paola navone - Design

PAO L A N AVO N E
ISSUE 108
MAY 2014
THE DESIGN ISSUE
THE DESIGN ISSUE
New York
Boutiques
BY SPENCER BAILEY
PORTRAIT BY ROB KULISEK
(OPPOSITE) From left, Michael
and Anna Trubrig of Stillfried Wien,
Melanie Courbet of Atelier Courbet,
David Weeks of David Weeks Studio,
and Diego Paccagnella of DesignApart at the Manhattan workspace
collective Neuehouse. (NEXT
SPREAD) Clockwise from top left, the
interiors of Atelier Courbet, David
Weeks Studio, Stillfried Wien, and
Design-Apart. (FOLLOWING SPREAD,
LEFT TO RIGHT) The custom kitchen
by TMItalia in the Design-Apart space
on West 25th Street. David Weeks’s
Tripod floor lamp and Cubebot figures
in his new Tribeca store.
Two years ago, when the Manhattan design a loft wouldn’t make a big enough impact for
mecca Moss closed after 18 years in business— their entrée into the New York design scene.
a result of high overhead costs and sputtering So they found a ground-floor space with, in
sales—many wondered what future, if any, Michael’s words, “presence,” and then had the
such stores had in the city. The increase of Vienna-based firm Kim + Heep design it. He
online sales and the rise of sites like Fab and adds, “For the segment we’re in, you need a
1stdibs only added to the uncertainty.
brick-and-mortar store. I don’t think you can
Four newcomer shops may hold the answer. sell these things purely online.”
Though each is very different in concept, the
Stillfried Wien primarily carries contemboutiques, all of which opened last fall, reflect porary furniture from Austria, Germany,
the strong visions of those who own and run and Switzerland—countries familiar to the
them. Powerhouse chains like Crate & Barrel Trubrigs and close to their hearts. Brands in
and Design Within Reach may have financial stock include e15, Team 7, and Nils Holger
might and host the most floor space—DWR Moormann; the store serves as the exclusive
recently opened a 20,000-square-foot flag- U.S. importer for several of the manufacturship in Midtown, for example—but there’s ers on its floors and shelves, among them
still a place for smaller retail environments Bullenberg and Spolia. The pieces, many of
of the high-end variety. These new spaces are them rare—at least in the U.S.—demand to
personal and intimate, with well-made, often be seen and experienced in person. “Most of
hard-to-get products presented in a thought- the people who come in here say they want to
ful yet accessible way.
touch and try the pieces,” Anna says.
“Our design world is so intensely curated
Curiosity and tactility also draw visitors
and run over,” says the 45-year-old fur- to Atelier Courbet, located on Mott Street in
niture and lighting designer David Weeks, Nolita and run by the French-born entreprewho recently opened his own showroom on neur Melanie Courbet. Central to the store’s
Walker Street in Tribeca after being repre- ethos is the value of master craftsmanship.
sented by the gallerist Ralph Pucci for about Courbet, 32, is especially interested in mula decade. “Everyone knows about every tigenerational French and Japanese makers,
product now. It’s not like you can be that guy but the pieces in her store come from all over.
who says, ‘Oh, I’ve got that special sheepskin “I look for pieces that come from a workshop
whatever,’ because it’s already available in five that has a history of passing along techniques
other stores. You have to find that weird thing with a great level of discipline and training,”
or unknown designer, or do an edition no one she says.
else has.”
After a career in art and design that included
For Weeks, it hasn’t proved very difficult stints working for the architect Thom Mayne
to do editions no one else has: Most of the and designer Dror Benshetrit, Courbet
lighting, furniture, and accessory collections decided to open the store, which she says
in his shop are his own, and many of the pieces “reflects a personality or lifestyle that touches
aren’t available elsewhere. He adds, though, me.” She adds, “We’re not selling things for
that having a brick-and-mortar store has pro- value that may appreciate; we’re selling things
vided a strong foundation for the brand and for our client to appreciate their value.”
a boost to its post-Pucci reputation. “All of a
The furniture, lighting, accessories, and
sudden people take you much more seriously,” textiles in Courbet’s store come from a
he says. “They know your commitment level.” wide range of makers and brands, includNext door to Weeks’s space on Walker ing Domeau & Pérès, Puiforcat, and Oyuna.
Street is Stillfried Wien, run by the Austrian The space also features an adjacent room for
couple Anna and Michael Trubrig. (Anna, 32, exhibitions. Earlier this year, in collaboration
previously worked in the fine arts; Michael, 39, with arts patron Sabine de Gunzburg, the
was a hedge-fund manager.) Upon deciding to store showed a series of six artist rugs, includmove to the U.S. and open the store, they felt ing an edition of three by Frank Gehry, and
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THE DESIGN ISSUE
from May 10 through June 30 it’s presenting
Collaborating with designers such as Jaime
an exhibit on Dutch craftsmanship curated Hayon, Lanzavecchia + Wai, and Renata
Bonfanti—as well as brands like TMItalia,
by Amsterdam-based designer Aldo Bakker.
Breaking the ground-floor retail mold is Elica, and Berto—Paccagnella has furnished,
Design-Apart, an apartment-turned-show- accessorized, and customized the apartment,
room concept founded by Italian-born design where Design-Apart hosts events, dinners,
advisor Diego Paccagnella. His aim is to con- and talks. His intent is to showcase new ways
nect the client with the design process and in which design can be made today, whether
show the pieces—mostly from Italy-based in small production runs, with 3-D printdesigners and manufacturers—as they’re ing, or in other “very specific, very accurate,
intended to be used: inside an actual living very experimental ways.” He adds, “The
quarters. More than a store, Design-Apart idea is that the designs here are apart from
is really a platform. Paccagnella believes the mass-production.”
Connecting these store concepts are prodcommercial aspect disappears from his business and gives the client a “more complete, ucts of uncompromising quality and New
deeper idea” of how each product is made York City itself, which Weeks describes as
and used.
“ground zero” for design retail. Though
“You can walk into many Italian design having a location in the city certainly helps
showrooms in Soho, but you’re not invited in establishing a brand, well-made products
to participate in the design process,” says of lasting value remain the ultimate selling
Paccagnella, 38, who opened the first Design- point. “I think people more and more want
Apart space on West 25th Street and plans to to buy furniture for the long-term,” says
bring the concept to Australia later this year. Michael Trubrig.
(Each year, he plans to move into a differAdds Courbet, “People want to acquire
ent New York loft.) “It’s hard to know that pieces they’ll be proud of and happy to pass
behind those products there are very skill- along to their grandchildren. When you’re
ful people who could help you realize your inheriting your grandma’s china or silverware,
own sofa.”
those aren’t pieces she bought at Ikea.”
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PHOTOS: TOP, COURTESY ATELIER COURBET. BOTTOM, COURTESY DESIGN-APART.
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PHOTOS: TOP, COURTESY DAVID WEEKS STUDIO. BOTTOM, COURTESY STILLFRIED WIEN.
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PHOTO: COURTESY DESIGN-APART.
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THE DESIGN ISSUE
PHOTO: COURTESY DAVID WEEKS STUDIO.
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