Hi there, housemates,
This time a year ago, I was bleary-eyed from the all-nighter I had pulled prepping the first issue of Wrong House—tweaking social posts, finessing words here or there in my own writing, and all the other things that keep me up when I really care about something. Despite the lack of sleep, my husband and I piled in our van and hit the roads towards Vitra, who generously hosted our launch event with zero proof of concept, beyond goodwill I’d somehow accumulated through years of working at “real” publications and the unwavering support of my friend Sara Griffin, who got me in the door with her client. (I learned during that process that Vitra actually has a pretty impressive history of supporting creative up-and-comers—kudos to them for that.)
A lot of you showed up to support this thing, that night and ever since. I can’t tell you what it’s meant to me. I take my professional work personally, which is both a superpower and a hazard. But also, I think this is just what it means to make creative work—I had just never bothered to consider myself a creative person; I was someone who helped other people be creative. That’s changing, and if anything, it’s only made me appreciate what so many of you—writers, artists, filmmakers, designers, photographers—put into your work every day.
In the last 12 months, we’ve produced 10 issues I’m incredibly proud of, on themes ranging from antiques and inheritance to technology to rules and permission to pastoral comfort to resistance. Christmas too. In the heat of design’s busy season, we also delivered special dispatches on the (surprisingly sensible!) footwear worn by the design crowd during Salone del Mobile, and produced a choral report on New York Design Week. We had an art-filled, flower-filled party at a farm. We feted the holidays in a collectible car showroom. We returned to Vitra for a conversation on improvisation and play; presented at the DLN; rapped with designers on the Hudson Valley art scene; shared aperitivi and ciggies with sexy people in Milan; and more.
And here we are. Next week, we launch our 11th issue, “Home Economics.” And we’re gearing up for several in-person events, details of which you’ll find below. Until next week, thanks to all of you who have read us, pitched us, shared our work, invited us to speak, subscribed, or supported us in other ways over the past year. Here’s to the next one.
XO,
Lila
Special thanks to: Amuneal, Aplos, AvroKO, Sarah Archer, Early Barrett, Diana Budds, Seth Caplan, Car Part Time, Kristin Coleman, Matt Cosper, River Davies, Rob Davis, Michael Diaz-Griffith, Jesse Dorris, Ben Dreith, East Fork, Edition Farm, Ekemini Ekpo, Elizabeth Fazzare, Femlord, Freakout Spot, Kamille Glenn, Sydney Gore, Sara Griffin/Griffin PR, Dan Howarth, HOST on Howard, Jacquelyn Iyamah, Alicia Kort, Mallory Lawson, Daphne Lundi, Adrian Madlener, Zach Mortice, Monica Nelson, Office of Tangible Space, Anthony Paletta, Madeleine Parsons, Parachute, Chad Phillips, Kel Rakowski, Shane Reiner-Roth, Megan Reynolds, Liz Ryan, Sam Shaffer, Jesse Smiley, Lizzie Soufleris, Stellar Works, Meggie Sullivan/BIGMESS, TCPR, Three’s Brewing, Topo Chico, Eric Trine, Urbanstems, Rob Vargas, Vitra, Voga, Allan Wexler, Alex T. Williams, July Winters, and Michael Yarinsky. If I forgot you, I promise I still cherish you!!!
Upcoming Events
Definitions of Luxury Are Changing—Are We Keeping Up? (Part of What’s New What’s Next)
Thursday, September 17 at 4:00 p.m.
Amuneal Showroom at 200 Lex, 200 Lexington Avenue, New York City, Suite 1314
The idea of the American home is shifting rapidly, driven by changing lifestyles, new expectations around privacy and flexibility as well as a growing emphasis on wellness and connection to the outdoors. But are architects and designers truly evolving with these changes? Amuneal invites leading voices in residential design to examine where the industry is adapting, and where it may still be relying on outdated assumptions, offering a candid look at what today’s homes need to succeed. Featuring Jessica Gersten, Jessica Gersten Interiors; Margie Lavender, Kligerman Architecture & Design; Katie Lydon, Katie Lydon Interiors; and Ben Grandjean, SilverLining, Inc.; moderated by Lila Allen.
—> RSVP
A Conversation About Play in Design
Saturday, September 19 at 5:30 p.m.
Show: Room at Pocketbook Hudson, 604 Washington Street, Hudson, NY
Join us for a conversation between Julio Torres, Sean Roland, and Nancy Kim, moderated by Wrong House’s Lila Allen. This conversation will explore serious spaces created with play. You’ll hear the design intentions behind the Pocketbook Hotel and Show: Room, along with All Other Passports, Julio Torres’s debut furniture collection with Sabai, now on view in the Show: Room space.
—> RSVP
VIP TOUR: Split Level Fair
Saturday, October 3 at 11:30 a.m.
102 Madison Avenue, New York City
SPLIT LEVEL brings together a selection of young galleries and curators focused on championing emerging artists working in a wide range of media. Hosted by Rimadesio, SPLIT LEVEL takes a playful approach to installation within this design-centered space. Featuring: 95 Gallon, Alex Stoller, Artist Estate Studio, Below Grand, Blah Blah, Cara Marsh Sheffler, Eli Klein, Emily McElwreath, Flatline, Geary Contemporary, Good Naked, Katy Diamond Hamer, Kathryn Markel, Kelly McKenna, Massey Klein, Spill 180, and The Sphinx. Join us for a VIP tour, just for Wrong House readers.
To RSVP, please reply to this email
FROM THE ARCHIVE
Should You Hire An “Energy Architect”?
Three experts share their tools for interior alignment.
By Sydney Gore
Sticking Your Hand in the Fountain With William Stone
For 50 years, the artist has been blurring the distinction between art and design.
By Lila Allen
Life After Obsolescence
Why we continue to live with objects long after their expiration date.
Written by Will Speros; illustration by Liz Ryan
Daily Toil: Ravenhill Studio's "Everyday Objects"
"With a touch of art direction, these objects neither transform nor offer transcendence, but they do make strange the act of living."
By Mimi Zeiger
Have You Seen This Couple?
Demystifying—and diversifying—development in New York City through two curious architectural figures.
By Daphne Lundi
The Art of Coding Compositions
The artist Aaron Alden shares what it’s like to see life through “resonant pixels and waves.”
Written and photographed by Alex T. Williams
Learning From Indigenous Technology
Julia Watson's growing body of research traces the infrastructural, architectural, and domestic designs that have worked for millennia.
By Anthony Paletta
PAST ISSUES
ISSUE 01: FINE, I’LL DO IT MYSELF ⌂ ISSUE 02: NO THOUGHTS, JUST VIBES ⌂ ISSUE 03: DON’T SIT ON THAT! ⌂ ISSUE 04: HOLIDAY SPECIAL ⌂ ISSUE 05: SWEATIN’ THE OLDIES ⌂ ISSUE 06: KITCHEN SINK ⌂ ISSUE 07: HACK JOB ⌂ ISSUE 08: OUT TO PASTURE ⌂ THE SHOE REPORT: MILAN DESIGN WEEK ⌂ A NYCxDESIGN CHORUS ⌂ ISSUE 09: GETTING WARMER ⌂ ISSUE 10: HOLDOUTS
Happy for you!
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