PARTNERSHIP
The Road
Less Traveled
An inside look at Avenue Road, the company on a mission to unite the world’s best design minds with established craftspeople.
PRODUCED BY SURFACE STUDIOS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AVENUE ROAD
PRODUCED BY SURFACE STUDIOS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AVENUE ROAD
PARTNERSHIP
The Road
Less Traveled
An inside look at Avenue Road, the company on a mission to unite the world’s best design minds with established craftspeople.
PRODUCED BY SURFACE STUDIOS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AVENUE ROAD
In a sea of design retailers, a new company needs a compelling point of view in order to rise to the top. Over the past 10 years, Avenue Road has managed to do just that, swimming its way into designers’ hearts with owner Stephan Weishaupt’s uncommon vision. He has proceeded not by chasing trends or with outright opulence, but by recruiting a tightly knit group of collaborators who produce lovingly crafted furniture and accessories with clean lines and a sculptural quality that makes them immediate classics. Through prizing objects with intriguing back stories and an unmistakable sense for the handmade, he seeks out and develops original, timeless creations.
This ethos is tangibly presented inside Avenue Road’s showrooms in Toronto and Manhattan, which host light-filled, apartment-like spaces designed to capture the brand’s distinctive take on tailored elegance. Overall, the achieved aesthetic is fluid and cohesive.
At the heart of Avenue Road, beyond its immaculate showrooms, is a close-knit network of celebrated designers who all share a similarly studious approach to their craft. Under Weishaupt’s direction, they have brought the brand from a nascent dream to a fully formed enterprise dedicated to taking new concepts and creations to their fullest expression in North America. Rather than adding elements for the sake of decoration, they do the opposite, slicing away extraneous details in search of purer expression, even as they innovate with form, material, and manufacturing.
Ultimately, this exploration reveals that Avenue Road is not merely a business, or just a network of international suppliers. It is a group of dedicated designers and longtime friends who, in a world dominated by generic mass production, share the same aspirations and passion for craftsmanship. The objects they produce are rare creations worth keeping for the long haul. Avenue Road’s name may evoke visions of travel, but the pieces it delivers make staying home that much more appealing.
—Tim McKeough
At the heart of Avenue Road, beyond its immaculate showrooms, is a close-knit network of celebrated designers who all share a similarly studious approach to their craft. Under Weishaupt’s direction, they have brought the brand from a nascent dream to a fully formed enterprise dedicated to taking new concepts and creations to their fullest expression in North America. Rather than adding elements for the sake of decoration, they do the opposite, slicing away extraneous details in search of purer expression, even as they innovate with form, material, and manufacturing.
Ultimately, this exploration reveals that Avenue Road is not merely a business, or just a network of international suppliers. It is a group of dedicated designers and longtime friends who, in a world dominated by generic mass production, share the same aspirations and passion for craftsmanship. The objects they produce are rare creations worth keeping for the long haul. Avenue Road’s name may evoke visions of travel, but the pieces it delivers make staying home that much more appealing.
—Tim McKeough
1
1 Clarity of Vision
Clarity
of Vision
A conversation with Avenue Road founder and president Stephan Weishaupt on the identity and evolution of the company.
INTERVIEW BY SPENCER BAILEY
PHOTOS BY ALICE GAO
Clarity
of Vision
A conversation with Avenue Road founder and president Stephan Weishaupt on the identity and evolution of the company.
INTERVIEW BY SPENCER BAILEY
PHOTOS BY ALICE GAO
“Most people really want to hear what’s behind an object, how it came about. Everything we produce has a story.”
Avenue Road's Toronto showroom.
You were born and raised in in Munich. In what ways did your upbringing affect your thinking about design and culture?<
My father is an architect. In the seventies, he was pursuing a career as a painter, but then he decided, when I was born, to go back to architecture. He had an architectural office for several decades and recently sold it.
My father’s family is full of art collectors, so I always grew up with art. Even as a child, I was used to having gallerists visiting our home, coming for lunches and dinners. My grandparents on my father’s side had a lot of midcentury modern furniture. Their house was built in the late fifties. Growing up in this environment was fascinating.
The midcentury aesthetic was essentially in your DNA.
Yes, and my mother comes from a family of carpenters. As a kid, I would always play in the sawmill. I grew up with the smell of wood. When I go to see manufacturers today—especially wood workshops—it’s reminiscent of my countless weekends at the sawmill.
Prior to launching Avenue Road, you were working in marketing at BMW. How did you go from cars to couches?
I started at BMW during my university years. I went on to work in several positions there. I began with corporate communications and innovations marketing. We worked on things like video streaming, which back then was revolutionary.
Prior to becoming a design brand, Avenue Road was a gallery of sorts. Tell me about this evolution.
It started as a space more than gallery. Ten years ago, we launched our first exhibit. It was comprised of vignettes arranged within a few hundred square feet, including offices and everything else. Tucked away in one of the side streets of the Leslieville neighborhood, it was a charming space, but we outgrew it very quickly. Initially, we were only a handful of people on staff. Today we’re more than fifty.
What compelled you to start Avenue Road?
I come from a family of art collectors. Aesthetics and artistic expression were always part of my environment, and had a very strong influence on me. As I grew up, I developed a fascination with industrial design—how it shapes our environment. Design is an expression of who we are as human beings. I wanted so much to be a part of that. Avenue Road was a way of participating in a tangible way, as a kind of curator, building big picture setups. The entrepreneur role just felt right for me.
The sitting room of Stephan Weishaupt's show house in Miami.
From the start, what was your vision for the company?
In the beginning, it was an experiment. I had the luxury of having George and Glenn by my side. They guided me to try things out and see how they would be received. Once we understood how the market worked, we found our place.
Beyond that, it’s not just about creating things that are pretty or nice to look at. I want to evoke emotion with our products, to challenge my audience by showing them things that are completely unexpected. That’s really the objective.
How do you go about evoking emotion with products?
I tried putting things on a pedestal, but that felt too much like a museum. I didn’t feel it was true to my nature. Now, nothing is curtained off. You can touch it, feel it, sit in it. And hear the stories behind it. Most people really want to hear what’s behind an object, how it came about. Everything we produce has a back story.
When did Avenue Road transition into a furniture brand?
After the first three years, we took a big leap when we moved into the larger building we’re still in today. I opened the showroom in 2007, and 2008 was the recession. It was pretty much the worst time to open up a showroom.
I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery. I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery. I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery.
Avenue Road's New York showroom.
What do you think makes Avenue Road so different from other brands?
That we’re trying to present a curated and edited display of things you don’t really see very often. Overall, we’re trying to create a location-specific experience. Visiting each store, with the products and the team, is important.
As you’ve grown the company, what has been your approach as a manager?
Well, I always saw myself as the curator of the whole thing. If I don’t like a design, I will say no. I see certain developments and explore them. We try to make sure everybody is on the same train and not going off in different directions.
I give designers feedback. When I see a business opportunity, I sometimes propose things I feel are missing and would like to develop with them. I’m not the kind of person who says there’s a certain trend we have to follow. It’s not all about this material or that material—every designer has different materials they like to work with. We have someone like Christophe Delcourt, who doesn’t like to work with glass, but he’s strong with woods and veneers. There are others who are very good with glass or stone. Understanding what they’re capable of and what their interests are fits into the bigger picture.
I try not to launch too many new things. Fewer and better is really the goal for me. That’s why I keep the family of designers very tight.I give designers feedback. When I see a business opportunity, I sometimes propose things I feel are missing and would like to develop with them. I’m not the kind of person who says there’s a certain trend we have to follow. It’s not all about this material or that material—every designer has different materials they like to work with. We have someone like Christophe Delcourt, who doesn’t like to work with glass, but he’s strong with woods and veneers. There are others who are very good with glass or stone. Understanding what they’re capable of and what their interests are fits into the bigger picture.
What are Avenue Road’s core values?
I often talk to my team about creating memorable experiences. We want to create an environment that really resonates with people in the furniture industry, which typically does things the same, old-school way. My benchmark is not in the furniture business. I look for benchmarks outside of the industry.
What are some of those benchmarks?
Certain companies in fashion, automotive, and hospitality. They simply do a better job in terms of how they analyze the sales process and the client. A lot of it has to do with the back end. The furniture industry should have better processes—from selling, to shipping, to monitoring quality. The model has been the same for a really long time. In the coming years, there will be big changes, and we need to prepare for those.
Inside Avenue Road's 8A concept space in Manhattan.
Two years ago you took the majority share in Avenue Road. Why?
At some point, I decided to further invest in it. For me, it was a commitment to say, “I want to grow this business.” I had the confidence—the belief—to grow to a bigger scale.
Why do you think the business should grow further than it already has?
It’s a necessity. In order to be a viable and sustainable business, we need to grow.
Only through growth can we cover North America and cater to all of our individual customers here. While we have clients in Europe and Asia, our current work is geared toward a North American client.
Growth brings greater responsibility.
Yes! I think that it has to work on both sides; otherwise it’s going to fail. The designers have expectations for me, just as much as I do for them. I would like to see that the business goes well for them and that we’re able to expand our market. It takes time, but I think at this point there’s an opportunity for us to grow further into the market.
Do you feel like consumers are starting to understand the difference between what Avenue Road produces versus others in the market?
The internet is obviously the biggest game changer. Our industry has been way behind in the internet evolution, not just in how companies present themselves on the web but also on mobile devices. If companies like Hermès and Louis Vuitton can sell ten thousand bags online, why can’t we sell a sofa or a lamp the same way?
With increased exposure on the web, we also have to deliver faster. When you show a product in Milan and then deliver a year later, it’s no longer time-appropriate. Ten years ago, when companies would present prototypes at Salone del Mobile, that was different. Now, you have everyone running around the fair, taking pictures, uploading instantaneously. Once you present things, you have to deliver them.
Avenue Road's Toronto showroom.
You were born and raised in in Munich. In what ways did your upbringing affect your thinking about design and culture?
My father is an architect. In the seventies, he was pursuing a career as a painter, but then he decided, when I was born, to go back to architecture. He had an architectural office for several decades and recently sold it.
My father’s family is full of art collectors, so I always grew up with art. Even as a child, I was used to having gallerists visiting our home, coming for lunches and dinners. My grandparents on my father’s side had a lot of midcentury modern furniture. Their house was built in the late fifties. Growing up in this environment was fascinating.
The midcentury aesthetic was essentially in your DNA.
Yes, and my mother comes from a family of carpenters. As a kid, I would always play in the sawmill. I grew up with the smell of wood. When I go to see manufacturers today—especially wood workshops—it’s reminiscent of my countless weekends at the sawmill.
Prior to launching Avenue Road, you were working in marketing at BMW. How did you go from cars to couches?
I started at BMW during my university years. I went on to work in several positions there. I began with corporate communications and innovations marketing. We worked on things like video streaming, which back then was revolutionary.
Prior to becoming a design brand, Avenue Road was a gallery of sorts. Tell me about this evolution.
It started as a space more than gallery. Ten years ago, we launched our first exhibit. It was comprised of vignettes arranged within a few hundred square feet, including offices and everything else. Tucked away in one of the side streets of the Leslieville neighborhood, it was a charming space, but we outgrew it very quickly. Initially, we were only a handful of people on staff. Today we’re more than fifty.
What compelled you to start Avenue Road?
I come from a family of art collectors. Aesthetics and artistic expression were always part of my environment, and had a very strong influence on me. As I grew up, I developed a fascination with industrial design—how it shapes our environment. Design is an expression of who we are as human beings. I wanted so much to be a part of that. Avenue Road was a way of participating in a tangible way, as a kind of curator, building big picture setups. The entrepreneur role just felt right for me.
George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, of the firm Yabu Pushelberg, helped you launch. What was their relationship to the company?
I had met Glenn and George before I moved to Toronto. We’d had a longtime friendship, and it was on a trip to New York that the two of them encouraged me to create Avenue Road. I wanted to have something of my own, something that would give me a way to express my creative side and also my upbringing.
So they were almost like cheerleaders?
Yeah. I learned a lot from them. They were my mentors and business partners for several years. They stayed sort of in the background and let me develop the business. Today, they’re still designing pieces for Avenue Road and giving me advice.
The sitting room of Stephan Weishaupt's show house in Miami.
From the start, what was your vision for the company?
In the beginning, it was an experiment. I had the luxury of having George and Glenn by my side. They guided me to try things out and see how they would be received. Once we understood how the market worked, we found our place.
Beyond that, it’s not just about creating things that are pretty or nice to look at. I want to evoke emotion with our products, to challenge my audience by showing them things that are completely unexpected. That’s really the objective.
How do you go about evoking emotion with products?
I tried putting things on a pedestal, but that felt too much like a museum. I didn’t feel it was true to my nature. Now, nothing is curtained off. You can touch it, feel it, sit in it. And hear the stories behind it. Most people really want to hear what’s behind an object, how it came about. Everything we produce has a back story.
When did Avenue Road transition into a furniture brand?
After the first three years, we took a big leap when we moved into the larger building we’re still in today. I opened the showroom in 2007, and 2008 was the recession. It was pretty much the worst time to open up a showroom.
I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery.
How do you choose the designers you work with?
I was never interested in the big, established designers. I wasn’t really looking for the super-young, avant-garde, up-and-coming either. I was trying to put a group of designers together that would complement each other and had a certain style that I felt was appealing to my core market: North America.
Over the years, we’ve built and developed a network of designers and manufacturers who all know each other. It’s like a big design family.
What does it really take to be a part of this family?
We all share a similar vision. The designers I work with are all very open-minded. We’re all very driven to bring new things to the market. At the end of the day, what matters is the chemistry that we have and the mutual respect to do great things together.
What do you think makes these relationships with designers so enduring?
Friendship. And we share similar ideas. I come in and present what I think the market needs and the designer works with me to try and find the best product to fit into the portfolio.
Avenue Road's New York showroom.
What do you think makes Avenue Road so different from other brands?
That we’re trying to present a curated and edited display of things you don’t really see very often. Overall, we’re trying to create a location-specific experience. Visiting each store, with the products and the team, is important.
As you’ve grown the company, what has been your approach as a manager?
Well, I always saw myself as the curator of the whole thing. If I don’t like a design, I will say no. I see certain developments and explore them. We try to make sure everybody is on the same train and not going off in different directions.
I give designers feedback. When I see a business opportunity, I sometimes propose things I feel are missing and would like to develop with them. I’m not the kind of person who says there’s a certain trend we have to follow. It’s not all about this material or that material—every designer has different materials they like to work with. We have someone like Christophe Delcourt, who doesn’t like to work with glass, but he’s strong with woods and veneers. There are others who are very good with glass or stone. Understanding what they’re capable of and what their interests are fits into the bigger picture.
I try not to launch too many new things. Fewer and better is really the goal for me. That’s why I keep the family of designers very tight.
What are Avenue Road’s core values?
I often talk to my team about creating memorable experiences. We want to create an environment that really resonates with people in the furniture industry, which typically does things the same, old-school way. My benchmark is not in the furniture business. I look for benchmarks outside of the industry.
What are some of those benchmarks?
Certain companies in fashion, automotive, and hospitality. They simply do a better job in terms of how they analyze the sales process and the client. A lot of it has to do with the back end. The furniture industry should have better processes—from selling, to shipping, to monitoring quality. The model has been the same for a really long time. In the coming years, there will be big changes, and we need to prepare for those.
Of everything you’ve launched to date, what have been some of the standout pieces?
One of them is the Perry Street Boomerang sofa that Glenn and George [of Yabu Pushelberg] designed for their apartment on Perry Street in New York. It’s commercially very interesting because you can do it in all shapes and sizes. We’ve made it for airport lounges, hotel lobbies, you name it. It’s a very conversational piece. I think it’s a soon-to-be-timeless design and is still something I’m very proud of.
Inside Avenue Road's 8A concept space in Manhattan.
Two years ago you took the majority share in Avenue Road. Why?
At some point, I decided to further invest in it. For me, it was a commitment to say, “I want to grow this business.” I had the confidence—the belief—to grow to a bigger scale.
Why do you think the business should grow further than it already has?
It’s a necessity. In order to be a viable and sustainable business, we need to grow.
Only through growth can we cover North America and cater to all of our individual customers here. While we have clients in Europe and Asia, our current work is geared toward a North American client.
Growth brings greater responsibility.
Yes! I think that it has to work on both sides; otherwise it’s going to fail. The designers have expectations for me, just as much as I do for them. I would like to see that the business goes well for them and that we’re able to expand our market. It takes time, but I think at this point there’s an opportunity for us to grow further into the market.
Do you feel like consumers are starting to understand the difference between what Avenue Road produces versus others in the market?
The internet is obviously the biggest game changer. Our industry has been way behind in the internet evolution, not just in how companies present themselves on the web but also on mobile devices. If companies like Hermès and Louis Vuitton can sell ten thousand bags online, why can’t we sell a sofa or a lamp the same way?
With increased exposure on the web, we also have to deliver faster. When you show a product in Milan and then deliver a year later, it’s no longer time-appropriate. Ten years ago, when companies would present prototypes at Salone del Mobile, that was different. Now, you have everyone running around the fair, taking pictures, uploading instantaneously. Once you present things, you have to deliver them.
Tell me about this new New York showroom. What does this space in particular represent for you?
The idea was really to engage with our customers in a meaningful way. Our typical customers travel a lot and lead hectic lives. Here, they can take their time, and we can provide an environment where they feel relaxed and comfortable. Our thinking is, if they take the time to come to see us, then we must provide an environment that exceeds expectations. It’s a very crucial moment when the customer walks in here.
What does the tenth anniversary of Avenue Road mean to you?
It’s been quite a ride. We made it through the recession. We went through ups and downs. Looking back, one of the biggest things for me is definitely the people. We couldn’t have done this without our relationships. To get the right mix together takes a lot of time and effort, and once you get to that point, you can do a lot. At first, I approached the company with a very wide point of view, and over ten years, I’ve distilled it down to what our business is all about. For me, it’s about learning, traveling, gaining deeper insight into different practices, building upon those personal experiences—and looking toward the next ten.
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2
2 Travel for Design
Travel
for Design
Avenue Road’s team of North American designers embark on a one-week summer trip with Stephan Weishaupt, exploring craftsmanship in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT MICHAEL POOLE
Travel
for Design
Avenue Road’s team of North American designers embark on a one-week summer trip with Stephan Weishaupt, exploring craftsmanship in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT MICHAEL POOLE
On a tiny side street in Paris’s Latin Quarter, 11 interior designers from Vancouver, Toronto, and New York are gathered in a cozy hotel bar, unaware of the friendships that will soon be forged. Together,
they’re about to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip led by Stephan Weishaupt, who makes it a point at least once a year to host this ambitious tour, intended to foster an immersive exchange of ideas between North American designers and European craftsman.
“I don’t think I’ve done this since college,” says Steffani Aarons of DHD Architecture & Design, a midsize, New York–based firm led by New Zealand architect David Howell. “When else do you get to spend this amount of time in the company of your peers?” A stylish welcome dinner at the open-air Klay Saint Sauveur, designed by local interior firm Toro & Liautard, sets the tone. From here, the experience far exceeds any expectations of a simple trade show; this trip is as much about creators and culture as it is about products, sometimes with little distinction between the two.
ANGERS, FRANCE
CHRISTOPHE DELCOURT
Christophe Delcourt explains his process.
The journey begins in earnest with a Monday morning train ride from Paris to the edge of the Loire Valley, where the French craftsman Christophe Delcourt welcomes our group to the city of Angers, home of his airy and spotless wood workshop—which is noticeably devoid of any large-scale industrial equipment.
“We don’t use large machines. French workshops are small, tiny units compared to elsewhere in Europe,” he says proudly, explaining that ceramics, marble, and upholstery are fashioned in similar settings around France. Indeed, the space has the feel of a small college classroom, consisting of half a dozen tables, a storage area for newly received wood, a treatment room, and a large open space designated for safe, efficient wood-cutting. Here, workers come across as artists rather than furniture makers. “I don’t try to make an ensemble set. I like to create different, original pieces,” adds Delcourt, who refuses to make prototypes.
After a sun-dappled lunch in the French countryside, it’s back on the train to Delcourt’s Paris showroom. Charmed by the intimacy of a private residence, the one-room studio is lit by a wall of windows that overlook an open courtyard, set against a backdrop of dramatically high ceilings, which create the illusion of more floor space. “I work like a photographer evaluating the room from all angles,” says Delcourt. From him, we come away with two lessons: that manipulating light and space is fundamental to good design, and that our emotional and physical experience of space is directly connected to these two elements.
Christophe Delcourt explains his process.
PARIS, FRANCE
BRUNO MOINARD
Bruno Moinard’s intimate showroom in Paris.
The next morning begins with a stroll to 31 Rue Jacob, in the heart of Saint-Germain des Prés. It is home to Bruno Moinard Editions, the sumptuous showroom where Moinard’s first furniture collection was unveiled in 2014—a moment celebrated both in and outside design circles. A veteran architect, scenographer, and interior designer, Moinard is a fashion-world favorite, due to his work for Cartier, Hermès, and Karl Lagerfeld. He was also recently entrusted with the reimagining of the famed Plaza Athénée hotel, further raising his celebrity stature. Yet, from the looks of his showroom, Moinard is far more concerned with substance than hype.
There is a soulfulness to this place, with each object placed in such as way as to reveal its profound beauty—unearthed by a perfectionist known to sketch and paint his creations before they’re realized in three dimensions. Here again, a fascination with light becomes apparent, as we note strategically placed lamps, large and small, casting each piece in its own spotlight. The real showcase is found downstairs, in a magnificent exhibition basement beneath a vaulted stone ceiling, where Moinard’s seamless blend of modernity and arts décoratifs classicism is on full display in the form of his latest collections.
Bruno Moinard’s intimate showroom in Paris.
STADEN, BELGIUM
OBUMEX
Thomas Osten of Obumex leads the group through the process of custom kitchen design.
Over the next two days, Belgium turns up a triptych of family-run businesses as the Avenue Road bus winds its way to Staden, Bilzen, and Genk. First, we visit Obumex to learn best practices in creating timeless, sustainable kitchens and delivering them to an international market. With 128 employees and an extensive production facility, it’s a robust business that has been operating since 1960. But it also presents us with a very modern, compelling concept the company calls “limitless design”—the ability to customize the exact proportions of any kitchen, regardless of shape or size, and to source the materials needed to perfect its design.
Thomas Ostyn, an energetic young CEO who represents the third generation of his firm, leads us through every step of the production process, beginning in rooms where detailed blueprints are created on computers, before hitting the workshop’s factory-style assembly line—where Ostyn stops to point out the strict 60/40 split of handwork and machine work that defines his company’s designs. From here, it’s on to witness workers put the final touches on the product at individual finishing stations, before the sleek kitchens are at last unveiled in gleaming showrooms.
Thomas Osten of Obumex leads the group through the process of custom kitchen design.
BILZEN AND GENK, BELGIUM
TRIBU AND MICHAËL VERHEYDEN
Inside Tribu’s showroom.
Over in Bilzen, at Tribu, a 50-year-old leader in outdoor furniture, nature itself sets the agenda. We watch, mouths agape, as a team runs through mock meadows of an open-air showroom that displays how furniture can be made durable enough to withstand almost any environment. “We have more than one hundred fabrics for weather-resistant cushions,” says managing partner Tom De Cock, who plays a highlight photo reel of Tribu’s collections all over the world, now furnishing many of the world’s leading luxury hotels and resorts, from the Four Seasons Kyoto to private islands in the Maldives.
Next is a visit to the home of artisan Michaël Verheyden, who, with his wife and one assistant, makes leather and suede jewelry boxes, and marble and brass containers, from scratch. At the moment, he’s busy completing work on his quaint country house, the rooms of which have been fashioned into mini workshops. “I’d say I’m one-third artist, designer, and businessman,” he says of his practice, which is the most intimate operation we’ve seen yet. A humble and welcoming presence, Verheyden offers to share his culture by inviting us to witness the astonishing redevelopment of Genk’s former coal mine into the multipurpose creative site it now is. (The 1900s Winterslag mine was closed in 1986 and is now home to LUCA School of Arts, a theater and exhibition space).
Inside Tribu’s showroom.
BERGHAREN, NETHERLANDS
VAN ROSSUM
Marileke Van Rossum hosts Avenue Road’s troupe for a farewell luncheon. Scene from the travelers’ day in Amsterdam.
Six days in, and the troupe has become a traveling family, playing musical chairs in the tour bus, making plans to meet upon their return home. But the best bonding experience was yet to come: a formal luncheon inside Van Rossum, in Bergharen, Netherlands.
The family-owned furniture factory opened in 1975 and is now an industry leader in sustainable woodcraft. It is here that we meet designer Marlieke Van Rossum, the matriarch behind this oak-paneled powerhouse. Having been “bitten by the oak bug as a kid,” she spent her childhood making toys in this warehouse and playing hide-and-seek in the woods nearby. As an adult, she still seems playful and ebullient, and more at home than anyone in her own workshop—where, she says, time is the greatest measure of quality.
Her company processes only oak trees sourced from the French National Forestry Services that have aged at least 100 years. Once cut and delivered to Van Rossum, the timber is placed in large climate-controlled chambers and dried, sometimes for several months, until the optimal moisture content is achieved. In this way, the company’s process allows it to manufacture furniture that’s built to last. On a deeper level, our experience at Van Rossum reminds us that our relationship with our environment is forged over time, and should only get better with age.
It is just one of the many profound lessons learned on Avenue Road’s trip, deemed “unforgettable” and “illuminating” by its participants. If anyone embarked on this journey uncertain of its end, each one of us departed with a deeper appreciation for design, because we engaged with the humanity behind it. Watching creators build their lives beyond the functional object has inspired us to do the same. And we have Stephan Weishaupt to thank for it.
“Collaborating with the best design minds and helping them express their vision with the best craftspeople in the world is why I started Avenue Road. The week with you definitely reinvigorated this spirit in me, and I’m looking forward to many more journeys with you,” Weishaupt wrote to us, upon our return—prompting outpourings of gratitude from his faithful band of travelers.
Marileke Van Rossum hosts Avenue Road’s troupe for a farewell luncheon. Scene from the travelers’ day in Amsterdam.
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3
3 The Collaborators
The Collaborators
Four key players from the firm’s tight-knit talent pool step forward to discuss their paths to Avenue Road.
BY JENNIFER PARKER
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM LIANG
The Collaborators
Four key players from the firm’s tight-knit talent pool step forward to discuss their paths to Avenue Road.
BY JENNIFER PARKER
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM LIANG
CHRISTOPHE DELCOURT PORTRAIT BY CELESTE SLOMAN
Christophe Delcourt is a discreet Parisian with immense talent for personal, purpose-driven design, formed gradually and diligently over the course of his lifetime. Back in 1995, when he opened his first furniture shop in the Marais, Paris, he had created the catalyst that would launch his career, and ultimately propel him to this moment: a sit-down interview on his own custom-designed couch, inside Avenue Road’s glamorous New York City showroom.
By the 2000s, Delcourt had outgrown the Marais, moving his eponymous design company to an expansive, light-filled atelier on the top floor of a former piano factory in the Seventh Arrondissement, where client tête-a-têtes gradually lead to the creation of sumptuously outfitted interiors. Of course, his approach sounds better in Delcourt’s language: “Les pièces sont dessiner pour justement pouvoir être adapter à la demande de chacun.” Translation: His product line is more haute couture than prêt-à-porter. You don’t go to Delcourt to buy off-the-rack. Everything is tailor-made to fit the client’s personality and lifestyle.
“I deteste uniformity. Don’t tell me you’re a New Yorker and that’s it. I want specifics. I need to understand my clients. I need to know what universe they live in, as well as how they live,” the self-taught designer says.
He is the picture of a craftsman—a faithful carpenter who has spent his life working with his hands. Someone so steeped in raw materials, you can almost hear him sanding and polishing the wood, brass, marble, and leather that surrounds him. But if you start him on the subject of French manufacturing, Delcourt becomes vehemently patriotic. For him, traditional French craftsmanship is not only the foundation of his trade, it’s integral to his sense of identity and purpose.
“In France, we have a strong manufacturing tradition. And manual workers are culturally very important. We call ourselves le patrimoine—members of a heritage that is passed down from generation to generation. Today we realize this craft is precious and we must fight to conserve it,” says Delcourt. What’s more, his clients have come to expect it. You’ll never find a mass-produced industrial object chez Delcourt. What you will find instead is an artful collection of furniture and lighting that subtly blends perfectionism with tangible sensuality.
For example, the look and feel of Delcourt’s Avenue Road collection of furniture pieces is smooth, solid, and sturdy. Consisting of wood dining tables, hand-stitched sofas, and brushed-brass lamps, everything in the collection is constructed by French manufacturers, and built to last. “I want to make designs that are timeless. There is no plastic, nothing toxic, or fragile. This type of quality you can’t do en masse,” he says, adding, “I find it very pretentious to say, ‘I will make furniture for millions.’”
Whether or not he intends it, Delcourt is a champion of slow design. The more successful he becomes, the harder he clings to his roots. For him, French craftsmanship is sacred, and in Avenue Road he found a partner that would both respect and support that belief, by championing quality above profit. Delcourt has no desire to open new stores or speed up production. Instead, he takes his time, trusts the process, and allows the product to form in his hands.
TWI TABLE
This signature brushed-oak table is produced in various finishes, including a high-gloss lacquer. It is a prime example of Delcourt’s style. As he says, “I live in my time. Of course I’m modernist.”
KIN SOFA
Delcourt’s KIN is a modular sofa that can be configured and custom upholstered in several variations. There are two separable elements and two armrests, enhancing adaptability to the space.
YBU TABLE
This clean-lined beechwood dining table inside Weishaupt’s Miami show house was crafted and smoothed by hand before being treated in a high-gloss lacquer.
GEORGE YABU &
GLENN PUSHELBERGPORTRAIT BY WESTON WELLS
GLENN PUSHELBERG AND GEORGE YABU
GIN LANE BAR
PERRY STREET
BOOMERANG SOFA
PARK PLACE STOOL
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When Stephan Weishaupt first approached two of the world’s most prolific designers to launch Avenue Road in 2007, he didn’t have to convince them. Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu already knew Weishaupt well and trusted him implicitly.
“It was a natural relationship. Stephan wanted to increase his roster of designers, and we wanted a platform for our custom furniture. Since then, he’s become a great partner and patron,” says Pushelberg, sitting at ease next to Yabu inside their swank offices in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. They’re here just a few days each week, before flying to their flagship studio in Toronto, summer home in The Hamptons, or working on site with brands such as Louis Vuitton, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, or Carolina Herrera. From the outside, it appears to be a stylish, globetrotting lifestyle, tailored specifically to the personalities living it—an approach that generally describes their design practice.
Avenue Road, named by Yabu after a main street in Toronto, can be thought of as an extension of their adventurous spirit. “On our travels, I started noticing strange names on streets,” Yabu recalls. “I liked Avenue Road because it doesn’t apply to any particular city, yet it applies to the world at large. It was just a funny way of tying destinations together, while making the brand more worldly.”
Yabu Pushelberg’s collections for Avenue Road also bear names recalling cities around the world—such as the Park Place stool, Berkeley Square lounge chair, and Perry Street sofa. These names evoke memories of particular places, which are ultimately meant to prompt a similar emotional response in the user of each piece. In this way, Yabu Pushelberg uses design as a means of communication, to capture a specific time and experience. They consider themselves storytellers, and design is their chosen language. Since they began making furniture, in 1980, they’ve been translated around the world, and have become Officers of the Order of Canada—the country’s highest honor—for their contributions to design excellence.
Partnerships like Avenue Road helped them achieve it. Though their eight years as co-owners of Avenue Road have come to a close, as Stephan Weishaupt assumed full ownership in 2016, Yabu and Pushelberg continue to serve on its advisory board. “The best thing about working with Stephan is that you can really do some eccentric stuff,” says Pushelberg. “He’s willing to take risks—like, say, manufacturing an Italian marble bar cart or unusually shaped sofa, just because it’s beautiful.”
GIN LANE BAR
This mobile bar cart is an assemblage of clear tempered glass and Carrara marble set on a thin frame of smoked brass.
PERRY STREET
BOOMERANG SOFA
The Perry Street Boomerang sofa was originally designed specifically for Yabu and Pushelberg’s apartment on Perry Street in New York’s West Village. It was made to for a certain 90-degree corner in their living room that required a particularly reduced seat depth, back height, and pitch to create an ideal space for socializing in an urban setting.
PARK PLACE STOOL
Named after an ambitious little street in Manhattan’s financial district—where Yabu Pushelberg would eventually design interiors for Robert A. M. Stern’s 30 Park Place tower—this sophisticated stool is fashioned from laser-cut steel and is polished in rose-colored copper or black nickel.
SEBASTIAN HERKNER PORTRAIT BY WESTON WELLS
At 36, Sebastian Herkner is one of the youngest designers on Avenue Road’s roster. He’s also an obvious choice for the fast-growing company, given his talent for combining cutting-edge technique with traditional craftsmanship.
Herkner hails from Offenbach, Germany, an industrial city turned tech hub on the outskirts of Frankfurt. (He affectionately calls it “the Brooklyn of Frankfurt.”) It is here that he earned his degree at the Offenbach University of Art and Design, opened his own studio in 2006, and has since garnered international recognition, including the 2011 German Design Award for Best Newcomer and the Red Dot Design Award for his Bell table—a sculptural yet functional accent table, manufactured by ClassiCon and made of tinted, hand-blown glass that elegantly morphs into a solid brass top. That these two materials appear to merge seamlessly and without effort is what caught Stephan Weishaupt’s attention: “The Bell table was the starting point.”
Soon after they met, Weishaupt invited Herkner to Toronto to check out Avenue Road’s showroom, which presents a sophisticated mix of European and American style. Merging cultural contexts is one of Avenue Road’s strong suits—a skill that attracted Herkner to the company, and one that he’s now beginning to master himself.
“My work is about curiosity, openness, communication. It’s so interesting to spend time with artisans from other cultures,” Herkner says. Encouraged by Avenue Road to travel for design, Herkner is currently developing new collections in Bogotá, Colombia, following recent trips to Zimbabwe and rural Japan. Much like Weishaupt, Herkner travels the world mindfully—seeking new sources of inspiration in objects that are personal and distinctive, rather than trendy or common.
Herkner also believes that timelessness is a tenet of good design, and has felt validated in recent years at fairs such as Salone del Mobile in Milan and Maison&Objet in Paris, which represent the top of today’s market. Here, his contemporaries are using brass, marble, and hand-carved woods to reimagine traditional furniture typologies: the classic room-divider screen, luxurious chaise lounges. Little is plastic, and almost everything lasts decades. “Nowadays, so much of our industry is reduced to appliances. But we really crave tactile permanence,” he says. “The purpose of design is not just to do nice things. We are just as responsible for societal behavior as anyone else. Design sets our parameters for life.”
BLEECKER STREET TABLE
This low-set, modern table is crafted from solid oak and is anchored by a base of French limestone. The double-cross marble inset was inspired by the Bleecker Street intersection in Manhattan.
BELL TABLE
This unconventional piece uses lightweight, fragile glass as the base for a metal top that seems to float above it.
MAINKAI LAMP
Mainkai is the name of a long street bordering the Main river in Frankfurt, and its five orbs of frosted glass are a nod to the reflection of light on the water. The LEDs inside each orb are dimmable and operated from a sleek button at the very top of the piece, comfortably reached in a standing position.
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>> Looking Forward
Looking Forward
Looking
Forward
Avenue Road’s next milestone moment will be the opening of its showroom in Gastown, Vancouver. Set to be unveiled this fall in a handsome heritage building revamped by Abraham Chan Design Office, it will feature 12,000 square feet of modern design inspiration. With high ceilings and cleverly placed lighting, the space will present Stephan Weishaupt’s signature collections of furniture, textiles, kitchens, and accessories in a welcoming, residential-style setting. “We have been working to open in Vancouver for many years,” says Weishaupt, who is convinced that this location represents the next step in delivering extraordinary design to the Pacific Northwest.
“Vancouverites appreciate craftsmanship, sustainability, and authenticity in design, which excites us as a brand that shares the same passions,” he adds. Newcomers to Avenue Road can take these attributes as a given. But the unexpected also awaits.
1
1 Clarity of Vision
Clarity
of Vision
A conversation with Avenue Road founder and president Stephan Weishaupt on the identity and evolution of the company.
INTERVIEW BY SPENCER BAILEY
PHOTOS BY ALICE GAO
Clarity
of Vision
A conversation with Avenue Road founder and president Stephan Weishaupt on the identity and evolution of the company.
INTERVIEW BY SPENCER BAILEY
PHOTOS BY ALICE GAO
“Most people really want to hear what’s behind an object, how it came about. Everything we produce has a story.”
Avenue Road's Toronto showroom.
You were born and raised in in Munich. In what ways did your upbringing affect your thinking about design and culture?<
My father is an architect. In the seventies, he was pursuing a career as a painter, but then he decided, when I was born, to go back to architecture. He had an architectural office for several decades and recently sold it.
My father’s family is full of art collectors, so I always grew up with art. Even as a child, I was used to having gallerists visiting our home, coming for lunches and dinners. My grandparents on my father’s side had a lot of midcentury modern furniture. Their house was built in the late fifties. Growing up in this environment was fascinating. The midcentury aesthetic was essentially in your DNA.
Yes, and my mother comes from a family of carpenters. As a kid, I would always play in the sawmill. I grew up with the smell of wood. When I go to see manufacturers today—especially wood workshops—it’s reminiscent of my countless weekends at the sawmill.
Prior to launching Avenue Road, you were working in marketing at BMW. How did you go from cars to couches?
I started at BMW during my university years. I went on to work in several positions there. I began with corporate communications and innovations marketing. We worked on things like video streaming, which back then was revolutionary. Prior to becoming a design brand, Avenue Road was a gallery of sorts. Tell me about this evolution.
It started as a space more than gallery. Ten years ago, we launched our first exhibit. It was comprised of vignettes arranged within a few hundred square feet, including offices and everything else. Tucked away in one of the side streets of the Leslieville neighborhood, it was a charming space, but we outgrew it very quickly. Initially, we were only a handful of people on staff. Today we’re more than fifty.
What compelled you to start Avenue Road?
I come from a family of art collectors. Aesthetics and artistic expression were always part of my environment, and had a very strong influence on me. As I grew up, I developed a fascination with industrial design—how it shapes our environment. Design is an expression of who we are as human beings. I wanted so much to be a part of that. Avenue Road was a way of participating in a tangible way, as a kind of curator, building big picture setups. The entrepreneur role just felt right for me.
The sitting room of Stephan Weishaupt's show house in Miami.
From the start, what was your vision for the company?
In the beginning, it was an experiment. I had the luxury of having George and Glenn by my side. They guided me to try things out and see how they would be received. Once we understood how the market worked, we found our place.
Beyond that, it’s not just about creating things that are pretty or nice to look at. I want to evoke emotion with our products, to challenge my audience by showing them things that are completely unexpected. That’s really the objective.
How do you go about evoking emotion with products?
I tried putting things on a pedestal, but that felt too much like a museum. I didn’t feel it was true to my nature. Now, nothing is curtained off. You can touch it, feel it, sit in it. And hear the stories behind it. Most people really want to hear what’s behind an object, how it came about. Everything we produce has a back story.
When did Avenue Road transition into a furniture brand?
After the first three years, we took a big leap when we moved into the larger building we’re still in today. I opened the showroom in 2007, and 2008 was the recession. It was pretty much the worst time to open up a showroom.
I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery. I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery. I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery.
In the beginning, it was an experiment. I had the luxury of having George and Glenn by my side. They guided me to try things out and see how they would be received. Once we understood how the market worked, we found our place.
Beyond that, it’s not just about creating things that are pretty or nice to look at. I want to evoke emotion with our products, to challenge my audience by showing them things that are completely unexpected. That’s really the objective.
How do you go about evoking emotion with products?
I tried putting things on a pedestal, but that felt too much like a museum. I didn’t feel it was true to my nature. Now, nothing is curtained off. You can touch it, feel it, sit in it. And hear the stories behind it. Most people really want to hear what’s behind an object, how it came about. Everything we produce has a back story.
When did Avenue Road transition into a furniture brand?
After the first three years, we took a big leap when we moved into the larger building we’re still in today. I opened the showroom in 2007, and 2008 was the recession. It was pretty much the worst time to open up a showroom.
I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery. I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery. I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery.
Avenue Road's New York showroom.
What do you think makes Avenue Road so different from other brands?
That we’re trying to present a curated and edited display of things you don’t really see very often. Overall, we’re trying to create a location-specific experience. Visiting each store, with the products and the team, is important.
As you’ve grown the company, what has been your approach as a manager?
Well, I always saw myself as the curator of the whole thing. If I don’t like a design, I will say no. I see certain developments and explore them. We try to make sure everybody is on the same train and not going off in different directions.
I give designers feedback. When I see a business opportunity, I sometimes propose things I feel are missing and would like to develop with them. I’m not the kind of person who says there’s a certain trend we have to follow. It’s not all about this material or that material—every designer has different materials they like to work with. We have someone like Christophe Delcourt, who doesn’t like to work with glass, but he’s strong with woods and veneers. There are others who are very good with glass or stone. Understanding what they’re capable of and what their interests are fits into the bigger picture.
I try not to launch too many new things. Fewer and better is really the goal for me. That’s why I keep the family of designers very tight.I give designers feedback. When I see a business opportunity, I sometimes propose things I feel are missing and would like to develop with them. I’m not the kind of person who says there’s a certain trend we have to follow. It’s not all about this material or that material—every designer has different materials they like to work with. We have someone like Christophe Delcourt, who doesn’t like to work with glass, but he’s strong with woods and veneers. There are others who are very good with glass or stone. Understanding what they’re capable of and what their interests are fits into the bigger picture.
What are Avenue Road’s core values?
I often talk to my team about creating memorable experiences. We want to create an environment that really resonates with people in the furniture industry, which typically does things the same, old-school way. My benchmark is not in the furniture business. I look for benchmarks outside of the industry.
What are some of those benchmarks?
Certain companies in fashion, automotive, and hospitality. They simply do a better job in terms of how they analyze the sales process and the client. A lot of it has to do with the back end. The furniture industry should have better processes—from selling, to shipping, to monitoring quality. The model has been the same for a really long time. In the coming years, there will be big changes, and we need to prepare for those.
I try not to launch too many new things. Fewer and better is really the goal for me. That’s why I keep the family of designers very tight.I give designers feedback. When I see a business opportunity, I sometimes propose things I feel are missing and would like to develop with them. I’m not the kind of person who says there’s a certain trend we have to follow. It’s not all about this material or that material—every designer has different materials they like to work with. We have someone like Christophe Delcourt, who doesn’t like to work with glass, but he’s strong with woods and veneers. There are others who are very good with glass or stone. Understanding what they’re capable of and what their interests are fits into the bigger picture.
What are Avenue Road’s core values?
I often talk to my team about creating memorable experiences. We want to create an environment that really resonates with people in the furniture industry, which typically does things the same, old-school way. My benchmark is not in the furniture business. I look for benchmarks outside of the industry.
What are some of those benchmarks?
Certain companies in fashion, automotive, and hospitality. They simply do a better job in terms of how they analyze the sales process and the client. A lot of it has to do with the back end. The furniture industry should have better processes—from selling, to shipping, to monitoring quality. The model has been the same for a really long time. In the coming years, there will be big changes, and we need to prepare for those.
Inside Avenue Road's 8A concept space in Manhattan.
Two years ago you took the majority share in Avenue Road. Why?
At some point, I decided to further invest in it. For me, it was a commitment to say, “I want to grow this business.” I had the confidence—the belief—to grow to a bigger scale.
Why do you think the business should grow further than it already has?
It’s a necessity. In order to be a viable and sustainable business, we need to grow.
Only through growth can we cover North America and cater to all of our individual customers here. While we have clients in Europe and Asia, our current work is geared toward a North American client.
Growth brings greater responsibility.
Yes! I think that it has to work on both sides; otherwise it’s going to fail. The designers have expectations for me, just as much as I do for them. I would like to see that the business goes well for them and that we’re able to expand our market. It takes time, but I think at this point there’s an opportunity for us to grow further into the market.
Do you feel like consumers are starting to understand the difference between what Avenue Road produces versus others in the market?
The internet is obviously the biggest game changer. Our industry has been way behind in the internet evolution, not just in how companies present themselves on the web but also on mobile devices. If companies like Hermès and Louis Vuitton can sell ten thousand bags online, why can’t we sell a sofa or a lamp the same way?
With increased exposure on the web, we also have to deliver faster. When you show a product in Milan and then deliver a year later, it’s no longer time-appropriate. Ten years ago, when companies would present prototypes at Salone del Mobile, that was different. Now, you have everyone running around the fair, taking pictures, uploading instantaneously. Once you present things, you have to deliver them.
Avenue Road's Toronto showroom.
You were born and raised in in Munich. In what ways did your upbringing affect your thinking about design and culture?
My father is an architect. In the seventies, he was pursuing a career as a painter, but then he decided, when I was born, to go back to architecture. He had an architectural office for several decades and recently sold it.
My father’s family is full of art collectors, so I always grew up with art. Even as a child, I was used to having gallerists visiting our home, coming for lunches and dinners. My grandparents on my father’s side had a lot of midcentury modern furniture. Their house was built in the late fifties. Growing up in this environment was fascinating.
The midcentury aesthetic was essentially in your DNA.
Yes, and my mother comes from a family of carpenters. As a kid, I would always play in the sawmill. I grew up with the smell of wood. When I go to see manufacturers today—especially wood workshops—it’s reminiscent of my countless weekends at the sawmill.
Prior to launching Avenue Road, you were working in marketing at BMW. How did you go from cars to couches?
I started at BMW during my university years. I went on to work in several positions there. I began with corporate communications and innovations marketing. We worked on things like video streaming, which back then was revolutionary.
Prior to becoming a design brand, Avenue Road was a gallery of sorts. Tell me about this evolution.
It started as a space more than gallery. Ten years ago, we launched our first exhibit. It was comprised of vignettes arranged within a few hundred square feet, including offices and everything else. Tucked away in one of the side streets of the Leslieville neighborhood, it was a charming space, but we outgrew it very quickly. Initially, we were only a handful of people on staff. Today we’re more than fifty.
What compelled you to start Avenue Road?
I come from a family of art collectors. Aesthetics and artistic expression were always part of my environment, and had a very strong influence on me. As I grew up, I developed a fascination with industrial design—how it shapes our environment. Design is an expression of who we are as human beings. I wanted so much to be a part of that. Avenue Road was a way of participating in a tangible way, as a kind of curator, building big picture setups. The entrepreneur role just felt right for me.
George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, of the firm Yabu Pushelberg, helped you launch. What was their relationship to the company?
I had met Glenn and George before I moved to Toronto. We’d had a longtime friendship, and it was on a trip to New York that the two of them encouraged me to create Avenue Road. I wanted to have something of my own, something that would give me a way to express my creative side and also my upbringing.
So they were almost like cheerleaders?
Yeah. I learned a lot from them. They were my mentors and business partners for several years. They stayed sort of in the background and let me develop the business. Today, they’re still designing pieces for Avenue Road and giving me advice.
Avenue Road's Toronto showroom.
The sitting room of Stephan Weishaupt's show house in Miami.
From the start, what was your vision for the company?
In the beginning, it was an experiment. I had the luxury of having George and Glenn by my side. They guided me to try things out and see how they would be received. Once we understood how the market worked, we found our place.
Beyond that, it’s not just about creating things that are pretty or nice to look at. I want to evoke emotion with our products, to challenge my audience by showing them things that are completely unexpected. That’s really the objective.
How do you go about evoking emotion with products?
I tried putting things on a pedestal, but that felt too much like a museum. I didn’t feel it was true to my nature. Now, nothing is curtained off. You can touch it, feel it, sit in it. And hear the stories behind it. Most people really want to hear what’s behind an object, how it came about. Everything we produce has a back story.
When did Avenue Road transition into a furniture brand?
After the first three years, we took a big leap when we moved into the larger building we’re still in today. I opened the showroom in 2007, and 2008 was the recession. It was pretty much the worst time to open up a showroom.
I didn’t quite know what Avenue Road would morph into—whether it would be a gallery of unique finds, or something more high-end and specialized, like Ralph Pucci or R & Company. At some point I decided I didn’t want it to be too much of a gallery.
How do you choose the designers you work with?
I was never interested in the big, established designers. I wasn’t really looking for the super-young, avant-garde, up-and-coming either. I was trying to put a group of designers together that would complement each other and had a certain style that I felt was appealing to my core market: North America.
Over the years, we’ve built and developed a network of designers and manufacturers who all know each other. It’s like a big design family.
What does it really take to be a part of this family?
We all share a similar vision. The designers I work with are all very open-minded. We’re all very driven to bring new things to the market. At the end of the day, what matters is the chemistry that we have and the mutual respect to do great things together.
What do you think makes these relationships with designers so enduring?
Friendship. And we share similar ideas. I come in and present what I think the market needs and the designer works with me to try and find the best product to fit into the portfolio.
Avenue Road's New York showroom.
What do you think makes Avenue Road so different from other brands?
That we’re trying to present a curated and edited display of things you don’t really see very often. Overall, we’re trying to create a location-specific experience. Visiting each store, with the products and the team, is important.
As you’ve grown the company, what has been your approach as a manager?
Well, I always saw myself as the curator of the whole thing. If I don’t like a design, I will say no. I see certain developments and explore them. We try to make sure everybody is on the same train and not going off in different directions.
I give designers feedback. When I see a business opportunity, I sometimes propose things I feel are missing and would like to develop with them. I’m not the kind of person who says there’s a certain trend we have to follow. It’s not all about this material or that material—every designer has different materials they like to work with. We have someone like Christophe Delcourt, who doesn’t like to work with glass, but he’s strong with woods and veneers. There are others who are very good with glass or stone. Understanding what they’re capable of and what their interests are fits into the bigger picture.
I try not to launch too many new things. Fewer and better is really the goal for me. That’s why I keep the family of designers very tight.
What are Avenue Road’s core values?
I often talk to my team about creating memorable experiences. We want to create an environment that really resonates with people in the furniture industry, which typically does things the same, old-school way. My benchmark is not in the furniture business. I look for benchmarks outside of the industry.
What are some of those benchmarks?
Certain companies in fashion, automotive, and hospitality. They simply do a better job in terms of how they analyze the sales process and the client. A lot of it has to do with the back end. The furniture industry should have better processes—from selling, to shipping, to monitoring quality. The model has been the same for a really long time. In the coming years, there will be big changes, and we need to prepare for those.
Of everything you’ve launched to date, what have been some of the standout pieces?
One of them is the Perry Street Boomerang sofa that Glenn and George [of Yabu Pushelberg] designed for their apartment on Perry Street in New York. It’s commercially very interesting because you can do it in all shapes and sizes. We’ve made it for airport lounges, hotel lobbies, you name it. It’s a very conversational piece. I think it’s a soon-to-be-timeless design and is still something I’m very proud of.
Inside Avenue Road's 8A concept space in Manhattan.
Two years ago you took the majority share in Avenue Road. Why?
At some point, I decided to further invest in it. For me, it was a commitment to say, “I want to grow this business.” I had the confidence—the belief—to grow to a bigger scale.
Why do you think the business should grow further than it already has?
It’s a necessity. In order to be a viable and sustainable business, we need to grow.
Only through growth can we cover North America and cater to all of our individual customers here. While we have clients in Europe and Asia, our current work is geared toward a North American client.
Growth brings greater responsibility.
Yes! I think that it has to work on both sides; otherwise it’s going to fail. The designers have expectations for me, just as much as I do for them. I would like to see that the business goes well for them and that we’re able to expand our market. It takes time, but I think at this point there’s an opportunity for us to grow further into the market.
Do you feel like consumers are starting to understand the difference between what Avenue Road produces versus others in the market?
The internet is obviously the biggest game changer. Our industry has been way behind in the internet evolution, not just in how companies present themselves on the web but also on mobile devices. If companies like Hermès and Louis Vuitton can sell ten thousand bags online, why can’t we sell a sofa or a lamp the same way?
With increased exposure on the web, we also have to deliver faster. When you show a product in Milan and then deliver a year later, it’s no longer time-appropriate. Ten years ago, when companies would present prototypes at Salone del Mobile, that was different. Now, you have everyone running around the fair, taking pictures, uploading instantaneously. Once you present things, you have to deliver them.
Tell me about this new New York showroom. What does this space in particular represent for you?
The idea was really to engage with our customers in a meaningful way. Our typical customers travel a lot and lead hectic lives. Here, they can take their time, and we can provide an environment where they feel relaxed and comfortable. Our thinking is, if they take the time to come to see us, then we must provide an environment that exceeds expectations. It’s a very crucial moment when the customer walks in here.
What does the tenth anniversary of Avenue Road mean to you?
It’s been quite a ride. We made it through the recession. We went through ups and downs. Looking back, one of the biggest things for me is definitely the people. We couldn’t have done this without our relationships. To get the right mix together takes a lot of time and effort, and once you get to that point, you can do a lot. At first, I approached the company with a very wide point of view, and over ten years, I’ve distilled it down to what our business is all about. For me, it’s about learning, traveling, gaining deeper insight into different practices, building upon those personal experiences—and looking toward the next ten.
I try not to launch too many new things. Fewer and better is really the goal for me. That’s why I keep the family of designers very tight.
What are Avenue Road’s core values?
I often talk to my team about creating memorable experiences. We want to create an environment that really resonates with people in the furniture industry, which typically does things the same, old-school way. My benchmark is not in the furniture business. I look for benchmarks outside of the industry.
What are some of those benchmarks?
Certain companies in fashion, automotive, and hospitality. They simply do a better job in terms of how they analyze the sales process and the client. A lot of it has to do with the back end. The furniture industry should have better processes—from selling, to shipping, to monitoring quality. The model has been the same for a really long time. In the coming years, there will be big changes, and we need to prepare for those.
Of everything you’ve launched to date, what have been some of the standout pieces?
One of them is the Perry Street Boomerang sofa that Glenn and George [of Yabu Pushelberg] designed for their apartment on Perry Street in New York. It’s commercially very interesting because you can do it in all shapes and sizes. We’ve made it for airport lounges, hotel lobbies, you name it. It’s a very conversational piece. I think it’s a soon-to-be-timeless design and is still something I’m very proud of.
Inside Avenue Road's 8A concept space in Manhattan.
Two years ago you took the majority share in Avenue Road. Why?
At some point, I decided to further invest in it. For me, it was a commitment to say, “I want to grow this business.” I had the confidence—the belief—to grow to a bigger scale.
Why do you think the business should grow further than it already has?
It’s a necessity. In order to be a viable and sustainable business, we need to grow.
Only through growth can we cover North America and cater to all of our individual customers here. While we have clients in Europe and Asia, our current work is geared toward a North American client.
Growth brings greater responsibility.
Yes! I think that it has to work on both sides; otherwise it’s going to fail. The designers have expectations for me, just as much as I do for them. I would like to see that the business goes well for them and that we’re able to expand our market. It takes time, but I think at this point there’s an opportunity for us to grow further into the market.
Do you feel like consumers are starting to understand the difference between what Avenue Road produces versus others in the market?
The internet is obviously the biggest game changer. Our industry has been way behind in the internet evolution, not just in how companies present themselves on the web but also on mobile devices. If companies like Hermès and Louis Vuitton can sell ten thousand bags online, why can’t we sell a sofa or a lamp the same way?
With increased exposure on the web, we also have to deliver faster. When you show a product in Milan and then deliver a year later, it’s no longer time-appropriate. Ten years ago, when companies would present prototypes at Salone del Mobile, that was different. Now, you have everyone running around the fair, taking pictures, uploading instantaneously. Once you present things, you have to deliver them.
Tell me about this new New York showroom. What does this space in particular represent for you?
The idea was really to engage with our customers in a meaningful way. Our typical customers travel a lot and lead hectic lives. Here, they can take their time, and we can provide an environment where they feel relaxed and comfortable. Our thinking is, if they take the time to come to see us, then we must provide an environment that exceeds expectations. It’s a very crucial moment when the customer walks in here.
What does the tenth anniversary of Avenue Road mean to you?
It’s been quite a ride. We made it through the recession. We went through ups and downs. Looking back, one of the biggest things for me is definitely the people. We couldn’t have done this without our relationships. To get the right mix together takes a lot of time and effort, and once you get to that point, you can do a lot. At first, I approached the company with a very wide point of view, and over ten years, I’ve distilled it down to what our business is all about. For me, it’s about learning, traveling, gaining deeper insight into different practices, building upon those personal experiences—and looking toward the next ten.
Two years ago you took the majority share in Avenue Road. Why?
At some point, I decided to further invest in it. For me, it was a commitment to say, “I want to grow this business.” I had the confidence—the belief—to grow to a bigger scale.
Why do you think the business should grow further than it already has?
It’s a necessity. In order to be a viable and sustainable business, we need to grow.
Only through growth can we cover North America and cater to all of our individual customers here. While we have clients in Europe and Asia, our current work is geared toward a North American client.
Growth brings greater responsibility.
Yes! I think that it has to work on both sides; otherwise it’s going to fail. The designers have expectations for me, just as much as I do for them. I would like to see that the business goes well for them and that we’re able to expand our market. It takes time, but I think at this point there’s an opportunity for us to grow further into the market.
Do you feel like consumers are starting to understand the difference between what Avenue Road produces versus others in the market?
The internet is obviously the biggest game changer. Our industry has been way behind in the internet evolution, not just in how companies present themselves on the web but also on mobile devices. If companies like Hermès and Louis Vuitton can sell ten thousand bags online, why can’t we sell a sofa or a lamp the same way?
With increased exposure on the web, we also have to deliver faster. When you show a product in Milan and then deliver a year later, it’s no longer time-appropriate. Ten years ago, when companies would present prototypes at Salone del Mobile, that was different. Now, you have everyone running around the fair, taking pictures, uploading instantaneously. Once you present things, you have to deliver them.
Tell me about this new New York showroom. What does this space in particular represent for you?
The idea was really to engage with our customers in a meaningful way. Our typical customers travel a lot and lead hectic lives. Here, they can take their time, and we can provide an environment where they feel relaxed and comfortable. Our thinking is, if they take the time to come to see us, then we must provide an environment that exceeds expectations. It’s a very crucial moment when the customer walks in here.
What does the tenth anniversary of Avenue Road mean to you?
It’s been quite a ride. We made it through the recession. We went through ups and downs. Looking back, one of the biggest things for me is definitely the people. We couldn’t have done this without our relationships. To get the right mix together takes a lot of time and effort, and once you get to that point, you can do a lot. At first, I approached the company with a very wide point of view, and over ten years, I’ve distilled it down to what our business is all about. For me, it’s about learning, traveling, gaining deeper insight into different practices, building upon those personal experiences—and looking toward the next ten.
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2 Travel for Design
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2 Travel for Design
Travel
for Design
Avenue Road’s team of North American designers embark on a one-week summer trip with Stephan Weishaupt, exploring craftsmanship in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT MICHAEL POOLE
Travel
for Design
Avenue Road’s team of North American designers embark on a one-week summer trip with Stephan Weishaupt, exploring craftsmanship in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT MICHAEL POOLE
On a tiny side street in Paris’s Latin Quarter, 11 interior designers from Vancouver, Toronto, and New York are gathered in a cozy hotel bar, unaware of the friendships that will soon be forged. Together,
they’re about to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip led by Stephan Weishaupt, who makes it a point at least once a year to host this ambitious tour, intended to foster an immersive exchange of ideas between North American designers and European craftsman.
“I don’t think I’ve done this since college,” says Steffani Aarons of DHD Architecture & Design, a midsize, New York–based firm led by New Zealand architect David Howell. “When else do you get to spend this amount of time in the company of your peers?” A stylish welcome dinner at the open-air Klay Saint Sauveur, designed by local interior firm Toro & Liautard, sets the tone. From here, the experience far exceeds any expectations of a simple trade show; this trip is as much about creators and culture as it is about products, sometimes with little distinction between the two.
ANGERS, FRANCE
CHRISTOPHE DELCOURT
Christophe Delcourt explains his process.
The journey begins in earnest with a Monday morning train ride from Paris to the edge of the Loire Valley, where the French craftsman Christophe Delcourt welcomes our group to the city of Angers, home of his airy and spotless wood workshop—which is noticeably devoid of any large-scale industrial equipment.
“We don’t use large machines. French workshops are small, tiny units compared to elsewhere in Europe,” he says proudly, explaining that ceramics, marble, and upholstery are fashioned in similar settings around France. Indeed, the space has the feel of a small college classroom, consisting of half a dozen tables, a storage area for newly received wood, a treatment room, and a large open space designated for safe, efficient wood-cutting. Here, workers come across as artists rather than furniture makers. “I don’t try to make an ensemble set. I like to create different, original pieces,” adds Delcourt, who refuses to make prototypes.
After a sun-dappled lunch in the French countryside, it’s back on the train to Delcourt’s Paris showroom. Charmed by the intimacy of a private residence, the one-room studio is lit by a wall of windows that overlook an open courtyard, set against a backdrop of dramatically high ceilings, which create the illusion of more floor space. “I work like a photographer evaluating the room from all angles,” says Delcourt. From him, we come away with two lessons: that manipulating light and space is fundamental to good design, and that our emotional and physical experience of space is directly connected to these two elements.
Christophe Delcourt explains his process.
PARIS, FRANCE
BRUNO MOINARD
Bruno Moinard’s intimate showroom in Paris.
The next morning begins with a stroll to 31 Rue Jacob, in the heart of Saint-Germain des Prés. It is home to Bruno Moinard Editions, the sumptuous showroom where Moinard’s first furniture collection was unveiled in 2014—a moment celebrated both in and outside design circles. A veteran architect, scenographer, and interior designer, Moinard is a fashion-world favorite, due to his work for Cartier, Hermès, and Karl Lagerfeld. He was also recently entrusted with the reimagining of the famed Plaza Athénée hotel, further raising his celebrity stature. Yet, from the looks of his showroom, Moinard is far more concerned with substance than hype.
There is a soulfulness to this place, with each object placed in such as way as to reveal its profound beauty—unearthed by a perfectionist known to sketch and paint his creations before they’re realized in three dimensions. Here again, a fascination with light becomes apparent, as we note strategically placed lamps, large and small, casting each piece in its own spotlight. The real showcase is found downstairs, in a magnificent exhibition basement beneath a vaulted stone ceiling, where Moinard’s seamless blend of modernity and arts décoratifs classicism is on full display in the form of his latest collections.
Bruno Moinard’s intimate showroom in Paris.
STADEN, BELGIUM
OBUMEX
Thomas Osten of Obumex leads the group through the process of custom kitchen design.
Over the next two days, Belgium turns up a triptych of family-run businesses as the Avenue Road bus winds its way to Staden, Bilzen, and Genk. First, we visit Obumex to learn best practices in creating timeless, sustainable kitchens and delivering them to an international market. With 128 employees and an extensive production facility, it’s a robust business that has been operating since 1960. But it also presents us with a very modern, compelling concept the company calls “limitless design”—the ability to customize the exact proportions of any kitchen, regardless of shape or size, and to source the materials needed to perfect its design.
Thomas Ostyn, an energetic young CEO who represents the third generation of his firm, leads us through every step of the production process, beginning in rooms where detailed blueprints are created on computers, before hitting the workshop’s factory-style assembly line—where Ostyn stops to point out the strict 60/40 split of handwork and machine work that defines his company’s designs. From here, it’s on to witness workers put the final touches on the product at individual finishing stations, before the sleek kitchens are at last unveiled in gleaming showrooms.
Thomas Osten of Obumex leads the group through the process of custom kitchen design.
BILZEN AND GENK, BELGIUM
TRIBU AND MICHAËL VERHEYDEN
Inside Tribu’s showroom.
Over in Bilzen, at Tribu, a 50-year-old leader in outdoor furniture, nature itself sets the agenda. We watch, mouths agape, as a team runs through mock meadows of an open-air showroom that displays how furniture can be made durable enough to withstand almost any environment. “We have more than one hundred fabrics for weather-resistant cushions,” says managing partner Tom De Cock, who plays a highlight photo reel of Tribu’s collections all over the world, now furnishing many of the world’s leading luxury hotels and resorts, from the Four Seasons Kyoto to private islands in the Maldives.
Next is a visit to the home of artisan Michaël Verheyden, who, with his wife and one assistant, makes leather and suede jewelry boxes, and marble and brass containers, from scratch. At the moment, he’s busy completing work on his quaint country house, the rooms of which have been fashioned into mini workshops. “I’d say I’m one-third artist, designer, and businessman,” he says of his practice, which is the most intimate operation we’ve seen yet. A humble and welcoming presence, Verheyden offers to share his culture by inviting us to witness the astonishing redevelopment of Genk’s former coal mine into the multipurpose creative site it now is. (The 1900s Winterslag mine was closed in 1986 and is now home to LUCA School of Arts, a theater and exhibition space).
Inside Tribu’s showroom.
BERGHAREN, NETHERLANDS
VAN ROSSUM
Marileke Van Rossum hosts Avenue Road’s troupe for a farewell luncheon. Scene from the travelers’ day in Amsterdam.
Six days in, and the troupe has become a traveling family, playing musical chairs in the tour bus, making plans to meet upon their return home. But the best bonding experience was yet to come: a formal luncheon inside Van Rossum, in Bergharen, Netherlands.
The family-owned furniture factory opened in 1975 and is now an industry leader in sustainable woodcraft. It is here that we meet designer Marlieke Van Rossum, the matriarch behind this oak-paneled powerhouse. Having been “bitten by the oak bug as a kid,” she spent her childhood making toys in this warehouse and playing hide-and-seek in the woods nearby. As an adult, she still seems playful and ebullient, and more at home than anyone in her own workshop—where, she says, time is the greatest measure of quality.
Her company processes only oak trees sourced from the French National Forestry Services that have aged at least 100 years. Once cut and delivered to Van Rossum, the timber is placed in large climate-controlled chambers and dried, sometimes for several months, until the optimal moisture content is achieved. In this way, the company’s process allows it to manufacture furniture that’s built to last. On a deeper level, our experience at Van Rossum reminds us that our relationship with our environment is forged over time, and should only get better with age.
It is just one of the many profound lessons learned on Avenue Road’s trip, deemed “unforgettable” and “illuminating” by its participants. If anyone embarked on this journey uncertain of its end, each one of us departed with a deeper appreciation for design, because we engaged with the humanity behind it. Watching creators build their lives beyond the functional object has inspired us to do the same. And we have Stephan Weishaupt to thank for it.
“Collaborating with the best design minds and helping them express their vision with the best craftspeople in the world is why I started Avenue Road. The week with you definitely reinvigorated this spirit in me, and I’m looking forward to many more journeys with you,” Weishaupt wrote to us, upon our return—prompting outpourings of gratitude from his faithful band of travelers.
Marileke Van Rossum hosts Avenue Road’s troupe for a farewell luncheon. Scene from the travelers’ day in Amsterdam.
3
3 The Collaborators
The Collaborators
Four key players from the firm’s tight-knit talent pool step forward to discuss their paths to Avenue Road.
BY JENNIFER PARKER
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM LIANG
The Collaborators
Four key players from the firm’s tight-knit talent pool step forward to discuss their paths to Avenue Road.
BY JENNIFER PARKER
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM LIANG
CHRISTOPHE DELCOURT PORTRAIT BY CELESTE SLOMAN
Christophe Delcourt is a discreet Parisian with immense talent for personal, purpose-driven design, formed gradually and diligently over the course of his lifetime. Back in 1995, when he opened his first furniture shop in the Marais, Paris, he had created the catalyst that would launch his career, and ultimately propel him to this moment: a sit-down interview on his own custom-designed couch, inside Avenue Road’s glamorous New York City showroom.
By the 2000s, Delcourt had outgrown the Marais, moving his eponymous design company to an expansive, light-filled atelier on the top floor of a former piano factory in the Seventh Arrondissement, where client tête-a-têtes gradually lead to the creation of sumptuously outfitted interiors. Of course, his approach sounds better in Delcourt’s language: “Les pièces sont dessiner pour justement pouvoir être adapter à la demande de chacun.” Translation: His product line is more haute couture than prêt-à-porter. You don’t go to Delcourt to buy off-the-rack. Everything is tailor-made to fit the client’s personality and lifestyle.
“I deteste uniformity. Don’t tell me you’re a New Yorker and that’s it. I want specifics. I need to understand my clients. I need to know what universe they live in, as well as how they live,” the self-taught designer says.
He is the picture of a craftsman—a faithful carpenter who has spent his life working with his hands. Someone so steeped in raw materials, you can almost hear him sanding and polishing the wood, brass, marble, and leather that surrounds him. But if you start him on the subject of French manufacturing, Delcourt becomes vehemently patriotic. For him, traditional French craftsmanship is not only the foundation of his trade, it’s integral to his sense of identity and purpose.
“In France, we have a strong manufacturing tradition. And manual workers are culturally very important. We call ourselves le patrimoine—members of a heritage that is passed down from generation to generation. Today we realize this craft is precious and we must fight to conserve it,” says Delcourt. What’s more, his clients have come to expect it. You’ll never find a mass-produced industrial object chez Delcourt. What you will find instead is an artful collection of furniture and lighting that subtly blends perfectionism with tangible sensuality.
For example, the look and feel of Delcourt’s Avenue Road collection of furniture pieces is smooth, solid, and sturdy. Consisting of wood dining tables, hand-stitched sofas, and brushed-brass lamps, everything in the collection is constructed by French manufacturers, and built to last. “I want to make designs that are timeless. There is no plastic, nothing toxic, or fragile. This type of quality you can’t do en masse,” he says, adding, “I find it very pretentious to say, ‘I will make furniture for millions.’”
Whether or not he intends it, Delcourt is a champion of slow design. The more successful he becomes, the harder he clings to his roots. For him, French craftsmanship is sacred, and in Avenue Road he found a partner that would both respect and support that belief, by championing quality above profit. Delcourt has no desire to open new stores or speed up production. Instead, he takes his time, trusts the process, and allows the product to form in his hands.
TWI TABLE
This signature brushed-oak table is produced in various finishes, including a high-gloss lacquer. It is a prime example of Delcourt’s style. As he says, “I live in my time. Of course I’m modernist.”
KIN SOFA
Delcourt’s KIN is a modular sofa that can be configured and custom upholstered in several variations. There are two separable elements and two armrests, enhancing adaptability to the space.
YBU TABLE
This clean-lined beechwood dining table inside Weishaupt’s Miami show house was crafted and smoothed by hand before being treated in a high-gloss lacquer.
GEORGE YABU &
GLENN PUSHELBERGPORTRAIT BY WESTON WELLS
GLENN PUSHELBERG AND GEORGE YABU
GIN LANE BAR
PERRY STREET BOOMERANG SOFA
PARK PLACE STOOL
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When Stephan Weishaupt first approached two of the world’s most prolific designers to launch Avenue Road in 2007, he didn’t have to convince them. Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu already knew Weishaupt well and trusted him implicitly.
“It was a natural relationship. Stephan wanted to increase his roster of designers, and we wanted a platform for our custom furniture. Since then, he’s become a great partner and patron,” says Pushelberg, sitting at ease next to Yabu inside their swank offices in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. They’re here just a few days each week, before flying to their flagship studio in Toronto, summer home in The Hamptons, or working on site with brands such as Louis Vuitton, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, or Carolina Herrera. From the outside, it appears to be a stylish, globetrotting lifestyle, tailored specifically to the personalities living it—an approach that generally describes their design practice.
Avenue Road, named by Yabu after a main street in Toronto, can be thought of as an extension of their adventurous spirit. “On our travels, I started noticing strange names on streets,” Yabu recalls. “I liked Avenue Road because it doesn’t apply to any particular city, yet it applies to the world at large. It was just a funny way of tying destinations together, while making the brand more worldly.”
Yabu Pushelberg’s collections for Avenue Road also bear names recalling cities around the world—such as the Park Place stool, Berkeley Square lounge chair, and Perry Street sofa. These names evoke memories of particular places, which are ultimately meant to prompt a similar emotional response in the user of each piece. In this way, Yabu Pushelberg uses design as a means of communication, to capture a specific time and experience. They consider themselves storytellers, and design is their chosen language. Since they began making furniture, in 1980, they’ve been translated around the world, and have become Officers of the Order of Canada—the country’s highest honor—for their contributions to design excellence.
Partnerships like Avenue Road helped them achieve it. Though their eight years as co-owners of Avenue Road have come to a close, as Stephan Weishaupt assumed full ownership in 2016, Yabu and Pushelberg continue to serve on its advisory board. “The best thing about working with Stephan is that you can really do some eccentric stuff,” says Pushelberg. “He’s willing to take risks—like, say, manufacturing an Italian marble bar cart or unusually shaped sofa, just because it’s beautiful.”
GIN LANE BAR
This mobile bar cart is an assemblage of clear tempered glass and Carrara marble set on a thin frame of smoked brass.
PERRY STREET
BOOMERANG SOFA
The Perry Street Boomerang sofa was originally designed specifically for Yabu and Pushelberg’s apartment on Perry Street in New York’s West Village. It was made to for a certain 90-degree corner in their living room that required a particularly reduced seat depth, back height, and pitch to create an ideal space for socializing in an urban setting.
PARK PLACE STOOL
Named after an ambitious little street in Manhattan’s financial district—where Yabu Pushelberg would eventually design interiors for Robert A. M. Stern’s 30 Park Place tower—this sophisticated stool is fashioned from laser-cut steel and is polished in rose-colored copper or black nickel.
SEBASTIAN HERKNER PORTRAIT BY WESTON WELLS
At 36, Sebastian Herkner is one of the youngest designers on Avenue Road’s roster. He’s also an obvious choice for the fast-growing company, given his talent for combining cutting-edge technique with traditional craftsmanship.
Herkner hails from Offenbach, Germany, an industrial city turned tech hub on the outskirts of Frankfurt. (He affectionately calls it “the Brooklyn of Frankfurt.”) It is here that he earned his degree at the Offenbach University of Art and Design, opened his own studio in 2006, and has since garnered international recognition, including the 2011 German Design Award for Best Newcomer and the Red Dot Design Award for his Bell table—a sculptural yet functional accent table, manufactured by ClassiCon and made of tinted, hand-blown glass that elegantly morphs into a solid brass top. That these two materials appear to merge seamlessly and without effort is what caught Stephan Weishaupt’s attention: “The Bell table was the starting point.”
Soon after they met, Weishaupt invited Herkner to Toronto to check out Avenue Road’s showroom, which presents a sophisticated mix of European and American style. Merging cultural contexts is one of Avenue Road’s strong suits—a skill that attracted Herkner to the company, and one that he’s now beginning to master himself.
“My work is about curiosity, openness, communication. It’s so interesting to spend time with artisans from other cultures,” Herkner says. Encouraged by Avenue Road to travel for design, Herkner is currently developing new collections in Bogotá, Colombia, following recent trips to Zimbabwe and rural Japan. Much like Weishaupt, Herkner travels the world mindfully—seeking new sources of inspiration in objects that are personal and distinctive, rather than trendy or common.
Herkner also believes that timelessness is a tenet of good design, and has felt validated in recent years at fairs such as Salone del Mobile in Milan and Maison&Objet in Paris, which represent the top of today’s market. Here, his contemporaries are using brass, marble, and hand-carved woods to reimagine traditional furniture typologies: the classic room-divider screen, luxurious chaise lounges. Little is plastic, and almost everything lasts decades. “Nowadays, so much of our industry is reduced to appliances. But we really crave tactile permanence,” he says. “The purpose of design is not just to do nice things. We are just as responsible for societal behavior as anyone else. Design sets our parameters for life.”
BLEECKER STREET TABLE
This low-set, modern table is crafted from solid oak and is anchored by a base of French limestone. The double-cross marble inset was inspired by the Bleecker Street intersection in Manhattan.
BELL TABLE
This unconventional piece uses lightweight, fragile glass as the base for a metal top that seems to float above it.
MAINKAI LAMP
Mainkai is the name of a long street bordering the Main river in Frankfurt, and its five orbs of frosted glass are a nod to the reflection of light on the water. The LEDs inside each orb are dimmable and operated from a sleek button at the very top of the piece, comfortably reached in a standing position.
>>
>> Looking Forward
Looking Forward
Looking
Forward
Avenue Road’s next milestone moment will be the opening of its showroom in Gastown, Vancouver. Set to be unveiled this fall in a handsome heritage building revamped by Abraham Chan Design Office, it will feature 12,000 square feet of modern design inspiration. With high ceilings and cleverly placed lighting, the space will present Stephan Weishaupt’s signature collections of furniture, textiles, kitchens, and accessories in a welcoming, residential-style setting. “We have been working to open in Vancouver for many years,” says Weishaupt, who is convinced that this location represents the next step in delivering extraordinary design to the Pacific Northwest.
“Vancouverites appreciate craftsmanship, sustainability, and authenticity in design, which excites us as a brand that shares the same passions,” he adds. Newcomers to Avenue Road can take these attributes as a given. But the unexpected also awaits.
>>
>> Looking Forward
Looking Forward
Looking
Forward