An industrial office on Varick Street gives way to modernist splendor in the New York headquarters of Studio Mellone. The practice’s layered and refined new digs imbue warmth and tactility through covetable midcentury focal points and a sprawling pin-up board. The interior invokes reverence for design sensibilities predating digital ubiquity.
“The design brief is ease, functionality, not focusing so much on the luxury aspect of what a design office could be, but creating more of a home, more of a lab of ideas where people can work together collaboratively,” said Studio Mellone founder and principal Andre Mellone. “Key pieces have more to do with things we personally like, rather than how decoratively everything comes together.”
Upon arrival, a pair of sculptural mahogany chairs, a bespoke credenza, and a midcentury Dieter Wäckerlin highboard made from teak and seagrass herald guests at the threshold of the collaborative studio area. Dual rows of custom oak millwork desks flank a handsome central storage monolith also designed in-house. An administrative hub awaits beyond the 10 workstations in the rear of the office with a row of windows illuminating black modern furnishings. Black barn lights descend from exposed white ceilings throughout the interior, while custom sisal rugs add texture underfoot.
Instead of a closed office, Mellone occupies a corner of the open layout linked to the admin space. Mellone’s nook exudes residential-style warmth thanks to a custom oak desk installed atop an antique rug that previously belonged to his grandmother in Brazil. Vintage pieces, like the drafting table and a glass and stainless steel table by Tobia Scarpa from the 1960s, complement the office’s sleek but noble modernity. A collection of National Geographic issues and an exhaustive array of writing utensils further personalize the space. “I love being here at night; I love being here on the weekends,” Mellone added. “I spend more time in my office than probably in my house, so it’s really important to me to create a vibe, a feeling like I want to be here.”
Meetings occur in the heart of the open layout. A boat-shaped Florence Knoll conference table commands the spacious client area alongside sexy accents like a 1970s stainless steel sideboard, crafted by Lodovico Acerbis, and a vertical black and steel USM modular shelf abutting Mellone’s workspace. The large walnut table also rubs shoulders with the office pin-up wall that partitions meetings from the collaborative zone.
Colorful handmade renderings, drafts, and plans spark inspiration for both staff and visitors, rounding out a curated homage to design sensibilities both ageless and unique.
“We’re more analog and I appreciate that. I feel like that is directly related to how we work,” Mellone said. “I don’t want people on the computer all the time. I want us to meet around printed materials. It’s really refreshing.”
Will Speros is a writer and journalist based in Brooklyn. With a focus on architecture and design, he covers topics including sustainability, wellness, and queer experience. His work has also appeared in Architectural Digest, Metropolis, Hospitality Design, and Inc.
