We recently moved our offices to 1133 Broadway near 25th Street. Having always wanted to be on Broadway, this seemed like a natural move.
After much hunting around, we found a great space that overlooks Madison Square Park. It is a loft with large windows and 12-foot ceilings. The previous tenants were traders who “decorated” in frat-boy style. It was hard to see the architecture, but it all became clear when they moved out.
THE BEFORE: The previous tenants were very proud of their conveyor-belt fan system…and their bar. I guess they do happy hour every evening.
My concept for the space was to make an office that feels like an apartment. But it also needs to function as our studio. The goal was also to create a sense of style without breaking the bank.
We installed new walnut floors and paneled the two facing walls with homosote. It was trimmed in off-the-shelf door casings to create frames. All this done thanks to Peter Pavlounis of Adelphi Innovative Design.
THE DURING: The panels getting framed to go up…..and one up, one to go!
I had a treasure trove of things in storage that reemerged into the sunlight (literally). The antique iron obelisks work well for storage and display; the watercolors by Sophia Gruzdys of our architecture projects fit perfectly into the original transoms now painted over; my linen-covered dining table became the new conference table; my drafting table with an antique base fits perfectly; and the vintage lawyer’s bookcase provides ample storage for binders and reference books.
While Jeffrey’s trying to look busy, my Choros chandelier is being hung.
What treasures were in storage breathed new life in this space.
Lighting choices were easy. There were two perfectly-located ceiling boxes for my Choros chandeliers from Circa Lighting; all the other room lighting is provided by table lamps: my Selene lamp from Circa Lighting, one by James Mont, and several vintage pieces. The 60’s Indian-style lamp is from Carlos Castellar at Studio Modern in Miami, and the pair of orange ceramic lamps are from Nihil Novi, also in Miami.
The Selene, the Orange Indian-style lamps, and the Choros.
The various table lamps lighting up our new space.
At my new re-purposed desk with the tall Indian-style lamp in my signature orange.
A set of 6 dilapidated chairs from Mostly Modern in Miami work well around the conference table. For the reupholstery, my team dared me to select a color we don’t typically use – I found a royal purple velvet contract fabric by Concertex. Additional pull-up chairs were purchased and restored by Studio Modern.
Who knew this ugly duckling would become a vision in purple.
My Home Depot door-divider beyond separates my personal space from the office, yet allows the natural light to permeate the loft.
I designed a new apartment for my friend’s parents for which there was no place for their extremely groovy waterfall desk from the 70’s. It was, however, perfect for the office. It is six feet long and holds vast piles of work.
To create a separate space for me, I bought 3 glazed doors from Home Depot, hinged them, and painted them black. It gives a sense of separation and doesn’t block any of the natural light.
All of the artwork was purchased in Miami from Studio Modern and Nihil Novi, who had a wonderful array from a collector with interesting taste.
The final purchase was a funky console with a great floating base that I found on eBay.
We’re still settling in, but the space definitely feels like a home away from home.