Hermes’ Favorite Carpet Makers Relocate to 22 West 19th Street
By Daniel Edward Rosen June 7, 2012 1:14 pm
reprintsFort Street Studios, a bespoke carpet company that weaves fine silk carpets for clients like Hermes and Louis Vuitton, is moving from its Soho offices to 22 West 19th Street.
The company, which was founded by artists Janis Provisor and Brad Davis, is moving from its old offices on 578 Broadway to a 8,100 square foot space on the 5th floor of the Flatiron area building, which is managed by the Kaufman Organization. Fort Street Studios signed a 10-year lease in the deal, with an asking rent in the high $30s-a-square-foot.
Steven Kaufman and Barbara Raskob of the Kaufman Organization represented the landlord in the deal. Jim St. Andrew of Peter McCuen & Associates, Inc. represented Fort Street Studios.
Fort Street Studios was quickly outgrowing its Soho studios and was in need of a larger space, said Ms. Raskob.
The new office features open space combined with a conference room and a standalone studio.
“They have bleached the floors light white to show the carpets better,” said Ms. Raskob.
The designs of the carpets themselves left quite the impression on Ms. Raskob.
“It’s just breathtaking,” she said. “[The design are] like Monet, like early abstractionism… gorgeous,” she added.
Fort Street Studios use wild Dandong silk, which is native to the wild oak forests of China, to create their hand-knotted fabrics. The company has offices in Hong Kong and Los Angeles.
The 162,997 square foot Class C office building, which was built in 1901, has a creative and eclectic mix of tenants: Architectural firms The Mufson Partnership and FXFOWLE have offices in 22 West 19th Street, as does Fisher Marantz Stone, an architectural lighting design firm.
drosen@observer.com
