Living well starts with what goes into our home. Here, a roundup of forward-thinking brands whose latest products are making our surroundings brighter, healthier and more beautiful.
Bright Future
When it comes to collaborations, Visual Comfort & Co. is leading the charge. The brand has built a lighting business working with A-list designers to bring lamps, pendants, flush mounts and outdoor fixtures, as well as a growing cordless category, to market. “We are lighting makers, not designers,” says Gale Singer, direct division founder of Visual Comfort. “As my brother Andy Singer (Visual Comfort’s founder and CEO) says, ‘We will sing your song, but we won’t write it.’ ”
The song they’re singing unites a diverse range of styles, harmonizing into an assortment of fixtures that strike a chord with every aesthetic. Take a recent collaboration with designer Anne-Marie Barton, whose Fumar Statement Table Lamp is pictured. “She filled a void,” says Singer. “Her pieces are sculptural and textured, organic and bold—that’s really what drew us to her.” It’s designs like these that bring rooms to life with a warm glow and elevate the emotions experienced within a space—a sentiment Singer always returns to: “How do you want to feel in your home?”
Nature’s Wonder
Imagine a natural material that regenerates every nine years, resists wear, absorbs sound, and lends itself to countless applications. What may sound like a white unicorn exists in the form of cork. Wolf-Gordon, the innovative American surface company, is tapping into the material’s unique makeup for a new line of cork that can be used as both a wallcovering or upholstery. Harvested from the bark of trees primarily found in Portugal, cork regenerates naturally every few years. And because the bark is used in its entirety, the practice is remarkably sustainable. The linear Listras design in Chestnut (far left) and the classic cork motif of Marmore in Sand (near left) are just two of 50 designs—available in an array of bright colors and neutrals—offered.
Knock On Wood
There’s no denying terrazzo’s rise in popularity in recent years—from flooring to home accessories and speckled-inspired motifs. Now, the retro material is entering an exciting new chapter at the hands of Havwoods with a variety of wood terrazzo, aptly named TreeAzzo. A player in the wood flooring industry for 50 years, Havwoods’ iteration shares the same ethos as traditional versions of terrazzo by utilizing available material scraps to create something new altogether. In the case of Havwoods, wood chip waste—including walnut, oak, ash and pine—are used to create tiles in a wide range of colors, from Nougat (right) to more colorful hues like Raspberry, Fig, Pistachio and Blueberry. The application uses are wide—the panels can be installed like a floor or wall tile, applied to backsplashes and cabinetry, or even used to make furniture.
Fireside Chats
Cold winter days and long, dark nights call for time spent gathered around a warm hearth. For those looking for the cozy ambiance of a burning fireplace without the emissions, consider the new Holographic design from Ortal, a leader in gas fireplaces. This model produces zero indoor emissions, delivers an energy-efficient heat output and boasts a holographic projection of a lifelike 3D flame—complete with six options for speed, height and crackling sound effects.
Sleeping Beauty
Experts agree that a major key to overall health starts with sleep, and a good night’s rest begins with a good mattress. Avocado Green’s Grand Luxe design delivers luxurious comfort without compromising on sustainable features. What sets it apart from the rest? The design features 17 layers of organic materials, including silk, mohair, alpaca, wool and organic cotton, all crafted by hand in California. To round out the ensemble, Avocado also offers pillows, bedding and furniture, as shown here, with the Montecito Bed Frame and Montecito Side Tables in solid walnut.
By Hand
Armadillo’s Gaia rug collection brings together artistry and craftsmanship from around the world. In a first for the Australian-based company, they teamed up with multidisciplinary Spanish artist Carla Cascales Alimbau to create six rugs handwoven in India. Taking nearly four years to complete, the collection embodies the Earth through its textures, patterns, colors and movement, resulting in a literal and metaphorical grounding experience. “We didn’t want to take Carla’s artwork and imprint it on a rug, instead we wanted to create something beautiful in a soft material outside of her usual mediums,” says Armadillo cofounder Jodie Fried. Like Alimbau’s art, no two rugs are exactly the same. The Alma design (pictured) is made of wool and silk and finished with a special oxidation process to give it a lustrous effect.
Emotional Dialogue
“What inspires me the most about working with clients is changing the way they feel in their homes,” says New York-based designer Helena Clunies-Ross. In addition to designing beautiful interiors, Clunies-Ross can now add furniture designer to her resume thanks to her debut collection, Calma—intended to not only enhance a space visually, but to positively impact how one lives within it. The six-piece assortment (the Console Table and Dining Chair are pictured) is defined by restrained, clean and intentional lines. A little bit Deco, a little bit minimalist, and entirely versatile, each piece is designed to bring balance and harmony to a room, and, at best, encourage parasympathetic nervous relief—a science Clunies-Ross is deeply passionate about.
