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Entrance area of The Wren with walnut wall panelling and hardwood floors
CategoriesInterior Design

Home Studios refreshes The Wren pub on NYC’s Bowery

By Zarkon Group,
Entrance area of The Wren with walnut wall panelling and hardwood floors

Brooklyn-based Home Studios has remodelled a bar and restaurant in New York’s East Village, using dark wood and velvet seating to retain a “worn-in and aged appearance”.

The Wren on the busy Bowery thoroughfare has become a neighbourhood staple since opening in 2012, but was ready for an interior revamp.

Entrance area of The Wren with walnut wall panelling and hardwood floorsEntrance area of The Wren with walnut wall panelling and hardwood floors
The Wren has been remodelled in a way that retains its rustic charm

Home Studios refreshed both levels of the upscale pub, including the upper-floor dining and drinking area, and private lounge downstairs.

“Despite the changes in the city and the evolution of the neighbourhood, The Wren has maintained its timeless appeal, offering visitors a glimpse into the past and an authentic pub experience,” said Home Studios, led by founder Oliver Halsegrave.

L-shaped bar with a marble counter and surrounded by wooden stoolsL-shaped bar with a marble counter and surrounded by wooden stools
The L-shaped bar has a marble counter and is surrounded by GAR Products stools

Across the main level, dark and moody materials have been used to retain the pub-like quality of the spaces, assisted by the exposed wooden ceiling beams and columns, and hardwood floors.

Either side of the entrance, black-painted, booth-style benches are installed against the walnut wall panelling, creating cosy nooks for pairs or small groups to occupy.

Chocolate-coloured velvet banquette featuring ribbed cushionsChocolate-coloured velvet banquette featuring ribbed cushions
Towards the back, a chocolate-coloured velvet banquette features ribbed cushions

The bar area features an L-shaped marble counter surrounded by GAR Products stools, opposite black wainscoting that runs below vintage-looking wallpaper.

Towards the back, a long banquette is dressed in ribbed cushions that form the seating and backrests, all wrapped in brown velvet.

Row of custom mirrors alternated with disk-shaped sconces above tablesRow of custom mirrors alternated with disk-shaped sconces above tables
Custom mirrors alternate with disk-shaped sconces by In Common With

Custom arched shaped mirrors mounted on the walls alternate with disk-shaped sconces by In Common With, against a beige textured plaster backdrop.

A variety of other sconces throughout were sourced from lighting brands including O’Lampia, Shades of Light, Allied Maker and Rejuvenation.

U-shaped both below two windowsU-shaped both below two windows
Guests can choose from a variety of booths, two-tops or standing areas

“With a worn-in and aged appearance, the space now exudes a moody winter-like atmosphere,” said Home Studios.

Downstairs, the mood is even more “sultry” and intimate, thanks to darker surfaces and a variety of dim, warm lighting sources.

The bar counter is made from Black Portoro marble and the wood floors are also stained black, while the banquette upholstery is a lighter tone than found on the upper level.

Between the two floors, guests can choose from a variety of seating or standing spots for enjoying their beers, cocktails and bar food.

Banquette below walnut panelling and candle sconcesBanquette below walnut panelling and candle sconces
In the private area downstairs, the mood is more sultry and the banquette upholstery is lighter in colour

“Home Studios has seamlessly blended nostalgic and rustic charm throughout The Wren’s interior, creating an inviting and distinctive ambiance that pays homage to the bar’s storied history,” said the team.

Home Studios is no stranger to refreshing beloved establishments, having completed interiors for The Bird in Montauk and The Pearl in Nantucket.

Downstairs area featuring dark-stained floors and a black marble bar counterDownstairs area featuring dark-stained floors and a black marble bar counter
The downstairs area features dark-stained floors and a black marble bar counter

The firm also recently turned a conference centre in Northern California back into a luxury hotel, as originally intended by the property’s founder: the inventor of the radio.

The photography is by Brian W Ferry.

Reference

Row of wooden buildings with off-set gabled roofs
CategoriesArchitecture

Electric Bowery arranges steel and wood cabins for Hudson Valley hotel

By Zarkon Group,
Row of wooden buildings with off-set gabled roofs

California studio Electric Bowery has arrayed a series of wood or Corten steel-clad cabins in Upstate New York that are nestled among meadows and woodland.

Electric Bowery was responsible for the architectural design of Wildflower Farms, a rural retreat in the Hudson Valley operated by the Auberge Resorts group, while interiors were completed by New York studio Ward + Gray.

Row of wooden buildings with off-set gabled roofs
The buildings at Wildflower Farms are based on vernacular farmhouses and barns, but with modern European influences

Intended as an escape for reconnecting with nature, the site of the former Rosedale tree farm was transformed into a luxury getaway with hiking trails and a working farm with produce and animals.

The masterplan for the 140-acre site revolves around a central meadow, through which the winding paths connect various clusters of guest cabins with the communal buildings.

Restaurant dining room with high ceiling, exposed beams and warm colour palette
Interiors for the resort were completed by Ward + Gray, which chose a warm and textured palette for spaces including the restaurant

Views of the Shawangunk Ridge are framed through the Great Porch, a covered open-air lounge organised around a central fire pit.

To one side is the resort’s restaurant, Clay which uses many ingredients grown or produced on-site.

Framed pressed botanicals hang on a wall above earth-toned furniture
In the shop, curated by Gardenheir, pressed botanicals are framed on a wall above earth-toned furniture

The dining room interior features warm, textural earth tones, wood-framed furniture and large indoor trees, while outdoor tables overlook the meadow and mountains beyond.

The other side of the Great Porch houses the reception area and a store curated by Gardenheir that sells a variety of garden-themed products.

Indoor swimming pool with exposed timber trusses and slate floors
The indoor swimming pool sits below exposed timber trusses and features slate floors

The Thistle spa and an indoor pool are accessed beyond, decorated in a palette of buffed biscuit, mottled green and slate grey that complement the exposed beams.

Together, this row of large, timber-clad gabled structures anchors the resort, while the various guest accommodations are spread out around it.

Cottages with reclaimed oak cladding and offset gabled roofs
Guest cottages also feature offset gabled roofs, and are clad in reclaimed oak

“With a more modern take on the vernacular building typologies of farmhouse and barn, inspired by modern European architects such as Peter Zumthor, the buildings were designed to frame the surrounding mountains, nestled harmoniously into the site,” said the studio.

Other amenities across the resort include an outdoor swimming pool and lounge area and a building dedicated to fitness that houses a gym and a yoga studio facing a pond.

Guest bedroom with earthy colour palette
The guest bedrooms are cosy yet modern, with a colour palette borrowed from the natural surroundings

For the design of the 65 cabins and cottages, Electric Bowery co-founders Cayley Lambur and Lucia Bartholomew looked to several references including the lifestyle of their native state, and architects like Mickey Muennig.

“It was particularly important to convey the indoor-outdoor living experience that was borrowed from and inspired by west coast Californian architecture, using tall storefront glass in several locations with naturally weathered and repurposed wood-clad ceilings and fin walls visually extending from the interior to exterior,” said the architecture studio.

Guest room lounge with sliding glass doors that open onto porch
Sliding glass doors open the guest rooms to private porches

The oak-clad Ridge and Meadow cottages all have an offset gabled form, while the double-gable structures house the two-bedroom suites.

Sliding glass doors open onto private porches, which are each angled to block views from their neighbours.

Cabin clad in Corten steel surrounded by trees
Nestled into the trees, the Bower Cabins are clad in weathering steel

Interiors are bright and modern, with bold colours borrowed from the natural surroundings and custom furniture paired with locally sourced antiques.

Tucked beneath the tree canopy, the Bower Cabins are a similar shape to the cottages, but clad in weathering steel.

These smaller rooms feature a darker, more intimate palette of dark blue walls and patterned textiles, and details including woven cabinet doors.

“The overall palette of the project is composed of an abundance of natural materials – stacked stone, slate, weathered wood finishes, naturally oxidized Corten steel, to name a few – that blend seamlessly with the landscape and provide warmth through texture and lack of uniformity, but also conform to the modern architectural lines of the buildings,” said the studio.

Bedroom interior with dark blue walls, woven cabinet fronts and patterned textiles
The smaller cabin interiors feature dark blue walls, woven cabinet fronts and patterned textiles

Lambur and Bartholomew founded Electric Bowery in 2013 after working together at Frank Gehry’s office, and now has offices in Los Angeles, Big Sur and New York City.

Their earlier projects include a house in Venice Beach with an off-centre pitched roof, which bears a resemblance to the cabins at Wildflower Farms.

Chairs surrounding a fire pit with cabins and mountain ridge in the distance
Wildflower Farms occupies a 140-acre site and offers a rural escape 90 minutes from New York City

The Hudson Valley is a popular getaway destination for city dwellers craving a dose of nature, and its popularity increased further during the pandemic, when many New York City relocated there temporarily or permanently.

Among the myriad places to stay in the area are the boutique Hotel Kinsley in Kingston, and Troutbeck, a renovated English-style country house.

The photography is courtesy of Wildflower Farms.

Reference