Lighting is one of the most important—and most amorphous—elements of design. It affects everything we see and has a big impact on how we feel. Yet lighting design is too often misunderstood—or completely overlooked. Two professional lighting designers, Nathan Orsman and Stephen Bernstein, share why they consider themselves the back-up dancers of design, how LEDs have transformed the world and changed the color of light, and why, when it comes to outdoor lighting, a little goes a long way.

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It’s a common complaint among designers that it is nearly impossible to find skilled artisans and craftspeople. Why is there such a shortage, and what can designers do to inspire more young people to work with their hands? Three outstanding practitioners—decorative painter Caroline Lizarraga, floor painter Chris Pearson, and upholsterer Luther Quintana—weigh in on how they learned their craft, and how they find and train staff to keep up with demand. They discuss the ways social media has transformed the artisan community and reveal why you just might find your next talented team member at the local carwash.

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Good art is essential to a great room. But the art world is strange and intimidating, the art market seems to reach new heights every year, and art fairs are overwhelming and bewildering. How do you navigate all this to find works that your clients will love and are worth the often-considerable investment? Two art advisors, Laura Solomon and Andrea Feldman Falcione, explain how they guide designers and clients through the morass, why not working with an advisor can be a designer’s biggest mistake, and why sometimes a lack knowledge about art can be a client’s greatest strength.

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Proper organization and storage are crucial to any successful home. But storage has gone far beyond the utilitarian. Luxury closets have become potent fantasies for clients and stars on social media. Creating spaces for everything from an array of Hermès handbags to a hand-made carbon fiber bicycle is an opportunity for designers to dazzle their clients—or disappoint them. How can you satisfy the demand for luxury organization? Three closet designers—Lisa Adams, Melanie Charlton Fowler, and Maria Castro—reveal their secrets for transforming overlooked spaces into useful assets, ingenious ways to upgrade existing storage spaces, and why closets are quickly becoming the most glamorous room in the house.

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The collaboration between architect and interior designer is crucial. At its best, it can push both to new heights. But creative differences, miscommunications, budget disputes, and client conflicts can all complicate this intense working relationship. And how much more fraught is it when the architect is married to the designer? Architect Peter Pennoyer and designer Katie Ridder, a couple who often collaborate, discuss the importance of clarity and communication, how valuable it can be to see a challenge through a different set of eyes, how they minimize mistakes, and why you should never make the client a mediator between two creative visions.

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Trends are inevitable. If anything, the pace of what’s in and what’s out seems only to accelerate. It’s harder than ever to keep up—and to distinguish the best of what’s new. Shannon Wollack and Brittany Zwickl of LA-based Studio Life/Style, and San Francisco designer Jonathan Rachman joins Chairish's VP of Merchandising, Noel Fahden, to look at the trends likely to shape interior design in the year ahead. Is this the year when open floor plans and open-shelved kitchens lose their appeal? Will granny chic reign? Will bouclé be banished? Is terracotta the next color obsession? The experts weigh in and reveal why there’s likely to be a floor lamp or a footstool in your future.

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No other store in New York is as glamorous and fashion-forward as Bergdorf Goodman. And Bergdorf’s seventh floor features the ultimate high-style home store, a long-time favorite of designers. Now, as Bergdorf’s unveils the new Chairish Art Gallery, Anna Brockway, co-founder and president of Chairish, joins Bergdorf’s Andrew Mandell to talk about how this exclusive collaboration came about; how Bergdorf’s keeps its home floor fresh and exciting; and what these two retail powerhouses see ahead for home design and the future of shopping.

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Every design project has its problems. But then there are the major disasters. How do you cope with fiascos ranging from monthslong delays and damaged deliveries to rejected custom pieces and recalcitrant contractors? Who bears the burdens and costs? How do you minimize mistakes and keep your team motivated in the face of major setbacks? Designers Heidi Caillier, Keita Turner, and Crystal Sinclair share how they have faced—and faced down—all sorts of dilemmas, why trust and transparency are crucial and finger-pointing is useless, and why it is always best to get it in writing.

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After starting out as a humble potter, Jonathan Adler has grown to become a well- established design force, with his signature witty and colorful touch evident in everything from vases and pillows to furnishings, accessories, homes, and hotels. Yet he still has his hands in the mud. Here he tells of his amazing rise; why, despite his love for design history, he has always considered himself a design outsider; how he was influenced by fashion; why Madonna remains his muse; and the challenges he faces in bringing wit and charm to interiors and product design.

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Toronto is one of the fastest growing cities in North America—and one of the most stylish. Three designers based in the city—Colette Van den Thillart, Cynthia Ferguson, and Louise MacDonald—weigh in on why they love Toronto, how its many different neighborhoods shape their work, and the increasing sophistication of their clients. But they also address the unique problems—from shipping complications to import duties to the reams of required paperwork— that can make working in Canada so challenging.

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