Kathy Kuo, the noted interior and furniture designer whose e-commerce and e-design business exploded during the pandemic, has opened her first showroom and she picked Tribeca as the spot, in what I would say is a huge win for the Tribeca Design District. Of course she designed the showroom herself, creating several vignettes that showcase her pieces, fabrics and accessories. The location puts her right up the street from right up the street from Abhaya, Egg Collective, and Officine Gullo, the Italian kitchen designers.

“This showroom on Hudson Street allows us to have a physical presence in NYC that is public-facing and easily accessible to our Trade members and interior design client base,” Kuo wrote in an email. “We also plan to host events here for our clients, customers, and community members. Tribeca is a perfect location for us thanks to the neighborhood’s overall vibrance and long-standing reputation as a haven for creatives.”

Kathy Kuo Home was founded in 2012 when Kuo, who lives uptown, was pregnant with her daughter Maya and the city was in the throes of Hurricane Sandy. And from the beginning the concept was about online and easy access — partly a reaction to the fortress that is the D&D Building. She did have a retail store in the Hamptons for several years, but that closed and now this is its first public-facing interior design showroom. They also no longer have an office; the company went all-remote during the pandemic. So this is it for real estate…for now.

“It would be a dream come true to open additional showroom spaces one day,” she said, “however, there are no immediate plans to open more locations at this moment.”

The space is 2000 square feet and the idea is to highlight the custom upholstery and allow customers to test the pieces for scale and comfort. “And we really wanted to highlight our custom upholstery — you can’t do that online,” said showroom manager Samantha LaMagna. “We wanted people to be able to touch and feel.”

Everything in the showroom can be customized — even the macrame wall hangings, which are created for Kuo by a couple in Mexico. Be sure to test the Madeline sofa when you go in; if you see a photo of Kuo — like the one above — she’s likely perched on one of those.

(PS: As we visited, the sidewalk bridge on 161 Hudson was coming down. Another win.)

Kathy Kuo Home
161 Hudson | Hubert & Laight
Tuesday to Friday, 10a – 6p
Saturday, 9a – 5p
Walk-Ins and By Appointment
designservices@kathykuohome.com
888-908-2925