Incollect Magazine - Issue 12

Incollect Magazine 55 A favorite of Sofia, the Cursive Collection Rocking Chair has a delightfully playful form that appeals to the child in all of us. It’s offered in a choice of woods, or any of 85 color dyes on ash wood. Shown here, chartreuse dye on ash wood. Photo by Yechiel Orgel Sofia and Adam Zimmerman. Photo by Michelle Guanca In 2016, the couple started creating furniture for themselves and for the homes they were designing. They publicly launched Ottra the following year at the AD Show and ICFF in New York, with the conference table and a few other pieces such as their simple, elegant Martini side table. “The idea was to create some prototypes in solid wood that we could show designers,” Sofia says. “But we got such a positive response from the designers and other makers that right away, Ottra took on a life of its own.” Everything is made by dedicated craftsmen in their workshop downstairs from the design and architectural practice in Red Hook, except the upholstery, which is outsourced locally. Sofia credits part of their swift success to the growing appreciation among collectors and interior designers of the value of locally made products. “To be able to collaborate closely with our clients at each stage of the process is a massive advantage because we can work together to come up with products perfectly tailored to projects.” Interior designer Susan Petrie of Petrie Interior Designs was one of their earliest clients and remains a fan. “Sofia and Adam of Ottra have such an innate sense of chic in their work. They are also very open to collaboration, and that breaks down the cookie-cutter approach to custom furnishings. Every inch and grain of wood is meticulously reviewed, and there are few limitations to what they can do.” Everything is made to order, including their standard collection pieces. “With the standard pieces, we often make minor modifications to suit a space perfectly. So what others might consider custom work we call a modification,” Adam says. “And because we fabricate everything here we control production and timing, which means you get better results in real time. That helps us serve our clients better. We can easily accommodate minor modifications without adding time to the delivery schedule. If we were outsourcing, that would not be possible.” In addition to making furniture, some of their design work is for commission-based, site-specific, one-off pieces. These can vary in size and scope, and some of their past projects have included a custom tete-a-tete sofa for a New York penthouse designed by design firm Fox-Nahem Associates, a staircase for a private client in San Diego, and an oversized mirror for their offices in Red Hook. “With these projects, we try to create pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind, designed to be original and harmonious with the architecture,” Adam says. Petrie recalls working together with Adam and Sofia on a challenging design project: a customized credenza commission for a client in the West Village/Chelsea area of New York. “We called it the ‘Jetsons’ credenza in the end, because of its fun futuristic shape. The client wanted it to work with their existing art collection and conform to the restrictions of the space and it turned out to be the centerpiece of the entire project.” Adam and Sofia say they welcome the opportunity to create things in the spirit of Ottra, even transforming one kind of design into something else. Interior designers find this flexibility refreshing. “It is fun to take one of their standard pieces and then make something different,” says Tobi Wright from Inside Wright Design. “A client liked their daybed but wanted a back on it so we worked with them to get what the client wanted. It was an easy collaboration.”