Saarinen in SoHo

Ariel Ashe and Reinaldo Leandro came together to form Ashe + Leandro after separate stints in set design and architecture, respectively. The two first met as young associates at a New York-based architecture and interiors firm, Pierce Allen, where they quickly recognized their divergent yet complementary tastes. Leandro describes his dominant influence as “tropical modernism,” while Ashe credits Broadway theater as providing her with a wellspring of inspiration. The pair is also known to pull on sources of inspiration outside the purview of other designers, like literature—one of their projects was based on descriptions of Daniel Peggotty’s home in Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield.

Saarinen Armless Executive Chairs in Lafayette Residence by Ashe + Leandro. Photography by Miha Matei.

“Our spaces are decidedly contemporary and inspired, yet honor the past with a polished, timeless spirit. The accessibility and enduring relevance of Knoll products align with the casual, yet refined energy of our designs.”

—Ariel Ashe

After briefly embarking down separate paths, the two reunited in 2008 to see where a creative marriage of their skill sets and influences could take them. Although the two are not a couple, one wouldn’t be out of place to assume otherwise: both share a bank account and frequently take jaunts to out-of-the-way locations, like Nicaragua and New Mexico. ”She [even] bosses me around, just like we’re married,“ Leandro admitted to the writer Becca Bergman Bull, who recently profiled the firm. Although their partnership may be a little unconventional, together the two are anything but an odd couple, as demonstrated by their tightly coordinated interiors.

Ashe and Leandro told Knoll Inspiration that, given their shared modernist reference point, Knoll products often help to further their design objectives. Speaking of the firm’s Lafayette Residence, Ashe explained: ”Our spaces are decidedly contemporary and inspired, yet honor the past with a polished, timeless spirit. The accessibility and enduring relevance of Knoll products align with the casual, yet refined energy of our designs.“

Saarinen Armless Executive Chairs in Lafayette Residence by Ashe + Leandro. Photography by Miha Matei.

With unmatched élan and a deep knowledge and appreciation of material culture, Ashe + Leandro transformed this former factory floor into an enviable loft on Lafayette Street. The resulting interior feels “perfect,” but not too polished; eclectic, without appearing hectic. Asymmetrical details—like the irregular pendant lamps and live-edge table top—foster a feeling of cultivated imperfection, which keeps the environment casual. Against these layered elements, Eero Saarinen’s Executive Armless Chairs—Florence Knoll’s go-to seating solution—offered an appropriate counterpoint: ”The Executive Armless Chairs lend an element of familiarity to an eclectic, downtown family home.“ The choice of upholstery afforded the chairs a luxuriously soft texture while taking cues from Saarinen’s sensitivity to contour. Ashe concluded: ”The pale blue velvet upholstery complements the Executive Armless Chair’s signature curvature and open back, softening the space and introducing a contrast to the clean lines of the custom wall unit and dark sofa.“

Project Credits:

Design: Ashe + Leandro
Photography: Miha Matei