Inside the Poliform Washington, D.C., store.
Courtesy of Poliform
MILAN — Luxury furniture-maker Poliform first set foot on American soil in 1998, at a time when very few knew about the brand — or its Italian peers for that matter — and the market was dominated by multibrand stores.
Wednesday marks a major milestone in the U.S. as Poliform opens its fifth store, a directly operated flagship located at 3304 M Street NW in Cady’s Alley, in the heart of Georgetown’s burgeoning Design District.
Fellow Italian furniture-makers like Molteni&C, Boffi De Padova and B&B Italia are among its only Italian neighbors, but that is likely to change as Italian design brands continue to collectively corner prime U.S. retail real estate like they did in New York City’s Madison Avenue or NoMad area, said Poliform’s U.S. chief executive officer and president Laura Anzani, daughter of Giovanni Anzani, one of the three cofounders.
“The east side of Washington is becoming a beautiful area. There are a lot of retail stores there and the fashion industry has started opening there as well,” said Anzani, who first moved to New York 16 years ago.
Spanning 9,400 square feet across two floors, the flagship marks a significant milestone in Poliform’s ongoing expansion plan in the U.S. and globally. Currently, Poliform has 110 monobrand stores in 95 countries, including five in the U.S.
Today, the company founded in 1970 by Alberto Spinelli, Aldo Spinelli and Giovanni Anzani in the heart of Brianza, the northern Italian furniture district, counts the U.S. as its second-biggest market by sales after Europe, driven largely by what Anzani describes as a strong network and word of mouth marketing. Post the COVID-19 pandemic, the company saw sales in America double and despite a wider market slowdown, the company has grown consecutively every year since. Asia is also growing “exponentially,” she said.
Inside the Poliform Washington, D.C., store.
Courtesy of Poliform
The showroom will feature Poliform’s broad spectrum of products and design offerings to elevate different areas of the home, from living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms and bedrooms, to walk-in closets, storage solutions and accessories and will feature the outdoor line in the next few months. Poliform’s first outdoor collection was launched earlier this year.
Poliform originally started as a cabinet-maker, and saw its business grow rapidly following its expansion into kitchens and eventually the sleek, luxury furniture that echoes natural forms and shapes. “The D.C. market is important because every four years or so, people come and go [due to the election cycle] and for international brand awareness,” Anzani contended.
Forging new design enclaves is something Poliform has been accustomed to, after opening a monobrand store in New York City’s NoMad district in 2016, Miami’s Design District 22 years ago and in Los Angeles in West Hollywood 20 years ago.
The turning point that propelled Poliform’s growth in the U.S. was an editorial project-turned-ad campaign by famed fashion photographer Paolo Roversi. In 2020, he turned pieces of furniture into muses accented by his signature romantic lighting and curated styling.
“We use some of those images in our campaign here in the U.S. and I think that because it was so different, people started asking about us because they found something extremely sophisticated…different from what other companies are doing,” she said.
Anzani added that the brand’s new outdoor collection designed by French architect and inventor Jean-Marie Massaud, designer Emmanuel Gallina, Singapore and New York-based architect Soo K. Chan and Dutch designer and art director Marcel Wanders garnered instant success in the U.S., before it was even presented in stores. Clients were happy with color samples without ever seeing the product in person, she said.
One third of Poliform’s revenues are generated from cabinets, another third by fine furniture and another by kitchens. “We follow the real estate market because we enter homes with cabinetry when there is a new purchase and second home renovation. We’re a little concerned because the real estate market is not at its best at the moment, but we are growing compared to last year,” Anzani said.
According to the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales in the U.S. fell to their lowest level in nearly 30 years in December 2023. In April, the median existing-home price for all housing types was up 5.7 percent to $407,600 from the previous year.
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This story contains descriptions of fatal violence against a transgender person.
The Seattle Police Department are searching for a suspect after a 19-year-old University of Washington student was stabbed to death in an off-campus student apartment complex on May 10.
Seattle Police Department Detective Eric Muñoz told NBC News that the victim is “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female” who was enrolled at the university. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by name. She was found in the housing complex laundry room shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.
The housing complex, Nordheim Court, is privately managed but affiliated with the university, located near an upscale shopping center in Seattle’s U-Village neighborhood. According to NBC News, residents received an official alert from UW to stay inside their homes and lock all windows and doors — an alert that was lifted around 1 a.m. with the acknowledgment that “a death investigation remains ongoing.”
According to SPD detective Eric Muñoz, police and the fire department attempted lifesaving measures but ultimately “pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.”
“Officers are actively searching for the suspect, believed to be a black male with a beard, 5’6-8” tall, wearing a vest with button up shirt, and blue jeans,” Muñoz wrote in a blotter report.
Muñoz noted that the victim would be identified by the medical examiner’s office in “the coming days.” The SPD did not immediately respond to Them’s request for comment.
This is the seventh known trans person to be violently killed in 2026. In mid-April, 39-year-old transmasculine farmer Luca RedBeard was fatally shot in rural New Mexico. Last week, police in Marion County, Florida opened a homicide investigation into the shooting death of a 29-year-old who went by multiple names and referred to “transitioning” on social media. In Kentucky, an investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old trans college student Murry Foust remains ongoing.
Police are asking anyone with information about the University of Washington case to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, emphasizing that anonymous tips are accepted.
This is a developing story.
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On a quiet stretch of Des Moines Memorial Drive in South Seattle, the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture rises like a long‑overdue acknowledgment. Its brick exterior doesn’t shout; it invites. Inside, the rooms hum with the stories of families who crossed borders, harvested fields, organized classrooms, and built communities across Washington state—often without seeing their histories reflected anywhere on a museum wall.
For Rogelio Riojas, founder and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the museum is a promise kept. “We wanted to make sure the contributions of Latinos in Washington state are recognized and preserved for future generations,” he told The Seattle Times when the museum opened in 2019. It was a simple statement, but one that captured decades of work—both visible and invisible—by the region’s Latino communities.
Walking through the galleries feels like stepping into a living archive. One of the most arresting sights is a pair of original farmworker cabins, transported from Eastern Washington. Their narrow wooden frames and sparse interiors speak volumes about the migrant families who once slept inside after long days in the fields. The cabins are not replicas or artistic interpretations; they are the real thing, weathered by sun, dust, and time. They anchor the museum’s narrative in the physical realities of labor that shaped the state’s agricultural economy.
Sea Mar describes the museum as “dedicated to sharing the history, struggles, and successes of the Latino community in Washington state,” a mission that plays out in photographs, letters, student newspapers, and oral histories contributed by community members themselves. These aren’t artifacts chosen from afar—they’re family treasures, personal archives, and memories entrusted to the museum so they can live beyond the kitchen tables and shoeboxes where they were once kept.
The story extends beyond the museum walls. Just steps away is the Sea Mar Community Center, a sweeping, light‑filled gathering space designed for celebrations, performances, workshops, and community events. With room for nearly 500 people, a full stage, a movie‑theater‑sized screen, and a catering kitchen, the center was built with one purpose: to give the community a place to see itself, gather, and grow. Sea Mar describes it as “a welcoming space for families, organizations, and community groups to gather, celebrate, and learn,” and on any given weekend, it lives up to that promise.
Together, the museum and community center form a cultural campus—part historical archive, part living room for the region’s Latino communities. Students come to learn about the Chicano activists who reshaped the University of Washington in the late 1960s. Families come to see their own histories reflected in the exhibits. Visitors come to understand a story that has long been present in Washington, even if it wasn’t always visible.
The Sea Mar Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., offering free admission to anyone who walks through its doors. For many, it’s more than a museum—it’s a recognition, a gathering place, and a testament to the people who helped shape the Pacific Northwest.
Preserving Latino History and Community Life in Washington was first published on Washington Latino News (WALN) and republished with permission.
Celebrate Mothers Day with à la carte brunch at Lady Madison featuring seafood, entrées, desserts, and premium beverage options.
Celebrate Mothers Day in sophisticated style at Lady Madison, located inside Le Méridien Washington, DC, The Madison. Join us on Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 12:003:00 PM for an elevated à la carte brunch experience in downtown Washington, DC.
Enjoy a refined selection of chef-driven brunch classics, fresh seafood, seasonal salads, and elegant entrées. Highlights include a Build Your Own Omelette, Crab Benedict with lime hollandaise, Chilled Seafood Trio, and signature mains such as Roasted Rack of Lamb, Cedar Plank Sea Bass, and Marinated New York Strip Loin.
End on a sweet note with classic desserts including Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, Fruit Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, and Passion Fruit Cake.
Enhance your experience with beverage offerings, including bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys for $30 with house selections. Piper-Heidsieck Champagne is also available by the glass for $16 or by the bottle for $49.
Reserve on OpenTable:
https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1426987&restref=1426987&experienceId=695240&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared
À La Carte Menu
Les ufs & Brunch
Egg White Frittata $24
spinach, tomato, mushrooms, green onion
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Build Your Own Omelette $24
ham, smoked salmon, vegetables, cheeses (choose up to 3)
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Crab Benedict $24
lime hollandaise, salsa cruda
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit
Brioche French Toast $17
berry compote, whipped butter, maple syrup
Les Froids & Salades
Chilled Seafood Trio $28
Jonah crab claws, shrimp, cocktail sauce
Spring Berry Salad $17
brie, berries, champagne vinaigrette
Golden & Crimson Beet Salad $18
red wine vinaigrette
Add protein: shrimp, salmon, skirt steak +18 | chicken +16
Les Plats Principaux
Roasted Rack of Lamb $42
mint sauce, huckleberry reduction, sweet potato purée, asparagus
Cedar Plank Sea Bass $49
saffron rice, spring vegetables
New York Strip Loin $42
mushroom sauce, truffle croquette potatoes, haricots verts
Les Desserts $14
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
Fruit Tart
Strawberry Shortcake
Passion Fruit Cake
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