Wood, Brick, Light, Plants Transform Moon River Space for Williamsburg Therapy Group

When interior designer Alissa Selling set out to find a new space for her husband’s growing therapy practice, she stumbled upon the former headquarters of Moon River Chattel.

The beloved home store sold building salvage, antiques, housewares, and new furniture from the ground floor of a Williamsburg wood-frame building at 62 Grand Street for nearly two decades before closing in 2014. It was a local institution. So, when Selling chose the space, she was determined to honor the aesthetic and history of the store by maintaining charming features such as the original wood ceiling and floors.

“I knew from the start that I wanted to preserve the essence of the space,” Selling said. “That being said, we wanted the office space to feel clean, sophisticated and comforting the way a doctor’s office ought to be.”

Selling turned to contractor Cliffside Home Improvement for a quick turnaround. The project started in January and Williamsburg Therapy Group opened in May. All the woodwork and the floors were stained the same color to create a uniform effect.

“The floor we sanded and stained,” she said. “It’s basically a patchwork floor of different wood floors from various occupants and times but it totally works. We kept the hallway super wide to try to keep the space bright and airy and have a nice sized common space.”

The long hallway includes two waiting areas, a tea area, and the main common space. Visitors can still see from the front to the back of the space and into the tranquil back garden, which is surrounded by ivy-covered brick walls. Selling kept the existing koi pond and restored the waterfall. She relaid the existing stone and planted lavender and bougainvillea.

“Instantly, we thought it was the perfect place for some quiet meditation or just to sit and have a cup of tea before a session,” Selling said. “The group is even offering outdoor therapy in the warmer months.”

Inside, a dearth of natural light was a big challenge for Selling. The space has six offices, and four of them are interior rooms.

“We used large transoms on these spaces to help them feel less closed in,” she said. “We also had to figure out how to fit an office in the front while preserving the original storefront. This meant creating a curved shared wall between the front office and the entry.”

The front waiting area has a built-in bench with a custom velvet cushion. A second waiting area at the back has a built-in bench and exposed brick wall. The schoolhouse lights came from Moon River and were carefully removed during the renovation and reused.

“I wanted to keep the space feeling open and bright while we needed the waiting areas to feel personal and private,” Selling said. “I tried to accomplish this by creating the two separate waiting areas with a common space in between that are all part of the corridor that transcends the entire space and leads to the quiet garden.”

The kitchenette was designed around a vintage mini bar that came from the Ritz-Carlton that Selling found on the Web site Chairish for $250. The hallway is painted in the Farrow & Ball color Pointing and the offices in Farrow & Ball’s Skylight. The office couches are West Elm. The rug is from Wayfair. The pillows are from Items of Interest in Park Slope.

The wood mirror in the bathroom also came from Moon River, purchased when the store was still in business.

“It was a gift to my husband from his mother when he opened his first therapy office in Williamsburg and Moon River was still operating,” Selling said. “It’s come full circle.”

[Photos by Susan De Vries]

Related Stories

• Renovation of Landmarked Greek Revival in Fort Greene Artfully Blends Old and New
• Designed by the Owners of Moon River Chattel, This Williamsburg Duplex Wants $7,000 a Month
• Moon River Chattel Is Closing

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