The PINCH Apartment

Serendipity aside, the showroom serves an important purpose as a physical space for their growing North American client base. Bannon and Pinch believe that experiencing their collection firsthand is integral to understanding the brand – from reading the handmade qualities of a table to seeing the level of craft in the construction of a chair – and being able to offer a small slice of this in New York holds great value. “It’s such a small capsule taste of what we do, but I think it shows a consideration to an audience that’s shown us a lot of consideration and belief over the years,” says Bannon.

The space sits at the back of the parlour level – a brownstone’s main floor, typically considered the most elegant and spacious – overlooking a leafy, sun-dappled row of courtyards. Its original 19th-century details, including high ceilings, a generous bay window and stone fireplace, were huge drawcards and, thankfully, it required little work. Bannon describes the space as “tactile and reverential”, adding that “the bones were really good and it had a patina to it that our products lend themselves well to, so it was super harmonious.”

A small yet considered sample of PINCH’s furniture and lighting fills the space, including pieces from its latest collection, released in October. Timber shelves spanning an entire wall are styled thoughtfully with books and antique objects sourced by Bannon and Pinch, and the brand’s sconces, pendants and table lamps illuminate the room.

Also dotted throughout are PINCH’s signature scaled miniatures, which were originally made by Pinch’s dad – a “poly creative” who works across silver and goldsmithing, model-making, architecture and carpentry – as a way of presenting their collections in the early days.

“Many years ago, we were invited to show some of our work in the US, but we couldn’t afford to bring the entire collection, so we brought some key pieces, and my dad made models for the rest,” says Pinch. “Of course, everyone loved those models more than the real thing, so we’ve continued the tradition of making them.”

Some of the original models featured details like tiny brass hinges and stone handles, and though Pinch admits they’ve become less ornate over time, they are essential to his design process, which begins on paper before taking form. “I’ve been doing that since I was about 15, but it’s the tactility of making a model that’s so gorgeous,” he says. “I think it also resonates with the way in which our pieces are made because so many of them are handmade, so strangely there is a repeat there that works and makes sense to me.”