Multidisciplinary Workshop/APD Celebrates 25 Years

June will mark the multidisciplinary architecture and design firm Workshop/APD’s 25th anniversary. It’s a major milestone for the firm, which has grown from co-founding principals Andrew Kotchen and Matt Berman’s two-man operation to nearly 100 architects, designers and product designers working collaboratively on residential, hospitality, development and product design projects across the globe. 

To kick off a year of celebrations, Workshop/APD made its debut at the 49th Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York throughout this month, with a modern lady’s lounge that incorporates each of its practice verticals to full effect. 

The Kips Bay decorator show houses is the top fundraiser for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, now more than 105 years old. Their mission is to enrich and enhance the quality of life for young people by providing educational and developmental programs, with special emphasis on those between the ages of 6-18 who come from disadvantaged or disenfranchised circumstances.

This year’s Show House was located at 125 East 65th Street. Workshop/APD’s Le Fumoir Féminin was nestled within the home’s primary suite. This enveloping cocoon acts as a  decompression zone for “the lady of the house,” blurring the lines between architecture, interior design, and furnishings. Inspired by swirling smoke plumes, the room’s architecture is softened by curving, artfully lit panels with incorporated floating shelving, awash in a custom plaster finish.

The space is sensual and tactile from floor to ceiling, with a deeply textured custom Marc Phillips floorcovering to the ceiling’s expressive Fromental wallpaper in rich, earthy, feminine tones. An immersive sound system by Christopher William Lifestyle Technology, transformative LED daylighting, and custom, vintage, and gallery furnishings chosen for their compelling lines, comfort, and unique materiality set the scene for cocktails and intimate conversation.