The Artful Life: 7 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week
From a Keith Haring furniture collection by radical design firm Gufram to a relaxed trattoria from the team behind Michelin-starred The Four Horsemen in Brooklyn
1. Radical Design Firm Gufram Unveils a Keith Haring Furniture Collection
Since launching successful revivals in Los Angeles and New York City, the world’s first art amusement park, Luna Luna, has dazzled visitors with incredible life-size artworks made by giants, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, and more. Now, one of the park’s most memorable rides, the Keith Haring carousel, is brought to new life courtesy of a collaboration with radical design brand Gufram. Drawing from the artist’s iconic Dog and Crawling Baby figures, the brand has unveiled two carousel seats, which have been re-imagined through polyurethane furnishings finished with their distinctive Guflac coating as a way to bring Haring’s Pop Art personality into the domestic sphere. —Shelby Black
2. A New Book Offers a Sweeping Retrospective of Influential Artist Wifredo Lam
Discover the world of pioneering artist Wifredo Lam in a landmark publication from The Museum of Modern Art. Published in conjunction with the most extensive retrospective devoted to the artist in the U.S., Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream, brings together more than 150 works from his six-decade career, including paintings, drawings, books, prints, archival material, and more. It explores the artist’s relationship to Surrealism, Négritude, and poetic movements, with text by Anny Aviram, Miriam Basilio, Terri Geis, Jean Khalfa, Damasia Lacroze, Laura Neufield, Martin Tsang, and others. Additionally, the book offers the first in-depth conservation analysis of the celebrated artist’s most well-known painting, The Jungle (1942-1943). Edited with text by Beverly Adams and Christophe Cherix, the book brings new perspectives to Lam’s worldly life and lyrical art.—Alexandria Sillo
3. London Designer Beata Heuman Crafts Fairytale-Like Collection for De Gournay
“Having a calm, safe space is key for a room that you sleep in,” Beata Heuman told Galerie when discussing bedroom designs, “but we also like adding surreal elements or dreamlike color combinations to create the feeling of being in another world.” That ethos is prevalent in Fruit Garden, one of two new wallpapers the London designer crafted for de Gournay. The whimsical pattern portrays an allée of trees in bloom hovering above a lush array of flowers, the varietals selected are some of her mother’s personal favorites. The design comes direct from a hand-painted mural in the dining room of Heuman’s childhood home in Sweden, it’s verdant landscape abutting a wall of blue-and-white tiles rendered into a second de Gournay design, aptly named Delft Folly. The wall coverings made their debut at de Gournay’s New York flagship, where a table set for a holiday gathering showcased new porcelain tableware envisioned by Heuman for the storied brand. The pieces include candlesticks, vide-poche, and a goose tureen perfect for a fairy tale-esque gathering.—Jill Sieracki
4. The Four Horsemen Team Debuts I Cavallini, a Laid-Back Trattoria
Ten years after sparking New York’s natural wine frenzy, the team behind Williamsburg’s Michelin-starred The Four Horsemen recently opened I Cavallini just across Grand Street. Their imprint carries through the project, with the same partners—including LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy—still involved and Chef Nick Curtola helming the kitchen. The new venture centers on a relaxed neighborhood spirit, supported by a larger footprint and a seasonal Italian menu anchored by housemade pastas and focaccia with whipped ricotta. For interiors, the partners enlisted longtime collaborator Amy Butchko of local firm Studio Butchko, who previously designed Frenchette, The Nines, and La Veau d’Or and devised decadent digs for nearby dance club Nightmoves during her tenure with The Springs Collective.
Butchko shaped I Cavallini with an Italian sensibility grounded in personal style, conveyed vividly through a laid-back mix of objects and lighting. “James mentioned the [lighting fixtures] should feel like they were purchased at a village hardware store 40 years ago,” Butchko says. She followed that cue with vintage and mid-century Italian fixtures with sculptural profiles, including pendants by Mario Bellini and sconces by Achille Castiglioni. Cork wainscoting contrasts original brick walls while lacquered linen banquettes introduce a measured refinement. The palette remains warm and unfussy, guided by Butchko’s instinct for rooms that open with natural ease. “My favorite memories of meals in Italy have invariably been enjoyed in the most idiosyncratic rooms, reflecting deeply personal perspectives,” she says. Artwork throughout follows suit. It comes from Stacy Fisher, widow of Justin Chearno, the Four Horsemen’s former beverage director who died last year, lending the restaurant an emotional resonance that celebrates its community. —Ryan Waddoups
5. Josh Hutcherson Introduces Chapter II of The Ritz-Carlton and Late Checkout Capsule Collection
In a newly released six-minute film, viewers are invited to journey through Nikko, Japan, with Josh Hutcherson to discover what it means to pause without overthinking, a concept that The Ritz-Carlton and Late Checkout sought to embody in Chapter II of their capsule collection. The second release expands into accessories, loungewear, and children’s pieces, adhering to the original color palette of navy, ivory, and light blue, which nods to The Ritz-Carlton’s heritage, while the catalogue itself reflects Late Checkout’s spirit of playfulness. “This next chapter deepens our shared story with Late Checkout,” says Jamie Kerr, Global Head of Brand and Marketing for The Ritz-Carlton. “The Ritz-Carlton has grown to meet travelers across every journey: whether on safari, at sea, in nature, or in our city and resort hotels; this collection now touches more facets of that lifestyle. With family pieces and travel-ready accessories, it reflects our natural evolution as a brand, while keeping the wit and craftsmanship that made people embrace the collection from the start.” The collection will be available at 22 Ritz-Carlton properties and online.—S.B.
6. Baccarat Opens the Doors at Its Dazzling Flagship in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District
On November 19, French maison Baccarat will open the doors of its new U.S. flagship designed by Paris-based studio Moinard Bétaille in the heart of downtown New York City, after more than 60 years on Madison Avenue. The move marks a moment that bridges contemporary elegance, daring creativity, and emotion for the ever-evolving brand. “True to its heritage, Baccarat continues to reinvent itself with creative boldness, offering the very best of French art de vivre,” says Laurence Nicolas, Global CEO of Baccarat. “Our new flagship in the Meatpacking District invites our guests to experience the maison’s spirit of celebration and refinement in an entirely new way.” Inside, visitors will find Baccarat’s Zénith, Harcourt, and Louxor collections as well as new creations, collaborations, and bespoke pieces. The space will also feature rotating installations, and this year will present a special holiday light installation to celebrate the opening.—A.S.
7. Sixpenny’s Dumbo Loft Debuts a Moody, Nature-Inspired Refresh
Sixpenny delighted New York’s design community in 2022 when it pulled back the curtain on the Sixpenny Loft, a trade-exclusive showroom perched atop a cavernous former factory building in Dumbo. The loft embodied the brand’s spirit from the start, a sun-washed aerie filled with pieces shaped by artisans who work with the planet’s finest natural materials. The idyllic setting projected effortless ease, yet the arrival of a debonair suite of stylish furniture called for reinvention. To launch the Wild Air collection, Sixpenny transformed the loft into a sensual, nocturnal counterpart to its breezy daytime glow. A nature-inspired printed fabric sets the tone with gentle watercolor strokes of red, green, and golden hues that echo a rain-soaked forest and wrap the new Curved Yogi Sofa, a wavy sister to the chubby, boxy original. Terra tables in fresh oak rise with tiered contours influenced by rice paddies; the angular Tango Chair introduces a more seductive profile through its pillared oak frame and wrapped cushion detail. The seductive four-poster Florette Bed completes the suite with a generously proportioned sideboard that conveys the louche indulgence at the heart of the refresh. —R.W.