Tile Council

Ann Sacks unveils her second Manhattan showroom, a collaboration with Allied Works.

Jen Renzi -- Interior Design, 10/1/2001 12:00:00 AM

Ann Sacks may be a West Coast gal, but she has an unbridled appreciation for New York, where she recently opened her 13th U.S. showroom. "It's a fantastic place to do business, and the single best market in America. It also has a very broad base in terms of style—there's a tremendous range of individual expression." And individual expression is the engine that drives Sacks' namesake company, which offers high-end tiles, stones, and plumbing in a range of contemporary and traditional aesthetics. "We feel we have the best of class in all looks, from antiquity to modern," says Sacks. "But the challenge for us is that we haven't built our product offering—and, therefore, our showrooms—around one particular look."

Displaying her diverse lines in a cohesive, uncluttered fashion was one of many challenges Sacks encountered while designing her newest location. The 4,000-sq.-ft. two-story brownstone on East 58th Street was a lucky find, given its street-level presence and proximity to the Manhattan design community, but it came with serious structural flaws. Sacks turned to architect Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works, with whom she has collaborated previously. "We helped conceptualize how to use the space," says Cloepfil, describing their working relationship. "Then they added their own language." He conceived a series of lifestyle vignettes, which Sacks and senior staff designer DeeDee Gordon fitted out with carefully curated product mixes.

The showroom design and organization helps guide customers to informed decisions, encouraging patrons to stretch their imaginations about the various uses and applications of tile. "We truly care about the end result. We want customers to love what they buy," not just at the point-of-purchase, insists Sacks, but as a long-term investment.