Hudson Showroom

New York–based design studio, WORKSTEAD, is pleased to announce the opening of a new studio in Hudson, New York. On the heels of their collaborative presentation with Calico Wallpaper during NYCxDesign, and debut of a new lighting collection, CHAMBER, the opening marks a new chapter in WORKSTEAD’s decade-long practice.

Boasting nearly 1,000 square feet of space, the historic Queen Anne-style building houses both a showroom and design studio each focused on WORKSTEAD’s product-based practice. The Hudson showroom’s presentation will change every quarter, with exhibitions and new product collections rotating in twice yearly, as well other work and prototypes on a more regularly basis.

Located on Warren Street in the heart of the Hudson Historic district and the town’s main thoroughfare, WORKSTEAD was drawn to the space because of its unique museum-quality, period details. The original home of Cornelius H. Evans, a brewer and businessman who served two terms as the city's mayor, the Evans Building dates back to the 1880’s. Graced with red brick and a carved sandstone facade, it lives as one of the most impressive structures in the surrounding area. Inside, the space reveals traditional and original Aesthetic Movement details including coffered ceilings, parquet floors, wainscoting, two ornate tiled fireplaces and pressed paper ceilings.

“The Hudson studio represents our evolution as a design practice,” says WORKSTEAD co-founder Robert Highsmith. “We have always been interested in the intersection of modernism and craft, but more than ever are considering the buildings that we work within and how to create a lasting dialogue between interior and exterior. The town is home to an incredibly vibrant community and the new studio has such a special provenance – I’m proud that our work is at ease within such a meaningful building.”

The studio blends the historic with the contemporary, seamlessly integrating WORKSTEAD’s lighting collections, as well as mid-century furniture inherited from co-founder Robert Highsmith’s architectgrandfather and father. Custom-designed WORKSTEAD furniture brings further warmth to the space.

Over the next few months, WORKSTEAD will be working with prototypes and mockups for upcoming fall collections – the Hudson space further supporting the development of such new offerings. A compliment to the practice’s design studio in Brooklyn, which will remain the base for their architecture and interiors work, the Hudson location will bolster the already strong and nimble growth of WORKSTEAD’s considered approach to their projects, taking into account both client and community.

WORKSTEAD has long-standing ties to the Hudson Valley. Co-founders Highsmith and Stefanie Brechbuehler were married in an 18th-century Dutch Barn a few miles outside of the town in 2011, and purchased a house there that same year. They were instrumental in the renovation and design of Hudson’s Rivertown Lodge in 2015 and continue to work in the area, with current projects in Columbia County and beyond.

After a number of years in Charleston, working on the Dewberry hotel and other projects in the South, they sought out a permanent location to open our their products-based design studio, making Hudson a natural fit. The Hudson studio is accessible by appointment only. The space will also be utilized for private events prior to and following the launch of future collections.

WORKSTEAD