Generating Relief—from Home

Now that Colin Stief 14 IA, a partner at the Brooklyn-based interior architecture studio General Assembly, is among the 311 million Americans being urged to stay home, he has been trying to do more to help than just work remotely.

“As New Yorkers and deep believers that together we are stronger,” Stief explains on the pop-up site he helped create, “we decided to bring together the NYC design community to launch At Home.”

The title of the online auction—which launched today (April 6) and runs through Sunday, April 12—points to both where we all are and the destination of the work being sold.

General Assembly often partners with local designers of home goods and other products that help make our spaces warm, welcoming and special.

So Stief says it felt natural to reach out to the artists and designers it works with most to launch an effort to raise funds for Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organization helping to support New Yorkers to get through the COVID-19 crisis. The organization is coordinating with public health authorities, nonprofits and businesses to provide personal protective equipment and other essential medical items to health care providers.

In addition to General Assembly, among the many businesses either owned by alumni or with alumni representation that have contributed work to the At Home auction are Calico Wallpaper, David Weeks Studio, Debra Folz, Egg Collective, Fitzhugh Karol, In Common With, Lindsey Adelman, Rich Brilliant Willing, Vonnegut Kraft and Workstead.

As with everything COVID-related, time is of the essence. So if you’re able to make a bid, keep in mind that the At Home auction runs through Sunday (April 12) only.

illustrations by Amit Greenberg / General Assembly

April 6, 2020