Once upon a time, the design-world calendar was filled with fairs and exhibitions where people could gather to learn about the latest products and furnishings. These events conveniently pooled the year’s launches together, so you didn’t need to scour hundreds of social media accounts, or subscribe to hundreds of newsletters, to discover new things. But the pandemic, of course, largely — and we hope, temporarily — put an end to these gatherings, as well as the sense of discovery they fostered. It was against this backdrop that we decided to launch the annual Sight Unseen Yearbook. Each year, we’ll compile the best residential designs from the previous year in every category, and at every level, from new talents to the world’s biggest brands. Whether or not we go back to globe-trotting and fair-hopping, this will be the place you can always come to see everything in one spot.

The very first Yearbook — which was made possible with the support of our partner Kvadrat, the Danish textile brand that’s in the process of opening its first two US showrooms — comes out next month, and features more than 500 of 2021’s best lounge chairs, beds, shelves, table lamps, and sinks, plus everything else in between. It’s primarily meant to serve as a comprehensive yet curated resource for interior designers and architects looking for pieces to source and designers and brands to earmark. If you’re currently practicing as an interior designer or architect, you can get a copy for free by signing up for a Sight Unseen trade subscription and verifying your professional status at the following link:

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

If you’re another kind of designer, or not a designer at all, you can view a PDF of the yearbook when it comes out by signing up for our SU Friends membership program.

Special thanks to Kvadrat, our partner, and Catarina Carreiras, who designed the issue. We hope you’ll come to see the Yearbook as something of a collectible — a record of the year that was, one we can all look back on in the years to come. ◆