This design movement is having a moment

How we’re reimagining it a century later.

Hi friends!

Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend. Welcome to summer.

Last week, on my work trip to New York (Schoolhouse’s sister brand Food52 is based in Brooklyn), it was so nice to walk to the office through Fort Greene Park and see everything coming to bloom. Ditto the great personalities who filled the sidewalks as I was on my way “home” (the Ace Hotel), stopping for a solo dinner with a good book and sitting at the bar to soak up the atmosphere.

Tidy rows give me joy, from the crudités spread at my event to the shelves at Russ & Daughters. If I wasn’t traveling with a carry-on, I would have stocked up on all that type-forward perfection!

I didn’t have much time to wander the city, but I was blessed with the perfect block of independent shops on Atlantic Ave., between Hoyt and Bond streets in Boerum Hill (including East Fork from last week’s post). It was all I needed: thoughtfully curated vintage homewares with design and fashion inspiration peppered in. I’m sharing my favorites below.

Let’s get to it!

Michele Varian

The transparency adds a bit of mystery.

Every item in this treasure trove of goodies tells a story. There is a beautiful connection between craft and modern design. My favorite find: These lights. I love the simplicity of construction in an oversized pendant. The neutral linen texture adds an ease to their elegance—and the natural motifs feel like a glowing dream.

Humble House

Cool geometries that speak to each other (in my mind, at least).

This vintage home goods and furniture store has a wonderful collection of mid-century and ’70s pieces with a great high/low mix. The credenza caught my eye for the cool stacked design, generous storage, and those extra-long pulls. It’s almost impossible to not find something that fits your budget, needs, or style—I’m not sure how I got out of there empty handed!

Toast and Misha & Puff

I can never resist a red chair! Or a stack of quilts…

Toast really values craft and natural materials—and the British brand’s home goods and clothing store is an extension of that ethos, with exposed brick and natural wood floors. It’s super cozy. Of course, I made a beeline for the beautiful quilts and any clothing with interesting prints.

Likewise, Misha & Puff is the cutest kids’ store with some lovely knitwear for the whole family. The decor was on-point, especially this sweet chair/quilt/rug combo—an easy mix of styles and eras.

Arts & Crafts

At Schoolhouse we are in the midst of finalizing designs for our Fall 2026 season (phew!) and have been very inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement, which flourished from roughly the 1860s to the 1920s—but exploring it through our own lens. What makes it feel fresh and relevant?

A bedroom at the Ace Hotel Brooklyn, where I stayed last week. (Image via the Ace Hotel Brooklyn; photo by Stephen Kent Johnson)

I’m drawn to the movement not only because I see the design elements trending, but also because I believe the philosophy that sparked Arts & Crafts is something we’re experiencing now. It was a rejection of Victorian-era excess and a return to craft and simplicity, as industrialization was changing how things were made. The huge shift with AI and the relentless trend cycles being pushed through social media has created a strong desire to connect with objects on a deeper, almost instinctual level.

Folksy florals, stained glass, warm wood, and more A&C highlights from my team’s mood boards. (Image credits, clockwise from top left: 1st Dibs; Architectural Digest, photo by Aaron Leitz; @sundaydesignsinteriors; Pinterest; @slow_roads; Art Fund; Studio Ashby; @fannyswiatekschultz; Inigo, photo by Elliot Sheppard)

Arts & Crafts appeals to that longing to hold (and also make!) handmade-quality pieces in natural materials that show the beauty in imperfection. You can see this expressed through beautiful textures in tile, wood, and fibers. Motifs inspired by nature are distilled and abstracted—think: the geometric “Minecraft” florals at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House. Simple-cut shapes and strong, flattened silhouettes also nod to a folk vernacular rather than overly ornate “high society” designs. Likewise, woodwork in the A&C tradition purposefully leaves the joinery exposed—a detail that is popping up in more modern profiles.

A cozy corner at the Ace (peep the A&C-inspired furniture).

While in New York, I stayed at the Ace Hotel Brooklyn and was pleased that the interior design resonated so clearly with this concept. The space felt like a mash-up of Arts & Crafts, Brutalist, and ’70s styles with oversized forms, rich wood tones, simple plywood furniture featuring exposed joinery, and textiles in warm, jewel tones reminiscent of William Morris. It’s so cool to see how an idea can keep evolving and resonating with people more than a century later through design. I’m excited to see how makers and designers continue to reinterpret the movement in new ways (and also to eventually share our Schoolhouse collection with you!).

Screen Time

Soaking up this quintessentially Wes Anderson scene. (Image via Focus Features)

As a longtime Wes Anderson fan, I’m so excited to see The Phoenician Scheme, which opens this week. I love how his strong visual language has grown throughout his career. Each film is a work of art and a unique expression of his vision. Let me know what you think, if you see it!

So, what’s filling up your mood boards lately?

On that note, if you have any burning design questions, check out the new Switchboard (a.k.a. home hotline) that we just launched over at Schoolhouse. Jordan Andrew and the rest of the team are there to help solve all your DIY, renovation, design, and product dilemmas—from hallway lighting to paint colors. Shoot them a DM at @shswitchboard or email switch@schoolhouse.com and check out the weekly postings.

I’m also always here in the comments!

Katie xx