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      Basile Studio enlivens Moxy Williamsburg hotel with “eclectic grab-bag” of spaces

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      Hotel brand Moxy has opened its first outpost in Brooklyn, with plentiful gathering spaces including a bar with motorised 20-feet-tall liquor shelves and an eatery modelled on Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus architecture.

      Californian hospitality design practice Basile Studio spearheaded the interior design of the 216-room hotel, set in the heart of Williamsburg on bustling Bedford Avenue.
      The aim was for the design to reflect the area’s rich history and its eclectic inhabitants while creating a slew of public spaces for locals and visitors to enjoy.
      Moxy Williamsburg’s public spaces include the lobby (above) and Jolene lounge (top)”The design for Moxy Williamsburg was inspired by the neighbourhood’s history as a magnet for mavericks, immigrants and creators while taking its place at the centre of Brooklyn’s contemporary social scene,” Basile Studio’s lead designer Ashley Evans told Dezeen.
      “The hotel’s eclectic public spaces reflect the area’s melting pot character, finding inspiration in both past and present with influences from both near and far.”

      Among the hotel’s communal spaces are several co-working studios with modular rearrangeable furnishings as well as four different dining and nightlife venues created in collaboration with Bar Lab – the hospitality company behind Miami’s famous Broken Shaker cocktail bar.
      Bar Bedford lies just off the lobby”For Moxy Williamsburg, we envisioned an eclectic grab-bag of experiences that mirrors Williamsburg’s diversity,” said Bar Lab founders Elad Zvi and Gabe Orta. “Once you enter, you don’t want to leave.”
      It is housed in an 11-storey building, designed by local studio Stonehill Taylor, which has a glass-fronted facade that opens completely onto the sidewalk of Bedford Avenue.
      Guests enter via a lobby with exposed 20-foot ceilings, reminiscent of Brooklyn’s many converted warehouses.
      The room is organised around a curved barOn one side, custom timber joinery frames a small seating area with a built-in bench and a long planter, helping to soften the otherwise industrial space.
      A monumental artwork by creative studio RareCulture presides over the hotel’s two blacked-steel check-in counters. Stretching up all the way across the ceiling, this shows a pointillist depiction of nearby Williamsburg Bridge formed from thousands of colourful crayons.
      Immediately to the right lies Bar Bedford, which was designed to resemble a comfortable living space.
      Oblong windows connect the bar to the neighbouring Mesiba restaurant”Our seating is miscellaneous and meant to feel warm and inviting, modular in the sense that we want to invite people to move around and get social,” Evans said.
      The room’s centrepiece is a curved bar, which houses 1,500 bottles of wine and liquor inside a custom 20-foot-tall cabinet made from white oak and glass, with motorised shelves that move up and down like dumbwaiters.
      Although designed largely for entertainment value, the system was actually modelled on New York’s historic automat restaurants.
      The restaurant features plentiful planting and leather-upholstered booths”The automats, ubiquitous in New York in the first half of the 20th century, were fast food restaurants where customers would pick up their food from a wall of glass-fronted cubbies,” said Mitchell Hochberg, president of the hotel’s developer Lightstone.
      “We thought it would be fun to take something that was iconically New York and introduce it into the design.”
      Timber also features here in the form of the dramatic pendant lights – designed by Basil to resemble a giant nest of twigs – and the portals that provide a peek into the neighbouring Levantine restaurant Mesiba.

      Yabu Pushelberg references multi-faceted LA culture in conjoined hotels

      With its textured plasterwork, abundant greenery and curved seating booths upholstered in burgundy-red leather, the eatery was designed to reference the buildings of Tel Aviv.
      “The curvilinear lines of Bauhaus architecture find echoes in the rounded bar overhang and the oblong wood-framed etched-glass windows that offer a glimpse into Bar Bedford,” Evans said.
      “Travertine tabletops hearken back to Tel Aviv’s historic architecture, providing a striking contrast to the Bauhaus-influenced elements.”
      The hotel’s club has marquee-style lights integrated into its ceilingMoxy Williamsburg has three co-working and meeting rooms that can be used independently or combined to host larger groups thanks to their modular furnishings.
      After hours, the hotel also has its own club, named Jolene in homage to the iconic Dolly Parton song and outfitted with a sound system designed by DJ Nicolas Mater – the owner of infamous New York nightclubs Output and Cielo.
      Informed by 70s interiors and mid-century recording studios, the space is lined with rows of integrated high-fidelity speakers and rectangular acoustical panels in shades of green and gray.
      The hotel also has a rooftop bar and terraceWalnut, leather and fabric finishes ensure warm, resonant acoustics while hundreds of multicoloured, marquee-style lights that sync to the music are integrated into the ceiling.
      Modular furniture, including floating banquettes and low semicircular armchairs, allows the space to act as a lounge, a club or something in between.
      On the top floor, Basile Studio imbued the LiliStar rooftop bar with Balinese influences that can be seen in the hand-shaped timber chairs and the theatrical ceiling lights, which resemble giant lotus flowers carved from copper, glass and leather.
      Custom birch wood joinery defines the guest rooms”It’s much more playful here with an elevated tropical feel while, again, not being too literal,” Evans said. “We stuck to patterns and textures along with shelving inspired by shutters and exteriors of homes in Bali.”
      The hotel’s 216 bedrooms are pared back and fitted with space-saving birchwood joinery such as collapsible desks and wall-mounted pegs, that guests can be folded away when they are no longer needed.
      Moxy has recently completed a number of other outposts across the US. Among them is New York’s Lower East Side branch designed by Michaelis Boyd and another in Downtown Los Angeles by Yabu Pushelberg.

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      JUJU Studio creates “poetic and romantic” flagship for Miss Circle in New York

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      Pools of red carpet spill across the floor of this women’s fashion boutique designed by JUJU Studio in New York City.

      For fashion brand Miss Circle, New York-based JUJU Studio created the interiors of its 2,600-square-foot (242-square-metre) store on West Broadway in SoHo.
      The Miss Circle flagship in occupies a long, narrow space designed by JUJU StudioThe space has a long, narrow footprint, so studio founder Jing Ju devised a variety of display techniques for the brand’s womenswear garments.
      “Unlike typical fashion retail spaces, the Sensorial Flagship Store is inviting and relatable, encouraging customers to engage with the brand in a fully stimulating way,” said the studio.
      At the front of the store, a sliding counter can be used for multiple purposesThe majority of surfaces are finished in beige plaster, providing a neutral backdrop for more dramatic moments.

      These include areas where red carpet appears from the walls in fluid forms and spreads across the floor to look like pools of liquid.
      Red carpet extends from the floor to the ceiling beside the entrance”The smooth yet durable surfaces add texture and visual interest to the space, while the beige hue creates a sense of lightness and spaciousness,” the studio said.
      “This helps to create an accommodating atmosphere in the closed retail environment, where customers are likely to take their time browsing through the store’s selection of clothing and accessories.”
      Matching the carpet is a curvaceous red sofaAt the front of the store, the same also extends up the wall behind a curvaceous sofa of the same colour and seeps onto the ceiling.
      A sliding counter can be used for checking in guests during events, or for displaying accessories at other times.
      Garments are displayed in niches formed by arched colonnades on either side of the store”The sleek and minimalistic design of the counter complements the overall aesthetic of the store and demonstrates a thoughtful and efficient use of space,” said the studio.
      Along both sides of the store are arched colonnades, with cove-lit niches that each display a selection of clothing designs.

      Fabric arches divide Jonathan Simkhai store in SoHo by Aruliden

      More outfits are presented on chrome railings and mannequins in the centre of this double-height space, above which a long skylight is positioned.
      Towards the back of the boutique is a carpeted staircase that leads up to a mezzanine level, where the fitting rooms are located.
      Fitting rooms and a lounge area for customers is located upstairsRed satin furniture, designed by Thehighkey, forms a seating area for customers to relax beneath another skylight, while plenty of mirrors are provided for those trying on garments.
      “The warm lighting adds to the overall golden atmosphere, and the use of red provides a poetic and romantic sensation, making for a truly captivating experience,” the studio said.
      The Miss Circle store is on West Broadway in SoHoSoHo is renowned as a shopping destination for both fashion and furniture, and new stores are always appearing in the neighbourhood.
      Recent openings include a Khaite flagship with a tree planted in the centre, an outpost for Road to Awe that includes red fitting rooms and a lofty Moroso showroom.
      The photography is by David Luo and Justin Missner.

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      Worrell Yeung renovates cast-iron New York building for arts organisation

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      Architecture studio Worrell Yeung has renovated a historic cast-iron building in Soho for an arts organisation called Canal Projects, which hosts exhibitions “in an unmistakably New York City space”.

      Sat between Soho and Tribeca, the five-storey landmark was built in 1900 as a manufacturing centre, featuring a decorative white facade, double-hung windows and an external fire escape all typical of the neighbourhood.
      Worrell Yeung renovated the lower two floors of a landmarked building to create a home for Canal ProjectsIts street and basement levels were renovated by Worrell Yeung to create a home for Canal Projects, a non-profit arts organisation that hosts exhibitions, talks, performances, readings and screenings for the community.
      The studio was careful to retain as much of the building’s character as possible, highlighting the existing features like original masonry and steam radiators, and restoring them where necessary.
      Patinated bronze panels line the new entry thresholdVisitors arrive via a new entry threshold on Canal Street, where patinated bronze panels line the tall walls in a space intended to offer a moment of pause.

      Up a short flight of steps is the main gallery space – a large, open and flexible room that can be programmed in accordance with the organisation’s needs.
      The main gallery space is surrounded by windows and features historic details”We designed the foundation to be a series of spaces that would compress and expand, collapse and unfold and move between dark and light,” said Worrell Yeung co-founder Jejon Yeung.
      Surrounded by 14 large windows on two sides and boasting ceilings over 13 feet (four metres) tall, this room is light-filled and spacious.
      A staircase leads down to more space at cellar levelNew white oak floors complement the industrial details, including five cast iron columns and five wide flange steel columns that were exposed and restored.
      “Similarly to providing artists with a distinctive platform, we wanted viewers to experience art in an unmistakably New York City space,” said Max Worrell, Worrell Yeung’s other co-founder.
      A library area is formed by pivoting floor-to-ceiling shelves”Passers-by will glimpse exhibitions from the street through the window walls along Canal and Wooster Streets, and visitors on the interior can see artwork with the city context visible in the background,” Worrell said.
      Also on the ground-floor level are private offices for the curators and a bright orange public restroom.
      The dark cellar space is used for film screeningsNext to a freestanding reception desk by artist Zachary Tuabe, a staircase leads down to the basement level, which has a much smaller occupiable footprint.
      Darker and more enclosed, the cellar space features original brickwork, masonry and timber ceiling joists, and provides a very different exhibition space that is suitable for film screenings.
      A bright orange kitchen is tucked into an alcoveLight from the steel sidewalk grates illuminates one end of the space, where a library area is created by floor-to-ceiling shelving that pivots as required.
      A pantry area is hidden in an alcove behind a set of stable doors and is coloured entirely bright orange to match the upstairs restroom.

      Worrell Yeung contrasts wood pillars and grey marble in Chelsea Loft

      “We wanted artists to confront a venue that provides sufficient neutrality for their work, but that is also distinctly undivorceable from the Soho Cast Iron District,” said Yeung.
      “This is a building typology unique to New York City, and a richly layered context within which to exhibit.”
      A public restroom on the upper level matches the kitchenCanal Projects opened to the public in September 2022, with an exhibition titled Pray organised by artistic director and senior curator Summer Guthery.
      The show featured works by Bangkok and New York-based artist Korakrit Arunanondchai, and American artist and filmmaker Alex Gvojic.
      The building is located on the corner of Canal and Wooster Street, between Soho and TribecaWorrell Yeung was founded in 2015, and has worked on a variety of projects in and around New York.
      The studio recently completed a timber-clad lake house with cantilevered roof planes in Connecticut, while past endeavours have included a Hamptons renovation, a Chelsea loft apartment, and the penthouse in the Dumbo Clocktower Building.
      The photography is by Naho Kubota.
      Project credits:
      Architecture and interior design: Worrell YeungWorrell Yeung project team: Max Worrell, founder and principal; Jejon Yeung, founder and principal; Beatriz de Uña Bóveda, project manager; Yunchao Le, project designerStructural engineer: Silman (Geoff Smith, Nick Lancellotti)Lighting designer: Lighting Workshop (Doug Russell, Steven Espinoza)MEP engineer: Jack Green Associates (Larry Green)Expediter/code consultant: Anzalone Architecture (James Anzalone)Contractor: Hugo Construction (Hugo Cheng, Kong Leong)

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      BoND uses pink scaffolding at New York “embassy” for fashion brand PatBo

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      Architecture studio BoND has designed the New York headquarters for Brazilian fashion brand PatBo, which features pink scaffolding and rugs based on drawings by Roberto Burle Marx.

      The office and showroom for PatBo occupies a 7,000-square-foot (650-square-metre) loft, which spans the entire seventh floor of a historic building on Fifth Avenue.
      The PatBo showroom is located in a light-filled loft in New York’s Flatiron DistrictAs the brand’s global headquarters, this space serves multiple purposes: showcasing the brand’s apparel; providing office space for staff; hosting buyers and events.
      “Our biggest challenge was to divide the space according to the showroom’s new program while keeping its loft-like openness,” said BoND co-founder Noam Dvir.
      To divide the open space, BoND used pink-painted scaffolding that doubles as clothing railsTo create partitions that double as displays, the designers chose scaffolding elements on which clothing can be hung and shelving can be installed.

      “They are so readily available, so New York in their character, and very easy to adapt to different conditions,” said Daniel Rauchwerger, BoND’s other co-founder. “Moreover, they’re inexpensive and have a younger, fresher feel that works so well with the spirit of a PatBo studio.”
      The showroom also serves as an office space for the PatBo teamScaffolding has been used in a variety of retail environments for its versatility and ease of installation, including a bright yellow Calvin Klein store transformed by Raf Simons and Sterling Ruby, and a boutique for Wardrobe NYC designed by Jordana Maisie.
      Painted pale pink in the PatBo showroom, the industrial scaffolding takes on a more feminine appearance, which sets the tone for the rest of the showroom.
      Feminine touches like pleated pendant lights align with the brand’s aestheticCurved couches, pleated pendant lamps and tambour panelling all add to the soft aesthetic and further align with PatBo’s brand expression.
      Circular fitting rooms surrounded by curtains allow clients to try on the colourful clothing in the main showrooom.
      Private offices feature tambour panelling and a mix of furnitureA second showroom area for hosting buyer appointments and casting calls includes minimal clothing racks with brass rails and oak frames.
      This space is closed off from the reception, but still visible through large glass panels that allow light from the exterior windows to pass through.
      The historic building overlooks Fifth AvenuePrivate offices along the far side of the loft also feature glass doors for the same purpose, and add to the feeling of openness and transparency throughout the showroom.
      “It’s not meant to be too precious or delicate, but rather a place where a group of creative professionals can feel encouraged to move things around and make it their own,” said Dvir.

      Raf Simons and Sterling Ruby transform Calvin Klein store with yellow scaffolding

      Atop the wooden floors are rugs based on the drawings of Brazilian modernist and landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, designed in collaboration with São Paulo-based Punto e Filo.
      Colourful furniture and potted plants also contribute to the Brazilian vibe in the space, and complement PatBo’s vibrant garments.
      Rugs throughout the space are based on the drawings of Brazilian modernist Roberto Burle MarxAt the back of the showroom is a bar area, featuring a pink stone counter with rounded corners, and a sink placed within a curved niche that has mirrored sides.
      “This is a space that combines elements of office, retail, and hospitality,” said Rauchwerger. “With that, it is able to serve as a real embassy for PatBo as a brand.”
      A bar area with pink stone counters is used for hosting eventsRauchwerger and Dvir, both former journalists, founded BoND in 2019 after working as architects at OMA, WeWork and more.
      Their studio’s previous projects have included the renovation of a dark Chelsea apartment into a light-filled home.
      The photography is by Blaine Davis.
      Project credits:
      Project team: Daniel Rauchwerger, Noam Dvir, Liza Tedeschi

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      Khaite flagship store designed as a “tribute to the cultural legacy of SoHo”

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      American fashion brand Khaite has opened its first flagship store in SoHo, New York City – a cement-trowelled and steel-lined interior with an evergreen tree planted into its shop floor.

      The store was designed by Khaite’s founder and creative director, Catherine Holstein and her husband New York-based architect, Griffin Frazen.
      The Khaite flagship store is located in SoHo, New York CityIt occupies a Corinthian column-fronted building in SoHo, capped with Italianate cast-iron modillion cornices, designed by German architect Henry Fernbach in 1871.
      Holstein and Frazen wanted to encapsulate the cultural legacy of the SoHo location with the area’s connection to the founding of the brand.
      It was designed by Khaite’s founder and her husband”Every element of KHAITE is shaped by New York, and we set out to make this space a tribute to the cultural legacy of SoHo,” said Holstein.

      “When I moved to New York twenty years ago, this block of Mercer was my entry point to the city, and SoHo is where KHAITE was born. Our first design studio was just down the street.”
      The couple looked to encapsulate the legacy of its locationThe entire 371 square metre ground floor of the store was dedicated to retail space while the building’s basement was reserved for back-of-house workings as well as a private meeting area.
      Holstein and Frazen’s approach saw the store clad in city-characterising materials such as steel, glass, poured concrete, troweled cement and plaster, which bring an industrial and monolithic look to the space.
      Cement, concrete and steel were used throughout the storeFour curving steel partition walls meander through the length of the retail space and are used to conceal and frame Khaite’s ready-to-wear collections that are displayed on curved display rails.
      The four steel walls are visually separated by a channel of light from one of two skylights at the rear of the store that was exposed during its renovation.

      Fabric arches divide Jonathan Simkhai store in SoHo by Aruliden

      A focal feature of the store is an evergreen Bucida Buceras tree, which was named the Shady Lady and planted into the floor beneath the rear skylight.
      As light enters and flows into the space from the skylights the rough and textural quality of the cement-trowelled walls is revealed.
      Skylights were uncovered during its renovation”The design was conceived in terms of material – choosing the right materials and working with them in the right way to satisfy the programmatic requirements,” said Frazen.
      “We leaned into elemental qualities like natural light, preserving the scale and openness while creating intimate spaces.”
      A tree was planted into the floor of the store”We embrace the change of materials like steel and concrete just as you would leather and cashmere, honoring them by allowing them to wear in gracefully,” said Frazen.
      “Each piece has unique textures, and rather than polishing away or painting over them, we preserved imperfection.”
      It has an industrial lookThree fitting rooms were designed to contrast the brutalist details of the store and were blanketed in a deep red, fitted with plush red carpeting and warm lighting.
      Minimal furniture was placed throughout, such as a Sing Sing chair by Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata that sits beside a twisted, low-lying shelf used to display the brand’s accessories.
      The basement contains back-of-house operationsBefore opening to the public, the store was used as the setting for Khaite’s Autumn Winter 2023 show which was presented in February.
      Nearby in SoHo, design agency Aruliden completed a store interior for fashion brand Jonathan Simkhai that incorporated cut-out shapes from Simkhai’s clothing into partitions and furniture.
      Design firm Crosby Studios teamed up with AR technology company Zero10 to create a pop-up store also in SoHo that allows people to try on virtual clothes.

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      One Wall Street skyscraper completes conversion from offices to apartments

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      Work to convert an art deco skyscraper from offices to residential use has completed, becoming the largest building in New York City to undergo this type of adaptive reuse.

      A total of 566 homes now occupy One Wall Street, designed by Ralph Walker and completed in 1931, in Lower Manhattan’s Financial District.
      The completion of One Wall Street’s conversion was marked by the reveal of a new model apartmentDeveloper Harry Macklowe of Macklowe Properties is behind the transformation, which encompasses one million square feet (92,900 square metres) of residential and 250,000 square feet (23,200 square metres) of commercial amenities.
      “In the heart of the iconic financial district, One Wall Street, one of New York City’s most significant buildings, both in history and sheer size, has set the standard for residential conversions, marking yet another historic success,” said Macklowe.
      The apartment was designed by Guillaume Coutheillas of FrenchCalifornia”The goal was to incarnate empty spaces into thoughtfully redesigned residences that will stand the test of time and continue to answer future demands of modern living.”

      The building’s opening was marked by the reveal of a new model residence, designed by Guillaume Coutheillas of FrenchCalifornia.
      Residence 3404 features three bedroom and multi-aspect viewsResidence 3404, one of the building’s largest, includes three bedrooms and multi-aspect views of New York harbour.
      Coutheillas envisioned the interiors as if Macklowe himself were to live there, blending European influences using warm neutral colours.
      Amenities in the tower include a “sky pool” with a glass ceilingMany of the furniture and decor items were sourced from Mexico City studio Atra and are debuting in the space.
      Other model residences completed last year were designed by Elizabeth Graziolo of Yellow House Architects and French architect and designer Cyril Vergniol.

      Residential skyscrapers on the rise in Manhattan’s Financial District

      A 6,500-square-foot (600-square-metre) co-working space available exclusively to residents and their guests was outfitted in partnership with architect Deborah Berke.
      More amenity spaces cover the 38th and 39th floors, including a 75-foot (23-metre), glass-enclosed Sky Pool with a wraparound terrace, and a private restaurant, bar and dining room for residents.
      One Wall Street was designed by Ralph Walker and completed in 1931The Financial District, known locally as FiDi, is named for being home to the New York Stock Exchange and many global banking headquarters.
      However, the area has gradually seen a rise in residential developments over the past decade.
      The skyscraper is the largest office building to be converted for residential use in New York City’s historyMany of Manhattan’s office buildings are still struggling with low occupancy rates following the Covid-19 pandemic, so this type of office-to-residential conversion may become more common in the near future.
      The photography is by Colin Miller.

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      Coil + Drift opens lighting studio and showroom in the Catskills

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      Lighting studio Coil + Drift has opened an office, showroom and production facility in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York that places modern elements in a barn-like building.

      Coil + Drift founder John Sorensen-Jolink, who relocated to the area in 2021, has created a new home for his brand in a barn-like structure surrounded by nature.
      Coil + Drift’s new space in the Catskills showcases the brand’s products”By relocating their queer-owned design business to the countryside, Coil + Drift is sparking a visceral conversation between people in a thriving rural creative community about how what we make defines who we are,” said the studio.
      The building encompasses 3,000 square feet (280 square metres) and boasts tall ceilings, which are painted white along with its plywood-panelled walls.
      The showroom includes an office space, defined by a chocolate-brown rugThe space is divided between a combined office and showroom, and a production facility where an in-house team now creates all of the company’s lighting designs.

      In one corner of the showroom sits a black wood-burning stove, with a flue that extends through the roof, next to a pile of chopped logs used to fuel it.
      Furniture is displayed on stepped plinths, accompanied by lighting aboveChocolate-brown area rugs contrast the pale concrete floors, defining the entrance, the office space and a spot by the fire in lieu of walls or partitions.
      Plinths are used to raise furniture designs, arranged in styled vignettes along with lighting, plants and small accessories.

      Coil + Drift and Cold Picnic style renovated Prospects Heights Townhouse

      More objects are displayed on wooden shelves of varying lengths, held up at different heights on thin golden rods.
      Industrial-looking metal and glass doors mounted on rolling tracks separate the showroom from the workshop, which is located in an adjoining room.
      The showroom features a white ceiling and walls, and a pale concrete floorOn show are several new additions to popular Coil + Drift collections, such as a floor version of the Yama table lamp and a “mobile-like” chandelier that joins the Atlas series.
      Also to coincide with its move and expansion, the company has launched a trade-focused online platform for its products.
      The building also houses a production facility behind industrial-style doorsCoil + Drift’s previous projects have included styling a townhouse in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights neighbourhood for Hatchet Design.
      Sorensen-Jolink, a former dancer, is one of many creatives that moved from New York City to nearby rural areas, either during or following the Covid-19 pandemic.
      Coil + Drift founder John Sorensen-Jolink relocated to the Catskills in 2021 before opening the new studioUpstate New York, and particularly the Hudson Valley and Catskills area, was already growing in popularity as a destination for artists and designers before the lockdowns, thanks to its reputation for vintage furniture shopping and art institutions.
      Then low property prices and high demand for space and fresh air sparked an exodus to the region, when many bought second homes or relocated permanently.
      The photography is by Zach Hyman.

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      Studio Vural reinterprets Japanese interiors for Warren Street Townhouse

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      New York City architecture firm Studio Vural used Kyoto merchant houses as a reference point when renovating the interiors of this Brooklyn townhouse for a couple.

      A trip to the Japanese city in 2009 left such an impact on the clients that Studio Vural decided to adapt and update elements of the traditional minimalist architecture for the interiors of the Warren Street Townhouse.
      The townhouse renovation involved adding plenty of storage using European oak”Our design is the embodiment of an early memory our clients experienced as a young couple in Kyoto, an experience so powerful and authentic, that it found its way to a new reality in Brooklyn through our imagination,” said studio founder Selim Vural.
      The four-storey building was overhauled to create a rental apartment at the garden level, leaving the upper three floors for the clients to live in.
      A dining nook was created at the back of the parlour level, behind the staircaseWith a total of 3,200 square feet (300 square metres), the project involved reorganising rooms while bringing in contemporary renditions of traditional Japanese home features, such as a sunken hearth, folding and sliding screens, and undulating soffits.

      “[We] studied Kyoto houses’ serene interior emptiness, flow of asymmetrical spaces, rhythm of tatami mats and the placement of courtyards to make that interpretation possible,” Vural said.
      The nook is based on a recessed space in Japanese reception rooms known as a tokonomaAt parlour level, where the main entrance is located, the plan was opened up so the living and kitchen spaces flow together.
      Exposed brick walls were painted white, creating a blank canvas onto which a variety of light-toned European oak elements were placed.
      Traditional Japanese home features like a sunken hearth, folding and sliding screens, and undulating soffits were interpreted with a contemporary twistThe custom wooden furniture includes a window seat and a sofa. Both feature built-in storage, as well as a range of cabinets and shelves that run along one wall and incorporate a bar.
      Oak boards wer also laid across the floor to create homogeneity throughout the open-plan space.
      The staircase is enclosed by wooden slats and incorporates limestone platforms for displaying objectsAt the back of this level, the kitchen area is framed by a concrete-topped breakfast bar and includes a dining nook – based on a recessed space in Japanese reception rooms known as a tokonoma – tucked in behind the staircase.
      The stairs are enclosed by slatted oak screens, and the first seven treads are widened thanks to beige limestone slabs that act as platforms for displaying objects.
      The simple white and oak palette is continued in the bedroomsThree bedrooms and two bathrooms can be found on the storey above, while a further two bedrooms and a bathroom are located on the top floor.
      All of these rooms continue the same simple white and oak palette, and character is added by exposing the original wood ceiling beams.

      Civilian reorganises Bed-Stuy Townhouse to create family-friendly layout

      The upper level also includes a lounge area, where the historic vertical columns are also made a feature.
      Skylights were added to bring more natural light into the centre of the long, narrow space, which reaches the windowless hallway below through a glass panel in the floor.
      A glass partition between the primary bedroom and bathroom helps the spaces to feel larger”Our work at the Warren House Townhouse powerfully demonstrates architecture’s capacity to cast distant memories into contemporary forms, revitalise historic typologies,” said Vural. “It is a prime example of a historic building’s rebirth for a new family in the history of Brooklyn.”
      Much of Brooklyn’s townhouse stock has been bought up and renovated over the past few years, after homeowners jumped at the opportunity for extra space compared to nearby Manhattan.
      Sklylights bring natural light into a lounge on the upper level and down through a glass panel in the floor to a windowless hallwayRecently completed examples include a passive house that features a dramatic cedar screen and a project that took its architect owners 17 years to complete.
      Studio Vural, which is based in the borough, has previously released images of a speculative off-grid house in the dunes of Cape Cod and a vision for a mixed-use Manhattan skyscraper covered with Asian lilies.
      The photography is by Kate Glicksberg.
      Project credits:
      Principal architect: Selim VuralProject architect: Rima AskinDesign team member: Angela TsaveskaEngineering: Ilya VeldshteynConstruction: David Nahm

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