A curious thing happened at Wright’s design sales in Chicago last week. The design library of James Zemaitis, a former Phillips and Sotheby’s design specialist who now works at R & Company, crushed estimates. A group of 17 books on French art deco estimated at $600 went for $13,970; a selection of 11 George Nakashima monographs estimated at $500 went for $17,780. The sale carried on like that for multiple lots, a reflection of the discerning nature of buyers in the current market, whose interest in design extends beyond bookshelves to what goes on them. At the design auctions in New York this week, a market insider told me we can expect a mix of stellar results for the best lots, but also a relatively high percentage of unsold works, which speaks to buyers’ willingness to shell out for only the best and rarest objects.