Astraeus Clarke "weaves Western allure" into its New York showroom

Local design studio Astraeus Clarke drew on its roots in the American West and experiences flipping houses for its curtain-heavy New York City showroom that also serves as a gathering place.

Located in New York's Chinatown neighbourhood, the Astraeus Clarke Showroom is in a corner room on the third floor of a walk-up building and serves as a gathering and display space for the studio, which was founded by Chelsie and Jacob Starley in 2022.

The Starleys designed and built out the small space themselves, drawing on experience from college years spent in Utah when the pair purchased and renovated condemned homes before transitioning into lighting design in 2018.

"Whereas flipping houses was really for someone else, this allowed for much more freedom and soul to be woven into the design and space," Jacob Starley told Dezeen.

"The showroom is filled with things in our life – our history, objects we made, art from friends."

The space was informed by the duo's background, "weaving a narrative rich with Western allure and subtle design nods to a bygone casino" according to the studio.

Windows overlook Bowery Street on one side, while others face toward a neighbouring alley, encased in mahogany wood panels Astraeus Clarke added to the wall.

The showroom's central gathering area has an expansive sofa bed in one corner. Custom-made by the studio, its base is lined with LED strips and sits beneath a mirrored ceiling.

On an opposite wall is a bar unit made with black-painted wood and backed with reflective sheet metal, with one of the studio's flower-like 120 Small sconces pushed into its backsplash.

Thick, mauve curtains line another wall, concealing white-painted built-in shelving and a small desk for work tasks.

Thin metal stars designed and manufactured in collaboration with designer Mark Malecki adorn the ceiling – an homage to the Starley's surname, the studio's name Astraeus (the god of stars), and "the open, clear skies of the western frontier".

In a far corner, a door with a red knob leads to a back room, where another desk and a tiled sink sit next to each other. It was painted with a maroon hue, and like the adjoining space, curtains line a section of the walls.

The showroom is further outfitted with vintage wall hangings and artwork, including a cowboy hat pegged to the wall and a self-portrait by New York artist Jarrod Frank.

The studio's lighting fixtures, including a large, layered pendant above the seating area and slim brushed-metal pieces from their Darning Collection are placed throughout, which they plan to switch out periodically.

"Every inch was considered, from the star adornments on the ceiling and mirrors, to the hand-painted door knobs, the antiques throughout, a tapestry from my 82-year-old handyman client, and a custom-built lounge for you to come into the space, sip a chilled beverage and stay a while," said Starley.

Showrooms rendered as gathering spaces or simulations of homes have become more popular in New York in recent years. Other examples include a Queens townhouse converted into an event and showroom space by Studio S II and a multi-functional space in a 19th-century Tribeca loft by lighting brand In Common With.

The photography is by Chelsie Starley

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