"Every product we've made has been an act of optimism-a belief that good design can make our world a little better,"
"Lately though, our world has been making that difficult for us to do."
"To be both a curatorial voice and a manufacturing voice are two disparate and incompatible forces,"
"It is not a great business model. It's a wonderful creative model."
Areaware, a 22-year-old design brand, announced closure effective May 1, citing tariffs and mounting pressures on the home goods industry. Food52, parent of Schoolhouse and Dansk, declared bankruptcy and was later sold at auction, illustrating strain across design-focused companies. Both Areaware and Food52 combined curation and manufacturing to offer affordable, story-driven everyday objects to aspirational shoppers. That hybrid model generated creative strength but created operational and economic tensions. Areaware's cofounder described the dual role of curator and manufacturer as incompatible business forces, suggesting the model favors creativity over long-term financial sustainability.
Read at Fast Company
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