The Residence by General Assembly
The Residence in Brooklyn is a beautiful celebration of local and independent design. Curated by design studio General Assembly, featuring furniture and homewares from their retail store Assembly Line, the shoppable space is housed in 144 Vanderbilt, a new development by Tankhouse with architecture by SO-IL that is open to view through the end of the year.
We spoke to General Assembly founders Sarah Zames and Colin Stief about their vision for the immersive gallery and what, to them, makes New York design so unique.
Photography by William Jess Laird
The Residence in stunning. Can you tell us how you came to be involved in the project?
Sarah: We had been looking to create a shoppable model unit for some time. We had been in talks with a couple of other buildings, but nothing really seemed to feel like the right fit. When Tankhouse and Douglas Elliman reached out to us for this one, we were so thrilled because of the amazing design by SO-IL. We loved everything about the building, from the first walk through when it was still very much in construction – the design of the spaces felt perfectly aligned with our aesthetic.
144 Vanderbilt is not only beautifully landscaped but sustainably designed. Did nature and any environmental considerations inform your vision for the interiors?
Sarah: The design of 144 Vanderbilt is unique in that many of the rooms have double exposed views. The oversized windows and arrangement of the units contribute to a real connection to the Brooklyn landscape. We very much considered the framing of the trees in the space and chose the furniture arrangement and colors of the rooms based on what we were looking at through the window. For example, in the den we used our Raw Cedar Lime Paint to create a beautiful deep warm brown environment, which complemented the bright green trees outside.
With four bedrooms and three bathrooms across 2,033 square feet, it’s a generous space. How did you balance the abundant light and openness of the architecture with a sense of privacy?
Sarah: The plan is really well designed so that you do feel a bit like you are in your own world in every room. You are connected to the outside with the large windows, but it also feels pretty private. We used window treatments to frame our views and arranged the furniture pieces to direct the flow of the space. The light changes dramatically throughout the day, and that works to move you through the apartment as well. For example, the primary bedroom gets amazing light at the end of the day, and the shadows from the trees outside play so beautifully on the green Fieldstone walls – I can imagine coming home from work and really feeling like that space is a sanctuary.
Design lovers will be delighted to know that everything is shoppable. How do the interiors you curated reflect the way you source in general for your retail store, Assembly Line?
Colin: We source for the shop the same way we approach our interiors and the elements that build a home. We are drawn to pieces that are honest in their materiality, joinery and who is making them. We feel these are the elements that give objects personality and, in the best examples, are pieces that you can keep for your lifetime.
"You do feel a bit like you are in your own world in every room.”
You worked with the Parisian-born, SoHo-based gallery Amelie, Maison d’Art to select the artworks. What are some of your favourite pieces?
Sarah: We were so thrilled that Amelie, Maison d’Art agreed to be a part of this project – I have admired her gallery for a few years now and love everything she finds. We love their philosophy of bringing beautiful pieces to art lovers but allowing for transparency and approachability in the pricing. It is a very similar philosophy to Assembly Line! They put together a great curation for us, so it’s hard to choose – but after spending some time with the pieces, I think that my favourites are the two in the living room by Myung Urso, entitled ‘Mindscape 9 et 9, 2024’.
The home features our richly hued Eden rug, in Citrine and Verona. How did they work with your overall color scheme and material palette?
Colin: The space is meant to find the balance between a gallery and a home; to achieve this, we designed each room to feel distinct yet part of the larger story. Playing with tonality, the wall color, rugs and drapery create the backdrop for the furniture, lighting and objects to live within. The Agra and Eden palette is a go-to for our studio, providing rich depth of color to our spaces.
We also spotted the Cable and Trellis rugs from our recent New Icons collection. To you, what makes a piece of design timeless?
Sarah: We were excited to show these new rugs! We love how they are both down to earth in their materiality and weave, but also so elegant. The tones of both collections are also beautiful – like all Armadillo rugs, the colors always feel warm and comfortable without being too trendy. The collections feel like rugs that you will keep for a very long time!
Finally, the Residence is unique in that you’ve chosen to partner with designers and makers local to the area. What excites you about the New York design scene at the moment?
Sarah: There are so many great designers in the city, working in a diverse range of materials and price points. I feel like we have reached a critical mass in the city, where designers are in conversation with one another and that conversation pushes the work forward even further.
