Manhattan is the largest metropolis in America, and like most major cities, it fascinates with its various boroughs, neighborhoods and districts. Along with its surrounding neighborhoods of Gramercy to the East and Highline-hugging Chelsea/Meatpacking to the West, the Flatiron, named for a landmark iron-shaped building, is chock full of some of the most interesting and sophisticated design showrooms, ateliers and studios. When AKDO decided to open its first US flagship showroom in the most famous of the boroughs, Manhattan, they selected the historic, happening and design-centric Flatiron district. The showroom is on West 21st Street, on a block that AKDO shares with some of the most prestigious names in design. Among them, the Flatiron Design Collective showroom, which houses esteemed U.K.-based wallpaper and fabric maker Fromental. 

Lori Weitzner’s “white box sanctuary” in downtown Manhattan gives the product designer and her team, “the light and breathing space in which to create alchemy. Here is where our energy is on full display; where we transform inspiration into materials that challenge our clients’ perceptions of what a product can be. We are all artists, albeit old fashioned in our approach — most everything originates from the hand.” Lori invited us in recently for a tour.