What’s Happening: After a period of rapid expansion that saw Kaiyo secure $36 million in funding, the online marketplace for pre-owned furniture abruptly closed down in August. The snafu has saddled dozens of disgruntled sellers with outstanding payments.

The Download: When it debuted in 2014, Kaiyo billed itself as a circularity-driven online marketplace for pre-owned furniture and home décor by popular brands like Article and CB2. The process was simple: those needing to offload furniture would offer it to Kaiyo, and if the company accepted it, would retrieve the pieces for free, store them in a warehouse, list them online, and cut the sellers a check. The company’s founder, the serial entrepreneur Alpay Koralturk, launched Kaiyo after a few botched attempts to buy secondhand furniture from usual-suspect listing sites—and learning about how Americans toss several million tons of furniture annually. Several years in, Kaiyo claimed it kept 3.5 million pounds of furniture waste out of landfills. Its millennial-minimalist subway ads promised “secondhand furniture, first-rate experience.”

While that was enough to expand operations to California in 2022, secure $36 million in Series B funding, and open a summer pop-up in a former Barney’s, the company is now winding down operations after Koralturk’s departure in April. News of Kaiyo’s closure came to light in mid-August, when customers received an email that read “Kaiyo is in the initial phase of doing an orderly wind down of the Company” and that reimbursements would be delayed. Sellers promptly filed claims with the Better Business Bureau, the New York State Attorney General’s office, and the Consumer Protection Division, which is investigating the matter. Dozens of customers, who anticipate an imminent class action lawsuit, are “fuming” on Reddit about the lack of response from Kaiyo’s customer service, whose phone number was removed from its website.

In Their Own Words: Koralturk’s departure and Kaiyo’s abrupt closure is an unexpected outcome. “Five years down the track, we will be the ‘overnight success story’ that took 13 years to make,” Koralturk told Forbes in a 2023 interview. “Joking aside, I think we will be a beloved consumer brand that hopefully will stand for more than just the product or services we provide. We want to have a global legacy.”

Surface Says: It’s always tough to lose platforms that make design more accessible, especially ones like Kaiyo that strode toward circularity. In the meantime, its end-of-summer sales may look appealing, but good luck scheduling that delivery.

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In Norway’s Hardangerfjord, the Salmon Eye aquaculture center educates visitors about where local fishery Eide’s practices and environmental stewardship overlap. Quite literally at the center of it all is Iris, where guests travel by boat to dine against a backdrop of stunning landscapes from a steel Brutalist structure crafted by Kvorning Design. Inside, Norm Architects turned to bespoke pieces—both furniture and floor coverings—in earthy palettes to cultivate harmony between the interiors and surrounding ocean and fjord views. Each service begins with a welcome snack at the boathouse of chef Anika Madsen before reaching Iris for a set tasting menu shaped by the future-facing principles of the Salmon Eye center.

Being avid lifelong travelers, Martin Goddard and Jo Littlefair have arrived at a deep understanding of what it means to create interiors that leave lasting impressions on a wanderer’s soul and imagination. Their burgeoning studio, which is split between London and Porto, specializes in history-laden hotels that pay homage to their architecture and location. Look no further than the recently opened Raffles London in a Grade II–listed former war office or Imperial Riding School, the latest addition to Marriott’s Autograph Collection that saw the firm transform a 19th-century military equestrian academy and former cinema in Vienna.

When: Sept. 5–Nov. 2

Where: Friedman Benda, New York

What: The South African ceramist’s latest works explore Xhosa heritage and personal loss through powerful vessels that combine ancestral symbolism with elements of nature, such as flowing streams and scarification marks, to create complex visual metaphors of resilience and renewal. These monumental vessels are arranged in a ceremonial circle, emphasizing communal healing and connection through craft and storytelling.

Bend Goods is a Los Angeles furniture design and manufacturing company committed to designing innovative and playful products. Founded in 2010 by Gaurav Nanda, Bend was derived from Nanda’s passion for making functional yet sculptural objects. Inspired by the midcentury era, the line includes pieces made of wire, upholstery, and wood.

Surface Says: We love how Bend Goods taps serious historical references to inspire their vibrant, colorful collection. We can’t help but admire the levity that permeates their wide array of pieces.

Deep-fried ranch is proving to be a sleeper hit at the Minnesota State Fair.

A feud between paleontologists is rocking a global scientific community.

The architecture of Only Murders in the Building finally gets its own fan guide.

What’s driving workplace design today? Solitude, silence, and seclusion.