics included neuro inclusion, the evolution of public space, and fractal-based research aimed at reducing stress in built environments. These talks explored how emerging technologies could support neurodivergent workers and create more adaptive, responsive spaces.
4. Boutique Paint Partnerships: Little Greene x Eichholtz; Alkemis x Cisco
This month, English paint and wallpaper brand Little Greene celebrated the announcement of their distribution partnership with Eichholtz with an intimate industry dinner in the new Eichholtz West Hollywood showroom.
If you’re familiar with Eichholtz’s grand, glamorous showroom in High Point, imagine the West Hollywood showroom as its quieter twin. Beverly Hills-based designer, Ryan Saghian, designed the showroom to bring out a regionally-specific, laid back California-cool vibe from Eichholtz’s existing offerings, rather than leaning into the high-key sheen they’re better known for and carving out a space for Little Greene to feel right at home.
We’ve been reporting on the ways designers and homeowners are getting creative (and bolder) with color on their walls and kitchen cabinets over the past year. A company like the New York-based Alkemis is another example of a boutique paint company finding a home in the places frequented by interior designers.
Alkemis has two primary selling points, including billing themselves as the world’s first wellness paint and positioning themselves as the go-to paint partner for collectible art galleries and other designer-centric spaces such as Cisco’s High Point showroom. Much like the sustainability-focused family-owned brand Little Greene, their brand partnerships are laser-focused on spaces that heavily attract trendy and high-end interior designers who are most likely to be enticed by their unique brand propositions.
5. Interactive Design Books: Chez Moi and Design By Sticker
Increasingly, designers are using the medium of a book as more than just a bound portfolio. These new design books offer tactile, accessible ways to engage with interior design.
Take French designer Zoé de Las Cases’ Chez Moi: A Colouring Book of Beautiful Interiors. Far from a traditional coffee table decoration, the book invites readers to step inside her whimsical world of Parisian charm, rendered in delicate line drawings ready for personal expression. Giftable, decorative and refreshingly analog, it’s a playful ode to the fantasy of the French home, where coloring outside the lines is encouraged — and not exclusive to children.
Similarly, L.A.-based designer Tracy Metro’s new book Design by Sticker: An Interior Design Sticker Book for Every Style is equal parts activity book and practical guide. It teaches design fundamentals, covering everything from color palettes to the history of design styles, all while handing the reins over to the reader to choose from hundreds of furniture stickers and furnish empty rooms in their own style. The book is perfect for tactile learners and budding decorators who want a low-stakes, high-style way to explore their taste.
