The Comm Sheet

Skip to content “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” is an adage Lindsey Scannapieco truly lives by. The founder and managing partner of Scout, a Philadelphia-based design and development practice, is behind one of the city's most celebrated adaptive-reuse projects: the Bok Building, a 340,000-square-foot former trade school she transformed into the Village of Industry and Art (VIA).

By Murrye Bernard | Photos courtesy of Hoshino Resorts Some hotels promise you'll never want to leave. HOSHINOYA Nara Prison  just happens to be the only one where that joke comes with more than a century of history. Yes, it really was a prison. And yes, you can book a room. This summer, HOSHINOYA Nara Prison officially welcomed its first guests to Japan's first luxury hotel housed in a former prison—and one of the country's most remarkable adaptive reuse projects.

By Meredith Constant | Photos by Kylie Fitts photography It feels like the only way to meet new people is on an app or by joining a reality show set on a tropical island, armed with bikinis, clip-in hair extensions, and crossed fingers that America's voting goes your way. But what if bombshells, future best friends, and budding romances began organically, say, after a day on the slopes?

Skip to content By Danine Alati | Photos by Sen Creative Jen Mac Beth as on-site stylist and Creative Woodworking as the builder Everyone’s got their favorite coffee shop, right? A decade ago mine was The Coffee Project, a brand-new little spot on my street in the East Village, launched by two young women—one of whom is a straight-up coffee sommelier. Now, I’m loyal to Volare Espresso Bar, owned by Italian-born Jenny and her husband Sean.

Skip to content In 2018, Erika and Liam Hardman of Hardman Design were expanding their self-described “mom & pop” furniture business in Berlin to a production partner in Ukraine. Then the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. Once everything started opening up again, the war in Ukraine began. The war still looms large, leading to occasional power outages and a loss of personnel as a result of military conscription.

Skip to content By Catherine Dipersico | Photos by Jovani Demetrie and Charlotte Candler If you can’t make it to the Mediterranean this summer, Montauk will do. At least, that’s the idea behind Barlume Beach, the new 19-room waterfront hotel, restaurant, beach club, and marina from LDV Hospitality.

Haworth, Sosu, designed by Patricia Urquiola Not that long ago, the office sofa was a necessary—though not necessarily exciting—fixture in the reception area. Today, the sofa is the center of the action, and that’s true for all kinds of commercial projects. Lounge areas support everything from impromptu brainstorming and casual client meetings to laptop work, coffee breaks, and social gatherings. Hotels got the memo first, creating inviting "living room" lobbies in the early 2000s.

Skip to content The Jewel at Singapore Changi Airport, designed by Safdie Architects By Murrye Bernard | Renderings courtesy Changi Airport Group and Safdie Architects Raise your hand if you've ever sprinted through an airport clutching a coffee, backpack half-zipped, while a gate agent cheerfully announces that boarding is "now complete." Airports are usually places we tolerate, not places where we choose to linger.

Skip to content Sierra Collection, Juniper I in Madder Ever wanted to blend the rugged grandeur of a mountain range with a chic commercial setting? Tai Ping did exactly that. The brand’s stunning new Sierra collection beautifully channels the primordial, lore-steeped landscapes of the Sierra Nevada. Brands, take note: This is a lesson in restraint.

Skip to content 10 months of The Comm Sheet Producing this newsletter for you over the past 10 months has been deeply fulfilling and probably the happiest I’ve been in my career. I’ve loved bringing you design topics in a tone that’s fresh, at times irreverent, and always honest. I’ve had the privilege of featuring and meeting designers whose work I've followed for years. And I’ve strengthened industry bonds that trace back to when I started as a professional some 25 years ago.