cherrypatter nyc
and great ideas for what to do too!
lee’s studio: lighting up
when j and i first moved in together, we found a run-of-the-mill apartment with fantastic views (we could see the empire state building from our kitchen) on the 24th floor at the corner of 55th and broadway. although it’s a weird, very touristy location, i loved being so close to central park and would go running regularly (when will i ever do that again), loved being able to walk to work (fortunately i can do that again now) and just being on top of a zillion subway lines. in my travels up to the park, i would often pass by lee’s studio which at that time was on broadway. it was a curious shop. chock full of stuff, design stuff, a mishmash of furniture and more lamps than i could ever imagine. and while i usually cannot stand shops that are so crammed, lee’s just pulled me in with the variety and the quality.
over time, we purchased four lights from lee’s, all modern, all a little funky (our pride and joy is the monster egg) and all have stood the test of time and multiple moves. lee’s has since moved to their 57th street location where they combined the lighting and furniture section with a vast art supply collection with other knicknacks (it seems the quality of those things has not gone up). the 2nd floor is home to more than 200 different lighting designers with every kind of configuration available. i don’t think lee’s is really the place to get your recessed lighting or something that isn’t super special — i don’t think pricewise it makes sense and they are on the high end. however, if you want something spectacular, or just interesting, and you’re not willing to deal with the bowery shops (that quality is all over the place i think), lee’s is the place.
some of their more interesting designers include andromeda, venini, flos and leucos though they have plenty of more traditional stuff (especially on their website). i am sure lee’s is not the only great light shop in new york, it’s just that we’ve found it works for us every time. lee’s studio, 220 west 57th street between broadway and seventh avenue, manhattan, new york, .
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