|
Like a good pair of Basquiat Crocs, there are innumerable bad ways to license an artists work. So when Airstream looked to partner up on a project with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the aluminum-clad trailer brand could have just printed one of the architect’s famous patterns on a limited run of its vehicles and called it a day. It probably would have even sold well. But that is decidedly what Bob Wheeler, Airstreams president and CEO, did not want to do. We said, All right, let’s make sure that everything has a purpose and a functionthat way it’s not just a pastiche, or some kind of lame attempt to mimic something, Wheeler recalls. We didn’t want it to seem overdone or kitschy. Instead, the brand embarked on a multiyear collaboration with the experts at Wrights Taliesin West home and studio in Scottsdale, Arizona, and today the two are rolling out the 28-foot Airstream Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Limited Edition Travel Trailer. With just 200 numbered vehicles that retail for $184,900 on offer, youlike memight not be able to afford one at the moment, but they just might also restore your faith in the art of the artist collab at large. [Photo: Airstream] BETTER LATE THAN NEVER Wheeler has a passion for midcentury design (as you might expect of Airstreams CEO), so it tracks that hed be a natural fan of Wrights organic architecture. Honestly, this has been a dream of mine for the last 20 years, which is about as long as I’ve been president of Airstream, he says. Why are Wrights designs so celebrated today? It’s because they’re timeless. I think there are values there that incentivize someone to buy an Airstream that overlap in some meaningful ways. Though Wright and Airstream founder Wally Byam were active at the same time and likely shared some of the same design fan base, theres no record of them ever meeting. But a collaboration between the two ultimately proved inevitable when Wheeler reached out to Wrights foundation in 2022. Foundation historian Sally Russell says her team wasnt initially sure how robust a joint project could be. They eventually toured the Airstream factory in Ohio where the trailers are handmade using 3,000 rivets over the course of 350 hours, and saw how much customization was truly possible. Then she realized that it could be a great showcase of Wrights work. Beyond an Airstreams signature aluminum exterior, Wheeler says the trailer is essentially a blank canvas. And that’s where we can really flex some design muscle and allow others to do so. Russell says the foundation first explored whether to make the trailer feel like an adaptation of a specific Frank Lloyd Wright home. The answer to that was no, she says. We didn’t want to try to re-create the Rosenbaum House and shove it into the size of a trailer. It didn’t make sense, because Frank Lloyd Wright certainly designed for each of his individual projectshe created something new, something that expressed the individual forms of the project, the needs of the client. So there was a great awareness of wanting to continue that legacy through the work that we did on the trailer. The two teams ultimately homed in on the concept of Usonian design, a style that aimed to democratize design via small, affordable homes with a focus on efficient floor plans, functionality, and modularity. In other words: an ideal fit for an Airstream. [Photo: Airstream] COLLAPSIBLE CHAIRS AND CLERESTORY WINDOWS When you approach the trailer, the connection to Wright is immediate on the custom front door featuring the Gordon leaf pattern, which the architect commissioned his apprentice Eugene Masselink to design in 1956. Its a tip of the hat to nature, presumably an Airstreamers destination, and can be found subtly throughout the trailer in elements like sconces and cabinet pullsbut not too much, per the design mission at the outset. (At one point we had a lot more of that Gordon leaf in there, Wheeler notes. We dialed that way back.) With the push of a button, the bench seating converts into a king-size bedone of Wheelers favorite elements. It is the largest bed in any Airstream, and is a first for the company, he says. [Photo: Airstream] Another convertible element, in line with that focus on modularity, is the living space at the front of the trailer. Here, a dining table, desk, and seating inspired by the slant-back chairs that Wright used throughout his career collapse into a wall cabinet. Wheeler says Airstream used to deploy clever featres like this in the midcentury era, before modern preferences trended toward built-in furniture. So in some ways, this is a bit of a flashback to an earlier design in the 50s, which is appropriate. The teams also honored Wrights focus on natural light, relocating Airstreams usual overhead storage in favor of clerestory windows, which are prominent in Usonian homes. Meanwhile, the overall color palette comes from a 1955 Wright-curated Martin-Senour paint line. Russell says the team selected it for its harmonious blend with the natural settings where the trailer is likely headed, featuring ocher, red, and turquoise. Ultimately, It’s like a Frank Lloyd Wright home, where you walk into it, and it’s a completely different experience from any other building, Russell says. I hope that he would be very happy to see that design legacy continue, because he certainly did that with his own fellowship and the apprentices that he worked with. [Photo: Airstream] USONIAN LIFE Starting today, the limited-edition, numbered trailers will be available for order at Airstream dealerships. Wheeler says the company was originally going to release just 100 of them, but got so much positive feedback from dealers and others that they doubled the run. On the whole, the collaboration comes in the wake of a boom time for Airstream, which is owned by Thor Industries. Airstream experienced a surge during the pandemic, resulting in a 22% jump in sales in 2021 as people embraced remote work or realigned their relationship to the world. We’ve come back to earth now, and now we’re much more tied to actual market retail rates, which is what we know, Wheeler says. In its third-quarter financials, Thor reported $2.89 billion in revenue (up 3.3% from previous year). While the company declined to provide Airstream-specific numbers, its overall North American towable RV division is up 9.1% from the same period in 2024. But theres a problem afoot: The current administrations tariffs, which Wheeler says made settling on the price for the Frank Lloyd Wright collaboration tricky. He adds that the company is struggling with shortages caused by the disruption in the supply chain, and high interest rates are also a problem. [Photo: Airstream] Look, we’re 94 years old, he says. We’ve been through more of these cycles than we can count, so we’re fine, and we’ll continue to trade on authenticity, quality, great service and support, a great dealer network, and a brand that really has become part of the fabric of the U.S. traveling adventure.
Category:
E-Commerce
A Broadway play is coming to your living room live via cable television for the first time ever. This historic moment takes place tonight (Saturday, June 7, 2025) at 7 p.m. ETjust one day before the 78th Tony Awards. Grab some snacks and settle in for Good Night, and Good Luck, co-written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov and directed by David Cromer. Although this event is being pitched as a TV first, streaming service BroadwayHD was technically the first to livestream a Broadway show, with the musical She Loves Me in 2016but we digress. Here’s what to know about Good Night, and Good Luck, and how to watch it live. What is “Good Night, and Good Luck” about? Good Night, and Good Luck tells the story of respected CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow and his quest to hold Senator Joseph McCarthy accountable for his actions during the 1950s Red Scare. It is based on the 2005 film of the same name. This time around, George Clooney portrays Murrow and is making his Broadway debut. What do the critics say? Good Night, and Good Luck received mostly positive reviews. Varietys Frank Rizzo praised its seriousness of purpose that is again dramatically stark, solidly documented, and ultimately chilling. The Hollywood Reporters David Rooney mused that the drama at times seems almost as educational as it is theatrical. Both believe the ending might have been too heavy-handed and wanted more character development for the supporting characters. Time Outs Adam Feldman did not mince words, stating that the play is too similar to the movie. It is well designed and full of fine actors doing their jobs. Its subject is timely and its message is on point, and theres no good reason to see it, he quipped. The American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League, the organizations behind the Tony Awards, honored the production with five nominations. This includes one for Clooneys leading performance. The play is a major commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing play in Broadway history. On the way to that title, it repeatedly grossed more than $4 million in a single week. These numbers are partly because tickets range from $176 for obstructed views to $799 for the best seats. Why tell this story now? Clooney and Heslov wrote the 2005 screenplay as a response to the United States actions in the Iraq War. Unfortunately, the universal themes of speaking truth to power are more relevant now than ever. I think it’s a story that you can keep telling over and over,” Heslov told CBS’s 60 Minutes. “I don’t think it will ever thematically get old.” They chose to adapt the story for the stage because of the Trump administration’s actions to discredit the media. While the president laments so-called fake news, journalists play an important role in educating the public and keeping public officials honest. “When the other three estates fail, when the judiciary and the executive and the legislative branches fail us, the fourth estate has to succeed,” Clooney added during the 60 Minutes interview. He went on to say that a recent ABC News settlement with the Trump administration was scary. In a similar vein, CBS is trying to get a $20 billion lawsuit that claims 60 Minutes committed election interference dismissed. Additionally, Trump continues to cherry-pick which outlets get access to him while attempting to defund news organizations such as NPR. We’re seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine, or use corporations to make journalists smaller, Clooney explained. Clooney’s father, Nick Clooney, was a respected broadcast journalist. The younger Clooney followed in his fathers political-party footsteps and is a lifelong Democrat. How can I watch or stream the Broadway play live? Because this story is so personal to Clooney, he is doing his part to bring the shows important and timely message to an even wider audience beyond the Big Apple. He partnered with CNN to accomplish this. Thanks to 20 cameras and 14 camera operators, audiences around the world can feel like they are in the room where it happened. I cant tell you how exciting it is to do something thats never been done. CNN is the perfect place to bring this story of courage to so many more people than we could have ever hoped. Live TV. No net. Buckle up everyone, Clooney stated in a press release. Before the metaphorical curtain rises, CNN’s Pamela Brown will host a pre-show outside of the Winter Garden Theatre, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. The play will begin at 7 p.m. ET and runs an hour and 40 minutes, with no intermission. After the play, CNN’s Anderson Cooper will host a special, discussing the current state of journalism. He will be joined by a slew of notable guests including Connie Chung and Marvin Kalb. Traditional cable subscribers can watch the pre-show, play, and post-show discussion on CNN and CNN International. Cord-cutters can stream the theatrical experience on CNN.com/GoodNightGoodLuck and do not need a cable login. It will also be available on HBO Max at all subscription levels.
Category:
E-Commerce
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. When assessing home price momentum, ResiClub believes it’s important to monitor active listings and months of supply. If active listings start to rapidly increase as homes remain on the market for longer periods, it may indicate pricing softness or weakness. Conversely, a rapid decline in active listings could suggest a market that is heating up. Generally speaking, local housing markets where active inventory has jumped above pre-pandemic 2019 levels have experienced softer home price growth (or outright price declines) over the past 36 months. Conversely, local housing markets where active inventory remains far below pre-pandemic 2019 levels have, generally speaking, experienced more resilient home price growth over the past 36 months. Where is inventory heading into summer? As ResiClub communicated to ResiClub PRO members in late 2023and reaffirmed last fallwe expect national active inventory to approach pre-pandemic 2019 levels in the second half of 2025. Thats still the trajectory were on. National active listings are on the rise (+31.5% between May 2024 and May 2025). This indicates that homebuyers have gained some leverage in many parts of the country over the past year. Some seller’s markets have turned into balanced markets, and more balanced markets have turned into buyer’s markets. Nationally, were still below pre-pandemic 2019 inventory levels (-12.3% below May 2019), and some resale markets, in particular big chunks of the Midwest and Northeast, still remain tight-ish. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); May 2017: 1,253,854 May 2018: 1,156,910 May 2019: 1,180,920 May 2020: 928,370 May 2021: 447,662 (overheating during the Pandemic Housing Boom) May 2022: 479,462 May 2023: 582,441 May 2024: 787,722 May 2025: 1,036,101 If we maintain the current year-over-year pace of inventory growth (+248,379 homes for sale), we’d have: 1,284,480 active inventory come May 2026 1,532,859 active inventory come May 2027 Below is the year-over-year percentage change by state. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); While active housing inventory is rising in most markets on a year-over-year basis, some markets still remain tight-ish (although it’s loosening). As ResiClub has been documenting, both active resale and new homes for sale remain the most limited across huge swaths of the Midwest and Northeast. Thats where home sellers this spring had, relatively speaking, more power. In contrast, active housing inventory for sale has neared or surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels in many parts of the Sun Belt and Mountain West, including metro-area housing markets such as Punta Gorda, Florida, and Austin. Many of these areas saw major price surges during the pandemic housing boom, with home prices getting stretched in comparison with local incomes. As pandemic-driven domestic migration slowed and mortgage rates rose, markets like Tampa, Florida, and Austin faced challenges, relying on local income levels to support frothy home prices. This softening trend is further compounded by an abundance of new home supply in the Sun Belt. Builders are often willing to lower prices or offer affordability incentives (if they have the margins to do so) to maintain sales in a shifted market, which also has a cooling effect on the resale market. Some buyers, who would have previously considered existing homes, are now opting for new homes with more favorable deals. That puts additional upward pressure on resale inventory. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); At the end of May 2025, 10 states were above pre-pandemic 2019 active inventory levels: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington. (The District of Columbiawhich we left out of this analysisis back above pre-pandemic 2019 active inventory levels, too. Weakness in D.C. proper predates the current admins job cuts.) To better understand ongoing softness and weakness across Florida, read this ResiClub PRO report. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); Big picture: Over the past few years, weve observed a softening across many housing markets as strained affordability tempers the fervor of a market that was unsustainably hot during the pandemic housig boom. While home prices are falling in some areas around the Gulf, most regional housing markets are still seeing positive year-over-year home price growth. That said, given the current softening, ResiClub expects that as the year progresses, more markets will fall into the year-over-year decline camp. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); Below is another version of the table abovebut this one includes every month since January 2017. (Sorry if its a little blurryclick the interactive link to see a version that isnt blurry.) !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); If youd like to further examine the monthly state inventory figures, use the interactive below. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}();
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|