Calico Wallpaper Studio by Office of Tangible Space

Calico Wallpaper’s studio in Upstate New York ushers in a new era for the celebrated company. Maintaining a foothold in New York City through both its Tribeca showroom and Brooklyn loft, the company’s latest outpost allows for increased opportunities for connection and creative exploration – two notions at the very heart of the brand.

Husband-and-wife founders Nick and Rachel Cope were initially drawn to Upstate New York more than 10 years ago, frequently day-tripping from Brooklyn to go antiquing. “We fell in love with the open space, great food and farms,” says Nick. The couple eventually purchased a mid-century fixer-upper as a weekend retreat that they’ve since moved into permanently, ensconcing themselves in the region’s rich design community.

Conceived as a hybrid space that functions as a design studio, an event space and a showhouse, the project is “really multi-use”.

The pair’s decision to create a base for the company outside the city was motivated by their strong affinity for the area, as well as by a need for a larger studio and showhouse. Upon finding a Federal-style home in the charming hamlet of East Chatham, they engaged Kelley Perumbeti and Michael Yarinsky of Office of Tangible Space to oversee the renovation. “Not only is Michael a good friend, but we worked with him on our house upstate and have a similar way of approaching design,” says Rachel. “He also has roots in the Hudson Valley, so we thought he’d be a perfect fit.”

Conceived as a hybrid space that functions as a design studio, an event space and a showhouse, the project is “really multi-use,” says Rachel. She adds that their nuanced brief detailed a “minimalist, raw space where I could play loud music and get paint on the floor, a beautiful room to host elevated dinner parties and lunches at an oversized table, a production area and fully furnished and decorated bedrooms for guests”.

“There was this nice layering approach with the furniture that creates a cinematic experience as you move from room to room.”

The design draws on myriad influences that culminate in a cohesive and supremely inviting space. It doesn’t deny its heritage framework; rather, it enlivens it through references to Italian Futurism and Scandinavian design, all the while championing Calico’s wallcoverings. “It’s intended to fall outside the typical farmhouse aesthetic. We wanted to nod to it but break it in certain ways,” says Yarinsky, noting the custom dining table and the chandelier hanging above it, both of which draw on a melange of rich influences and eras.

The deserving protagonist, however, is Calico’s array of fine wallcoverings. Vivid tapestries, dramatic tableaux and ethereal dreamscapes adorn every room, showcasing the company’s breadth in a domestic setting – from Rachel’s own designs to collaborations with the likes of Faye Toogood, Colin King and Lindsey Adelman. Importantly, these designs, which will change periodically, served as the jumping-off point for the interiors. “It was an interesting process in that [the wallpaper] immediately gave us something to react to, so there was this nice layering approach with the furniture that creates a cinematic experience as you move from room to room,” says Perumbeti.

“It’s intended to fall outside the typical farmhouse aesthetic. We wanted to nod to it but break it in certain ways.”

Nick and Rachel’s intention is to host many of their clients, collaborators and neighbours within these evolving spaces through workshops, dinners and community-minded events. “The design community here is incredibly eclectic and creative. We’d love for this to be somewhere we can bring those people together,” says Rachel.

Interior design by Office of Tangible Space.