Mayweather Sofa
…………………………
KGB Limited is housed in a glorious light filled loft on (far) West 25th Street. Part architecture, part interiors, and part furniture design, this is one stop shopping for the homeowner who’s enamored with the firms aesthetic – or for someone in the market for a piece of sculpture disguised as home furnishings.
David Khouri, Roberto Guzman, and Christiaan Bunce (2 architects and a sculptor respectively) joined forces 2 years ago and opened KGB Limited at 555 West 25th Street. After reviewing their intriguing website, my design side-kick Connie Lee and I went to see the firms wares in person. We were impressed with the offerings, with one minor criticism. Architects that design seating tend to trade creature comfort for rigid and planar silhouettes. That’s all well and good until you need to sit for more than 20 minutes. It’s a conundrum: how do you design sofas and chairs that respect linear design both in concept and in use? It’s not easy. All in all, we agreed they’ve got nice upholstered pieces.
Duran Coffee Table
The collection of casegoods and tables on the other hand are unilaterally gorgeous. The Duran Coffee Table and Duran Console are made from solid silicon bronze or nickel bases, with Borosilicate glass tops. It may be difficult to see in the image above, but the glass is olive-green, quite unlike the cooler shade associated with clear or starphire glass. The play of the raw bronze against the warm green is at once handsome and sophisticated.
Duran Console with Nickel Base
…………………………
Garmar Sideboard
The Garmar Sideboard continues the firms trend toward exotic finishes. The chassis’ built of solid quartered and rift cut white oak, which has been fumed (think Gustav Stickley.) It’s unvarnished, so the light play on the grain is both subtle and sublime. The applied circular decoration is English sycamore, with ebony pulls and bronze hinges. It’s a stunning statement piece.
…………………………
Johansson Dresser
The Johansson Dresser is a casing of 3/8″ lacquered aluminum with burled walnut drawers, which is finished on all sides. The pulls are milled copper. This piece, as with all the pieces in KGB’s collection, is fully customizable.
…………………………
Harlan Tile
But perhaps the best decorative objects in the firms repertoire are their cast plaster tiles. Designers are always on the look out for a creative wall treatment, and these tiles are in a word remarkable. I’ve seen a lot of plaster work, and it’s rare to find great castings without any pores (the trick is to cast the plaster in a warm room so that it cures slowly.) Connie and I thought all 4 designs were handsome.
Wink38 Tile
Larcher Tile
Braille #1 Tile
…………………………
There are quite a few more pieces in KGB’s collection which are notable and worth seeing in person, or you can review their furniture catalog. It also bears mentioning that a portfolio of their architecture and interiors is also available.
…………………………
555 West 25th Street 2nd Floor New York 10001 212-420-7866