New York

The Tribeca loft of Janis Provisor and Brad Davis reflects their shared passion for seeking out unusual and beautiful objects from around the world

‘We didn't use a designer,' Janis Provisor, co-founder of hand-knotted carpet producer Fort Street Studio, tells me when I arrive at the Tribeca loft she shares with her husband and business partner Brad Davis. This much seems clear — the space is too layered with whimsical ceramics, one-off art pieces, vintage furnishings and inventive reupholstery to be the work of a disinterested professional.

‘We wanted to create the feeling of a vestibule here at the entrance, even though it's a big, open space,' says Davis, gesturing to a sculptural glass and bronze wall light by Venetian designer Angelo Brotto hanging above a Carlo Hauner-designed sideboard from Brazil.

On the adjacent windowsill, a ceramic creature — half mermaid, half penguin — by Swedish artist Klara Kristalova presides over the loft, a cheerful Moroccan rag rug at her finned feet. ‘This type of rug is called a Boucherouite,' Provisor explains. ‘The Berbers originally made them for dowries. Our dealer told us if you go into a Moroccan house and you see this rug on the floor, you know it's a good marriage.' If the rug, or indeed the couple's luxury rug business, is any indication, their decades-long marriage is a great one.

‘We don't always agree,' Provisor admits. ‘If one of us really doesn't like something we can veto it,' Davis says, before Provisor adds, ‘Sometimes we'll say “Well, if you really like it you can put it in your studio, but I don't want that in the house”.'

When the couple met in the 80s, both were artists showing at New York's Holly Solomon Gallery, and both were already avid flea-market hunters. But, according to Davis, when they got together ‘there was an explosion'. ‘It was a great collision,' Provisor agrees. ‘We realised that collecting together was our form of play.'

The loft, which they have occupied since 2002, is the result of decades of play — at flea markets, auctions, galleries and art fairs. In addition to a keen eye for materials, a fondness for mid-century furniture and a love of warm olive tones, Davis and Provisor have a thoughtful approach to how space is utilised.

In the bedroom, an entire wall is dedicated to figurative paintings by Hong Kong artist Wilson Shieh, a favourite from the pair's time in Asia, while bolder contemporary art is reserved for the main living space. ‘We call this wall our female gaze,' says Provisor, pointing to large colour prints by American artists Catherine Opie and Mickalene Thomas. Opie's stylised portrait shows a young woman in front of a green backdrop, her eyes locked on the lens. ‘It reminds me of a Hans Holbein,' says Davis, referring to the Renaissance painter who also isolated his subjects against vibrantly coloured backgrounds.

Both Davis and Provisor can recall where every artwork, lamp or chair was discovered and why it first caught their eye. Thus the home is more than an accumulation of collectables; it's a map of their life's journey, with objects woven into their own histories. As Provisor puts it: ‘All of this stuff is a part of our big adventure.'

This page The loft retains its industrial edge in places, softened here by artworks on the walls and the 1950s Paul Frankl bench. Ceramic sculptures by Anna Sew Hoy and Arlene Shechet sit next to a vintage German vase and Murano glass piece. The wall sculpture is by Evgeny Antufiev and the larger painting is by 19thcentury Chinese artist Hu Gong Shou

This page A Moroccan Boucherouite runner from the 1960s complements the Fort Street Studio floor coverings elsewhere. The chair is a 1960s German piece from Pagholz, while the cabinet to the back is a vintage piece by Carlo Hauner. The striking light fixture above is a 1960s piece by Angelo Brotto

This page A Christian Liaigre sofa and Norbert Schwontkowski painting anchor one corner of the living space. On the table is one of Kiki Smith’s Alice series and two ceramic sculptures by Heidi Lau

This page An elephant sculpture by Klara Kristalova flanks the sideboard, resting on an 18th-century Chinese temple stand beneath a Catherine Opie photograph

At the other end of the kitchen, a reading nook is overlooked by a Patricia Blanchet photograph and David Weeks wall lamp. The sofa is by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso, and sits on a wild silk shag rug by Fort Street Studio

Vitsoe shelving and a 19th-century Chinese side chair mark the path to the master bedroom

The striking chair in the master bedroom is a Ragamuf piece designed by Tuula Pöyhönen and produced by female Syrian refugees. Hong Kong artist Wilson Shieh’s works adorn the walls, while the 1950s bedroom set is by George Nelson for Herman Miller. A Fort Street Studio Grasscloth hand-knotted wild silk carpet provides comfort underfoot

This page The couple are also noted artists and creators, exemplified here by pieces from Janis Provisor Jewelry