March 15, 2021

Text: Quinn Halman

D.S. & Durga’s Williamsburg Boutique Spotlights the Versatility of Concrete

At the sales counter in the back of the store, customers can watch videos of the design team testing out materials. Photography courtesy of D.S. & Durga.

For D.S. & Durga’s second boutique, the fragrance company’s cofounder Kavi Moltz knew exactly who could bring her vision to life. Not only did Moltz—along with her partner in business and life, David Seth Moltz—collaborate with Krista Ninivaggi, founder of interior design firm K&CO, on their Nolita flagship in Manhattan, but the women first met in high school and have been friends since. The fun yet professional rapport between them proved especially advantageous for this project where both were eager to get their hands dirty in the name of design.

Moltz, who has a background in architecture, explains that she had a fascination with the “rammed earth” aesthetic, which Ninivaggi was enthusiastic to explore, however such rudimentary construction proved to be no match for the humidity in New York City. The women problem-solved with the help of Eric Weil, principal at Oso Industries, who enabled them to workshop varieties of concretes in his studio to achieve the visual effects of natural elements with a material that made more sense for the store’s Williamsburg, Brooklyn location. Striped blocks of gray and beige concrete adorn the walls, similar to the aesthetic of natural stone, and the poured-in-place central display island features a dark, polished shade.  “We wanted to do one very bold move for the small space,” Moltz shares, noting how Ninivaggi (whose firm recently won an Interior Design Best of Year Award) helped create an environment that is serene yet architecturally exciting.

Using an audio mixboard instead of switches and dimmers, the staff at D.S. & Durga can change the color of the neon display lights. Photography courtesy of D.S. & Durga.
The neon icons were initially sketched by Moltz for D.S. & Durga product labels. Photography courtesy of D.S. & Durga.
Moltz selected this curvaceous ENTLER chandelier to add a playful element to the space. Photography courtesy of D.S. & Durga.
The storefront windows open up, enabling the D.S. & Durga team to engage with the neighborhood. Photography courtesy of D.S. & Durga.

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