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What We Keep: KWH STUDIO Visit

Thomas Yang

"Designer and woodworker Kai-wei Hsu was sitting on Colony’s painted-white floor, sorting and organizing our toolbox. He had pulled it out of the closet, looking for a screwdriver, and couldn’t stomach my haphazard disorganization: screws, pencils, hooks, and wires jangling loose in the bottom of my “toolbox,” a cute canvas tote with boxy outer pockets. (Not necessarily the most practical thing for our tools, but adorable.) He patiently sorted and categorized everything, then quietly shook his head when, a month later, he stopped by and noticed it was all in disarray again.

One visit to his woodshop, KWH Furniture, puts it all in perspective. His work, crafting wood furniture, is intricate and laborious at once. A messy shop could spell disaster for the mindset he needs to machine massive solid wood boards into smooth, curved, and precise designs.”

From What We Keep by Jean Lin. 
Studio photography by Brooke Holm. 

 

BeNd / Arc Desk

Standard Materials: White Oak, Leather
Dimensions: 60”L x 27”W x 30”H
Lead Time: In-stock

 
  
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Timeless pieces from Kai-wei's collection, all perfected in his immaculate woodshop...

Cove/Arc Credenza

The concave arc detail that extends around the entire profile exposes the signature end grain detailing.

Radial Bed

An elegant profile is anchored by a radial detail on both the headboard and footboard. 

 

 

Repeat/Arc Side Table

Akin to it's oak counterpart, the carrara marble version of the Repeat/Arc Side Table features a layered arc detail. 

Spec Sheet: Cascade Pendant by Kawabi

Thomas Yang

Brooklyn-based studio Kawabi has always been fascinated by the history and heritage of lanterns. Both designers Irisa and Aaron grew up in the Northeast with Chinese roots. After honing their paper-based craft in Japan, Kawabi set out to imbue their first collection with a sense of ancient belonging. 

The Cascade Pendant takes its effervescent form from the Kengai bonsai. A style modeled after a tree which has grown in a harsh, natural environment, Kengai bonsais are recognizable for their movement and dynamism. Equally fluid from any angle, the Cascade Pendant offers a sense of composed playfulness to an interior. 


Notes

Standard Materials: Wood, Brass, Kozo Paper, and Rattan
Dimensions: 25” L x 25” W x 26”H
Lead Time: 12 weeks

 
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We needn't look far to shine a light on further hand-crafted fixtures...

Arc Concentric 10

A carved shade adds texture to the Arc's smooth profile.

Souvenir Table lamp

A manipulated legume-shaped shade creates a striking silhouette.

 

Tian Den - Piccola

A delicate paper shade dances in the breeze of a passing body. 

Colony Classics: Facet Mirror

Thomas Yang

The allure of the Facet Mirror is in its simplicity; a design paired down to its essence, without the removal of poetic details (in this case, the beveled edge). Designed by Studio Paolo Ferrari in 2017, the gem-like silhouette of the Facet Mirror is available in three standard sizes which can be hung in multiple orientations. Since its launch, the mirror has been customized into various proportions, proving that a strong foundation is endlessly transformable. 


Notes

Standard Materials: Mirror
Standard: 21ӯ
Large: 36ӯ
X-Large: 48″Ø
Lead Time: 14-16 weeks 

Project: 40 Bleecker
Interior Design: Colony
Photography by Brooke Holm
Read more online at Elle Decor

Project: Park Avenue
Interior Design: Paris Forino

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Look no further than Studio Paolo Ferrari's Edition Series for more contemporary classics...

Cloud Sofa

Standard Materials: COM upholstery, hammered steel legs
Dimensions:  94” L x 45” W x 28.5” H
Lead Time: 14-16 weeks

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Beveled Edge Low Table

Standard Materials: Oak
Dimensions: 36”Ø: 48”Ø by  14″H
Lead Time: 14-16 weeks

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Boe Lounge

Standard Materials:  White Ash, Black Stain; COM upholstery
Dimensions: 32” L x 26” W x 24” H
Lead Time: 14-16 weeks

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Passages: The World

Madeleine Parsons

THE WORLD 
Jennifer Chang

One winter I lived north, alone
and effortless, dreaming myself
into the past. Perhaps, I thought,
words could replenish privacy.
Outside, a red bicycle froze
into form, made the world falser
in its white austerity. So much 
happens after harvest: the moon
performing novelty: slaughter, 
snow. One hour the same
as the next, I held my hands
or held the snow. I was like sculpture, 
forgetting or, perhaps, remembering
everything. Red wings in the snow,
red thoughts ablaze in the war
I was having with myself again.
Everything I hate about the world
I hate about myself, even now
writing as if this were a law
of nature. Say there were deer
fleet in the snow, walking out 
the cold, and more gingkoes
bare in the beggar's grove. Say
I was not the only one who saw
or heard the trees, their diffidence
greater than my noise. Perhaps
the future is a tiny flame
I'll nick from a candle. First, I'm burning. 
Then, numb. Why must every winter
grow colder, and more sure? 

 

____________________

 
 
Colony_MESA-COFFEE-TABLE_VonnegutKraft

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Juno Circle Quilt

Standard Materials: Cotton, Linen 
Dimensions: King Size (100"W x 96"L)
Available in stock as shown. 

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Mr. B Side Table - Round

Standard Materials: Red Lacquer
Dimensions: 24"Ø x 20"H 
Lead Time: 14-16 weeks

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Aperture 4 30"

Standard Materials: Brass, Glass
Dimensions: 30"L x 30"W x 20.75"H 
Lead Time: 16 weeks

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In Detail: Turned Around

Madeleine Parsons

The purpose of a swivel chair is manifold. Often it's utility is called for simply because of the pleasure found in the ability to spin in a complete circle while sitting on an otherwise stationary piece of furniture. For floorplans that make use of multiple conversation areas, swivel chairs can be useful in joining disparate layout sections to accommodate for larger gatherings. One more reason to take a look at these swivel options: they are invariably designed in the round, so they look great from all angles. 

In addition to the Trio Swivel and Puffer Chair, both of which come with a hidden swivel base, the Salon Club and Ame Lounge have both been customized to turn themselves round. 

 

TRIO SWIVEL

Standard Materials: COM Fabric
Dimensions: 34"W x 31"D x 31"H
Lead Time: 5-7 weeks

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SALON CLUB

Standard Materials: COM Fabric, Cherry feet or custom swivel base
Dimensions: 37"W x 40"D x 32"H
Lead Time: 23-25 weeks

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AME / NATURAL

Standard Materials: Textile by Hiroko Takeda (COM available), Metal legs or custom swivel base
Dimensions: 40"W x 30.75"D x 28.25"H
Lead Time: 20-24 weeks

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PUFFER CHAIR

Standard Materials: COM Fabric
Dimensions: 39"W x 36"D x 27"H
Lead Time: 23-25 weeks

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Colony Residency alum Stephanie Betesh of Ember Studio has been working on her production. The Trio Swivel is now available at a more competitive price point. Inquire below for updated pricing...

Trio Swivel 

A palette of complimentary or contrasting fabrics can be chosen to upholster the seat, frame and side panels of the final form.

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What We Keep: Thinking of Los Angeles

Thomas Yang

A city with a design point of view entirely unique (and refreshingly antithetical to that of New York), Los Angeles is one of a kind. In the wake of the ongoing wildfire devastation, our West coast design community is weighing heavily on our mind. 

We are grieving for all those who have lost so much and are thinking about our colleagues and friends who call Los Angeles home. Alongside the work of LA-based ceramics studio BZIPPY, we wanted to share some quintessentially LA homes which Jean and Brooke were lucky to capture with the talented designers who brought them to life. 

In the hopes of encouraging help from the East coast, we've compiled a list of donation links below:

 

Displaced Black Families Directory

Displaced Families  Directory by Neighborhood 

Incarcerated Firefighters

Anti-recidivism Coalition is setting up a scholarship for incarcerated firefighters. Donate at the link above and note "firefighter fund" on your donation.

National Day Laborer Organizing Network

Support immigrant workers impacted by the Los Angeles fires.

LA Fire Rebuilding - Architect, Engineer, Contractor Masterlist

Add yourself to this masterlist if you are in a position to donate valuable time and resources. 

 

"And what of this house? You see, Allyson, a consumer-trend forecaster, and Julius, a director and cinematographer, own a house designed by preeminent modernist architect Richard Neutra—an architect's architect whose works are on historic-preservation lists, celebrated as Southern Californian icons...

"We are so, so lucky," says Julius of how they came to own a piece of architectural history." 

—Excerpt from What We Keep, Jean Lin

Proem is a Los Angeles-based interior design studio founded in 2017 by Ashley Drost and Marie Trohman. They approach all projects as the beginning of a new story for each client, the proem of a book, the introduction to a new chapter. Pictured here is the entryway of co-founder Marie Trohman's classic 1929 Spanish style colonial in the hills of Los Feliz. 

LAUN is a Los Angeles-based design firm focused on enriching the built environment through architecture, furniture and creative collaborations founded in 2018 by friends Rachel Bullock and Molly Purnell. Alongside their architecture practice, LAUN's object-line harnesses the unique talents of Los Angeles-based manufacturers to craft timeless, heirloom quality furniture. This shot is of the studio's Cool Ranch project, a conversion of a 1930's home in the hills of Silver Lake.

Founded in 2008 by artist Bari Ziperstein, BZIPPY is known for their experimentation and innovation with ceramics. Bari's Sun Valley studio and community have been greatly affected by the Eaton fire. She's been extremely active on instagram with helpful ways to get involved. Like all small business affected by the fire, one of the most direct ways to assist is to continue working with them. You can shop their collection here.

LALA Reimagined was conceived in Los Angeles when Azar Fattahi met Lia McNairy in iconic Laurel Canyon. Both women champion design as a lifestyle art, being heavily influenced by their European upbringing while fearlessly pushing boundaries and defying norms. The duo's La Granada project features the homeowner's whimsical collection of monkeys. 

A magical capture from an intimate Los Angeles evening hosted by chef, author and friend Camilla Marcus at her Brentwood home to celebrate What We Keep with good friends and collaborators. Camilla's home represents the iconic indoor/outdoor living that we love so much about LA.

Top 3 Posts of 2024

Madeleine Parsons

Over the years, our journal has become a means for sharing not only the Colony collection but also our milestones. 2024 was a year to be remembered. We celebrated our tenth year anniversary with a new address—moving from our second floor loft on Canal St. into a retail level gallery in Tribeca. Just one month after our opening party at 196 West Broadway, we threw a book launch to introduce What We Keep by Jean Lin. Moments like these are only as special as the community we have to share them with. Looking forward to what 2025 has in store.

In celebration of the New Year, we thought we'd take a look back at 2024 and count down our three most popular mailers: 

02.

Introducing: What We Keep by Jean Lin

Summers were once slow at Colony. With clients out of town between the hazy months of June and August, Jean and I would pass each day in the gallery dreaming up grand plans for the future. We’d sprawl out on floor cushions with a notebook and pen close by. Fast forward half a decade, and it’s a different scene. We don’t have much time for lounging, not even in the dog days of summer. 

continued...

03.

Passages: The Earth is a Living Thing

by Lucille Clifton 

"is a black shambling bear
ruffling its wild back and tossing
mountains into the sea"

continued....

01.

 

Notes from the curator: Making Moves, Goodbye 324 Canal Street

The first time I walked up the creaky steps of 324 Canal Street to the second floor, I had already viewed dozens of commercial spaces in downtown Manhattan. It was 2013 and Colony was just a fledgling idea without a home. 

The open loft space with 15 foot ceilings had graffiti on the walls, no lights, and the rotting plywood floor was pitched 14". Anything you put on the floor would roll to the front corner of the space. A thick layer of dust covered everything and the tin ceiling had all but rusted out in spots.

Palette: All That Glitters

Thomas Yang

 

What We Keep

by Jean Lin

 
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Drift Bump Sconce Large

Standard Materials: Cast glass, Aluminum
Dimensions: 4″W x 4.25″D x 16.25″H
Lead Time: 12 – 14 weeks

 
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Apollo Study II

Standard Materials: Metallic Thread, Linen, and Hemp
Dimensions: 70″ L x 37″ W
Lead Time: 16 – 22 weeks

 
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aries Sconce III.I

Standard Materials: Aluminum, Glass Prism
Dimensions: 15″ W x 11″ H x 11″ D
Lead Time: 14-16 weeks

 
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Bend / Arc Desk

Standard Materials: White Oak
Dimensions: 60”L x 27”W x 30”H
Lead Time: In-stock

 
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Wormhole Table

Standard Materials: Brass
Dimensions: 60”L x 20”W x 15.5”H
Lead Time: 16 – 20 weeks

 
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What We Keep

by Jean Lin

 
 
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HOLIDAY GIFTING

The perfect gift for all the design lovers in your life...

WHAT WE KEEP

Advice from Artists and Designers on Living with the Things You Love

by Jean Lin

In What We Keep: Advice from Artists and Designers on Living with the Things You Love, gallerist Jean Lin presents an interior design book for collectors, would-be collectors, and design-loving hunter/gatherers who crave objects of beauty to display in their homes.

Foreword by Asad Syrkett, editor-in-chief of Elle Decor

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At Large: Tribeca Triplex by Colony Consult

Thomas Yang

At Colony, our interior design practice is integral to our business' wellbeing, buoying the gallery when sales are down, and informing everything from curation to customer service. We have grown to understand our gallery clients and fellow interior designers at a deep level only accessed by professional peers.

Working with homeowners who are as fully invested in supporting our community of American independent designers as we are is a privilege. In the design of our recent Tribeca Triplex project, our team focused on curating functional works of art to compose the owner's daily landscape, allowing the space to be at once inspired and suitable for the family's needs. Already avid collectors of Bec Brittain, the homeowners were eager to add more contemporary design from Colony's roster to their collection including the Crescent Lounge by Vonnegut/Kraft and custom runners by Grain. 

A collaboration with Bernheimer Architecture, our Tribeca Loft Triplex project was recently featured in AN Interior with a write up by Kelly Pau and photography by Brooke Holm. Inspired by Bernheimer's material language, Colony looked towards non-rigid geometric patterns and textures to add contemporary warmth to the space. 

 

FEATURED COLONY DESIGNERS


Vonnegut Kraft | Crescent Lounge 
Grain | Custom Rug 
Bec Brittain | Aries 

 

Project Notes

Project: Tribeca Triplex 
Interior design: Colony Consult
Architecture: Bernheimer Architecture
Photography by Brooke Holm. 
Read more online at AN Interior. 

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Palette: Geometries

Thomas Yang

Double Tier Cloud Side Table

Standard Materials: Ceramic
Dimensions: 15 " Dia x 18″ H
Lead Time: 10 - 12 weeks

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Ash Crescent Lounge

Standard Materials: Wood, COM
Dimensions: 40.5 " W x 80 " L x 18 " H
Lead Time: 16 – 18 weeks

 
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Quilt Rug

Standard Materials: Natural Wool
Dimensions: 120 " W x 96 " H
Lead Time: 12 – 14 weeks

 
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Juno CIrcle Quilt

Standard Materials: Cotton, Linen
Dimensions: 100”W x 96”L (king)
Lead Time: In-stock

 
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Shy 01

Standard Materials: Finished Brass
Dimensions: 77” W x 29" x 29″H
Lead Time: 14-16 weeks 

 
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NOOn Valet

Standard Materials: Whitewashed Maple
Dimensions: 13.5” Ø x 72.5” H
Lead Time: 24 - 28 weeks

 
 
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Marrow Quilt 

Standard Materials: Cotton, Linen
Dimensions: 84”W x 84”L (queen)
Lead Time: In-stock

 
  
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More Of

Embrace the softer side of geometry with these pieces from our collection...

Ledge Side Table

A double bullnose edge pairs well with the playfully shaped base on this oak side table, which is also available with a stone top. 

Arc Lounge Upholstered Back

Name a better silhouette than the oak arms of the Arc Lounge against its upholstered frame.

Monotype Bronze Diptych

The signature grid of artist Hiroko Takeda's weaving is softened in monofilament, cotton, linen and kid mohair.