The leading authority for the Architecture & Design community
June 25, 2018
Text: Colleen Curry
Style Mood Turns a New York Firehouse Into a Relaxed Members Club
The kitchen’s vintage glass cabinetry is one element that, like the building’s pre-war architecture, creates a dialogue with the otherwise contemporary décor. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.
Health and wellness may be the focus, but Habitas’s new members-only clubhouse is fashioned with more than just yoga junkies in mind. The converted 1825 firehouse does have a dedicated fitness space, but the conference rooms, kitchens, communal wet bar, and recording studio attract a variety of users. Compacting myriad spaces into a handful of narrow floors was a task that design firm Style Mood, led by founder and co-creative director Nil Erbil, managed seamlessly. Presented with the architectural backdrop of industrial-age New York, Erbil styled each space in a kind of Scandinavian SoCal aesthetic, implementing leafy palms, vintage furniture, and earth tones into the pre-war building. Explains Erbil: “We wanted the design of the Habitas New York clubhouse to be modern and clean, but with a mix of old-world elements.”
A repurposed trunk, the former property of a 1940’s jazz singer, stands in as a concierge desk. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.A pair of palms flanks a West Coast–inspired seating area. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.Communal tables, optimized for laptop use, create a versatile working environment. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.“The clubhouse feels like the heart of the city with a touch of relaxed, Scandinavian style,” Erbil says. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.In the ground-floor living room, a 1955 Steinway upright piano is the focal point. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.Glass walls enclose breakout rooms along a hallway. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.A variety of seating options, some modular, enable flexible social interactions. Layered rugs enhance the earthy, tropical feel. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.The preserved FDNY emergency call box is from 1929. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.A state-of-the-art recording studio accommodates the musically inclined. Acoustic paneling lines the walls for enhanced sound performance. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.In the third-story “Nest”, black and white wallpaper is reinforced by dark shelving and upholstery. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.The wellness area is designated for activities like yoga and meditation. Sleeping capsules are veiled by neutral drapery. Photography courtesy of Read McKendree.
