New York is many things: a city notorious for its dynamic, eclectic coolness, encompassing a multitude of facets. It is the rock star of cities, unafraid to experiment and adopt artistic ventures. It stands as a canvas for creative expression and is devoid of monotony. Felicia Hung and Nick Ozemba, founders of the lighting brand In Common With, took that idea more literally than most. The couple challenged themselves by designing a multifaceted space set within a historic nineteenth-century Tribeca loft that serves as a tangible ode to community, craftsmanship and the power of collaborative design. Inspired by Tribeca’s rich artistic history and the participatory spirit of 1960s ad hoc art spaces, Quarters shifts between the expected and the curated, creating a space that is improvisational and alive.
“Quarters is more than a retail concept; it’s a platform for showcasing our unique view on domesticity and hospitality and sharing our creative vision with a broader audience. It represents our imagination, values and ambitions in a tangible form, and it’s an open invitation for others to find inspiration within our world,” says Ozemba.
Quarters is both a concept store and a community gathering space. The venue is styled as a residence and builds on In Common With’s indefatigable efforts to stage and curate creative connections by combining the intimacy of a private home with the theatre of hospitality. It is a canvas for experimentation and reinvention, inviting collaborators to apply their skills to new materials and practices. Artist Claudio Bonuglia lent his distinguished brushstroke to the fresco framing the bar, while a century-old tile factory partnered for a series of geometrically patterned tiles designed in collaboration with artist Shane Gabier.
Set across 8,000 square feet, Quarters features a bedroom, kitchen, and dining room. It is uniquely poised to host temporary installations, dinner parties and special events with its appointed bar, library and lounge.
The rooms are furnished exclusively with pieces curated or designed by Ozemba. Visitors are welcomed daily to shop the furnishings on display, including the In Common With lighting collection, sourced and restored antiquities, and decor created in collaboration with artists. Quarters’ opening marks the launch of a collection of furniture, lighting, and decorative accessories that encompass multiple mediums but are united by a common visual language, heirloom-quality design and roots in Old-World craft. Among its offerings is the first-ever series of wood furniture by Hung and Ozemba, featuring hand-painted trompe-l’oeil surfaces and customizable inlaid iconography.
