Category: Spotlight

Dani and Sarah officially launched Artisan in January 2021 working out of Dani’s Harlem apartment during the pandemic to Neuehouse when the city reopened, to our beautifully designed offices at 358 Fifth Avenue where we currently reside.  Over the past two years, the founders successfully introduced a new concept to the market, launched a rewarding mentorship program and engaged clients across various industries ranging from Fortune 100 companies to VC funds to nonprofits and startups moving into their first office spaces.  Dani and Sarah have also been working hard at bringing in top talent to the firm – increasing in size from 2 to 8 full time employees in just 24 months with plans to add another 4 full time hires this year.  Our founders recap on the company’s accomplishments and what’s ahead for 2023 below.

What is the biggest thing you have each learned since you founded Artisan?

Dani – It may sound cheesy, but trust your gut.  I’ve always been this way and it has served me well throughout my past experience as a solo business owner but it’s much more challenging trusting that intuition once you’re growing a business and have to find a balance between one’s own perspective, being open to learn so you can grow and therefore become a better business partner and leader.

Sarah – Five years ago when I met our now advisor, Kelly Williams, she matter of factly told me to start my own company.  I thought she was joking – I was in my mid 30s, didn’t have any startup experience and thought I had missed that window professionally.  A couple years later I went to a startup to see how it worked (and how it didn’t work) and knew a few months in, Kelly was right. I met my fearless business partner in 2019 who is by far the most important part of Artisan’s success story.  If I could give one piece of advice to any founder, it’s find the right partner.  Know your strengths and your weaknesses and find someone who has a complementary skill set.  Then build a team of positive people who respect each other, share your values and believe in your mission. Then bring in some of the industry’s most well respected and experienced advisors to support you through the good times, and not so good times … especially the not so good times.  With the right business partner, a team that looks out for each other and a supportive network of advisors and mentors, you will beat the startup odds. Just don’t give up. 

What was the biggest challenge in 2022?

Dani – I think like any new company, a big challenge was generating business leads while growing a team…but also navigating through that with an economy that was (and is!) all over the place made it even more so.

Sarah – Although we officially launched in 2021, Dani and I started working on our full service office advisory concept in early 2020.  Then the pandemic hit. Then the economy took a turn. Then it started to recover right before Omicron hit.  The markets crashed (again), inflation skyrocketed and supply chain issues became an absolute nightmare.  Despite the state of the city, country and world over the past few years, we’ve managed to continue to grow our business with our incredible client base and know if we not only survived, but thrived in 2022, we can get through anything. 

What is the thing you are most proud of from the past year?

Dani -The Artisan team has really grown this year, not only in size but in skill, professionalism and team spirit.  We initially started this company with this dream culture in mind (inclusive, welcoming, entrepreneurial, kind)  and each and every member of our team has added so much to this ideal – I’m most proud of them. 

Sarah – Hands down, our team. They have gone above and beyond to support the dream that Dani and I initially envisioned the first day we met – a better culture in our industry that’s built on teamwork, respect, kindness and mentorship.  Whenever we need a reminder as to why we started Artisan all we need to do is look around the room.  Whether it’s watching them patiently teach our high school mentees about the industry to listening to them calmly resolve issues with vendors or clients to seeing someone on the brokerage team looking at materials with someone on the design team, to bringing in their kids to meet the team for a pre-holiday breakfast break, to hearing music or laughter float around the office … without our team there would be no Artisan. We couldn’t be prouder of them. 

What can the world expect to see from Artisan in 2023?

Dani – Last year ended with so many wins for our team, from incredible new potential clients to brokering excellent deals and winning business from much larger and more established companies – we only hope to continue this pattern in the new year.  We’re just getting started!

Sarah – We have so many exciting projects underway I don’t even know where to begin! It is going to be a very big year at Artisan – our client base is growing, as is our team and business lines.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us to date and please stay tuned for a very exciting 2023! 

Follow along with us on our 2023 journey on  Instagram!  Interested in working with us? Take our quiz to start the process of finding your next office space today!

When you specialize in design and project management specifically for office space in NYC, you get to know A LOT of buildings.  We here at Artisan want to share some of our favorites with you and give you the inside scoop as to why we’re partial to them.

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING. 350 Fifth Avenue, between 33rd & 34th Streets. Built in 1930. 102 Stories.

Why We Love: This iconic building is not only an incredible tourist attraction, its nightly changing lights represent everything from holidays to sporting events to scientific and healthcare organizations and beyond.  It is a staple in New York City and a building that is recognized all over the world.  We have a particularly special view of it from our office, as we are very near by!

THE HELMSLEY BUILDING. 230 Park Avenue, between 45th & 46th Streets. Built in 1929. 34 Stories.

Why We Love: The history of this building runs deep and the architecture and design incorporate it so beautifully.  The building was originally intended to be the headquarters of the New York Central Railroad and therefore has stunning marble and bronze-clad details throughout it’s lobby and elevator banks.  Just above the main entrance sits a clock that includes a statue of Mercury to represent transportation, and a goddess to represent industry.  It doesn’t get much more New York than that.  

OLYMPIC TOWER. 645 Fifth Avenue, between 51st & 52nd Streets. Built in 1974. 21 Stories.

Why We Love: Location is one of our favorite things about this building – if you like luxurious things and are looking to find the best shopping in NYC, you are in the right place at Olympic Tower.  Jimmy Choo, H Stern, and FURLA are just a few of the incredible retailers the building boasts. 

Interested in working with us? Take our quiz to start the process of finding your next office space today!

When we heard we were going to be featured in the October issue of Architectural Digest, we were ecstatic and honored.  To be recognized by arguably the most notable design and architecture publication in the world is more than we could have hoped for in only our second year in business!  

Click here to read the article in full and take our quiz to start the process of finding your next office with us!

Artisan’s newest office is a virtual replica of our NYC headquarters at 358 Fifth Avenue built in blockchain-based Decentraland (45,10) .  Our Co-CEO & Head of Design, Dani Arps designed both locations using a neutral, warm and chic palette, along with a similar furniture layout and inviting aesthetic.  An interconnecting staircase in our virtual office easily connects the three floors to a wide open rooftop where you can check out what other creators are developing around us. 

As recently reported in JP Morgan’s Metaverse Whitepaper, companies of all shapes and sizes are entering the metaverse in different ways, including household names like Walmart, Nike, Sotheby’s, Verizon, Hulu, PWC, Adidas, Atari, and Samsung.  We understand the metaverse is still coming into form with design and utility limitations, but we believe it will eventually emerge as a destination for everyday activities like education, work, shopping and entertainment. Like with any new technology, the transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 will be gradual, but we welcome change at Artisan and look forward to being a part of it! 

Interested in checking out our new office?  Come visit and take a look around – all you need is a computer!  You can easily enter by clicking on “Guest”, creating an avatar and simply clicking the grid map in the upper left corner to locate our parcel at (45,10).  Then hit “Jump In” and you’re there!  Be sure not to miss our QR codes when you first enter through our sleek sliding door – they’ll connect you to our social channels and website.  We look forward to seeing you in the metaverse soon!

Want to learn more about how we created our virtual office or how we can help you create yours? Click here and send us a note. We’d love to welcome you to the community!

Needs, wants, tours, budgets, proposals, leases…there are multiple things brokers handle when finding office space for a client.  Sarah, Georgina, and Carleigh from our Brokerage Team explain. 

Brokerage Team – would each of you please give us a summary of what you do on the team?

Georgina: As a part of the Brokerage Team, I work closely with Sarah and Carleigh.  I’m responsible for business development, real estate advisory for our current clients, lease negotiations / executions, financial analyses, and putting new systems in place for our organization. I’m also fortunate enough to be part of the Artisan Mentored program and enjoy teaching and mentoring our mentees!

Carleigh: I am a Brokerage Associate and assist the team in canvassing the market, coordinating tours, producing tourbooks (information on each space we present to the client), drafting proposals for spaces the client is interested in, and assisting Sarah and Georgina in negotiations, analyses, and anything needed in connection with our Design, Furniture, and Project Management departments to make the process as seamless as possible for our clients. 

Sarah: I’m very fortunate to have a rockstar brokerage team so I get to focus my time collaborating with Georgina, Carleigh and our different departments on strategy, negotiation and execution.  We use our expertise to help our clients make the best decisions for their respective businesses.  I’ve always enjoyed when people come together from different backgrounds to brainstorm, problem solve and compete.  I think the best part about brokerage at Artisan is working with our design, build and furniture teams throughout the process to make sure nothing is missed and there are no surprises for our clients after a lease is signed.  From our first pitch to the punch list, we’re all in it together. 

How can a company looking for office space start the process with Artisan?

Georgina: It’s really simple! They can quickly fill out our quiz to get the process started or reach out to us via email, LinkedIn, Instagram, and our other social media platforms.

It seems the biggest challenge for companies right now is how to manage hybrid working and bringing people back into the office.  What is Artisan seeing and what advice are you giving? 

Sarah: Unfortunately there isn’t a catch-all answer for all of the questions related to hybrid work that we are fielding. That said, we’re working with clients across various industries to help them figure out the right solution for their situation. The biggest hurdle for every company right now seems to be figuring out how to make their office a place where employees want to return, not be forced to return.  As you can see from the projects on our website, we have a very resimercial design aesthetic that our clients love and has certainly helped with the transition from working from home to working from a new office “home”.  Whether renewing or relocating, office space shouldn’t be a headache, it should be a fun process that makes everyone excited to get back to work! 

Please feel free to reach out to the Artisan Team via our email if you’d like to discuss your situation and how we can help or click here to take our 5 minute quiz and get started today!

Minimalist, eccentric, contemporary, collaborative, office-intensive…these are just a few words that a client could present to our design team when voicing what they want for their new office space.  Where do we begin with bringing their idea to life, while putting our Artisan stamp on it?  We asked Dani and Katie who make up our design department to give us the rundown.

Where do you begin when building a mood board for a client’s space?

Dani: For the most part, clients come to us because they already have an appreciation for our aesthetic.  So it’s a mix of pulling finishes, textures and spaces we’re drawn to as well as creating an overall vision for their spatial direction.  We think about what would improve their brand and how can that be implemented in a way that’s cohesive, functional and beautiful.

Katie: First, we love to get an understanding of the client – what they do, what they believe in, what kind of spaces, textures, and colors make them feel productive and good. Then we’ll use that information to find imagery and materials that evoke that mood and act as a guide as we develop the design. 

What is the best piece of advice you could give on how to find success in mixing materials, patterns, finishes, etc.?

Dani: If you want to mix colors, materials, patterns, finishes etc, be cognisant of tone.  Katie is probably tired of hearing me say ‘tone on tone’ – but it’s a great way to achieve an interesting palette without overwhelming your eye.

Katie: With how we approach this at Artisan, our advice would be to consider a delicacy and balance to the palette when deciding on materials – combining textures, colors, and visual weight to create a timeless mood. 

What if a client is drawn to a completely different aesthetic than what you, as a designer, are normally drawn to? 

Dani: This a great question and one that I get from ‘non – clients’ a lot.  As noted earlier, it’s pretty rare that a client would come to us without understanding our aesthetic at least on a basic level and honestly I’d recommend another great designer if I felt they were a better fit.  The last thing you want as a designer (or client!) is to have to convince a client that your vision for their space makes sense.  That being said the design process is a collaborative one and often, the most interesting spaces are the ones where a client suggests something that we never would’ve and it’s the most unique and interesting part of the space!

Katie: I think a great skill for a designer is being able to adapt! Sometimes if a client’s vision doesn’t align with ours, we challenge ourselves to meet in the middle and find ways to satisfy their specific asks while keeping our foundation of a neutral, functional, and timeless approach. 

Follow us on Instagram to see our weekly MaterialMondays highlight – a mini mood board, if you will!

Want to learn more about how Artisan can create a space that suits your needs? Click here to take our 5 minute quiz and get started today.

We are particular at Artisan in that we are committed to working with vendors and contractors that we have vetted and trust, as they help to shape the final product for our clients. Anchor & Canvas is exactly what we look for in a vendor in that way and therefore we bring them on to build custom furniture pieces – designed by us here at Artisan.  We took a trip to their Brooklyn workshop to see a bit of their build process, and asked their Lead Fabricator, Piotr Shtyk, a few questions as to how they take our designs and turn them into real life quality pieces.  

What is your general process when working with design clients? 

It usually starts with a request for a quote. We review the visual materials and start a conversation to fill in the gaps. The goal in the beginning is to figure out the intended effect of the piece, find out what details are important to the designer and what is left to us to decide in consideration of structural integrity or economy. We often send drawings or models back and forth to confirm the details that are most important to the quote. Once everyone is on the same page and we know exactly how we are going to build it, we provide an accurate estimate. Then comes the final model, and the drawings we generate from the model, and once those are approved, we make the finish samples. We like to document the process and send a few pictures to the designer as the piece starts to take shape, and then again once the piece has been completed. 

What is your favorite part of the process and why? 

There are two definitive moments in the process I particularly enjoy. Arriving at an elegant solution to an engineering problem is very rewarding and the feeling stretches into the build process when parts just click into place like pieces of a puzzle. Then there is the moment of seeing the piece assembled for the first time and realizing how remarkably similar it looks like the rendering we made just a couple of weeks ago. I recall twirling it around on my monitor, and now here it is on the floor, tangible and, more often than not, very heavy.  

What is the most exciting challenge when getting new furniture designs to fabricate? 

The most exciting challenge to me is an opportunity to use a new technique or process that really stretches our abilities just past our typical comfort zone. It should be far enough removed from our skillset to force us to really focus and learn, while being related enough that we have a solid foundation upon which to build that knowledge – that’s the sweet spot.

Stay tuned for the final products! 

Ready for an Artisan space of your own? Click here to take our 5 minute quiz and get started today.

Since March is Women’s History Month, we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by featuring the incredible Malala Fund.  Our Co-Founder and Head of Design, Dani, and our Head of Project Management, Tucker, weigh in on how Artisan came to work with the girls’ education non-profit and what Malala wanted in terms of design and build.  

How did Artisan get connected to Malala and ultimately end up working with her to design and build the Malala Fund’s office space?

Dani: ‘Amanda, Chief Operating Officer of Malala Fund, actually reached out to me after following my Instagram account! It’s quite surprising the caliber of potential clients that social media brings.’

What was Malala looking for in terms of design and build?

Dani: ‘She was looking for a space that integrated the organization’s branding and ethos in a cohesive way.  After meeting with the team and understanding that they wanted a bright space filled with plants, we wanted to focus on the overall architecture.  We sourced materials, furniture, and decor that allowed those areas to shine while keeping the aesthetic light and playful.’

What was the biggest challenge, as far as Project Management goes, in executing Dani’s design?

Tucker: ‘The Landlord was underway with construction of a pre-built unit by the time Artisan was brought on board. Implementing change to an in-progress project required lots of coordination between Artisan and the Landlord team, and constant communication between Artisan’s design and PM groups in order ensure the final product would meet Malala Fund’s expectations and Artisan’s quality standards.’

To see more of the final product, follow us on Instagram and stay tuned for additional photos coming soon!  

Want to learn more about how Artisan can create a space that suits your needs? Click here to take our 5 minute quiz and get started today.

Her Workplace – a newly launched, female-founded platform that provides a safe space for working women to network, share stories and knowledge, and build long-lasting relationships – has interviewed Artisan’s very own, Carleigh Bettiol, on what it was like to transition from a career on the Broadway stage to working in commercial real estate. 

Carleigh spent several years on Broadway, with one of her biggest accomplishments being as a member of the original cast of Hamilton. Although she loved performing and acting, after experiencing the lack of promotional opportunities as a Broadway performer, she decided to completely change industries.

“Coming from a different industry, I’d like to prove to myself I can be successful in something completely new to me.” – Carleigh Bettiol

Read the entire interview on Her Workplace here.

Heading into the infamous shut down of March 2020, it was impossible to predict how the commercial real estate market would re-emerge. Who would be going back into the office and when? What will employers’ space requirements look like? How is the contemporary view of office life and culture going to change? A keen understanding of their clients’ needs, loads of industry insight, and the benefit of forward-thinking has certainly firmed up Artisan Alliance’s plan for the future and helped to identify key trends pertinent to finding, designing, and building the ideal post-pandemic workplace:

“An abundance of natural light is at the top of most of our clients’ “wish lists” when we’re touring buildings. It can transform the look and feel of a space while enhancing the design it illuminates. Light plays a key role in creating an environment that is warm and at the same time inviting; the type of welcoming environments we like to deliver.” – Sarah Pontius

Focus on Health and Wellness

Evidence shows that employees have found a renewed interest in their wellness journeys over the last year and a half—the need for natural light and open spaces has topped the list of must-haves when it comes to heading back to the office.

Sharing is Not Caring

An abundance of caution must go into each and every seating chart and while unassigned seating was gaining popularity, employers who choose this route must rethink their reservation systems in order to account for safety, utilization, and schedules.

Do Not Disturb

One interesting take away from WFM life is the increasing value of privacy. Whether their home offices were in dedicated rooms or makeshift spaces, employees feel that in order to be productive in their new workspaces, they must have some semblance of privacy.

Inside and Out

Both pre and post pandemic trends have shown that employees who spend a portion of their work week outside the office report higher workplace satisfaction, engagement, and commitment and for employers, that means crafting a new hybrid approach.

As a result, Artisan has arrived at the idea of resimercial design. Clients should feel as though they’re in a space of their choosing, when at work. Cafe-type spaces—somewhere in between the home and office—will accompany informal areas that function as office spaces but feel like home, while Artisan’s upcoming furniture line will be customized with commercial-rated fabrics and ergonomic intent. In short, Artisan spaces are where you want to work, plain and simple.