Written and directed by Amanda Kramer (Give Me Pity!), By Design sees Juliette Lewis play Camille, a woman who becomes envious of a chair she sees in a showroom. When a body swap transforms Camille into said chair, she discovers her family and friends like her better in this new form.
Narrated by Melanie Griffith, the film also stars Mamoudou Athie, Robin Tunney, Samantha Mathis, Alisa Torres, Betty Buckley, Clifton Collins, Jr. and the late Udo Kier in one of his final roles.
By Design is in US cinemas from February 13th, 2026. A UK/ROI release has yet to be announced.
Check out the trailer below.
The official synopsis reads:
Upon seeing a gorgeous chair in a showroom, Camille (Juliette Lewis) realizes that she truly envies the life of this perfect piece of furniture. If only she could be someone’s favorite thing. When she and the chair swap forms, Camille learns that she is better liked as an inanimate object than she was as a person: her mother (Betty Buckley) finds her to be a better listener, and her best friends (Samantha Mathis and Robin Tunney) enjoy a newfound, friction-free rapport. As the chair, Camille is unable to speak or move and winds up in the hands of Olivier (Mamoudou Athie), a minimalist bachelor who gradually becomes romantically fixated on his elegant new possession.