Cracker Barrel scraps controversial logo redesign, Herzog & de Meuron restores the Breuer Building for Sotheby’s, and Trump hires Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Cracker Barrel switches its logo—then switches back
Photo courtesy of Joseph Hendrickson/Adobe Stock
After revealing a first-ever rebrand of its logo earlier this month, Southern-themed road trip dining fixture Cracker Barrel announced plans to stick with its original “old timer” logo instead. The unveiling of the brand’s new minimalist logo sparked backlash—including the president! According to Dezeen, outcry was so significant that Cracker Barrel shares plummeted following the initial announcement to remove Uncle Herschel from the logo, only to rebound following plans to stick with the original. Change is hard. Pleasing everyone? Even harder.
Airbnb founder tapped as government crony
Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia; photo courtesy of Airbnb
As part of the White House’s America by Design Initiative, Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia has reportedly been tapped to serve as chief design officer for a newly conceived National Design Studio. Trump signed an executive order on August 21st to create the studio, which, according to Reuters, appears to be a stripped-down successor for the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formerly led by billionaire Elon Musk. The studio is scheduled to operate within the White House for the next three years, and job requirements include overseeing improvements to high-impact websites and destinations that affect Americans’ daily interactions with the government.
Poor floor plans = poor mental health?
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
The power of a floor plan cannot be overstated. Take it from me, someone who feng shui-ed their apartment last winter in hopes of unearthing new, revitalized energy in the home. These impacts are also top of mind for Suchi Reddy, whose work in neuroaesthetics, or how spaces do or do not instill comfort or pleasure, informs a recent write-up in Architectural Digest exploring the symbiosis of layouts and mental health. Desire, trauma, history, and aspiration all manifest somewhere within the homefront, which we tend to think of as refuge. But our emotional needs can, indeed, be affected by simple changes in color, functionality, or daylighting. Apparently even making the bed can imbue a greater sense of tidiness or balance (but that’s something this writer will just never feel like doing first thing in the morning).
Sotheby’s gets an upgrade in Manhattan
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Don’t get bogged down in all the drama unfolding behind the scenes at Sotheby’s (or do)! The famed auction house also recently inaugurated its new global headquarters inside New York’s former Breuer Building. The five-story Brutalist icon received an upgrade from Herzog & de Meuron in collaboration with locally based Platt Byard Dovell White Architects, though updates were gentle, according to Designboom. Original materiality is retained along with spatial intentions, while enhanced infrastructure improves accessibility, curatorial flexibility, and visitor experience. All that concrete and those fabulous coffered ceilings remain intact—as are those immersive bluestone floors, but be on the lookout for a subtle elevator addition and revamped lighting.
Boutique Design announces 2025 Boutique 18 class
Salt Harvest restaurant at the Curioso-crafted Populus Seattle; photo by Ric Stovall
Boutique Design magazine has announced this year’s Boutique 18 honorees, a collective of designers whose work is reshaping the hospitality industry. These rising stars were nominated by their peers and mentors and handpicked by the BD editorial team. All honorees will be highlighted in the fall 2025 issue of Boutique Design, and formally celebrated at the Gold Key Awards gala on November 10th in New York. Buy tickets now!
