AF Supply's upscale bath-and-kitchen showroom in Manhattan now has a new name - AF New York - and a completely renovated interior.
Over the course of two years, the structure of the space has been entirely recreated. Architect H.T. Chang virtually took up residence in the showroom and set about redesigning every facet of the space. If he couldn't find a chair, a table, a file cabinet, desk or a light fixture he liked, he designed one. “The showroom is a fusion of many things: architectural principles, structure, discipline, a sense of Asian culture, and the New York City merchant way of life,” says Bennett Friedman, director and co-founder of the renamed AF New York. He is also a principal in the parent company AF Supply Corp., and one of four grandsons of its founder, all of whom are involved in the company. “We set out to accomplish something completely different,” he says.