New York’s Galerie Was is the latest vintage design destination in the city
Galerie Was is the new Lower East Side space by interior designer Lauren Piscione with chef Allie Fitzpatrick and tech-whiz Andy McCune, offering vintage design with plenty of patina alongside works by contemporary makers
![Galerie Was in New York, selling vintage furniture](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/svL4AYhmYwp9nbg5hmdmSd-415-80.jpg)
Combing Les Puces in Paris, interior designer Lauren Piscione came across a weathered wood étagère (likely originally a water trough) that she needed to show her clients, the couple Allie Fitzpatrick, a chef, and tech-whiz Andy McCune. Instead of texting a photograph, Piscione met Fitzpatrick and McCune for drinks later that evening, thinking she’d just be persuading them into collecting this unique, slightly askew, heavily patinated piece. 'Instead, we were like “maybe we should buy more things? Maybe we should start a gallery?"’ says Piscione. 'That was on the weekend. By Monday, we were exchanging decks and opening an LLC.'
Galerie Was: ‘a place of discovery, exploration and always ever-changing’
What percolated in Paris became reality on New York’s Lower East Side, where the three have combined forces into an aesthetic adventure called Galerie Was. Doors opened this past week (coinciding with New York Design Week 2023), revealing a muted, meditative tableau of French and Danish 'old things' (per Fitzpatrick). Patina is found here in high supply. The gallery space, which came with wood-beamed ceilings and vaulted skylights, is set up in vignettes with dreamy, earth-tone pairings of period antique finds, including the original Parisian cornerstone, and distinct pieces by Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, and Jacques Adnet.
But it’s not just matured modern masters on offer. 'We want this to be a place of discovery, exploration and ever-changing,' explains Fitzpatrick, who is already plotting their next sourcing trips to Sweden and Japan. Initially, the business plan was only to source vintage furniture globally by shipping crates to New York from across the world, but 'the minute that we went from a showroom to a gallery was the second we started representing artists', says Fitzpatrick.
On their current roster of contemporary makers are ceramicists Yoona Hur and Mugly, painter Marianne Kolb, craftsman stereos A for Ara, homeware designers Koen Van Guijze and Oda and King – all seamlessly woven into the gallery’s spaces. 'At the moment, none of them are exclusively represented by us,' explains Piscione, 'and eventually we hope to start creating custom collections and exhibits, and create pieces that are site-specific for our gallery.' These makers weren't chosen at random, nor were they 'cold called', says McCune. In fact, quite the opposite.
The ethos of Galerie Was is rooted in relationships: Fitzpatrick and McCune, who have homes in Tribeca and Bridgehampton (with interiors overseen by Piscione), collaborated closely with these creatives on their personal properties. 'Just to double click on that,' starts McCune, who founded the Squarespace-acquired imaging app Unfold and now is building Cosmos, a creatives-forward Pinterest alternative, 'the fact that we've worked with a lot of these artists before on our own projects is one of the coolest points. They're coming in full trust with us,' he adds.
But it’s not just simpatico synergy that bonds Galerie Was together. 'We definitely are linked under this desire to create a beautiful human experience,' says Piscione.
301 Broome Street
New York, NY 10002
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Julie Baumgardner is an arts and culture writer, editor and journalist who's spent nearly 15 years covering all aspects of art, design, culture and travel. Julie's work has appeared in publications including Bloomberg, Cultured, Financial Times, New York magazine, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, as well as Wallpaper*. She has also been interviewed for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami Herald, Observer, Vox, USA Today, as well as worked on publications with Rizzoli press and spoken at art fairs and conferences in the US, Middle East and Asia. Find her @juliewithab or juliebaumgardnerwriter.com
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
The newly-opened Giancarlo Valle Annex is inspired by New York history
Giancarlo Valle Annex is the designer's new gallery and events space in Tribeca, with interiors informed by 18th-century New York
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Floris Wubben reinvents the brick at The Future Perfect in New York
Dutch designer Floris Wubben extrudes the common building brick into new applications – benches, chandeliers and a mirror frame
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
New York Design Week 2024: the highlights
The Wallpaper* highlights from New York Design Week 2024: from ICFF to the independent shows and launches, on view from 16-23 May
By Dan Howarth Last updated
-
Inside the new Amelie, Maison d’Art: 'I wanted to reinvent the art gallery to be both warmer and more approachable'
The ambitious new Manhattan gallery Amelie, Maison d’Art settles into the Soho neighbourhood
By Craig Kellogg Published
-
Taxi cabs and pizza boxes: New York icons are reimagined by Paa Joe at Superhouse Gallery
New York’s beloved tokens, from the Statue of Liberty to the classic yellow taxi cab, are reimagined by Paa Joe for Superhouse's inaugural show in New York, ‘Celestial City’
By Julie Baumgardner Published
-
Bathhouse Flatiron features atmospheric interiors by Rockwell Group
In NYC, Bathhouse Flatiron evokes the 'futuristic remnants of an ancient civilisation'
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Brooklyn’s Nine Chapel unveils interiors by Gubi
Designed by SO-IL, Nine Chapel in Brooklyn is a new residential tower with a model residence by Danish design brand Gubi
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Homeware and design store Beverly’s puts down roots in New York’s Chinatown
Beverly’s was founded by Beverly Nguyen as a retail destination focused on community by supporting small business owners, creatives and craftspeople
By Pei-Ru Keh Published