Studio DB brings an adventurous spirit to Manhattan production HQ

Photography: Studio DB

Elegantly blending mid-century modern and vintage aesthetics, New York-based architecture firm Studio DB adds a playful touch to its latest project in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. The new HQ for Little Monster Films, a production company founded by filmmaking couple Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, was aptly designed by the fellow husband-and-wife team at Studio DB. First designing the couple’s New York apartment, Britt and Damian Zunino were once again tapped to re-envision a new office space for the Academy Award-winning production team, aiming to provide both a cohesive workspace for its employees as well as functioning as a fully equipped editing and production studio.

Inside, multi-layered, textured interiors reflect the documentary duo’s adventurous spirit, with their most well-known creative outputs including Free Solo, Meru and The Rescue. To channel this dynamic approach, the Zuninos sourced vintage, mid-century pieces such as Carlo Nason 1970s Murano glass pendant lights and paired them with elegant furnishings like gold Calico Eden wallpaper. These classic touches are in turn brought to life with bolder, more contemporary pieces such as a red Soho Home dining table, imbuing the space with a bold, modern feel. Nods to traditional Asian design also appear as motifs throughout, including wood panelling inspired by Japanese Shoji screens and a handpicked selection of vintage Chinese Art Deco rugs.

In Varsarhelyi’s office, Studio DB drew inspiration for the director’s love of fashion and travel, incorporating a bold colour palette and Calico Wanderlust wallpaper depicting a jungle scene. Adding to this natural aesthetic is a Nordic Knots Climbing Vine rug and House of Hackney velvet chair, as well as a vintage yellow sofa previously owned by Varsarhelyi herself. A neon pink Sometimes Metalworks credenza is complete with a Patagonia marble top, lit from above by a Matter Filigrana pendant.

As for the shared spaces, the office also consists of a conference room, open workstation and an in-house screening room. Open workspaces are there to encourage collaboration, but the studio was also sure to incorporate pocket doors for when privacy is needed. Here, a neutral palette is brightened by plenty of natural light as well as artwork provided by Chin and Vasarhelyi, showcasing the pair’s film inspirations. Alongside a conference table by Union Wood Co. and matching yellow stools from Matter Made, large pinup boards also adorn the walls of the conference room for creative brainstorming sessions.

Finally, the screening room combines practical elements such as acoustic panelling (wrapped in linen fabric and accompanied by a felt-lined ceiling) with a whimsical take on a classic movie theatre. Carlo Scarpa theatre armchairs are upholstered in soft red velvet for textural appeal, while a four-seater sofa from Hags was reupholstered in a bold floral House of Hackney fabric for an extra dash of pattern and personality.