The shape of light with Helena Clunies-Ross: an itinerary through design that starts in Tribeca

Helena Clunies-Ross Design: from rough architecture to art deco-inspired furniture, seeking for a balance between proportions, history and modernity

Tribeca, NY: from commercial hub to luxury district

Located in Lower Manhattan, Tribeca is today considered one of the most sought-after residential areas in New York. Still, it has an industrial past. In the Nineteen century Tribeca evolved into a commercial hub, with its proximity to the Hudson River making it a center for shipping and trade. Warehouses, textile factories and grocery markets dominated the area, particularly Washington Market, which was the city’s main wholesale produce market until it relocated in the 1960s.

The architectural styles in Tribeca reflect its industrial past, with a mix of Italianate, Romanesque Revival, and Greek Revival buildings. These were primarily used as warehouses and lofts. Nowadays, many historic buildings have been converted into luxury houses and artist spaces.

Tribeca’s industrial buildings were characterized by a rough aspect, deriving from their cast-iron elements, ornate facades and redbrick structures. Features that have become so iconic of the area that many architects choose to maintain and enhance them in their renovation projects.

Helena Clunies-Ross – former Design Director of Anouska Hempel Design and now owner of an international design studio – recently renovated a loft in Tribeca, trying to elevate its comfort while preserving its original roughness: «We used rough and raw materials; woods, stones, metals».

The loft features a double-height space with custom elements like a sixteen-foot black olive tree, a bronze patina bookcase and a black oak-clad column. The project blends natural fabrics, reclaimed oak and Japanese antiques, with bespoke design pieces crafted specifically for the space: «We retained key architectural elements and complimented them with natural materials.»

Helena Clunies-Ross: space as a still life painting and roughness

Roughness is a key concept in Helena’s approach towards architecture. To highlight the materiality of her designs, she likes to play with textures and prefers matte finishings: «Thus, you can see the grains».

After studying Fine Art and Art History, Helena moved to Interior Design: «My love for art helped me with design. When I was an artist, I always set up still life paintings and then I applied that same concept to design. I want to create moments for people to experience. Whenever we work on a space, we always consider where the eye is drawn when you enter it—what we want you to see and what not. I prefer to create frames that are able to guide you through the space, instead of just leaving a big open space. For instance, in one of my recent projects – the restoration of a historical manor in France – we considered the placement of windows to frame and enhance the impact of the outer landscape».

According to Helena, natural light is also an inspiration source for her work: «Light creates shadows that change during the day – this is an artwork in itself. Natural light is capable of bringing the exterior in, which is another key point for me. I want people to always feel a sense of place and appreciate how the exterior reflects onto the interior».

Rough architecture and light to promote well-being

For Helena design is not just about aesthetics, but also personality: «Our design ethos consists of creating spaces that enhance the way people live and giving them a backdrop and a platform to express themselves».

Light plays a key role in her studio’s projects, where it is combined with rough architecture: «either with natural or artificial light. I always prefer an ambient warm light, as I think it promotes well-being. We try to design spaces that create a meditation-like feeling, where you are able to breathe, unwind, relax and just be. For example, the focal point of a space can be a textured wall that is hit by natural light – there is no need for every space in a property to be visually charged».

Quiet luxury as timeless understated refined design

In her projects Helena seeks for a quiet luxury concept, which she defines as «timeless understated refined design». For her luxury is a matter of quality materials and longevity: «It means investing in life-long materials and things that are going to stand the test of time, understanding that their higher price is due to the expertise of the people who manufacture them».

Going back to the art metaphor, materials should fit in the painting in the right way: «Understated luxury is not about shouting and attracting attention, but about all the materials complementing each other in a space».

The same harmony concept is applied to lines: «We use clean lines. Sometimes, it is about the lines through the space—as opposed to linear lines—and how the eye is lead from one space to the next. Quiet luxury for me has to provide a sense of calm and introspection».

Different projects, same concept: design style as handwriting

Helena’s recent projects range from townhouses, lofts and fashion stores in New York to a Fifteenth century manor in the Dordogne, thus mixing different genres, styles and techniques. Still, the designer states that all her creations share a common thread: «It is like handwriting: you can change the words, but your handwriting will always be the same. Every project takes on the personality of our clients, but they all have the attempt to create strong dramatic moments through framed views in common».

An example can be the early 1900s Georgian colonial mansion renovated by Helena’s studio in Long Island. Here, the originally dark kitchen was designed to celebrate the north and south terraces: the ceiling height was increased and several large French doors were added to frame views of the outer garden.

Renovation: the balance between history and modernity

Many of Helena’s projects are renovations of historical buildings. Her mission in such cases consists of giving the place a new life while keeping its original soul intact: «When a client brings a historical project to us, our first goal is to understand and respect it — longevity one of our key values. I love the marriage between what has been and what we can do. For example, at the moment we are working on the renovation of a historical condo apartment in the Upper East Side, dating back to the early turn of the century – here, we are going to preserve the classical detailing».

In order to safeguard the buildings’ authenticity, Helena and her team study historical photographs and work with local artists to learn how it looked like in the past and what they can do to maximize light while being respectful: «We want to allow the building to speak instead of bringing in too much extra. Even when the client asks for a massive layout change, we try to retain as much of the building’s past as possible».

The CALMA Collection for ROOM: art deco meets roughness 

Helena’s studio often designs custom pieces for its clients: «We wish for spaces to fulfil their maximum potential and don’t want to be restricted by what is already available». From this expertise the bespoke CALMA Collection was born – a series of furniture pieces designed exclusively for ROOM, for residential, hospitality and commercial spaces. CALMA focuses on craftsmanship and natural materials, featuring a dining table, dining chairs, a sofa, a console table, a coffee table and a day bed. All of the pieces are available in a selection of timber finishes and fabrics. With this collection, Helena pays a tribute to one of her influences — art deco: «I love the clean lines and the layering of that period, as well as the mixing of cultures and genres that it brings». The CALMA Collection captures these refined elements alongside an edge of roughness, with visible timber grains and patinated metal details.

All the tables derive inspiration from the curves of art deco. The console table – made of wood – exploits them to play with light and minimize the look of cables: «When we design something for our clients, we bear in mind that we are not designing just a piece of furniture, but a lifestyle. So, we pay attention to how modern living will affect the look of it».

The coffee table features «two sculptural bases that offset each other, providing a rough and organic feel», while allowing light to pass through. The semicircular interlocking bases are metallic, while the top is made of wood: «The edges of the table top are curved and its texture features imperfections. Thus, the much more sculpted elements of the base play with the roughness of the top».

Also split in two monolithic pieces, is the circular base of the wooden dining table, adorned with antique brass strips that line the vertical seam, while the top showcases smooth curves. The dining table can be complemented with chairs, which have been specifically designed to remain at the same level of the table top: «I wanted the chair’s back to be comfortable enough, but not to break the line of the table, thus balancing function and aesthetics. They follow an idea of cocooning, allowing a little of the timber to wrap around the back and the front».

The sofa is a long monolithic piece. «I’ve never been a fan of seeing the backs of sofas, which limits where you can place them. We therefore designed a sofa that incorporates screens that wrap around the back, to allow it to become the centrepiece of a space and appreciated from all angles». The fabric nestles into timber screens, which wrap around the corners and stretch across the back, providing structural support: «We used clean lines to make it sleek and elegant. The timber arms, for example, are very slender — offering a sense of layering as they ‘hold’ the fabric within the curves».

The daybed is characterized by curved lines, too, with a contrasting wooden base that «looks like a shadow» under the fabric, to give a sense of weightlessness: «We wanted to the daybed to appear as if floating above the ground, allowing a rug to disappear under it. It is all about blurring the line between where something starts and where something stops».

Mastering the Unconventional: Helena Clunies-Ross at Decorex

In October 2024 Helena will attend Decorex, the yearly London-based interior design exhibition. Helena will be a speaker, alongside Andrea Benedetti and Christian Bense, in the talk Mastering the Unconventional: Interior Designers Transforming Awkward Spaces. The three designers will discuss the challenges of turning unconventional spaces into functional and aesthetically pleasing environments.

Helena Clunies-Ross Design

Helena Clunies-Ross Design is a New York and London-based international design studio, founded by Helena Clunies-Ross. The studio designs residential, hospitality and commercial projects worldwide. Recently, Helena designed a bespoke furniture collection for ROOM: CALMA. In October 2024 she will give a talk at Decorex.

Debora Vitulano