A new month, a new Designer Desktop! This month’s design features Amelia Graham, a London-based textile designer who’s known for her geometric and arithmetic artworks and is inspired by brutalist architecture, African textiles, and post-modernism. Her vibrant and playful prints span across fashion, interiors, and commercial sectors under her eponymous studio name and she has been tapped on by brands including LVMH, Nike, The W Hotel, Zara, and the Saatchi Gallery to create commissioned works.

We are so excited that Amelia has created this fun and abstract design to grace our tech devices for the month! Download yours with the links below!

DESKTOP: 1024×768 1280×1024 1680×1050 1900×1200 2560×1440

MOBILE: iPhone XS iPhone XS Max iPad Pro

Learn more about Amelia Graham here and follow her on IG here.

View and download past Designer Desktops here.

As the Lifestyle editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

The all-new 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is sleek and modern, delivering much of what is expected today of a contemporary luxury SUV. While Lincoln has outfitted their newest mid-size vehicle with a perfectly handsome personality, if not notably an overall improved design language, the Nautilus’ more daring attributes reside housed within its boldly designed cabin fashioned to engage all of the senses.

Unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show, the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is one of the better looking mid-sized SUV earmarked for the roads today. While it shares some of the front visage characteristics of its smaller sibling, the Lincoln Corsair, the pronounced grille across the Nautilus appears more proportionally confident and less of an agape maw, perhaps attributed to the horizontal light bar stretching from one wing-shaped daytime running light across to the other directing eyes toward its emblem and tying each element together like a belt to a buckle. Whatever timidity tainted our impression of the Corsair, the Nautilus does not suffer, with a “confidently grounded” stance.

The taut side silhouette of the Nautilus is muscular, yet also relaxed, accentuated by its aggressively rendered rocker molding paired with a gentler and sculpted arch bridging front and rear wheel wells.

We’ve recently had the opportunity to drive the aforementioned smaller and more attainably appointed sibling, the Corsair, and noted the American brand’s efforts reflect an orchestrated effort to refresh Lincoln’s lingering reputation associated with conservative design.

These elements of curvature play against the more linear details stretching across the SUV’s side, including a black steak knife door emblem topped by an even longer horizontal black window trim that curves out twice along its length to cleverly operate as door handles. Credit the design to Lincoln’s Irvine, California studio following the direction of Lincoln’s Design Director, Kemal Curic for moving the needle forward.

The tastefully handsome profile of the 2024 Nautilus is derived from an even more dynamic series of early renders and sketches showcasing an exaggerated windswept gesture culminating in an angular ducktail accentuated by its pronounced tail light. Though this earlier design explored a weightier and brutish four-wheel presence, many of its details go onto to be visible in the final design.

The reimagined cabin incorporates new ambient lighting along with crystal-inspired details, including a piano key shifter, instrument panel toggles, and audio knob that shimmers. Shown here in the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve with Jet Appearance Package and Black Onyx trim.

Things get more interesting once inside the Nautilus, where driver and front passenger are enveloped by the automotive equivalent of the Cinerama movie screen. Two widescreen 24-inch displays conjoined into one massive immersive 48-inch screen is complemented by an 11.1-inch touchscreen within arm’s reach. The sum projects a new tech-forward identity for the brand, the digital display stage upon where Lincoln presents Lincoln Rejuvenate – “a multisensory, in-cabin experience including lighting and digital scenting.”

The 2024 Lincoln Black Label Nautilus Hybrid with Redwood trim interior

One of 28 Revel Ultima audio speakers

The atmospheric environment of Lincoln Rejuvenate is only available while the vehicle is stationary, combining lighting, screen visuals, and personal preferences, such as seating position and even massage options, to create “an immersive digital sanctuary based on different moods.” If aromatherapy is desired, the brand’s specially curated digital scents delivered via three different cartridges housed in the center armrest can mist the cabin with Mystic Forest (an earthy blend with woody, rich notes of patchouli), Ozonic Azure (a crisp blend of aromatic patchouli and traces of bright violet), or Violet Cashmere (exotic white florals and trusted violet).

The sense of sound is served by 28 speakers of the Revel Ultima 3D Audio System.

The all-new 2024 Lincoln Nautilus rolls in as a clear statement of brand that is diligently working to shake off some of the dust that gathered across the brand’s moniker. And if this sleek mid-sized SUV is a sign of what is to come, the automaker might very well be able to sway a new generation of car buyers to consider the Nautilus, and other Lincoln models by literally appealing to their senses.

Gregory Han is the Managing Editor of Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

cc-tapis, Italian producer of contemporary handmade artisan rugs, continues to collaborate with some of the best talents in design. During Milan Design Week 2023, several groundbreaking techniques and design approaches were introduced that further expand possibilities within the industry. New collaborations with Formafantasma and Objects of Common Interest, alongside 2023 collections by Patricia Urquiola and Bethan Laura Wood made their debut. There was also a site-specific installation at Chiesa di San Celso that featured the Le Arcs collection by Charlotte Perriand, finally brought to life.

Moiré Collection

In Moiré, Objects of Common Interest – Eleni Petaloti and Leonidas Trampoukis – shares its take on the natural moiré-like patterns that can be found in the grain and rings of wood, erosion, and decomposition. The collection juxtaposes the contemporary, the traditional, and the experimental through the visuals the duo observed in nature. OoCI combined these studies with three unconventional monochromatic shapes that expand in all directions, acting as an ever-evolving pattern.

Moire, Objects of Common Interest Photo: Michele Foti Art Direction: Motel 409

In a first for cc-tapis, a complex two-century-old jacquard technique was brought into play that’s rarely used in rug making. The method was used to create three rug designs: Zig-zag, Splash, and Quadratic. “The three shapes are almost like cutouts of an endless landscape, frozen moments in time, samples extracted to be studied up close,” said Petaloti and Trampoukis.

The design reflects light, an effect achieved by combining wool and Tencel – a sustainable fiber which has a shine similar to silk. Jacquard weaving allows for designs which would be near impossible to create using cc-tapis’ Tibetan hand-knotting techniques, making Moiré a reality.

Moire, Objects of Common Interest Photo: Mattia Greghi

Telegram Collection, Formafantasma Photo: Michele Foti Art Direction: Motel 409

Telegram Collection

Formafantasma introduces its Telegram collection of rugs, woven with personal messages chosen by the rug makers themselves. Beyond the handmade aspect, these rugs call out the individual behind the creation.

“We wanted to remove the veil between us and the makers,” said Formafantasma’s Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi. “It’s the beginning of a dialogue, instead of merely a finished product.”

Telegram Collection, Formafantasma Photo: Michele Foti Art Direction: Motel 409

Formafantasma posed several questions to the artisans: Where they come from, what they see out the window as they work, a favorite band, and more – which revealed personal aspects of each craft person’s life that became motifs. Using a restrained color palette, each rug represents names, places, and thoughts that each maker holds dear.

Telegram Collection, Formafantasma Photo: Mattia Greghi

Pipeline Collection, Patricia Urquiola Photo: Michele Foti Art Direction: Motel 409

Pipeline Collection

Patricia Urquiola reveals her Pipeline collection of digitally generated tubular artwork that has been transformed into artisan-made rugs and wall hangings. A series of connected tubes emerge from the surface of each rug, creating a maze of color with plenty of volume and depth. Circular shapes create movement, overlapping layers of Himalayan wool and highlighting the space outlined by the tubes.

Artisans rethought the original Pipeline designs for both horizontal and vertical applications, blurring the line between design and art. Some tubes all but grow from the surface of through pile heights!

Pipeline Collection, Patricia Urquiola Photo: Mattia Greghi

Pipeline Collection, Patricia Urquiola Photo: Mattia Greghi

Guadalupe Collection, Bethan Laura Wood Photo: Michele Foti Art Direction: Motel 409

Guadalupe Collection

Bethan Laura Wood debuts her Guadalupe collection, inspired by the 1974 stained-glass windows of the famed church of Our Lady of Guadalupe located in Mexico City. Using her own archive of “public patterns” collected during travels, Wood applies color, texture, symbols, and detail to capture the graphic shapes of the church’s stained-glass windows. Rhythmic and expressive, the patterns loosely resemble tradition Otomi embroidery on each hand-knotted piece made with Himalayan wool, linen, silk, and aloe.

Guadalupe Collection, Bethan Laura Wood Photo: Mattia Greghi

Guadalupe Collection, Bethan Laura Wood Photo: Mattia Greghi

Les Arcs Collection, Charlotte Perriand Photo: Alejandro Ramirez Orozco

Les Arcs Collection

Designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1972, this collection is finally having its moment. Created for the Les Arcs ski station in the French Alps, she intended to include textile panels in the interiors, but budgetary constraints nixed the plan. After 50+ years, cc-tapis worked with custodians of the Charlotte Perriand archive to give life to the designs.

Color is the central theme, and cc-tapis was challenged in reproducing Perriand’s 12-shade palette. Each color – with the exceptions of black and white – was created by hand using an abrash dying technique. The collection of five knotted rugs were made entirely by hand in Nepal by Tibetan artisans.

Les Arcs Collection, Charlotte Perriand Photo: Alejandro Ramirez Orozco

Presented in the San Celso church, Milan-based curator and set-designer Michela Croci, took advantage of the church inviting visitors to engage in the space from the floor to ceiling, introducing a new perspective on rugs. “My ambition was to work on a purely imaginative level, elevating the rugs from a purely domestic dimension,” Croci said.

To learn more about cc-tapis and the brand’s latest collections, visit cc-tapis.com.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

A material used in architecture for its strength and durability is unexpectedly paired with another that’s equally as delicate. In the new Aquarel Collection, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Budri, classic Roman travertine and Iranian white onyx are brought together to interpret watercolor “paintings.” Transparencies and pastel nuances are at play here, expressing a contemporary feel that helps to enhance the surfaces of the stone while contrasting with its porosity. A skillful combination of warm tones that fade to cool and back again becomes its own canvas.

“Every project born with Budri is the result of a four-handed research, a creative gymnasium that always leads us to new languages ​​that I would never have imagined could be created with marble,” said architect and designer Patricia Urquiola. “With Aquarel, we started from the symbiosis between a widely used material in architecture, such as Travertine, and the delicate transparency of white Onyx. Exploring how these materials dialogue together, we have created a game of transparencies, contrasts, but also of chromatic nuances and harmonious coexistence.”

The Aquarel Collection was introduced at Salone del Mobile during Milan Design Week 2023 earlier this month, consisting of two dining tables, a low table, a screen, and a wall cladding, as well as the Aquarel artwork and accessories that pair well with the tables. Both dining tables feature a large sculptural, monumental base. The large Living Table Aquarel is made of open-pore, sandblasted, classic Roman travertine with a large rectangular top. Its base comprises four geometric elements in travertine that are perforated by delicate cylinders in pink onyx. The Pierce is a circular table, characterized by its extra-clear glass top on a travertine base perforated by a mint green Onyx cylinder. The Aquarel Low Table also features a circular top, made of Iranian Aquarel white onyx in shades of  pink, peach, and green. A metal, light green tray acts as its base.

Aquarel Paravent is a screen formed by four slabs of Iranian Aquarel white onyx and four slabs of open-pore travertino classico Romano marble, supported by cylinders in Lasa Covelano marble. The volumes of this piece allow the marble and onyx to express their charming unpredictability. The large Tartan wall cladding is inspired by the traditional Scottish fabric, but this dynamic version has been reinterpreted in pastels on a background of Alba Chiara marble featuring green and brick-colored veins.

The installation for the Budri showroom in Milan included a large Aquarel artwork at the entrance to the space. Made using a travertine background, the exercise between using different materials is united by the watercolor shades created by Budri.

“My work is often based on observation. In fact, I am always careful to analyze the material we work with, not only from the point of view of the colors, but also of the emotions it manages to transmit. Observing the slabs of Iranian white onyx and placing my hand behind it, I realized how uneven the transparency of this material is,” shared Alessandra Malagoli Budri, Art Director of Budri. “This apparently negative aspect allowed me instead to experiment with the onyx, drawing inspiration from watercolor painting. In this way, incredible nuances of colors are created, which vary according to the natural cloudiness of this wonderful stone. Inspirations often arise by chance and the most beautiful thing in all of this is discovering the unpredictability of this fantastic material.”

To learn more about the Aquarel Collection, visit budri.com.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

Christine Gachot, alongside her husband and business partner John, runs GACHOT – a design studio and development consultancy with service at its core. The team brings together diverse skills in brand development, interior design, hospitality, and real estate development to deliver thoughtful results specific to each individual project.

Prior to GACHOT, Christine worked for Studio Sofield for 10 years as a Senior Designer on numerous commercial and residential projects, including the Soho and Tribeca Grand hotels and Gucci Worldwide. “Back in the 90s during the glam days of interior design, I had the privilege of working at Aero Studios. Bill Sofield and Thomas O’Brien created the most talked about Atelier on Spring Street in SoHo. Fabulous artists, editors, and clients were always floating about. I was a receptionist, assistant, and gallery shop girl – it was truly the beginning,” Christine happily shared.

“When Bill started his own studio I went with him, again, working as a receptionist and assistant. There was no doubt this was the field I wanted to be in, so Bill encouraged me to go back to school at night to learn drafting and CAD and eventually get out of the reception seat. And I did just that! (Although I’m still happy to pick up the studio phone these days!),” she said. “I was at Studio Sofield for 10 years, and all 10 years were beyond exciting – Bill was beyond exciting! He was working with Tom Ford to re-envision Gucci and their luxury stores. Mayer Russ was at the helm of Interior Design magazine and we’d all rush out to get the latest copy. Design was becoming the hot conversation and I had the honor of being at the hottest studio in town.”

Christine then had the opportunity to work with André Balazs Properties as a Partner in the role of Vice President of Design Development. There Christine led the design and development of iconic hotels and commercial residential projects including Hotel QT, The Standard New York, 40 Mercer Residences, One Kenmare Square, and The Chiltern Firehouse.

Like many of us, Christine has a tough time nailing down the right work/life balance. “I was just on a family trip in Paris taking calls at midnight. Work/life balance is something I’m constantly working on. Given that I get to do both with John, we value our time together with our family and with our team. So even if the balance isn’t there, we are enjoying things as much as possible.”

“I email myself (and others) at all hours. My team knows that they are not expected to reply until a reasonable hour – my hours are anything but reasonable but those are my own bad habits. I often tap John in the middle of the night and ask him to remind me to tell him something in the morning, which he kindly does over a cup of coffee and the crossword puzzle.”

Big ideas never stop, and today Christine Gachot is joining us for Friday Five to share more!

Photo: GACHOT

1. Thank You Notes

Nothing beats a hand-written thank you note! I love sending them and receiving them. I will sometimes ask John to sketch something special on the front of the card which is such a nice, thoughtful touch. I’ve never hesitated to invest in good stationary.

Photo: Nicole Franzen

2. Flowers

On my desk, in my garden, in my studio, and in my home! Flowers are my go-to gift for every occasion and one of my favorites to receive. Raquel Corvino is my floral guru, her arrangements are both elegant and extraordinary.

Photo courtesy Hulton Archive/Getty Images

3. Golf

My all-time-favorite sport to play. When summer comes around, I get a little golf crazed – I have been caught playing golf-hooky by my team! I’m on the course almost every weekend, even when I swear that I’ll just go to the beach and read a book. Thankfully, John is just as crazed, so I always have a partner. I enjoy that I’m constantly learning, I’m outside for hours, and I’m concentrating in a very different way than I am at work. I want to quit the sport as often as I play it, but for some reason I always get back out on the course.

Photo courtesy Design Within Reach

4. Eames Lounge Chair

We have two Eames lounge chairs at home and two at Pebble Bar. I’ve been known to share one seat with John. I love a good classic, and this is a great one! Ours are well worn and incredibly comfortable.

Jac’s On Bond Photo: William Jess Laird

5. The Perfect Cocktail

I love designing a fun bar that makes people feel welcome! And the tastings are super fun, too. “Do The Dew,” a tequila cocktail at Jac’s On Bond, is my favorite cocktail du jour: perfectly simple and clean. I’ll be there this evening sipping my drink by the pool table. Please stop by!

Work by Christine Gachot + GACHOT:

As featured in Elle Decor on the cover of the Summer 2021 Issue, Beekman Penthouse is a personal design project for the Gachots and their family. Moving into the landmarked Paul Rudolph penthouse on Beekman Place in Manhattan, the Gachots sought to honor the late architect’s vision while fusing the ethos of the space with their own preference for modern yet friendly comfort.

This SoHo Triplex home has a setting for every occasion, from intimate to larger social gatherings, inside and outside. This was a project of theater – setting the scene with continuous moments of surprise and delight. The design process was all very exciting and seamless. It was truly a labor of love with our client who had such a strong vision.

Pebble Bar is a harmonic interplay of decade-defining styles through which the site has lived. With an eye towards timelessness, it’s organized as a series of intimate yet buzzy spaces that evoke a romantic notion of midtown Manhattan’s metropolitan social energy: a casual standing room bar, an intimate bar and restaurant, and a VIP lounge with a highly residential and clubby atmosphere.

Pendry Manhattan West is a marriage of bicoastal American aesthetics: merging the serene, West Coast luxury of the Pendry brand with GACHOT’s ethos of friendly elegance, inspired by the modern vitality of New York City. The hotel is an experience of luxury defined by streamlined forms that are elevated with rich texture, sumptuous material, and careful consideration for the interplay of light. It is a tranquil reprieve from the bustling metropolis outside.

A collection designed in collaboration with Waterworks, Bond is a fixtures and fittings line that inhabits the full range of modern style, from the austerity of disciplined minimalism to the relaxed appeal of warm contemporary. The perfect fit for projects of various design sensibilities.

This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

Located in Golden, BC, Canada, this modern cabin marks the first new residential build project for Twobytwo Architecture Studio. The Columbia River Valley Lookout residence is a ski cabin designed to connect the family together, as well as to the surrounding, tree-filled landscape. While the structure’s footprint is rather compact, it rises above the trees in order to maximize the mountain views.

The three-story cabin begins with a solid concrete base and is topped with a simple shed-style roof. The blackened wood exterior is punctuated by a cantilevered steel balcony that wraps around one side of the house.

The homeowners, Sandra Bassett and Chris Urbinsky, enlisted the firm, led by David Tyl and Sandra’s sister, Jenny Bassett, to bring the project to life. The studio tapped Chris and his steel engineering background to structurally design the modern cabin. His talents also inspired the certain features throughout the design, like the exterior balcony, Douglas fir rafters, and industrial staircase that joins the three floors.

The interior feels open and bright thanks to 14-foot-tall ceilings, large windows, and white walls. Polished concrete floors continue the industrial look while the wood ceilings add warmth.

Just imagine getting to sit down at that dining table to eat meals with the dreamy scenery framed on two sides.

Construction by Zimmerman Construction.
Photography by Hayden Pattullo.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

If we were tasked to pair a soundtrack to accompany Japanese industrial designer Nao Iwamatsu’s trio of lighting on display at SaloneSatellite during Milan Design Week 2023, we’d be inclined to choose this song sharing a similar name and theme in celebration of modernity and the emotional ties of nostalgia.

Based in Tokyo, Iwamatsu is inspired by the aesthetics of human-made objects, a fascination the designer attributes to his time working for a global information equipment manufacturer where industrial grade equipment, multifunctional machines, medical equipment, and other manufacturing machinery. The oft overlooked details of industrial beauty are apparent across all three of the loosely themed collection.

LOTUS

The first of the three is LOTUS, a lighting solution linking the history of light from its most primitive and primal of sources, to its most modern LED-illuminated incarnation. The design is offered with a choice of two different bases and two different light sources, the options inviting a flexible arrangement where genuine flames and flickering LEDs are available in one form. Iwamatsu likens the resulting illumination to that of a beautiful landscape – “like a lotus in a pond.”

FLIGHT

FLIGHT draws inspiration from the red blinking aviation lights stationed across Tokyo, evoking feelings of “flight, heights, and exoticism, taking you on an imaginary journey.” The soft glow of red painting nearby surfaces, the monolithic, geometric shapes exude an almost ominous presence, reflecting an element of implied danger and inhabiting the space between mood lighting and a purely decorative object.

FLIGHT

FLIGHT

RIM

RIM, the last of the three lights, is available as floor, pendant, and table lamps and constructed using an ultra-fine, high-density stainless steel mesh originally developed for industrial use as a lampshade. The properties of the finely perforated shade transform light to glow with the warm presence of a flame, an intentional result inspired by traditional Japanese paper enclosed lanterns known as andon. Instead of rice paper, Iwamatsu’s choice in stainless steel mesh imparts a more industrial and contemporary interpretation of lantern lighting.

RIM

Nao Iwamatsu

“[The lights] were conceived with inspiration from artificial objects,” says Iwamatsu. “By focusing on the technologies that have contributed to the development of mankind, these lights [are] to become a new nostalgia for the future.”

Iwamatsu’s trio of lighting designs were on display at SaloneSatellite during Milan Design Week 2023, with the designer inviting all interested in his efforts to his website.

Gregory Han is the Managing Editor of Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Palm Beach Residence is a minimal home located in Palm Beach, Florida, designed by Vanessa Rome Interiors. The apartment came with a pool cabana and presented some unique challenges due to construction regulations, which resulted in a multi-year project.

Some furniture pieces had to be lifted by crane over the beach-side balcony to enter the residence, but the team was informed at the last minute that everything needed to be hoisted with ropes instead. Despite these obstacles, the team managed to complete the project.

The condo features several noteworthy pieces, including Studio Twenty Seven Liv Armchairs, a Casa Dio Beverly Bed, and Lago Dresser. The team used lower-profile furniture to highlight the beach views. Lighter tones were used for both the upholstery and rugs, reflecting natural light throughout the residence.

Photos by Marco Ricca.

Leo Lei translates his passion for minimalism into his daily-updated blog Leibal. In addition, you can find uniquely designed minimalist objects and furniture at the Leibal Store.

Award-winning materials manufacturer 3form introduces a glimmer of fun with its newest collection – Flare. The brand’s newest metallic offering adds a sophisticated, reflective shimmer to its Varia and Chroma materials, providing a fresh take on texture and light refraction. The softer, adaptable take on metallics that Flare provides works well for hospitality, retail, or corporate environments for interior finishes and surfaces in need of that little extra something.

Inspired by the metallic spectrum, the Flare collection reflects the inherent beauty of light by combining reflective, colorful elements that lend modern design a sense of movement and life. Flare in Varia is offered in three colors of scattered metallic flakes: Silver Thunder, Copper Saddle, and Brass Lioness. Varia panels are offered in 4’x8’ and 4’x10’ with 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 3/4″, and 1″ gauges. Flare in Chroma is offered in two colorways: Copper Blackout and Silver Avalanche, in ½-inch and 1-inch gauges in 4’x8’ or 4’x10’ sized panels. Both Varia and Chroma come complete with a Vellum finish and a 4-week lead time.

Flare, Copper Blackout

The Flare collection marks the first time 3form has applied a metallic treatment to the surface of Varia, and the first time a material has been added to Chroma outside of pure color. During the application process, metallic flakes are embedded directly onto Varia’s surface to create depth, texture, and illumination that uniquely reflects surrounding light without losing the material’s well-known translucency.

For Chroma, most commonly a one-sided material used for horizontal surfaces, Flare’s sparkling effect is created when shimmering fragments are applied to the back side of the product. Copper Blackout, for example, gives the appearance of a metallic, high-end version of granite – the perfect bar top surface on which to rest a crystal glass at a luxury hotel.

Flare, Silver Thunder

“The way that light interacts with our products is fundamental. Flare demonstrates our classic capabilities with color and translucency, but it also shows how we can innovate and use our materials in new and exciting ways,” explains Chief Creative Officer, Ryan Smith.

From large scale digital printing to hand laid organics, 3form’s innovative industry-leading capabilities and commitment offer a diverse portfolio of products. The brand continues to pursue sustainability along the way, sourcing its recycled metallic flakes from a US-based company with 40 years of experience in the metal industry.

To learn more about 3form’s new Flare collection, or order samples to experience the material for yourself, visit 3-form.com.

Flare, Silver Thunder

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

As director of interior architecture at Fogarty Finger and the head of the firm’s Atlanta office, Candace Rimes has designed environments for clients including Nike, Rockefeller Group, and Slater Hospitality. In this week’s Milkshake, we talked to her about how she builds her practice: how she ensures that her design world expands rather than shrinks with time – reusing familiar ideas, practices, and motifs – and how her time at Auburn University’s acclaimed Rural Studio has informed her priority of building relationships with the members of the communities who share their lives with her buildings.

“I would say that the Rural Studio instilled in me that as designers, we have a responsibility to better our communities — to feel personally responsible, not only for the spaces and the buildings that we design, but the way people experience them and how they feel inside of our spaces,” says Rimes. The Rural Studio, which was founded in 1993, was intended to interrogate the relationship between architects and designers and those who inhabit their buildings, especially given its location in Hale County, Alabama, where many residents live in poverty. “I try to remember a quote by Samuel Mockbee, founder of the Rural Studio, that architecture has to be greater than just architecture. And I think carrying that spirit forward into all of our work, we can really continue to improve our design practice every day.”

Elsewhere in this Milkshake, Candace shares how she keeps her design work fresh: travel. “Travel can really be so influential to your design practice – it can really expand your worldview,” she says. “Having just returned from Japan, I’m already seeing how some of those experiences are influencing my design work, whether it be lighting design, or transparency in architecture or connection to nature. Whenever I’m traveling. I find that artists are always so tapped in and in tune with the local pulse and the stories that a place can tell – I think that I’m often so inspired by those stories that are found in those local galleries whenever I’m traveling.

1700 Broadway Club Photo: Connie Zhou

Rockefeller Group Photo: Connie Zhou

The Dime Photo: Alexander Severin

For more from Candace, tune in!

Diana Ostrom, who has written for Wallpaper, Interior Design, ID, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets, is also the author of Faraway Places, a newsletter about travel.

Milkshake, DMTV (Design Milk TV)’s first regular series, shakes up the traditional interview format by asking designers, creatives, educators and industry professionals to select interview questions at random from their favorite bowl or vessel. During their candid discussions, you’ll not only gain a peek into their personal homeware collections, but also valuable insights into their work, life and passions.