One to Watch: Islyn Studio


Our studio to watch for the latest issue is the women-owned and -run Islyn Studio


Words by Sophie Tolhurst

Who

A women-owned and -run New York studio founded in 2017, Islyn (pronounced ‘eye-lynn’) is made up of Ashley Wilkins, founder/ creative director (pictured); Frances Calosso, interior design director; Kara Pinakis, art director, and Emily Febrizio, associate interior designer.

Why

Wilkins founded Islyn with the intention ‘to shift design into a kinder, more meaningful place’. There is a focus on the immersive and (all-five) sensory experience. The work is designed with curiosity, care and collaboration, in order to, as Islyn explains, ‘build immersive spaces where people can feel alive again – worlds to escape to, and to long for’.

The studio offers a ‘full service’ for hotel, bar, restaurant, retail, and healthcare environments, and is as interested in the individual objects and details as the overall narratives and experience. Going beyond custom elements that simply look right, the studio considers the ephemeral and experiential, collaborating to create fragrances and sound or live music elements.

What

1. Bond Vet

Bond Vet: Taking lessons from hospitality design to animal healthcare, drawing on animal psychology, and working with vet Zaynab Satchu, the studio was able to create an environment in Brooklyn that’s sensitive to both pets’ and owners’ needs – whether offering a secluded ‘nook’ for a scared pet, or creating a suitable atmosphere to host support groups. Calming colours and scents help minimise stress, and materials, though durable, are warm and pleasant for bare paws – unlike traditional cold, metal tables!Image Credit: Read Mckendree 

Taking lessons from hospitality design to animal healthcare, drawing on animal psychology, and working with vet Zaynab Satchu, the studio was able to create an environment in Brooklyn that’s sensitive to both pets’ and owners’ needs – whether offering a secluded ‘nook’ for a scared pet, or creating a suitable atmosphere to host support groups. Calming colours and scents help minimise stress, and materials, though durable, are warm and pleasant for bare paws – unlike traditional cold, metal tables!
 

2. Kindbody Clinic
 

Kindbody Clinic: A women’s fertility clinic in New York is re-envisioned to offer its female customers what is needed at a sensitive time: autonomy, comfort and the removal of stigma. The space is social-centred rather than cold and sterile, and is organised to foster togetherness and remove staff/patient hierarchy. Curved lines and organic shapes mirror the female form, while soft woods, and organic cotton benches are substituted for cold metals and paper coverings.Image Credit:  Artem Kupriianenko (Kindbody)

A women’s fertility clinic in New York is re-envisioned to offer its female customers what is needed at a sensitive time: autonomy, comfort and the removal of stigma. The space is social-centred rather than cold and sterile, and is organised to foster togetherness and remove staff/patient hierarchy. Curved lines and organic shapes mirror the female form, while soft woods, and organic cotton benches are substituted for cold metals and paper coverings.

3. Sawmill Market 
 

Sawmill Market: A food market in an old lumber warehouse in Albuquerque is renovated to offer a ‘contemporary interpretation of an unsung New Mexico’ and its pink sunsets, bleached white cow skulls and pinon pine. Across 40,000ft2 of boutique restaurants, cocktail bars and ‘farm-to-table pantries’, materials are burnished wood, saddle leather, handmade tiles and patinated metals, with wayfinding inspired by traditional Navajo trading posts. Horse parking is available outside.Image Credit: Read Mckendree 

A food market in an old lumber warehouse in Albuquerque is renovated to offer a ‘contemporary interpretation of an unsung New Mexico’ and its pink sunsets, bleached white cow skulls and pinon pine. Across 40,000 sq ft of boutique restaurants, cocktail bars and ‘farm-to-table pantries’, materials are burnished wood, saddle leather, handmade tiles and patinated metals, with wayfinding inspired by traditional Navajo trading posts. Horse parking is available outside.

Where
islynstudio.com








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