Dune Opens Flagship Showroom in New York Design Center

Vibrantly colored tubular sofas, pulsing music by DJ Misbehavior. Peering into the ground-floor windows of the New York Design Center last night, passersby couldn’t help but notice the grand opening of the building’s latest anchor tenant, Dune. Founded in 1998 by Richard Shemtov, the contemporary design manufacturer was previously based in SoHo with a workshop in Brooklyn and design studio in Jersey City. However, NYDC’s president and CEO Jim Druckman has long been eyeing the brand to join the building. “Dune is a style setter, and with them joining the NYDC, I feel like we’ve cornered the market on cool,” says Druckman.

The showroom was left mostly vacant in order to accommodate the nearly 200 people who came to celebrate the opening, co-hosted by Interior Design magazine. Visitors enjoyed select pieces from the new furniture collection, artwork by Bonita Helmer, and cocktails by Snow Leopard Vodka. The man of the hour, Shemtov, was his typical collected self, though perhaps slightly subdued from all the last-minute showroom preparations. Commenting on the occasion, he said, “Coming together with what I believe to be is the best design center in the world is an honor.” With all this mutual admiration, it sounds like this is the start of a very healthy relationship.