In This Ideal West Village Apartment, Collectible Design Flourishes
To relieve the pandemic-induced creative slump, interior designer Olivier Garcé transformed his Manhattan apartment into a makeshift collectible design gallery that spotlights the work of his favorite creators.
via Surface Magazine
In an effort to showcase the work of his favorite makers during a period of uncertainty and creative lag, the interior designer Olivier Garcé decided to transform his West Village apartment. Creating a makeshift collectible design gallery created specifically for the pandemic age. The setting is idyllic enough: a light-flooded one-bedroom apartment in a pre-war brownstone that Garcé, the former director of Pierre Yovanovitch’s acclaimed design practice, settled into when he relocated from Paris to establish the firm’s New York branch in 2019.
“So we decided to bring all these people together. It was very interesting to push these guys to create new pieces. The New York spirit is so good; every time we proposed this idea, people were so happy to be involved. The goal isn’t to make money, but just to make something really creative at this moment.”
That’s exactly what you’ll find inside. Designers Wayne Payte, Jean-Philippe Delhomme, Atelier Jouffre, Gabriella Picone, and Sharktooth created new pieces specifically for Olivier Garcé. Perhaps the most striking piece, however, is a coffee table. Three chiseled wooden legs and a lava-stone surface in a pristine pink glaze looks and feels like coral. It’s the latest feat from the ascendant furniture maker Ian Felton who often draws inspiration from the animism of pre-Colombian culture.
Olivier Garcé has opened up the space to visitors on a by-appointment basis, but has already shifted some vignettes around to accommodate his recent newborn. Regardless, he already plans to bring the communal gallery concept to the global stage. He recently bought another apartment, this time in Lisbon. It will mingle Portuguese crafts across ceramics, wood, and fabrics with his favorite creators from New York.
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