New York City-based influencer and fashion designer reveals her new office and studio in this exclusive tour with est.
Greene Street in SoHo is home to designer boutiques, high-end galleries, 19th-century neoclassical and baroque buildings and cobblestone streets. It’s also where designer and businesswoman Danielle Bernstein has carved out her newly-renovated studio and workspace in a quintessential New York loft with city views.
Although the hybrid workspace is set on one level, Danielle and a team of dedicated creatives have cleverly made way for a kitchenette, dining area, living room, showroom and an in-house content studio, set against a background of exposed piping and full-height windows. In an exclusive first look inside her office, Danielle Bernstein shares the stories behind her vintage furniture, commissioned artwork and custom-designed pieces – and how the light-filled space marks a new chapter for
Despite the space limitations, Danielle and her design team have made way for a kitchenette, dining area, living room, showroom and an in-house content studio on the one level.
Artwork by Jonathan Bar hangs proudly in the living space, above the vintage . Other pieces in this space include the and the by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret for Cassina.
Congratulations on the completion of your office space. How does your office/showroom reflect the ethos of WeWoreWhat?
Danielle Bernstein: The office represents not only the growth of as a company but the family culture of our brand. This is actually the first-ever WeWoreWhat office – I have been working from home with my small but mighty team for the past decade. Now, with nine employees and counting, I wanted to create a space that felt like an extension of my home with a warm and inviting feel and a family-focused atmosphere. Our team works from the large custom-design, Brutalist-inspired dining table that seats ten, but we also have a living room area and lounge chairs for a more casual work environment.
You now live and work in SoHo. What do you love most about this neighbourhood?
Danielle Bernstein: I live and work in the heart of SoHo and honestly had no clue how much I would love it. Coming from the quiet West Village, I now look forward to the hustle and bustle on the streets every day and the unparalleled people-watching. Designer stores and independent boutiques are steps away, and some of my favourite restaurants are my neighbours. But then, come sundown, the streets clear, and SoHo becomes a calm little oasis.
Danielle enlisted the help of artist to refresh the kitchenette space. “I wanted a bold marble look with lots of burgundy veining,” Danielle explains. “Michelle started with light strokes, and after adding more colour, she went heavier on the burgundy and deeper/thicker veins.”
The showroom space features a Sergio Rodriguez Tonico armchair and full-height linen sheers.
You recently invited est into your home, designed in collaboration with LP Creative. As your first solo-designed interior project, how did the design process differ for your office compared to your home?
Danielle Bernstein: I had a clear vision for the design. Because this office is a temporary space, and after two years, I will move into and redesign something more permanent, I wanted to challenge myself to take on this project on my own. I essentially wanted to invert my apartment and focus on darker pieces for the furniture with brighter walls, playing into the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic of my home with Shou Sugi Ban wood throughout while mixing in black leather and chrome details. I started with sourcing the Afro and Tobia Scarpa Soriano sofa – a piece that has been on my wishlist for years – and designed around it.
The bathroom and kitchen needed to be fully renovated, so I enlisted the help of Antar Construction, who rebuilt the spaces, and Michelle Kesselman (Meesh Paints), a decorative painter, to create a limewash and cement look in the bathroom and the appearance of a fully marbled kitchenette. Once the space was complete, I partnered with Montana Labelle. She has recently launched a styling program for those that need extra support on spatial planning and curating intentional furniture and decor but don’t have an interior designer. Her team brought in a selection of vintage objects and decor pieces from all over the world to add finishing touches to the space and create a cohesive textural feel.
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Your space features a curation of vintage pieces. Could you share the stories behind some of these key pieces?
Danielle Bernstein: I turned to some of my favourite vintage vendors from around the world to source these pieces, many of which I had created a relationship with after designing my home. I connected with local artisans to create some special custom pieces, like the dining table by Aeterna Furniture and the reclaimed Dutch barn wood mirror by Sow Haus.
Where do you gravitate to in your office?
Danielle Bernstein: The living room area is where I gravitate most for its warmth and coziness. The decor pieces in the space are sourced from around the world and cultivate a great space to gather.
How does your office cultivate creativity?
Danielle Bernstein: Within our office, we have created a content studio that our team is so excited about. It features multiple backdrops by our front windows for that perfect light to create in-house content for the brand at any given moment.
Danielle Bernstein
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