Debra Ryono
06/01/2004
When third-generation gem dealer Lee Siegelson moved his company’s office to a new Manhattan address, he turned to high school classmate David Nosanchuk (917.682.3719, www.nosanchuk.com), now a New York designer, for help. Their high school years at Cranbrook Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., influenced the result. “The school was very arts-oriented,” recalls Nosanchuk. Post-graduation visits to the campus left him feeling energized, a sensation he strives to emulate in designing both offices and the furnishings that go in them.
While Siegelson and Nosanchuk worked together on the
functional needs of the office, Siegelson gave the designer carte blanche when
it came to the actual aesthetics. For the walls, Nosanchuk selected figured
birch. “I had been looking for a special type of wood, and came across
quarter-figured red birch,” he says. “The shine is chatoyant, which means the
glimmer of a cat’s eye.” For the shelving he chose solid bronze with a silver
nitrate patina. Mohair panels accentuate the walls. “It’s an old-time
traditional fabric that adds warmth and quiets down the space,” says Nosanchuk. The furniture is from the Nosanchuk’s Sharp + Line collection and was created by hand with custom wood finishes and special bronze patinas. The rug is also Nosanchuk’s design. As a whole, says the designer, the room is a total work of art without being overbearing.
Coconut Shell Desk
Hundreds of coconut shell pieces give this desk and chair not only an unusual
look, but also an extraordinary durability. Should the need arise, “you can cut
vegetables without a cutting board, and it won’t damage the desk,” says Stephan
Cohen, president of Nusa Furniture (323.937.7055, www.nusafurniture.com). The Coba desk,
like the other pieces in the Nusa line, is named after an island, in this case
an islet in Indonesia. Italian designer Carlo Pessina refers to the combination
of small coconut shell pieces and a modern tapered look as “primitive
contemporary.” The shell squares are pieced side-by-side like a mosaic and then
a lacquer is applied, resulting in a smooth, extremely hard surface. “The shells
are quite thick,” Cohen explains, “so they are more like dominoes pieced
together than merely a veneer.” The Coba desk, which has mahogany legs and a
hidden pencil drawer, can double as a table. Its dimensions are 39½ inches by
79 inches by 29½ inches. The desk is available for $4,000, and the matching
chair for $1,000.
Tiffany Tribute
When Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young established Tiffany & Young,
a stationery and fancy goods emporium, in New York on September 18, 1837, every
item had a set price, a revolutionary idea for its time. The first day’s take
was $4.98. Flash forward 160 years to 1997 when Tiffany & Co. (Young was
changed to Company in 1853) commemorated its history with the introduction of
the 1837 collection, using sterling silver and 18-karat gold for jewelry and
office items. Today, Tiffany (800.526.0649, www.tiffany.com) offers the double pen stand
for $475. The memo pad and paperweight are available for $165 each. Also in the
1837 collection is a sterling silver stylus, $70.
Timely Companion
With all the chargers we need to pack these days to keep our electronic
devices working, where do we find room for yet another item? Yet traveling
across time zones without an alarm clock is an invitation to disaster.
Fortunately, every traveler has suitcase space for this tiny Atlas traveling
slide alarm clock from Tiffany & Co. (800.526.0649, www.tiffany.com). When open, the clock is 11¼2
inches high and 31¼2 inches wide. But slide its covers over its face and the
clock collapses into a miniature 21¼4 inches wide. The clock comes in brown or
black leather with a silver face and is available for $295.
Office photo by Eric Roth