Benjamin Moore announces the 2023 Color of the Year, Michelin releases its latest New York restaurant ratings, and UK architectural employees seek wage transparency. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Employees strive for wage transparency at UK architecture studios
An anonymous survey has been launched in the UK to collect information about salaries at architecture firms, reports Dezeen. Started by a group of architectural workers earlier this year, the Pay 100 hopes to encourage wage transparency and, in turn, improve salaries across the field. The Pay 100 is currently compiling data—it’s amassed 300 salaries to date—and plans to publish the average earnings for different job positions as well as a leaderboard of the 100 top-paying studios in the future. The group’s goal is to gather information on 1,000 salaries and will be releasing a preliminary report on its findings on November 1st. “Although wages are the focus, as a byproduct we aim to empower individual employers and employees alike, to illuminate the true potential of being part of progressive collective change,” said the Pay 100.
Benjamin Moore’s 2023 Color of the Year is…
Benjamin Moore’s 2023 Color of the Year, Raspberry Blush, on display
On Wednesday, paint brand Benjamin Moore announced its Color of the Year 2023 is Raspberry Blush 2008-30. The saturated red-orange shade makes a confident statement, enlivening its surroundings and awakening the senses. “People are ready to bring color back into the home, taking a step outside their color comfort zones,” Benjamin Moore color marketing and development director Andrea Magno says of this year’s selection. The company also released its corresponding Color Trends 2023 palette, consisting of eight paint hues and aimed at encouraging designers to use color in unexpected ways.
Lodging startup Selina adds music festivals and wellness retreats to its portfolio
Selina, the lifestyle hospitality brand geared toward Millennial and Gen Z travelers, plans to expand its reach by producing music festivals and other large-scale events for companies at its venues, reports Skift. Further, the startup company, which has not yet gone public, has launched Mantra, a brand that will host wellness retreats for both companies and consumers—with the majority also taking place at Selina outposts. “We remain focused on achieving profitability as we grow and scale our platform, and continue to progress towards near-profitable margins,” Selina cofounder and CEO Rafael Museri said in a statement. (The company reportedly generated $86 million in revenue but suffered a $4 million loss in the first half of 2022.)
The Michelin Guide reveals New York restaurant rankings
One White Street; photo by Aaron Leitz
The Michelin Guide announced the 2022 rankings for New York last week during a celebration at Peak in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, according to The New York Times. While the city’s top five restaurants remained unchanged from last year, several other establishments were added to the list or even lost stars. There are now 13 local eateries on the two-star list (down from 14 in 2021) and 55 (up from 49 in 2021) with one-star distinction. Oiji Mi, One White Street, and Le Pavillon are a few of the new additions to the one-star list. New York institutions Peter Luger Steak House and Carbone, however, were both stripped of their one star.
Saudi Arabia incentivizes executives to work at smart city Neom
The jagged rock formations of Alaqan, situated in the heart of Neom; photo courtesy of Neom
According to The Wall Street Journal, Neom—Saudi Arabia’s ambitious megadevelopment in Tabuk Province, north of the Red Sea—is recruiting executives and offering an average salary of $1.1 million. Neom’s senior leadership team consists of approximately 20 Saudis and expats, and the high paychecks are a way for the country to recruit global talent and shift the economy away from its reliance on oil. The salaries are “more than twice as much as American C-suite level executives typically make, the data shows, with chief financial officers making $486,000 and chief marketing officers $416,000, on average,” the WSJ article points out. Another incentive: There are zero income taxes in the kingdom.
