Creativity Prevails in Olivier Garcé’s New York Apartment.

Inspiration was few and far between for me during the majority of last year but often in times of adversity, great creative projects are born. Enter Olivier Garcé, most recently the director of Pierre Yovanovitch’s New York Studio who turned his home into a show space for contemporary art and design – all while he and his partner architect Clio Dimofski were still living there.

The idea was cultivated out of a discussion with friend Ian Felton, a collectible furniture designer. While largely confined to their homes the pair were itching for opportunities and inspiration at a time when the pandemic had halted gallery openings and shows. Reminiscent of the bohemian Salon culture of the 18th Century, Garcé’s apartment was a cosy and safe solution for designers to see new work and discuss and exchange ideas.

“The main intention was to bring together a group of friends, but it was also to present Ian’s new collection in a living environment,” Garcé says. “The task was to create new works, assemble forgotten pieces, and open up conversation as to how these components would live together in the same place. Clio and I live on the third floor of a light-flooded pre-war brownstone, the perfect stage for such a collaboration.”

Felton, who spent most of the lockdown period on a farm in upstate New York has been experimenting with the materiality of lava stone. “Over the last year and a half, I’ve been trying to perfect glazing lava stone with a process similar to ceramics glazing,” he says. “I’ve been able to glaze large lava-stone volumes, turning a super-utilitarian material like lava stone into this really intriguing substance, kind of like coral underwater; the colour possibilities are infinite.” Presenting three new pieces especially for the home studio alongside work from Minjae Kim, Green River Project, R & Company and other collaborators the designs sit in comfortable symbiosis, something not achievable at a standard gallery opening.

Kim, a chameleon of the design world working across the spheres of interiors, furniture, sculpture and art contributed a range of designs including his sculptural oyster lamp, a floor lamp with a curious lacquer shade (my personal favourite) and a chair with a heart-shaped back. While Green River Project’s eye-catching painted folding bamboo screen can be seen alongside artwork by Claire Tabouret. Every room is brimming with contemporary design by friends and from Garcé’s own personal collection.

Impressed with the success of the concept to bring people together for one joint creative venture Garcé is already making plans for the model to continue and evolve, having recently bought an apartment in Lisbon which he also plans to turn into a gallery.

Related: Blue Building in Brooklyn by Lot Office for Architecture.

The team behind the project, from left to right: Ian Felton, Sean Davidon and Olivier Garcé.

[Images courtesy of Olivier Garcé. Photography by Sean Davidson.]