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. | Cover photo: From Justina Blakeney’s “California Poppy” exhibition photographed by TRAMP.studio
- New Furniture and Lighting Collection: PINCH for The Future Perfect
The Future Perfect introduces a new collection by London-based design studio PINCH, founded by husband and wife duo Russell Pinch and Oona Bannon. Known for their refined, poetic aesthetic, PINCH blends their rich material palette with a pragmatic approach to contemporary living.
- Design Events: Fenimore Lane Design Summit
If you are an east coast designer in need of a weekend staycation, let it be scenic and packed with inspiration. Just a short drive from the city, the second annual Fennimore Lane Design Summit, the brainchild of Ariel Okin, is taking over the Mayflower Auberge resort in Connecticut for two days of design panels, workshops and shopping the bazaar on June 21-22.
- Gallery Art: Justina Blakeney’s “California Poppy” Exhibition
Known predominantly for her brand The Jungalow with collections shoppable at Target, product designer, artist and all-around creative force Justina Blakeney is breaking her own mold and unveiling a new collection of fine art self-portraits at Una Malan’s Una Casa Privada in Hollywood, presented by ArtWolf Gallery.
Multiple pieces reflect Blakeney in the backdrop of the scenic Los Angeles mountains after January’s Eaton wildfires. Others are reflections on identity, image construction and femininity – all in saturated, hopeful palettes, featuring textures and mixed media elements that literally bust out of their frames.
- Kitchen and Bath Design: Marble Systems’ Calacatta Renaissance Honed Collection
Wall-to-wall stone continues its aesthetic domination in luxury kitchen and bath design. Marble System’s latest unveiling: The Calacatta Renaissance Honed Collection puts a modern bent on old world opulence.
- Design Book: Make Yourself at Home: A Guide to Decorating with Heirlooms and Antiques that Tell Stories by Chelsey Brown
I am partial to design books which are not just photography of a designer’s portfolio, but have as much to offer in their text as in the images. Chelsey Brown’s thoughtful new book just does that. Make Yourself at Home is a beautiful coffee table book full of accessible tutorials and design tips. Aesthetically, it encapsulates the current design moment which I’d summarize as neutral elegance without pretension. You’ll find monochromatic interiors with lived-in contemporary curves, cozy textures and inherent sustainability stories due to the emphasis on family heirlooms, collectibles and flea market finds.
TLDR: Here’s the upshot
- Emphasis on quality and simplicity: Designers are prioritizing clean, elegant and well-crafted pieces over flashy trends.
- Intimate, immersive, site-specific events: The industry is leaning into more intimate, inspiration-rich gatherings.
- Modern takes on classic materials: Old, natural materials like stone or reclaimed wood are being shaped and finished in fresh, contemporary ways.
- Sustainability and sentimentality: There’s a growing appreciation for antiques, heirlooms and reused items.
