A Return to Roots with Bentley Mills

Decoranytime

Texture holds memory. From warped wood steps worn down from years of use to the sun-faded fibres of a favorite carpet, time-worn spaces and surfaces bear physical evidence of the past. Celebrating this patina of time––and reflecting on the experiences that shape our lives and careers––a recent soirée at the Bentley Mills Chicago showroom marked both Design Milk’s 20th anniversary and the launch of Bentley Mills’ new Land/Mark collection. The afternoon featured a conversation between Jaime Derringer, Design Milk’s founder, and Todd van der Kruik, Founder & Creative Director of Neutral Haus.

Two people sit on a black bench under a neon "Bentley Mills Los Angeles" sign, with a comic-style collage wall creating an iconic landmark vibe in the background. Land/Mark

For both Derringer and Van der Kruik, the new collection and anniversary celebration represented a homecoming.

With great fondness, Derringer regaled guests by bringing it back to the beginning: blogging about design on her computer and eventually, building a design community of like-minded creatives. “When I think about spaces that shaped me, the internet had a huge influence on me – being in that online space for 20 years, having conversations and meeting people that way,” Derringer explained. “But I do really truly feel like the moment I got out into the world and got out from behind the computer was really the moment when things started to take off.” Twenty years later, Design Milk has the best of both worlds: an established online presence and a global network of design talent.

Two women stand indoors at a Bentley Mills event, one wearing a brown dress and the other in a teal jacket, with people and wooden beams visible in the background.

A hand with rings and bracelets grabs a drink from a cooler filled with ice and bottled beers—a true Land/Mark moment in every summer gathering.

Designed by Neutral Haus for Bentley Mills, Land/Mark was inspired by the liminal spaces that leave room for creativity. For Van der Kruik, this meant the grease-stained floor of his parent’s garage, where his teenage band practiced three times a week; an old wood floor he used to frequent; or a worn cobblestone street. But the collection also represented a personal return for Van der Kruik, who previously served as the Vice President of Design at Bentley Mills.

A group of women stand indoors, with one woman in sharp focus near a textured wall—a striking Land/Mark collection—while others are blurred in the background.

“I wanted these patterns to feel lived in, so that when you walk into a space, it already feels like something happened there,” shared Van der Kruik.

Two people sit on a black couch holding microphones, speaking under a neon "Bentley Mills los angeles" sign—a true landmark in a dimly lit room with eclectic decor and a skull mounted on the wall.

A woman sits at a table with a "BENTLEY Mills" tablecloth, handling papers and pens. Display items, a nameplate, and Land/Mark brochures are arranged on the table in an indoor setting.

Partygoers made off with custom luggage tags as keepsakes, branded socks and one lucky attendee went home with a special gift from Prima Vista, Bentley Mills’ premium custom area rug program.

With three styles and 16 colorways, Land/Mark embraces imperfection as design, moving from the golden browns of Know by Heart, Late Gold, Ashlar to the mottled greys of Where We Met + Know By Heart, Haze White, Ashlar.

Derringer reflects on those traces people leave behind: “There’s something really beautiful about the patina of humans using a space.”

To learn more about the brand, visit bentleymills.com.

Photography courtesy of Bentley Mills.