When Kevin Seitz and Rob van Wyen – founders of furniture brand Studio Seitz – first stepped inside a former 1910 babka factory in Brooklyn, they weren’t actively looking for a loft space, let alone one in the flashy Williamsburg neighbourhood. Yet, its soaring ceilings, dramatic natural light and original timber beams were brimming with potential. Through a meticulous eight-year gut renovation, the 1,200 sq ft (111 sq metres) duplex was skillfully turned into the duo’s home, workspace and showroom for their Swiss-made furnishings.
‘One of the advantages of renovating your own home slowly is that you have the luxury of trying something before deciding whether it’s right,’ says Seitz. Adds van Wyen, ‘We work similarly with our designs; prototyping, living with things, and learning from them.’
A previous residential conversion had burdened the interior with heavy concrete stairs and synthetic bamboo floors that obscured the loft’s original character. The couple wanted to bring back that personality while incorporating visual and structural references to Seitz’s native Switzerland, including Zurich’s Helmhaus Art Museum, viaduct system and even chalet architecture. Over the course of the renovation – 85 per cent of which was carried out themselves, they estimate – the duo revealed and refined the duplex’s architectural origins. ‘A lot of work went into making the apartment feel simple,’ says van Wyen.
Insulation and electrical systems were concealed between exposed rafters, a move that helped maximise ceiling height and structural clarity. A disciplined palette – dark kitchen joinery, blackened steel window frames, tactile timber surfaces and stainless hardware creates cohesion throughout. ‘We reduced the number of materials and colours throughout the loft and repeated certain details. It helped connect spaces that had previously felt unrelated,’ van Wyen explains.
Swiss precision also carries through, from the geometric alignment of the layout (tested out many times using temporary walls) to the placement of circular power outlets and cabinet pulls. Straightening the main staircase freed up valuable ground-level space for a private bedroom, walk-in wardrobe and a laundry area. Unexpected spatial cavities yielded clever solutions, like a hidden mezzanine that’s now used as a 3D-printing workspace and guest loft. A former coat cupboard was transformed into a quiet study behind a frameless pocket door. 'Inhabiting the space during construction allowed us to observe how sunlight moves across seasons, directly shaping our artificial lighting scheme,' adds Seitz.
Of course, the apartment is filled with the pair’s designs, including the Studio Seitz Helm sofa, Limmat occasional table, Appenzeller sideboard and Chalet seating. Other Swiss design includes a stainless steel USM Haller shelve (‘The system almost disappeared into the architecture,’ van Wyen explains). There are also Scandinavian additions, like Reform kitchen cabinetry, and bathroom vanities, lighting and furniture from Vipp.
One particularly Swiss detail is a clock that hovers between the living area and kitchen. ‘The clock is an actual Swiss Railways clock,’ van Wyen says. ‘We tracked down the manufacturer and had them make one for us. It's illuminated and connected to a terminal so that the time is completely accurate. Leave it to the Swiss.’
A lot of the other items are more personal, collected from family, travels and fellow creatives. There’s an Andrew Zuckerman portrait of a snowy owl in the bedroom; handcrafted ceramics by Marcie McGoldrick; and a cowbell-shaped trophy won by Seitz's grandfather, a champion pistol shooter.
It all serves as a domestic showroom for their furniture brand. ‘Seeing furniture in person is incredibly important because there is a quality of the hand and a feeling that you can't get from a photograph,’ Seitz explains. ‘In our home you get that, but you also get the wider context. A showroom lets you touch and experience a piece, but there is an intimacy that comes from visiting someone's home and seeing how the designers themselves actually live with it.’
