Dwell September/October 2020

We already knew this would not be a normal year, but when Salone del Mobile, the massive annual furniture fair in Milan, was canceled in late March, it hit home that the design world’s busiest season would essentially be written off. For designers just starting their careers, it meant missed opportunities to make a splash at the usual exhibitions, fairs, MFA shows, pop-ups, and other events around the world. They lost out on the ripple of visibility that comes with throngs of people posting about them on social media—not to mention, of course, the ensuing orders. We conceived this year’s Dwell 24—our annual list of exceptional emerging designers creating furnishings, lighting, and other objects for your home (p. 23)—as a way to make up for those losses. It provides a…

“I’m normally not a fan of monolithic white design, but the textural differences here really make it pop.”—Ken Parsons, via Dwell.com Feedback I just want to thank you for offering varied glimpses of homes around the world. They have been a great source of inspiration, a welcome distraction, and in some ways a source of solace during these uncertain times. TIOMBE OLUMIJI, PIKESVILLE, MD Your recent article on ADUs [“The Backyard House,” July/August] seems rosier than it should be. Wanting to help family members and increase community density are positive aspirations. Unfortunately, some people see suites and ADUs as moneymaking opportunities, and the end product is often not what the planning proposal illustrates. Often the rules are not well thought out and loopholes are exploited. Higher housing density may solve…

1. The Legacy of Redlining A decades-long housing policy that perpetuated segregation in U.S. cities continues to marginalize Black communities today. 2. What Do Monuments Mean to Us? The recent removal of statues calls into question the meaning and permanence of monuments themselves. 3. The Unsung Story of Eichler Homes Joseph Eichler not only defined the midcentury middle-class home, but also worked to upend housing discrimination. 4. The Pendleton Problem Designers weigh in on the fine line between cultural appreciation and appropriation when it comes to home decor.…

“My mom wove 30 dhurries years ago. All but four were lost in a fire. I treasure them.” @skrli847 A Knoll floating rosewood credenza made by Forma Brazil that I found in a thrift store and restored myself. @chookie_pots An Akari light that I picked up on a solo trip to the Noguchi Museum. I stayed from open to close. @elvinwilfred The Jo Hammerborg pendant that I took from my mum’s beach house when she sold it. @eddcoomber My grandmother’s Danish Modern recliner that I sat in as a child and my daughter now sits in. @z414 I found six Moller 78 chairs on Craigslist for $900. We rewove the seats with paracord and voilà! @nkaxani Grandpa’s sketches. He wanted to be an artist but supported his family and taught…

“The most important thing was to bring a sense of authenticity to the project, like it really couldn’t exist anywhere else or for anyone else.”Jodi Batay-Csorba, architect “‘This house doesn’t belong here.’ That’s what they told us,” says Enzo Mancuso, recounting the hard-fought battle that he and his wife, Erminia, along with architects Jodi and Andrew Batay-Csorba, waged to build their home in Toronto’s High Park neighborhood. The cause of the neighbors’ consternation? An unfortunate, but not incurable, case of NIMBYism. Specifically, they protested the two-story residence’s untraditional brick facade. But despite its boldly modern presentation, the house has decidedly vernacular DNA. High Park today hosts a mix of housing styles, but it remains filled with Victorian, Tudor, and Edwardian homes—nearly all of them made of brick. “Toronto is a…

THE DWELL 24 Here are the up-and-coming designers who need to be on your radar right now. The New York design fair Wanted Design helped us create the list—we’re highlighting several studios that would have exhibited at its events. THE DESIGN LIFE We asked The Dwell 24 about how they work and what their lives look like. In these pages, we present the results. MEXICO CITY / @PLATALEASTUDIO Platalea Studio Platalea Studio’s Lilia Corona and Rodrigo Lobato are lifelong students of the culture and crafts of Mexico. Their bold dinnerware, light fixtures, and furnishings take up traditional materials and techniques while addressing complex themes like colonialism, sexuality, and Mexican identity—“basically how Mexican society is involved with the outside, and how the outside is involved with Mexico,” Corona explains. The pair…