The Comm Sheet

5 Smart & Beautiful New Window Treatments

Whether they help dim a conference room for a presentation or stop streetlights from disturbing guests in hotel rooms, window treatments play a pivotal role in creating comfortable interior spaces. These five shading systems—from beautiful drapery made of natural materials (including aloe!) to whisper-quiet motorized drives—can work alone or as part of larger automated systems to create better indoor environments while lowering operational costs.

From Fishing Nets to Recycled Fibers: Aquafil’s Bespoke Collection

The Bespoke Collection from Aquafil Group turns trash from landfills, waterways, and oceans into beautiful fibers reminiscent of wool, silk, and natural fibers. It's also 100% recycled, 100% recyclable, and infinitely regenerable. Available in three finishes—ECONYL ReLana (inspired by wool), ECONYL ReSeta (recalls silk), and ECONYL Terra (an alternative to natural fiber)—Bespoke delivers the durability, performance, and benefits of regenerated nylon.

FUTUREFORMS Pulls Back the Curtain on Art, Architecture, and Process

What happens between an idea and a finished object? FUTUREFORMS’ new exhibition "METAXIS" leans into that in-between space—where art, architecture, and experimentation collide. On view at California College of the Arts, the exhibition reveals process, prototypes, and the thinking behind more than a decade of the design studio's work.

Fab 5: Christina Magrans

Interior architect Christina Magrans brings empathy, integrity, and quiet conviction to everything she designs. After two decades of creating spaces for luxury brands like Tiffany & Co., Dolce & Gabbana, and Longchamp, she founded Studio Lourdes—a boutique practice shaped by a family legacy of resilience and community. In this Fab 5, Christina reflects on emotionally intelligent design, trusting the process, and the small, grounding rituals that inform her work and life.

NYC Historic Church Is Reimagined as an Interactive Museum Playland

FXCollaborative’s design for the new Children’s Museum of Manhattan is proof that adaptive reuse can be magical. Set in a landmarked Upper West Side church overlooking Central Park, the project transforms sacred architecture into an 80,000-square-foot world of discovery and play, all while preserving the building’s historic character. With immersive exhibits, hands-on studios, and performance space, the museum aims to double its current capacity and expand its reach to kids up to age 10. Leaders behind the initiative frame it as a celebration of imagination, learning, and community that will brighten the lives of NYC families when it opens in late 2028.

From Warehouse to Brain Trust: Inside Stanford’s New Sustainability Hub

What happens when you take a window-starved concrete publishing warehouse and ask it to host the future of sustainability? You get one very smart adaptive reuse. For the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator, San Jose–based CAW Architects transformed the last remaining press building on campus into a bright, flexible hub for collaboration. North-facing skylights flood the space with daylight, hospitality-forward lounges encourage connection, and clever material moves quietly pull double (and triple) duty. It’s a project that proves sustainability isn’t just something you study—it’s something you build, reuse, and rethink.

Pascale Sablan on Leadership, Advocacy, and Expanding the Canon

Architect Pascale Sablan is reshaping what architectural leadership looks like by pairing design excellence with advocacy, authorship, and justice. Her work expands the canon, widens the profession, and proves that representation isn’t a metric—it’s a responsibility.

Special Ed Teacher Sees How Flexible Classroom Design Helps All Learners

What does truly flexible classroom design look like in practice? Veteran educator and nurse Holly Light has 27 years of on-the-ground experience working with students with orthopedic impairments. She reveals how space, furniture, technology, and storage can either unlock learning—or quietly block it. Holly makes a compelling case for access-first design, including designing for movement and mobility and intentionally placing cognitive supports. The takeaway is simple but powerful: When classrooms are designed to support movement, flexibility, and independence, they don’t just work better for some students—they work better for all.

Part Art School, Part Time Capsule: Inside The Radical Hotel's Fearless Design

The Radical Hotel is the eccentric, art-school cousin, who somehow makes spray paint and Bakelite accessories look chic. This 70-key boutique hotel, nestled in Asheville’s River Arts District, is a brilliant collaboration that transformed a 1920s warehouse into a seamless, cohesive design. Fearlessly designed by Michael Suomi and set decorator Kris Moran (of The Royal Tenenbaums fame), the hotel wears its industrial bones and history—bomb shelter and all—with pride. From graffiti-inspired guestrooms and sculptural furniture to a hidden "grow-room" inspired bar and a circus "Ball of Death" DJ booth, The Radical is loud, local, and alive, proving that embracing your scars is the ultimate style statement.

HOK’s New Seattle Studio Is a Love Letter to the Pacific Northwest

HOK’s Seattle studio doesn’t just reflect its location—it embodies it. Set inside the former IBM Building, the space peels back layers of history to reveal Yamasaki-era concrete and waffle slabs, then layers in warmth, hospitality, and Pacific Northwest personality. From topography-inspired floors and a Puget Sound–referencing welcome desk to flexible work zones, inclusive meeting rooms, and playful local Easter eggs, the studio balances serious design with human comfort. It’s a workplace that shifts seamlessly from focused workday to community hub—Seattle, distilled.

Fab 5: Nina Magon

Nina Magon didn’t set out to become an interior designe, but once she discovered a passion for shaping spaces, everything clicked. After pivoting from finance to interiors, the Canadian-born, Houston-based designer of Indian descent built a career crafting ultra-lavish environments infused with a fashion-forward point of view. Entering a predominantly white, male-dominated A&D industry, Nina carved out space on her own terms, earning global recognition and redefining modern luxury along the way. In this Fab 5, she shares bold opinions, creative instincts, and the philosophy that continues to push her work—and the industry—forward.

Virgin Hotels Integrates Design Details Autism Parents Will Appreciate

Family travel is never easy, but for those with autistic children all the unknowns can make it a hard "no” for the whole family. While many brands claim to offer programs that cater to neurodiverse travelers, some fall short out of touch with the needs and the nuances of children on the spectrum and their parents. Virgin Hotels has set out to change that: A number of its properties have been certified Autism Double-Checked, including Dallas, where one activist and influencer made a stopover with her two ASD kiddos. And let us tell you—they were not disappointed!

Isn’t it Iconic? B+N Builds on a Classic

Conventional wisdom says it’s best not to mess with something iconic. But B+N Industries does it anyway. The brand is evolving its popular Iconic Panels wall-cladding line with two new collections: Architects and Hypernature. Where the Architects Collection draws inspiration from the built world with patterns named Eero, Frank, Norman, and Zah, Hypernature turns to nature by reimagining familiar organic forms into bold, textured wall reliefs that feel both recognizable and fresh.

5 Sustainable Stars in Resilient & Hardwood Flooring

Whether they are reclaimed, renewable, or recycled, sustainable floors are now the expectation—not the exception—for today’s commercial interiors. Here are five wood, resilient, and engineered wood floors from Mohawk, HempWood, Pioneer Millworks, Parador, and Patcraft that can help occupants, installers, and designers meet their green goals, while breathing a bit easier in the process.

How Investment Banker Chris Yerolemou Pivoted to Bespoke Millwork

What happens when an investment banker takes over a legacy millwork shop? Growth—with intention. Axos Designs founder Chris Yerolemou shares how he’s scaling handcrafted production, expanding into a 30,000-square-foot facility, and modernizing operations while keeping old-world craftsmanship firmly intact.

Take a Spin on the 'Pink Mirror Carousel'

It's a carousel that barely moves—but it makes you stop and take notice. Installed on the ice rink at Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, Carsten Höller’s "Pink Mirror Carousel" slows the altered amusement park ride down to a two-minute rotation, inviting visitors to reflect on time, motion, and what it means to become part of the art itself.

Rimadesio Makes a Move to Miami With a New Flagship

High-end Italian furniture maker Rimadesio opened up shop in Miami with a 3,000-square-foot flagship in the trendy Edgewater district, blending architecture, materials, and product design into a seamless, immersive experience. Curated in-house by R Studio, the showroom showcases the brand’s modern DNA through warm neutrals, rhythmic layouts, and a material palette of glass, aluminum, and walnut. From sculptural tables to the brand’s Modulor boiserie system, each element is arranged to create a cohesive, harmonious journey. More than a showroom, the space also houses R-Academy, a hands-on training hub for Rimadesio’s materials and technologies—making this flagship both a retail destination and a center for design learning in Miami.

A Mid-Century Bank Becomes Boutique A Beauty in Savannah

Savannah always has a way of charming people—which is exactly what happened when architecture firm AAmp Studio was engaged to transform a former 1960s bank into the Municipal Grand Hotel. “What drew us in immediately was the distinction between the building’s mid-century modernist rigor and Savannah’s lush garden-filled historic district,” says architect and AAmp Studio cofounder Anne-Marie Armstrong. That tension between tidy geometry and botanic exuberance set the tone for the entire transformation. With restored terrazzo, revived tiles, softened millwork, and a cocktail-loving lobby, the Municipal Grand is Savannah’s past and present in one gorgeous conversation.

Brooklyn’s Ottra—A Furniture Maker with Architectural DNA

Brooklyn-based Ottra is redefining what architect-led furniture can look like. Founded by Adam and Sofia Zimmerman, the firm turns out bold, sculptural, solid-wood pieces that double as “landing points and landmarks” in any space. From their Red Hook warehouse studio on the Brooklyn waterfront, a team of artisans fabricates furnishings and objects by combining expertise in both architecture and furniture design—including a standout, solid-wood, elliptical staircase and an 8-foot-diameter rolling mirror intended for a large-scale space such as an atrium or lobby. Designers are increasingly mixing Ottra’s handcrafted work with standard commercial lines to bring warmth, artistry, and a bespoke touch to offices, community centers, and more.