Though Billy Cotton is best known for his tailored, pattern-forward interiors, he’s also a Pratt Institute–trained product designer, making him the perfect partner for West Elm in a new collaboration. Today the AD100 interior designer and the Brooklyn-based home goods retailer are launching an exclusive line of furniture, flooring, lighting, tabletop, and decorative accessories. “I wanted to create products that people could make their own in their everyday lives, and that were easy, fun, and versatile,” Cotton says of the project.
Cotton’s decor pieces fit with a variety of aesthetics.
When it came to designing larger pieces like the Lacquered Coffee Table ($599), the Deluxe Linen Bed ($1,799), and the Simple Dining Chair ($299), Cotton was inspired by the Sarasota School of Architecture and mid-century titans like Paul Rudolph and Charles Eames. He opted for neutral tones and simple silhouettes that marry form and function. “I dug deeply into this idea of American modernism and what it means to be an American designer,” he explains. “When we started the collection, we had just come out of a dark period and I was thinking of the sun and brightness.”
The Bennett Floor Lamp ($349), Pendant Light ($399), and Table Lamp ($249) recall the space-age fixtures of Danish designer Poul Henningsen, while smaller tabletop items like the Etched Old Fashioned Glassware Set ($40) and the Enamel Vase ($35) are minimalist and retro. Though Cotton is proud of each and every item, he has a “soft spot” for the Ceramic Shell Bowl (from $19). “The detail and design of it is just perfect,” he admits. “The handle provides a function, which I love. It just makes me smile and combines all the things I love: beauty, function and laughter.”
The products, which range from $19 to $1,999, will be available exclusively at westelm.com/billy-cotton-collaboration and select West Elm retail locations starting February 26.
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“West Elm shared in my vision to create well-made, well-designed products on a larger scale,” shares Cotton. “They were really the perfect partner for this project.”