It’s “pillow talk” of the most impactful kind: This year marks the 20th anniversary of Design on a Dime, an extraordinary event where the design community comes together to raise money for Housing Works to provide HIV healthcare and housing. In addition to the beloved room vignettes created by designers, for the first time this year, there’s an auction of one-of-a-kind pillows. Produced in partnership with FREDERIC magazine, the Pillow Talk auction features 50 pillows created by top New York designers—including Charlotte Moss, Corey Damen Jenkins, Redd Kaihoi, and Williams Lawrence—using Schumacher fabrics and trims.
The creations of 50 top New York designers on display in the window of Housing Works Thrift Shop in Chelsea.
Hudson MooreTo view all 50 designers’ pillows—and place your bids—head to auction.housingworks.com from April 11–24. (New Yorkers can also get an IRL peek at the Housing Works Thrift Shop in Chelsea, located at 143 W. 17th Street.)
Below, you’ll find just a few of our favorite creations, packed full of creative ideas and custom details to inspire your own decorating adventures.
KATIE RIDDER
Ridder added a bespoke touch by hand-embroidering red yarn on top of Schumacher’s Morris fabric. “The Ladybird trim and Ric Rac Tape add to the whimical feeling of the embellished fabric,” she says.
NICK GAGNE
“This pillow is inspired by Austrian patterns, while being crafted in the style of a traditional American quilt,” says Gagne of his one-of-a-kind creation using Beau Cotton Linen Moiré and Incomparable Moiré fabrics.
KATE IVES DESIGN
“I tend to sneak a stripe in most of my rooms,” says Ives. “We mitered Markie Stripe fabric and framed it with a beautiful chestnut brown Maidstone Tape and Antique Strie Velvet piping for a more elevated look that still reads more fun than fussy!”
REDD KAIHOI
“The inspiration comes from the boxy brown-and-white chic of Billy Baldwin in the 1970s,” says Miles Redd, who used his The Wave Velvet to create this chunky, button-tufted pillow—although “Billy would have had a windowpane plaid instead,” he adds.
SHEILA BRIDGES DESIGN
Lush, rich Suzani Strie Velvet reinterprets a traditional motif in textural velvet on a sateen-like ground. Bridges framed it with intricately embroidered Lili Dragon Tape for and maximal opulence.
MARKHAM ROBERTS
Combining fabrics of two different scales in a similar palette—the iconic Pyne Hollyhock and small-scale Folly—brings an exciting energy to neutrals. Roberts used Bindi Hand Block Print fabric to create a graphic border.
STUDIO DB
“The pyramidal form accentuates the vibrant colors, patterns, and intricate embroidery of four different fabrics,” says Britt Zunino, who combined Merrifield Sampler, Larissa, Meadow Button Hand Embroidery, and Kalindi Embroidery.
LK STUDIO
“I had kitschy elegance in mind when selecting the materials for this pillow: bright and youthful Ric Rac paired with a sophisticated, faded-in-the-sun Proust’s Lilacs chintz,” explains Lily Dierkes. “Think Gigi or My Fair Lady.”
COREY DAMEN JENKINS
Jenkins added a touch of the surreal to Carpenter Flamestitch, a chenille tapestry fabric that’s a fresh take on traditional bargello, with two shimmering stripes of Mind’s Eye Beaded Tape.
BRANCA
Alessandra Branca created a gloriously feminine take on the “husband” backrest pillow with exuberant Baudin Butterfly Chintz. A ruffled trim (in Wesley Ticking Stripe) makes for maximum pretty.
TIMOTHY WHEALON INTERIORS
Plush Gainsborough Velvet is cast in a lively, playful new light with chain-stitch embroidery borders of Joelle Tape. Whealon used Francois Silk Brush Fringe to add an extra layer of tactile richness.
ASIA BAKER DESIGN
“I like to work with a lot of vintage and custom pieces. The Temara hand-embroidered fabric feels rich and worldly,” says Baker, who silhouetted the fabric’s central motif and framed it in the cut border. “It feels as though it was picked up on an exotic trip or inherited from a well-traveled great-aunt!”
HADLEY WIGGINS
“As is often the case, we were inspired by the work of Renzo Mongiardino, in particular a pillow design we have long admired from the Castello Di Cigognola near Milan,” says Wiggins, who mitered Hamel Stripe to create a richly graphic effect.
SCHUMACHER
Created by textile artist Richard Saja, the new La Liberté Americaine Toile is a work of art and an irreverent conversation piece. A traditional pastoral print embellished by hand, it celebrates and subverts the stylistic conventions of 18th-century Europe.
