Returning to roots established by its founder and namesake, Gennaro Sferra, the Italian home lifestyle brand opened the doors to its first dedicated retail location—SFERRA Townhouse—in New York’s Flatiron district. Both the property itself and its location hold meaning for the brand as Gennaro Sferra began his own New York experience in a similarly styled townhouse a mere mile away.
Designed to be an experiential retail setting, the space was envisioned with an elevated yet comfortable New York City home in mind. For the interior design, SFERRA turned to Studio Monteleone & Associates, the firm it had partnered with for the SFERRA shop at Harrod’s in London. That previous collaboration and resultant understanding of the history and future plans of the brand were important drivers in the design decisions for the Townhouse. “It was important to reach the right balance for the expression of SFERRA, while celebrating the historical significance of the existing architecture of the Townhouse,” says Lisa Monteleone, founder of SM&A. “The inserted design and materials are a canvas to exhibit the products that furnish the SFERRA lifestyle, with an evenness between the historic space and what our client’s consider home today.”
Occupying 2,600 square feet in the appropriately Italianate-style structure, original brick interior walls are covered in crisp white paint that modernizes the surface but allows the textural character to shine through, natural light streams in through massive street-side windows and a second-floor outdoor space with archetypal Manhattan structural views, and custom cabinetry serves to sleekly house everything from the brand’s rainbow of linen hues to complete mattresses, allowing the open floorplan to remain spacious and uncluttered. Adding to the historic significance of the location is a displayed collection of archival items dating from the company’s beginnings more than 130 years ago through to present time.
The Townhouse brings SFERRA’s complete offering—bedding, bath, loungewear, tabletop, area rugs, and more—together under one roof for the first time, and a collection of limited-edition and one-of-a-kind items will be part of the mix as well. It is open to the public and also includes dedicated design studio space that allows design professionals to host clients and collaborate with the SFERRA staff. Under the brand’s own creative direction, SFERRA president and CEO Michelle Klein notes the Townhouse is uniquely positioned to “offer both our customers and the design community access to the entire world of SFERRA in a beautiful home setting.”
Photography by Genevieve Garruppo.
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