Dwellings Issue XIII: Interface NYC
Our latest Dwellings installment highlights a fascinating new local business that offers a cool concept within an amazing space. We sat down with proprietor Andrew Karp to get a better sense of the goings on at Interface.
Interface, located at 140 West 30th Street, opened in 2015 and began as a membership-based lounge space, but as they grew the owners realized that there was a demand for events spaces. So it morphed into what Karp describes as “a sort of events club.” In addition to being available as an events space, Interface acts as a flexible extension of its partner restaurant Till & Sprocket. It manages to be professional but casual at the same time. Interface now hosts all types of events; everything from a meditation series to musical events and film screenings.
Karp explains that Interface is constantly evolving and has a very open structure which is complimented by the space it inhabits. The primary feature of the space is a striking and spacious open room defined by exposed brick, a floor-to-ceiling chalkboard wall and large skylights that allow for some lovely and relaxing natural light.
Everything that went into furnishing the space (from light installations to custom-built work tables) was sourced locally within the neighborhood of Midtown West. So being just a block away, Furnish Green was the perfect place to find some funky pieces that would help offset the industrial nature of the space. Their choices brought warmth and coziness to the large, open main room.
Because of the diversity of Interface and the notion that it is defined by the myriad of uses taking place inside, the space needed to be able to accommodate the dynamic nature of the day-to-day operations. This was achieved by acquiring furniture that could be easily moved around and rearranged. They purchased large rustic shipping crates that are multifunctional and portable. These are spread throughout the space and have been deployed as coffee tables and shelving units and have even been used as lecture podiums.
From FG, they acquired 6 upholstered club chairs that once served as seating on a yacht. They’re bright and punchy (and really comfortable) bringing a bit of fun and quirkiness to the space. Andrew’s favorite FG piece happens to be club chair with the beach-themed upholstery. Personally, we love the big Al Pacino portrait that resides in the restroom, but to each his own.
The layout of the room changes daily, keeping it lively, fresh and interesting for their guests. Just like we do at FG, Interface gets the opportunity to see how their patrons react to moving things around, changing up the layout and altering the energy of the space. Interface is worth checking out; a unique concept housed in an adeptly conceived space.
We hope you enjoyed this installment of our Dwellings series! Stay tuned for future posts, and email us at furnishgreen@gmail.com for a chance to have your space featured!
