The Comm Sheet

Fab 5: Tom Polucci

Equal parts architect, mentor, and big-picture thinker, Tom Polucci brings 25+ years of insight to his role as global director of interior design at HOK—and a deeply human perspective on how spaces shape behavior. Known for pushing bold ideas and nurturing young talent, he champions timeless materiality, pattern-happy experimentation, and environments that truly support well-being. Here, Tom shares the philosophies, surprises, and creative instincts guiding his work today.

Hotel Ancora Cortina Is Back—and It’s Cooler Than Ever

The newly renovated Hotel Ancora Cortina reminds us why this corner of Italy is pure magic—just in time for the world’s eyes to turn toward the Dolomites for the XXV Olympic Games. Reopened in June 2025, the historic hotel, originally founded in 1826, has been thoughtfully reimagined by Renzo Rosso, who envisioned a place that “surprises at first sight but feels like home.” Interiors by Vicky Charles layer alpine heritage with bold, soulful design across 38 one-of-a-kind rooms, many overlooking the slopes set to host events during the Olympics this February. Add a buzzing restaurant and bar, a secretive underground club, and those cinematic mountain views outside your window, and, yeah, dream vacation unlocked.

Ellerman House Launches Curate in Its Iconic Wine Gallery

A new dining experience called Curate transforms the Ellerman House's Wine Gallery, designed by sculptor Angus Taylor, into an intimate stage for storytelling—where art, terroir, and a hyper-seasonal menu emerge course by course. Chef Kieran Whyte approaches South African cuisine with restraint and clarity, drawing inspiration from the landscape, season, and local produce rather than nostalgia. The experience unfolds within a sculptural setting, designed by property co-owner Nell Harris—in collaboration with Natalie Haarhof of Just Design and Christoph Karl from Guideline Design—where art, architecture, and atmosphere quietly shape the meal.

The 3D Textbook: How Maya Bird-Murphy Built a Sanctuary for Design Activism

Mobile Makers has officially parked in a permanent home: a former semi-truck loading dock turned into a kid-friendly makerspace on Chicago's South Side. This isn’t your typical education space/office: Exposed systems and translucent walls show youth exactly how buildings work. From high-energy fabrication workshops to collaborative workspaces, this flexible industrial hub is a masterclass in design activism. Maya is building a literal foundation for the next generation of architects.

Mar Bar Is Palm Beach’s Newest Reason to Stay for One More Drink

Arriving as Palm Beach’s newest social landmark, Mar Bar offers a fresh take on the town’s legendary glamour through the lens of NXN Studio. The space masterfully balances classic coastal influences with unexpected, modern layers that keep the atmosphere feeling vibrant. Featuring a sophisticated mix of warm textures and inviting curves, the interiors create an environment of relaxed luxury that encourages guests to linger. Mar Bar blends aspirational design with an approachable soul, making it feels like an instant classic that perfectly captures the unique magic of Palm Beach style.

To Protect & Serve: 6 Wonderful Wallcovering Looks

While vinyl continues to be an industry player due to its durability and cost efficiency, wood and other bio-based options are steadily eroding its dominance, as owners target LEED credits and lower embodied carbon. Crafted from materials such as recycled sneaker cork, cellulose composite, and postconsumer PET, these six new wallcoverings from Submaterial, Carnegie, Wall/Pepper, Casalgrande Padana, Wolf-Gordon, and Turf offer benefits beyond interior wall protection, including acoustics, green cred, and a range of unique artistic expressions for interiors.

Enjoy the Quiet With Sabin’s New Lighting System

A pendant that not only illuminates but also absorbs sound? Now that’s some double-duty design. That’s Layer, a new fixture by Sabin. Regardless of whether designers specify Layer for its powerful acoustic properties or lighting options, the system’s simple geometric shapes can take on any design mood—playful, elegant, minimalist—or disappear quietly into the background. The collection has an NRC rating of 0.85 or higher, ensuring superior sound absorption capabilities to reduce noise and echoes in large or open-plan areas. Layer comes in four, customizable shapes—Disc, Obround, Triangle, and Rectangle—which are made from post-consumer, recycled PET felt. The result is a targeted, aesthetic, and effective acoustic treatment so end users get the sound absorption they crave.

Sit, Stay, Work: Central Bark Redefines Inclusive Office Design

More than a simple pet bed, this "shelter" unit by DARRAN integrates seamlessly with professional workstations to foster a truly inclusive environment. Designed by Chrissy Fehan and Maison Fee, Central Bark is a groundbreaking office furniture solution specifically crafted for service animals. Featuring sound-dampening, PFAS-free upholstery, locally sourced materials, warm lighting, and expandable beds to accommodate various breeds, Central Bark was crafted with sustainability in mind. By prioritizing the needs of neurodivergent individuals and those requiring physical assistance, Central Bark proves that high-end aesthetics and functional accessibility can "sit and stay" together.

Fab 5: Vishakha Joshi

A high school elective class got Vishakha Joshi hooked on interior design, and she never looked back. Now an interior designer at Abel Design Group’s Atlanta office, she’s known for her people-first mode of practice, shaped by curiosity, empathy, and intention. Vishakha believes good design lives in the details, values trusting the design process, and isn’t afraid to protect bold ideas—or to groove to a little Whitney or MJ to get her creative juices flowing.

ATRA Takes Manhattan: See the Studio’s New Experimental Gallery in NYC

ATRA just planted its flag in New York—and it’s not your typical gallery opening. ATRA COLLECTIVE FORM is part showroom, part research lab, and part immersive experiment, bringing the studio’s sculptural furniture and architectural thinking into a whole new dimension.

See Why Diageo's Gurgaon Office Is the Ultimate Cure for the Sunday Scaries

Designed by M Moser Associates, Diageo’s Gurgaon workspace abandons the traditional cubicle for a community-first "distillery" aesthetic. Spanning 7,700 square meters (about 83,000 square feet), the office prioritizes togetherness with more than half the area dedicated to social hubs for collaboration. Featuring locally sourced brickwork, artisan installations, and a stunning copper helical staircase, the design masterfully blends Indian heritage with sustainable innovation—creating a soulful, vibrant environment where life is celebrated alongside work.

Colombian Furniture Maker Fango Takes on Deforestation

Can you believe this furniture collection isn’t made from trees? Designed by Medellín-based Fango Design Studio, the Ibuju collection reimagines furniture through an environmentally conscious lens. Crafted from yaré, a rapidly renewable Amazonian vine harvested without cutting down trees, the collection includes a table, bench, and stool woven by Colombian artisans. Created by Fango founder Francisco Jaramillo, Ibuju highlights the responsibility designers share in using local resources thoughtfully and sustainably.

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.