Two award-winning, women-owned design companies have launched their first collection of interior accessories; Hightower Studio x Casework pillows were revealed to the design community at Neocon 2022, held at theMART in Chicago, June 13-15.

The charming, unexpectedly-shaped throw pillows include a Hightower Studio collection, consisting of 4 styles for the contract furniture market and 6 Casework styles for residential and contract clients. A limited number of Casework pillows are available to pre-order starting June 13, exclusively through Design Milk, the modern design, digital media, and eCommerce source for interior and architectural trade and consumer industries. The contract furniture market can specify Hightower Studio x Casework pillow designs later in June on the Hightower website, hightoweraccess.com.

A beautifully modern lineup of fabrics was selected for the Hightower Studio x Casework pillow collaboration giving clients a wide range of colors and textures from which to choose for all the unique shapes and sizes. Hightower’s expert sewing and assembly teams, based in High Point, NC, produce the collection. The pillows feature a double stitched seam, an extra, thoughtful detail not typically added to accessory pillows. Each pillow has a small leather label sewn into the corner with Casework and Hightower Studio logos; an unexpected and tasteful finishing touch.

Interior Designer and founder of Casework, Casey Keasler reflected on her childhood inspiration for the new pillow collaboration saying, “I grew up sewing, starting with clothes. As an adult with my own place, I began working in interiors, starting with curtains and pillows. This new collaboration with Hightower feels simultaneously nostalgic and it has also stretched my traditional thinking of what makes a pillow a special piece for individual expression.”

Hightower’s Design Director, Shawn Sowers, was closely involved in the design and finish work of the new pillow collection. Shared Sowers, “We talked with Casey about ‘what would add to the character of the pillow design’ be it the precise corner radius, the upgraded microfiber fill versus foam (so the pillows do not need to be fluffed), an oversized button detail, and proportion of scale. Every detail was considered over a year-long process of research, sampling, refinement, and final fabric selection.”

Pillow talk with Casey Keasler:

The Half Moon:

“I love the 3 sizes of the Half Moon pillow—especially layered in front of one another on a low-back sofa—the smaller front pillow perfectly offsets the larger pillow creating a rainbow effect!”

The 3-Waves:

“I based the 3-Waves pillow on a long lumbar with smaller sofas, banquettes, or settees in mind. I’m obsessed with the 3-Waves for a queen bed—either in a residential bedroom or a hotel room.”

The Round Button:

“As a child, I remember my grandmother had a dark blue velvet round pillow with a button in the middle in her home. This sweet memory and its 1970s vibe inspired the Round Button style but we gave it more drama by selecting a much larger button detail for the center. It’s a fresh, modern take on a nostalgic piece.:

The exclusive Design Milk collection:

“The pillows included in the Design Milk palette are decidedly casual yet sophisticated. They are relaxed in shape and intended to be layered with one another or even paired with a square pillow (the Hightower Studio collection of pillows has rectangular and square). Each pillow is just at home on a neutral sofa, chair, or crisp white bedding as it will be on a boldly patterned chair. Pillows, like art and accessories, create layers of interest, personality, and character to a room. Pillows soften hard lines and create comfort. Foundation pieces can always be more neutral but a pillow introduces something special.”

About Hightower:

Since 2003, award-winning, family-founded Hightower has curated a collection of in-house designed and manufactured products, Hightower Studio, while working with a network of international partners including +Halle, Four Design, Ondarreta, and Swedese. Hightower is led by co-owner & CEO, Natalie Hartkopf, honored with a 40 Under 40 business leader award, and named a 2019 Rising Star by American Business Journals. Learn more and book a tour at one of the US-based Hightower showrooms by visiting www.hightoweraccess.com. Hightower inspiration via Instagram or Pinterest @hightowergroup. Career opportunities and company news can be found on LinkedIn @hightower-group. Hightower is a certified Women Owned Business Enterprise.

About Casework:

Founded in 2015 by Casey Keasler, Casework’s portfolio employs a range of ideas, materials, objects, and references – from the unexpected to off-the-shelf. Casework is driven by experience, narrative, and the belief that thoughtful design can be a means of living life to its fullest.

Founder Casey Keasler and her Portland, OR team, work to establish meaningful interiors as well as a foundation for growth and possibilities for all involved. No matter the project size, the Casework team considers it with passion and attention to detail—not just filling a space with pretty things, but making sure each project tells a unique story. Listeners, managers, detectives, therapists, advocates, and visionaries; at the root, Casework is a team of designers looking for meaning in the work they produce.

About the Hightower NeoCon showroom, a design collaboration with Casey Keasler and Casework:

Hightower followed up their 2019 Best Small Showroom and Best in Competition awards from IIDA by partnering again with Interior Designer Casey Keasler and her team at Casework, to transform the Chicago showroom for 2021. The redesign gave visitors a provocative new interpretation of the US-based brand, frequently associated with a modern, Scandinavian aesthetic. Color and texture were layered throughout the space, translated through patterns such as faux flora with a vibrant tropical print and paired with natural dried elements. Dramatic touches like trompe l’oeil wallpaper, rich velvets, and wools were unexpectedly partnered with botanicals. Hightower and Keasler exchanged the 2019 neutral palette for a more saturated one, embracing deep garnets and blush velvets, contrasted with details of brass, rich browns, and textured creams. The result was another IIDA win in 2021, for both Best Small Showroom and Best in Competition.