dwellstudio's christiane lemieux takes us inside her just-opened soho shop

We are absolutely thrilled that DwellStudio has opened its first retail location in SoHo (77 Wooster St.), a trove of modern furnishings, textiles, and accessories for home and baby, thoughtfully punctuated with vintage pieces and artwork. Founder Christiane Lemieux—a New Yorker since her days at Parsons—has envisioned a DwellStudio shop since launching the line in 1999, a dream she's realized in a 3,000-square-foot loft-like space just blocks away from Dwell's studio and her home. Outfitted in a series of vignettes—living area to reading nook, nursery to design table where you can customize with swatches and finishes—each item has been carefully considered, brass door pulls to precisely-placed Blackwing pencils. A designer, businesswoman, and mother of two, Christiane is a personal and professional inspiration. Here, she gives us an eye into her busy, beautiful world. Clockwise from top left: DwellStudio's founder and creative director Christiane Lemieux; inside DwellStudio's SoHo flagship. What are you most looking forward to at the flagship store? What can Dwell fans most look forward to? I’m excited for people to touch and feel all of our products and to really see the whole DwellStudio vision housed in one place. The store represents my attitude towards interior design—this mixing of vintage and modern, the layered approach to outfitting a home over time. I would never tell someone to purchase an entire set or a manufactured look for their home—it should feel more personal, more collected and considered. It’s why we have vintage finds from my travels paired with our line of Mid-Century inspired furniture and our artwork. I’m excited for the conversations that will happen in the store and to help people create very personal spaces for themselves.

"I want people to understand the concept of the home as this ever-changing masterpiece—it’s never fully 'done' or totally decorated...whether you’re layering in pieces from travel or heirloom accents that have been passed down from generation to generation, the home is always evolving."

How do you balance being a mom, designer, and businesswoman performing at such a high caliber in your field? The honest answer is there’s no balance—I’m really just doing the best I can. I absolutely adore my family, and I want to be the best mom possible. But also I love my job—the push-pull is crazy. I have to work on finding the balance between the two every day. It’s an intense journey, but I’m never bored! Christiane with kids Isabelle and William; photo credit: The Glow. In what ways do your kids influence your work? I am constantly inspired by my kids. They see the world with fresh eyes—always discovering new ways to use the things around them. I love tapping into their perspective on life. My daughter is constantly merchandising her room—she’s got a great editorial eye. My son is always pushing me to incorporate more animals into the line. What does a typical workday look like for you? What keeps you going? Every day is different. I like to stay very involved in every aspect of the business—from marketing strategies to design reviews to sales meetings to social media. Some days I’m at the store styling shots for a photoshoot, and other days I’m bouncing around the city from meeting to meeting. It certainly helps that the flagship store, the office and my home are all within a three-block radius of each other. It makes it easy for me to jump around! I love my green juice from Miss Lilly’s—it keeps me energized all day. Ground Support is my go-to spot for morning coffee. You can usually find me catching up on emails there between dropping my kids off at school and heading into the studio for the day. Like many working moms, I’m usually stuck eating lunch at my desk—so I usually order from Olive’s on Prince Street—they have a great selection of salads, and their delivery is so quick! What's your favorite way to waste time with your family on the weekends? We hit the beach as much as possible!