Over the past few years, a host of mostly online home goods brands have made the leap from the web to brick-and-mortar retail. Italian bedding, bath and decor brand Sferra joins their ranks with the opening of its Sferra Townhouse in New York City.
Housed in a circa 1853 Italianate-style building in the Flatiron District, the 2,600-square-foot space showcases Sferra’s range of product categories—bedding, down, bath, loungewear, tabletop, rug, decorative accessories and gifts—in a home-like setting. The outpost also boasts a design studio for interior designers to host clients or work on projects.
Traditionally online home goods brands such as Sferra have opted into physical retail as a means of allowing customers to fully experience the look and feel of their products. Many of these retail outlets offer an immersive experience to give the shopper a deeper appreciation for how the products might work in their own home. Sferra’s products have been carried in other stores, but this is its first branded outlet in the United States.
“The new Sferra Townhouse offers both our customers and the design community access to the entire world of Sferra in a beautiful home setting,” said Michelle Klein, president and CEO, Sferra. “It’s a unique opportunity to experience the craftsmanship, luxury, and timeless design that are synonymous with Sferra.”
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Honoring history also plays into Sferra’s NYC store, as the building reflects a similar edifice just a mile away where the company’s founder, Gennaro Sferra, made his home in the 19th century. The company worked with Studio Monteleone & Associates, which previously worked with Sferra on a shop-in-shop at Harrod’s in London, to design the townhouse. The goal was to create a space that honored the history of the building while also providing a modern interpretation of home to showcase Sferra’s products.
“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,” said Lisa Monteleone, founder, Studio Monteleone & Associates. “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 clients consider home today.”
The Sferra Townhouse is located at 11 East 20th Street in New York City.