Creative Director Anthony D’Argenzio’s New Industry West Line is Inspired by the New Hudson Valley Aesthetic



09.20.2023

Creative Director Anthony D’Argenzio’s New Industry West Line is Inspired by the New Hudson Valley Aesthetic

WHERE HERITAGE, OLD EUROPEAN DESIGN, AND FRENCH BISTRO AESTHETICS MERGE

By Heather Bien

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through the collected, captivating images of New York-based studio Zio and Sons, then you know the ability of Founder and Creative Director Anthony D’Argenzio to transport others into his peaceful, pastoral world through design and visuals. He’s created a distinct modern-meets-vintage aesthetic both through the studio and his boutique hospitality and real estate firm, This Old Hudson.

It’s an aesthetic his fans are eager to bring home, and it’s led to collaborations and lines with Clé, Hudson Valley Lighting’s Mitzi brand, Apotheke, Anthropologie, Farrow and Ball, West Elm, One Kings Lane, and, now, Industry West.

Anthony D’Arenzio with Industry West + Zio and Sons Collection

The Creation of a Collection

It started, as all great collaborations do, with Instagram. “We’re inspired by people and places, so when Anthony followed us on Instagram, we immediately delved deeper into his work,” recalls Industry West Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer, Anne England.

Quickly, a flurry of DMs began between the two creative forces, and the seeds fell into place for a collection that would combine Anthony’s artistry and traditional aesthetic with Industry West’s focus on design and craftsmanship. England says, “Anthony’s focus on artisanal-quality craftsmanship, influenced by the landscape of Hudson Valley, felt like the perfect starting point for a bistro collection.”

“Anthony’s focus on artisanal-quality craftsmanship, influenced by the landscape of Hudson Valley, felt like the perfect starting point for a bistro collection.”

Hudson Chair + Chatham Round Patio Table

Hudson Counter Stool + Chatham Counter Table

A Seamless Combination of Styles

With this collection, Zio and Son’s old-world, nostalgic sensibilities meet Industry West’s modern lines. The result is a look that’s equal parts European and American countryside. It feels as if you’ve seamlessly merged the simplicity of a French bistro café with the rustic elegance of the farmhouse tradition.

D’Argenzio was inspired by classic bentwood designs, the kind you often see while antiquing or thrifting in the country, but the look is reimagined in a sleek, durable steel construction. It’s that combination of timeless style and modern functionality that makes this collection perfect for indoors and out, city or country, tiny apartment, or large estate.

“I love the versatility of this collection. I designed each piece to bring a sense of vintage charm to the space. Whether it’s a modern apartment in Manhattan or a historic home upstate, this collection will bring years of durability and style into your home—both indoors and out,” explains D’Argenzio. 

Kinderhook Patio Table

About the Collection with Anthony D’Argenzio

To celebrate the launch of this collaboration, we sat down with Anthony D’Argenzio to find out more about what inspired the collection, his design process, and some of his most exciting upcoming projects:

Tell us about the classic bentwood chairs that inspired the curved lines of the bistro designs. Is this a vintage style you’ve used in your own designs previously?

“I’ve always been super inspired by Thornet, and I’ve used a lot of bentwood in my projects. The chairs are fun to find in antique form, but they’re difficult to find in matching pairs. Mixing and matching is fun, but this makes that vintage feel possible on a larger scale. We’re bringing the vintage form outdoors in a more durable way. I also wanted it to feel like bentwood with a twist, like something you’d see in an ice cream parlor or a French bistro. I was inspired by the curvature of bentwood, but reinterpreted with modern flair, metal, and new colorways.”

What was the process like working with Industry West on the materials and design?

“I hand-drew all of the designs. When we started the collaboration for the furniture collection, we looked at their assortment and figured out what was needed. Outdoor furniture was something that I always wanted to do, and that led us to metal. We looked at durability. Should it be aluminum? Steel? A lot of research went into the construction and prototypes. These are all commercial grade because I wanted hotels and hospitality and larger-scale communal projects to be able to source 40 at a time.”

Hudson Chair + Chatham Round Patio Table

Hudson Bar Stool

When you’re working on a new design collaboration, how do you envision the end product?

“When I was working on this line, the main thing was that I wanted it to be indoor and outdoor. I wanted it to feel like it could live inside a tiny apartment or in a commercial setting. That was super important to me—the ability to move it around different places.”

How would you style the collection in a modern apartment in the city vs. a historic farmhouse in the Hudson Valley?

“It really depends on the space. The metal leans more outdoor feeling, and the cream is super chic inside a city apartment. It feels very fresh and cozy—it’s a warm, antique white. It’s not too stark. In the Hudson Valley, I would place it outside or have it spill out from indoor to outdoor. It could go in a modern home or an older home, and it would still feel relevant and fresh. This collection is designed for people who appreciate a bit of nostalgia. A little vintage charm.”

Do you have any exciting real estate or design projects coming up where you plan on including this collection? We’re all ears!

“I do! We’re launching a new listing tomorrow where we’re bringing in the collection to stage the space. It’s fun to have different canvases in the city and upstate to use it. In this listing, we’re using the cream stools in a farmhouse kitchen, then we’re mixing the chairs with an antique table.”

The Industry West x Zio and Sons collection is now available in a natural steel finish, sleek black, and elegant off-white options, offering a look for any style.

Anthony D’Arenzio with Industry West + Zio and Sons Collection

EXPLORE THE ZIO AND SONS + INDUSTRY WEST COLLECTION

Designers Share the First Big Piece of Furniture They Splurged On



09.28.2023

4 Designers Share the First Big Piece of
Furniture They Splurged On

DISCOVER WHICH FURNITURE PIECES ARE WORTH THE SPLURGE

By Heather Bien

Ask any designer how they spent their childhood, and they’ll probably tell you how they’d spend their summer afternoons hiding out in their room with a dogeared issue of House Beautiful picked up at the drugstore or a copy of Better Homes and Gardens swiped from their mom’s collection. While other kids were saving their summer job pennies for the latest pair of sneakers, the future designers were dreaming about the apartment they’d decorate someday and begging someone for a ride to the local antique shop.

But once they got out into the real world, how’d they decide where to start bringing their design vision to life? When did they transition from Ikea and thrift finds (which both have their place in a well-designed space!) to splurging on the finds they’d imagined would fill their grown-up home?

Four designers and design enthusiasts shared their first big furniture splurge with us—and explained why these pieces will always hold a special place in their memory of home.

Aesop Armchair

A Bold Set of Green Vintage Folding Chairs

“My favorite initial purchase was a set of green vintage folding chairs by Aldo Jacober,” says Brendan Mahoney of Prime Projects, a design firm based in New York and Miami. “The design for these chairs is genius! A perfect harmony between form and function. With their marine green finish, I simply could not pass them up,” Mahoney adds, proving that your first splurge doesn’t need to fall into a stereotypical timeless or classic bucket. Instead, go with your gut and what you love. Does Green catch your eye? Amazing. Can’t get enough of the quirky silhouette of a folding chair? Do it! Not only does your taste defy trends, but that piece will always remind you of that first big purchase.

Industry West Sol & Luna Collection

Hem Lounge Chair

A Custom Velvet Sofa Made to Withstand Heavy Traffic

Alida Coury of Alida Coury Interiors recalls her first big splurge, a custom velvet sectional from Crate and Barrel that has style above and beyond any standard sofa. “At the time, they let clients use customer’s own material (COM), so I was able to send over a really nice bolt of velvet with texture,” says Coury. Sure, she could have done a sectional in a nice, neutral performance fabric—but going bold and rich in texture gave the piece a personal touch that made its price tag worth it.

Looking back, this splurge was a wise investment, both because of its practicality—a sofa is a piece you’ll have and use every day—and because it was customized to Coury’s preferences. “I still have the velvet sectional to this day,” says Coury. “It was worth spending more for something that gets heavy traffic, so it lasts longer.”

“It was worth spending more for something that gets heavy traffic, so it lasts longer.”

Dune Velvet Sofa

A Sophisticated Recliner that Marries Function and Sophistication

Recliners can easily go so wrong. So when Anthony Rodriguez of 136 Home decided his first big furniture splurge was going to be a recliner, he knew he had to get it right. In his words, “It couldn’t be your dad’s overstuffed lazy boy.”

He looked high and low, trying to find a piece that would straddle modern design with ultimate comfort, and landed on a streamlined recliner that, at first glance, doesn’t even give away its reclining identity. “The muddy green and walnut finish adds a level of sophistication that met the demands of my better half while incorporating into my design perfectly,” explains Rodriguez.

By marrying a high-quality, well-made piece he knew he’d use frequently with a modern palette, a refined wood finish, and an updated take on a functional silhouette, Rodriguez chose exactly the right item to splurge on. And it’s one any dad would be lucky to trade a lazy boy for. 

Boucle Chairs Inspired by Iconic Designers

“The living room of our pre-war Brooklyn apartment is where we both watch television and host dinner parties so it needs to be functional, comfortable, and beautiful,” explains Dora Leigh Maddux of the Instagram account A Brooklyn Home. And that need to create something both cozy and stylish inspired her first big furniture splurge.

“My husband agreed to splurge on the Industry West Compass chairs in boucle,” says Maddux, who brought the Scandinavian-inspired chairs, with their compass-like shape, into her space as a nod to the early 20th-century design greats. Maddux explains, “I was able to convince my husband to get on board once he saw how the iconic design has been featured in some of the most timeless rooms.”

Buying furniture inspired by design that dates back decades is a foolproof way to invest in a statement piece you’ll have for decades. Maddux says, “The Compass chairs are still our favorite piece and what our guests immediately gravitate to in the house.”

Industry West Compass Lounge Chair Boucle

Industry West Compass Lounge Chair Boucle

SHOP SPLURGE-WORTHY PIECES