1stdibs Ventures Into the NFT Market, Nanimarquina Unveils Contract Division, and More News

From significant business changes to noteworthy product launches, there’s always something new happening in the world of design. In this biweekly roundup, AD PRO has everything you need to know.

Business

1stdibs and Christie’s Venture Further Into NFTs

The online platform 1stdibs has announced its foray into NFTs with a two-week online exhibition curated by notable digital artist Lee Mason, also known as Metageist. The works, which will be auctioned on September 1 and 15, will be housed on a new vertical of the site dedicated to the blockchain assets. 1stdibs plans to distinguish themselves on the already saturated market through their highly curated selection of content, as well as through semimonthly auctions of both group and solo shows.

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Christie’s is also in the NFT game, having first included an NFT work in a March auction this year. (The piece fetched $69 million.) But now, Christie’s has organized its first-ever NFT auction focused solely on design. Through August 24 the event will showcase a selection of works by the American designer and sculptor Misha Kahn.

Nanimarquina Launches a Contract Division

The Barcelona-based rug designer Nanimarquina now offers an all-new contract business division, sharing over 30 years of industry expertise with architects and designers to help optimize commercial projects. Its online configurator will help designers choose from an extensive selection of indoor and outdoor rugs, and in particular, those designed for commercial spaces.

Flax Home Establishes Roots in the U.S.

Canadian home-goods brand Flax Home has expanded into the U.S., officially offering its richly hued assortment of pure-linen bedding, bath, and everyday products to American consumers online. The move comes amid lots of big shifts for the four-year-old company, which plans to announce new category expansions and industry collaborations this fall.

Product Launches

Roll & Hill Unveils a New Furniture Line With Post Company

When designing the interiors for restaurateur Taavo Somer’s Hudson Valley Inness resort, which spans over 200 acres beautifully landscaped by Miranda Brooks, Brooklyn-based studio Post Company sought cues from nature. Speaking about an assortment of American hardwood tables and benches the studio made for the property, partner Jou-Yie Chou said, “We drew inspiration from the rural landscape of the [area], and the values of simplicity, humility, and solidity that landscape inspires.” Now, others can enjoy the fruits of their labor, as Roll & Hill is adding the five-piece offering to its permanent lineup.

Fairs

Design Miami Basel Returns in a Novel Hybrid Format

“This year’s Basel fair brings a chance to celebrate being together again in person, while also securing our position as a responsive, evolving event,” says Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Design Miami. “This hybrid format speaks interestingly to this year’s theme—Human Nature—through which we hope to trigger exciting conversations about our ever-changing relationship with the increasingly constructed natural world.” Notably, those who can’t see the global design fair in person will be able to shop the experience on Design Miami’s website through 3D tours, virtual programming, and an online marketplace. The IRL event, which will take place September 21–26, will include over 26 participating international galleries.

Another exciting event to check out is REFUGE & RESILIENCE, an exhibition taking place in Upstate New York at UPSTATE ART WEEKEND from August 27-29th. Curated by the founder of the Female Design Council, the show will feature five female artists whose works explore the emotional dynamics of home. Situated around the Hudson Valley, UPSTATE ART WEEKEND includes over 60 sculpture parks, museums, galleries etc. Find a map here.

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Showrooms

For the First Time in Decades, CW Stockwell Opens a New Showroom

Century-old wallpaper-and-textiles company CW Stockwell has debuted its first brick-and-mortar location in more than 40 years. In its new space in the San Francisco Design District, the brand’s calling card—the Martinique banana-leaf pattern—is on full display, along with collaborations from Sunbrella and Voutsa. The showroom opened to the trade and to the public earlier this month.

Good Works

A Neighborhood Festival to Celebrate Black Creativity Unfurls in NYC

Now through the month of October, neighborhood alliance Meatpacking BID and nonprofit ARTNOIR invite any and all to experience From a Place, of a Place throughout the streets of Chelsea. The five-part street festival highlights Black art, culture, and commerce through a series of events. Expect multisensory live performances, a gallery exhibition, and a curated guide highlighting local BIPOC businesses.