Discover AvroKO’s Bold Creative Hub For Innovation

It’s a trendlet. Firms investing in spaces beyond their offices for experimentation, community, and curation. There’s RW Guild by Roman and Williams and Ken Fulk’s namesake retail bungalow. The latest is Host on Howard, a long-brewing concept by Giants firm AvroKO founding partners Kristina O’Neal, Adam Farmerie, William Harris, and Greg Bradshaw, who count Danny Meyer, Ian Schrager, 1 Hotels, and LVMH among their clients. “It’s our love letter to hospitality,” O’Neal says, pointing to the “huglike” arches and intimate horseshoe-shape bar defining the 1,500-square-foot gallery, located on the ground floor of the SoHo building (on Howard Street) where AvroKO’s studio is. Sprinkled throughout are what she calls “tools for gathering,” high-design solutions for entertaining: bar trolleys, soft-glow lighting, furniture—all custom and available on HOH’s website. Also on display are objets and artworks selected or made by the team; they’re currently surrounded by walls painted a progressively darkening dusty green for “The Paradisa,” the Eden-themed inaugural exhibition. So far, it’s backdropped a Lunar New Year celebration, salons, and book launches. “We hope,” O’Neal adds, “we’re creating experiences that foster a more connected world.”

This Bushwick Oasis Brings Nature to an Urban Setting

Traversing through Bushwick’s industrial labyrinth of dive bars, graffitied warehouses, and uber hip coffee shops, one needs a moment of refuge. That was the goal for an artistic couple when they tapped Hira Sabuhi to revamp their 1,600-square-foot garden duplex in 2021. Sabuhi, an architect who honed her skills at heavyweight firms like SOM and Rockwell Group, had recently launched her eponymous studio during the fall of 2020. “I was looking to create with more intent,” the designer muses.

Transforming a Bushwick Apartment into an Urban Escape 

Sabuhi rose to the challenge, cleverly employing refracting glass and two-way mirrors to optimize sight lines, with earthy Venetian plaster-clad walls to balance the mirrored features. Supply chain issues ever-present, Sabuhi specified Farrow & Ball paint for her contractor to make bespoke plaster that balanced the organic palette, which was accented with plum and chartreuse. It turned out to be one of her favorite pairings. “The juxtaposition between the synthetic nature of the reflective materials and soft edged millwork gives playful personality, celebrating the beauty of nature and the beauty of manmade at the same time,” she affirms. Brutalist side tables, a sumptuous Italian sofa, and a surfboard-shaped, solid wood coffee table (which doubles as a tea station) complement the petite living area. In the dining room, modern chairs explore negative space, and a steel, hobnail wall art adds depth to the formerly boxy space.

Sabuhi’s client initially specified wide white oak planks for the entire ground floor. “Shortly before installation, the garden level was flooded,” says Sabuhi. What could have been a crisis sparked inspiration. Looking for a more durable material, she specified a custom concrete tinted floor to match the plaster hues, creating a cozy cave-like dwelling. “Concrete ended up being more in line with the vision, and arguably a more beautiful result,” notes Sabuhi. Indeed, the texture invokes industrial Bushwick’s legacy, while its light hue, cossetted by plush Moroccan rugs, embraces the quiet luxury the client wanted. It’s a dreamy, multi-functional getaway from the city, within the city.