The Design Dispatch offers expertly written and essential news from the design world crafted by our dedicated team. Think of it as your cheat sheet for the day in design delivered to your inbox before you’ve had your coffee. Subscribe now.
Have a news story our readers need to see? Submit it here
A 1920s Theater Unveils a Theatrical Makeover
If there’s a designer who embodies the fantastical spirit of #AccidentallyWesAnderson, it’s Ken Fulk. His cinematic style is instantly recognizable for its ability to transport and incite wonder—attributes that projects like Carbone Miami and Leo’s Oyster Bar in San Francisco share. So it’s only fitting that Fulk was tapped to lead the interior renovation of The Guild, a historic 1920s theater in Menlo Park. Working in tandem with CAW Architects, the bicoastal designer introduced his signature whimsy to the restored Art Deco elements such as the gleaming neon marquee sign and ornate interior lighting fixtures.
New additions include a dramatic velvet stage curtain, two decorative bars in fluted blue granite and glowing pink rose quartz, an updated box office outfitted in custom California poppy wallpaper, and, of course, the 500-seat auditorium done up in rich burgundy and deep walnut finishes. Visiting performers to the theater, run by the Peninsula Arts Guild, will surely enjoy the remodeled green room, lounge, and private dressing rooms. Bedecked in bold-print wallpaper, sumptuous furniture, and splashes of vibrant color, one would be forgiven if they momentarily mistook the back-of-house for Austin’s Fulk-designed Commodore Perry Estate. —Nate Storey
“Pittore” (1973) by Philip Guston. Image courtesy The Estate of Philip Guston, via The Metropolitan Museum of Art…
Thanks to a gift from his daughter, 200 works by Philip Guston are headed to the Met.
“More than 200 works by Philip Guston—the celebrated artist whose paintings featuring Klan imagery recently created a firestorm—are coming to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from the personal collection of the artist’s daughter, Musa Mayer. It will make the museum the largest repository of works by the American painter. Mayer had considered leaving them to the Guston Foundation, which she established in 2013 to share the artist’s work and further his legacy, but she worried that the paintings would not necessarily be kept together or exhibited on a regular basis. Now Mayer has promised to the Met 96 paintings and 124 drawings, spanning Guston’s career from a mural style to Abstract Expressionism to political satire between 1930 and his death in 1980.” [H/T The New York Times]
A new lawsuit accuses A-listers like Madonna and Justin Bieber of NFT-related fraud.
“A number of A-list celebrities—including Madonna, Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, Paris Hilton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Snoop Dogg, Serena Williams and Jimmy Fallon—have been accused of fraud in a class action suit targeting their endorsement of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs. On Dec. 8, New York–based Scott + Scott Attorneys at Law filed a complaint on behalf of plaintiffs Adam Titcher and Adonis Real alleging that Yuga Labs, best known for its Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT collection, violated unfair competition laws by encouraging celebrity promotion of their digital goods. The suit also accuses its long list of star defendants—ranging from Paris Hilton to Madonna—of accepting compensation for their undisclosed promotion, using the crypto-trading app Moonpay as an intermediary.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]
Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat will lead ICFF + WantedDesign starting next year.
“ICFF + WantedDesign has announced that Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat will lead the programming for the fair going forward. Emerald, the parent company, announced the change will go into effect for the festival’s May 2023 iteration. Hainaut and Pijoulat, who founded the showcase WantedDesign in 2011, were tapped to lead the yearly fair, which takes place at the Javits Center in Manhattan. The decision came after Phil Robinson, the show’s former director, stepped down in 2022. Hainaut and Pijoulat were offered the position soon after and within 24 hours, they accepted.” [H/T Dezeen]
Q Residences by Studio Gang in Amsterdam. Photography by Kees Hummel…
Studio Gang’s first European project is an undulating, mixed-use tower in Amsterdam.
“A new, two-tower mixed-use scheme from Studio Gang has been delivered in Amsterdam, representing a first for the firm on the continent as it looks to grow outside of the American market with recent expansions into Canada and now the EU. The 297,170-square-foot Q Residences will address the capital region’s considerable housing needs with a scheme that adds 248 total residences located in the center of Buitenveldert—one of the last “garden cities” constructed in Amsterdam following the conclusion of World War II.” [H/T Archinect]
Artists on ArtStation stage a mass protest against AI-generated art on the platform.
“ArtStation, a platform that allows game, film, media, and entertainment artists to connect and showcase their portfolios, has been flooded with the same image posted over and over by different users: a large red “no” sign covering the word “AI” paired with a caption that reads “NO TO AI GENERATED IMAGES.” Starting Tuesday, artists began protesting against the platform by uploading the image onto their portfolios after some users pointed out that AI-generated art was being featured on the site’s main Explore page.” [H/T Vice]
Snowe gets acquired by holding company Interweave after a period of late orders.
“Snowe, the direct-to-consumer home essentials brand, has been acquired. The buyer is Interweave, a holding company that purchases and operates e-commerce businesses. The deal officially closed this October—the terms were not disclosed. The news follows a rough patch for the New York seller of textiles, decor, and dinnerware. In recent months, online reviews and comments on Snowe’s social media show a swath of customers who placed orders throughout the year and had yet to receive either goods or a refund. Once Interweave has made good with existing customers, the company’s next move is to restock the digital shelves and get Snowe fully back in business—a process that Interweave founder and CEO Denver Rayburn expects to be complete early next year.” [H/T Business of Home]
