Chelsea Loft

This loft in Chelsea, owned by Glenn Gissler, was a place of design ferment and experiment, an arena for working out long-held design convictions and exploring completely fresh modes of decorative expression. Deep wall colors create a rich, shadowy atmosphere in the main living room, yet other spaces are equally notable for bursts of natural light, a chiaroscuro that informs all of Glenn’s work. Collections of photographs and contemporary works on paper abound, along with piles of art and design books. We see certain Gissler signatures– Rietveld’s Zig-Zag chair; Christopher Dresser’s metalwork and green-glazed pottery–but there are new artistic elements as well. A Frank Stella black print from the 1970s vies with a plethora of stark, moody near-abstract black and white photographs. The loft represents a tension between the stability of well-loved furniture and objects and the restless desire for new knowledge which is the lot of every true collector and connoisseur. Amidst experiment, Glenn did not stint on comfort, which is, as much as his devotion to art, a Gissler hallmark. Velvety tufted sectional sofas invite the guest to take in and assimilate the wealth of art and objets which fill this space.