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The imposing cast iron and brick building on the corner of West Broadway and Murray Street in Tribeca is a New York legend. You know, candy makers, medical journals, aquariums, the types that have a long history of borderline residents. There is now a wine bar downstairs and a variety of independent renters working in the six-story building, known as the Gibbs Building. In March, the newest tenant set up shop. Design studio General Assembly is led by founder Sarah Zams and partner Colin Stiff.
Much like the architecture and interiors they bring to life, or the furniture and lighting they stock at their Brooklyn store Assembly Line, Zemes and Stief are personable and warm-hearted. Moving their studio to Manhattan gave them the opportunity to rethink what their office would look like and how they could better reflect their work to visiting clients. The interconnected rooms, built-in flat file storage, and potential for gallery space made the 2,000-square-foot unit on the fourth floor very appealing. “When you walk into this space, your mood immediately shifts and you feel like you’re experiencing a piece of old New York,” says Zems. They accepted it immediately.
The pair took over the space from architect Timothy Bryant, who created a home-like atmosphere during the 20 years he spent there. (He didn’t go far, just a few flights upstairs.) “The existing space guided the way,” Zemes says. “For us, it was about making sure to layer our own aesthetic and being thoughtful about maintaining character.” Gone were the traditional yellow walls and white decor, and in came saturated colors, large-scale art, and plants.
It’s no wonder this space is full of great ideas that you’ll want to incorporate into your own home. Here, the duo details how they made their studios resemble the homes they design.
look down for inspiration
The entire refresh palette had an unlikely starting point: the floor. The existing red-brown had a richness to it, but it had gradually worn away, and it did not initially interest Sams and Stief.
However, Semmes says, “It was really nice to be able to honor Tom.” A fresh coat of similar hue, Farrow & Ball’s Etruscan Red, guided the rest of the paint choices and use of rich color within the space. In contrast, they wanted the gallery at one end of the unit to have an open and bright feel. Especially if you’re going to see Fern’s first show of lighting and furniture, which runs until April 30th.
Don’t think about coloring in a vacuum
Similar to the residential project, the partners used color and finishes to differentiate offices, meeting rooms, and galleries. In Sams and Steiff’s office, textured dark green grasscloth wallpaper draws the viewer in, while a putty-hued ceiling draws the eye. When you look at a color swatch, you might think it’s too dark to replace white, but Steiff points out that it’s important to consider the colors in comparison to each other. “If you look at the color next to this dark green, it looks like an off-white,” he says.
The rest of the small team works in the rose-colored room next door (clad in Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon), which has a ceiling smoothed with setting plaster. This is also where the materials library resides, housed in built-in flat file drawers that run almost the entire length of the space. There’s no more space to work on mood boards, Zames, and Steif notes. Pink tones, combined with the natural light streaming in, mimic the warm living spaces designed by General Assembly.
Zams praises the change from working with an open floor plan. “I’m so glad there’s a door,” she says with a laugh. “We were able to create this moody space that felt very private, comfortable, and cozy. It felt very homely, so we bought slippers for everyone.” (Editor’s request: Please wear General Assembly brand slippers.)
Please also add a skirt on top
You can also consider that the skirt simply emphasizes the traditional atmosphere that the designer was trying to avoid during the renovation. But when combined with earthy neutrals, unusual placements, and playful patterns, you get a completely different feel. To hide the office’s hard-to-reach storage, the couple installed an ocher fabric under a picture light against a muddy green backdrop.
In the photo below, the popular Gio Ponti textile hides the refrigerator. After years of trying to deploy it in customers’ homes, they decided to implement it in their offices. But it wasn’t cheap. “That was the most expensive part of the project.”
Old accents can be upgraded
Although they could have refinished the built-in desks that line each space, Sams and Steiff chose to keep them as is. We kept the design consistent by coordinating the color of the legs to match the color of the walls, while the original glossy finish on the top brings light into the otherwise matte room.
Speaking of preservation, the doorknob that Bryant also installed was also preserved. Each one is unique, including crystal, brass, and wood. Bryant’s idea was to give clients ideas for different materials and styles, but the designers felt that variation would simply enhance the homely feel of the office. Similarly, some of the light fixtures they had in storage will also be covered. When combined with vintage finds, new pendants, and furniture from Assembly Line, everything comes together to feel like it’s been there for decades.
Bring your art to life
The work the duo chooses to display in the annex requires a more white-box approach. No track lighting, no window treatments, no distractions. “It needs to be a vessel for people’s work,” Zemes points out. In addition to curating shows for the creators they represent at Assembly Line and others, one of the things they’re most looking forward to is that the office will effectively become a rotating gallery for Amélie du Chalard, the designer’s go-to gallerist with locations in Paris and New York. “We can exhibit the work of different artists here with our clients, and as the works sell, they are exchanged.” It’s a gentle reminder of how workspaces change and gather layers over the years, just like a home.
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