ABC Carpet & Home reinvents itself, Biden signs the STURDY Act and more

This week in design, the most extreme vacation home decorators rest after filling every inch of their home with festive decor. Stay in the know with our weekly roundup of headlines, launches, events, recommended reading and more.

Economic news
The Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (or STURDY) Act has been officially signed into law, Furniture today reportsas part of the $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 spending bill passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden on Dec. 23. The passing of the legislation marks a victory for the American Home Furnishings Alliance, which favored STURDY over the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s tipping standard set to take effect May 24, 2023. (Now STURDY will replace this rule .) For some groups and producers in the furniture industry, the news is the latest installment in a years-long battle over safety standards – read BOHdive deep into the problem here.

More than a year after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, ABC Carpet & Home is back as the premier digital furniture and home decor brand. As Modern retail reports, the company’s takeover in September 2021 by investment fund 888 Capital Ventures has led to a new business model for the nearly 125-year-old New York retailer. Instead of generating the majority of revenue from its Manhattan flagship store, ABC eventually aims to derive half of the revenue from its revamped e-commerce site while using its newly revamped retail presence as a showroom-like showroom. marketplace. Along with a new digital marketing strategy, ABC is also rolling out buzzing collaborations with Stark Carpet, actress Sienna Miller and American Ballet Theatre. So far, the new approach is showing promise: the company’s relaunched e-commerce channel saw a 157% year-over-year sales increase over the past Cyber ​​Monday.

With interest rates at record highs in the United States, Americans are taking advantage of the new strength in the dollar by seeking second homes abroad, particularly in Italy’s wine country. According to The Wall Street Journalreal estate agencies in Italy’s Piedmont region are reporting an influx of Americans over the past two years into an area that was previously populated mainly by northern Europeans and Italians from nearby cities of Milan and Turin.

Canadian specialty retailer Sleep Country Canada Holdings Inc. has acquired direct-to-consumer sleep brand and Canadian company Silk & Snow in a $24 million deal expected to close Jan. 1. Furniture today reports. Following the purchase, Silk & Snow will continue to operate as an independent entity led by CEO Albert Chow and COO Kenneth Mo, who will both join Sleep Country’s management team. Launched from a Kickstarter campaign in 2017, Silk & Snow has grown from a single memory foam mattress to a selection of mattresses, furniture, bed essentials and bath products.

Builder confidence in the new single-family home market fell two points in December, according to the National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo Housing Market Index– marking the 12th consecutive monthly decline in 2022. The measure is at its lowest since mid-2012, barring initially weak numbers seen at the start of the pandemic in spring 2020. According to the report, construction costs have risen more than 30% since inflation began to rise earlier this year, making it harder for builders to keep homes affordable for buyers. According to NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz, the bright side of this month’s reading is that it is the smallest decline in the past six months, indicating a possible slowdown in the market downturn.

Launches & Collaborations

Each lamp in the Bavovna collection is designed to look like a piece of cotton.Courtesy of Makhno Studio

Ukrainian design house Makhno Studio has presented a new collection of lamps inspired by the country’s strength and resilience in the face of the ongoing conflict. Each lamp in the Bavovna collection is designed to look like a piece of cotton (known as “bavovna”) – a term indicating weakness and used by Ukrainians to mock attempts by the Russian press to diminish attacks in the occupied territories. Each coin is also finished with gold and copper details, aiming to replicate the spark that occurs just before an explosion in a bid to empower Ukrainians and their supporters abroad.

French furniture company Line Roset has teamed up with biotech producer MycoWorks to incorporate the company’s trademark mushroom leather into a new line of pillows made from Reishi, MycoWorks’ flagship mushroom material, with other pieces set to roll out In the coming months.

recommended reading
What do cigarettes, the Galápagos Islands and former President Barack Obama have in common? They can all be found in candle form today – and it looks like consumer demand is driving the trend. Searches for candles in general are up 80% on Etsy over the past 12 months, while sales for candles over $75 are up 26% this year over last, raising the question: where does the current craze come from? For The New York TimesAnna Kodé reflects on the mix of factors that have contributed to the growing popularity of candles, including an increase in the use of social media and e-commerce platforms allowing independent makers, and a need for reassurance in the wake of social isolation and loss brought by the pandemic.

Some homes featured in film and TV leave a lasting impression on viewers: that of Carrie Bradshaw sex and the city apartment, the Red Mill! boudoir and the majestic Alone at home home, to name a few. As part of promotional efforts for movie remakes and anniversaries, it’s now possible to enter these iconic spaces (sometimes the original, sometimes a recreation) – if you’re lucky enough to land an exclusive stay courtesy of Airbnb . For To liveAbby Carney peeks behind the curtain at the new program promoting these homes, asking guests if the spaces lived up to the big-screen hype.

Homepage image: ABC Carpet & Home is back as a furniture and home decor brand. | Courtesy of ABC Carpet & Home

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