Dezeen Magazine

A dog laying on a rug at the Coil + Drift showroom

Coil + Drift opens lighting studio and showroom in the Catskills

Lighting studio Coil + Drift has opened an office, showroom and production facility in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York that places modern elements in a barn-like building.

Coil + Drift founder John Sorensen-Jolink, who relocated to the area in 2021, has created a new home for his brand in a barn-like structure surrounded by nature.

Furniture arranged on raised platforms across the showroom
Coil + Drift's new space in the Catskills showcases the brand's products

"By relocating their queer-owned design business to the countryside, Coil + Drift is sparking a visceral conversation between people in a thriving rural creative community about how what we make defines who we are," said the studio.

The building encompasses 3,000 square feet (280 square metres) and boasts tall ceilings, which are painted white along with its plywood-panelled walls.

Glass-topped metal desk positioned on a brown rug
The showroom includes an office space, defined by a chocolate-brown rug

The space is divided between a combined office and showroom, and a production facility where an in-house team now creates all of the company's lighting designs.

In one corner of the showroom sits a black wood-burning stove, with a flue that extends through the roof, next to a pile of chopped logs used to fuel it.

Wood table on a plinth with brass light above
Furniture is displayed on stepped plinths, accompanied by lighting above

Chocolate-brown area rugs contrast the pale concrete floors, defining the entrance, the office space and a spot by the fire in lieu of walls or partitions.

Plinths are used to raise furniture designs, arranged in styled vignettes along with lighting, plants and small accessories.

More objects are displayed on wooden shelves of varying lengths, held up at different heights on thin golden rods.

Industrial-looking metal and glass doors mounted on rolling tracks separate the showroom from the workshop, which is located in an adjoining room.

Daybed presented on a raised plinth
The showroom features a white ceiling and walls, and a pale concrete floor

On show are several new additions to popular Coil + Drift collections, such as a floor version of the Yama table lamp and a "mobile-like" chandelier that joins the Atlas series.

Also to coincide with its move and expansion, the company has launched a trade-focused online platform for its products.

Wide shot of the showroom with yellow chair in the foreground
The building also houses a production facility behind industrial-style doors

Coil + Drift's previous projects have included styling a townhouse in Brooklyn's Prospect Heights neighbourhood for Hatchet Design.

Sorensen-Jolink, a former dancer, is one of many creatives that moved from New York City to nearby rural areas, either during or following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Exterior view of the Coil + Drift showroom facing the door
Coil + Drift founder John Sorensen-Jolink relocated to the Catskills in 2021 before opening the new studio

Upstate New York, and particularly the Hudson Valley and Catskills area, was already growing in popularity as a destination for artists and designers before the lockdowns, thanks to its reputation for vintage furniture shopping and art institutions.

Then low property prices and high demand for space and fresh air sparked an exodus to the region, when many bought second homes or relocated permanently.

The photography is by Zach Hyman.