Crimson Floors and Curated Hardware Define a Design Studio’s Collected Character

BySamantha Weiss-Hills,Photography byWilliam Jess Laird

PublishedApr 19, 2026 4:55 AM EDT

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The cast iron and brick building at the corner of West Broadway and Murray Street in Tribeca is the stuff of New York legend—the kind with a history of occupants that seems almost fictional: candy makers, a medical journal, an aquarium store. Today, a wine bar operates downstairs alongside a variety of independent tenants within the six-story Gibbes Building. In March, the newest occupants established their practice: design studio General Assembly, led by founder Sarah Zames and partner Colin Stief.

Zames and Stief are affable and warm, much like the architecture and interiors they create and the furniture and lighting they offer through their Brooklyn store, Assembly Line. In relocating their studio to Manhattan, the duo had the opportunity to reimagine their office and how it might better represent their work to visiting clients. Interconnected rooms, built-in flat file storage, and potential gallery space made a 2,000-square-foot fourth-floor unit particularly appealing. “Walking into the space is immediately transportive and feels like experiencing a piece of old New York,” says Zames. They acquired it immediately.

The pair inherited the space from architect Timothy Bryant, who had cultivated a home-like atmosphere over the two decades he occupied it. (He did not relocate far—just a few flights upstairs.) “The existing space led the way,” Zames notes. “For us, it was about making sure our own aesthetic was layered onto it and being thoughtful about maintaining the character.” The traditional-leaning yellow walls and white trim were removed, making way for saturated color, large-scale art, and abundant plantings.

The space is filled with design concepts readily adaptable to residential interiors. Here, the duo shares the details of how they made the studio feel so closely aligned with the residences they design.

Draw Inspiration from the Floor

The palette for the entire refresh originated from an unlikely source: the floor. The existing red-brown carried gravitas, though it was chipping and initially did not appeal to Zames and Stief.

However, Zames notes, “it felt really good to honor Tim.” A fresh application of a similar shade—Etruscan Red by Farrow & Ball—guided the remaining paint selections and the rich use of color throughout the space. By contrast, they intended the gallery at one end of the unit to feel open and bright, providing an ideal setting for viewing the inaugural show of lighting and furniture by Fern, on view through April 30.

Evaluate Paint Colors in Context

As in their residential projects, the partners employed color and finish to distinguish between offices, a meeting room, and the gallery. In Zames and Stief’s office, textural dark-green grasscloth wallpaper draws the eye in, while a putty-hued ceiling directs attention upward. A swatch might suggest the color is too dark to substitute for white, but Stief emphasizes the importance of evaluating colors in relation to one another. “When you see the color next to this dark green, it looks like an off-white,” he notes.

The rest of the small team works in a rosy adjacent room (finished in Dead Salmon by Farrow & Ball), crowned by a ceiling coated in Setting Plaster. This is also where the material library resides, housed in built-ins and flat file drawers running nearly the length of the space. There is no better environment for assembling moodboards, Zames and Stief note. Combined with the natural light filtering in, the pink tones echo the warm living spaces that General Assembly designs.

Zames praises the shift from open floor plans: “I am so happy to have doors,” she says with a laugh. “Being able to create this moody space feels really private, comfortable, and cozy. We bought slippers for everybody because it feels really home-y.” (An editor’s request: please produce a run of General Assembly-branded slippers.)

Incorporate Fabric Skirts for Concealed Storage

One might assume that a fabric skirt would reinforce the traditional aesthetic the designers sought to move away from. Yet when paired with earthy neutrals, unconventional placement, and a playful pattern, the result is entirely different. To conceal hard-to-reach storage in their office, the duo installed ochre fabric beneath picture lights set against the muted green backdrop.

Below, a cherished Gio Ponti textile conceals a refrigerator. After years of attempting to incorporate it into a client’s home, they opted to bring it into the office. It was not an inexpensive addition. “That was the most expensive thing in the project.”

Retain Original Accents as Design Features

While they could have refinished the built-in desks lining each space, Zames and Stief chose to retain them in their original condition. Color-coordinating the legs to the wall color maintained a coherent scheme, while the original glossy surface finish captures light within the otherwise matte rooms.

Regarding preservation: the door knobs, also installed by Bryant, were retained as well. Each is unique—crystal, brass, wood. Bryant’s intention was to expose clients to a range of materials and styles, though the designers felt the variation simply enhanced the home-like character of the office. The same applies to several retained light fixtures; combined with vintage finds, new pendants, and furnishings from Assembly Line, everything harmonizes to feel as though it has been in place for decades.

Design Spaces That Showcase Art

The work the duo has selected for display in the Annex requires a more white-box approach: track lighting, no window treatments, no distractions. “It needs to be a vessel for people’s work,” Zames notes. In addition to curating shows for creatives they represent at Assembly Line and beyond, they are particularly enthusiastic that the office will function as a rotating gallery for Amélie du Chalard, a go-to gallerist for designers with outposts in Paris and New York. “We get to show different artists’ work with clients here, and as things sell, they’ll get swapped out.” A reminder of how workspaces can evolve and accumulate layers over the years—much like a home.

Samantha Weiss-Hills

Managing Editor

Samantha Weiss-Hills is the managing editor for Domino. She edits and writes home tours and features, and she’s the friend who everyone texts for glassware, sofa, and sheet recommendations. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Alex, and their beagle-corgi, Elsa.

William Jess Laird

Photographer

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