The Rise of an Iconic Design House
In just a few years, Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson have transformed Apparatus into one of the most illustrious and prestigious names in interior design.
Gabriel has settled in New York. His new space, a sprawling 4,200-square-meter venue in Red Hook, Brooklyn, serves as the brand's headquarters, gallery, and event space. As he puts it, "My apartment has turned into a kind of glamorous spaceship."
Hendifar has reshaped both his personal living space and the expansive Apparatus HQ. The company’s growth has been so significant that it now functions as a hybrid between a gallery and a social hub, bringing Apparatus’ narrative to life through immersive experiences. His work continues to mesmerize, with refined and meticulously crafted pieces, from lighting fixtures to sofas, ottomans, and tables.
Apparatus collaborates with artisans worldwide to create and assemble these extraordinary pieces before shipping them to New York for storage in the workshop. Take, for instance, the pleated porcelain lampshades or the Lantern lamps, produced by a family-run ceramic factory that has been in operation for 300 years. "These suppliers allow me to dream of things I don’t know how to make myself," Hendifar explains.
His penthouse apartment is a meeting ground for some of the most influential figures in global design. Ian Schrager is responsible for the penthouse, while Herzog & de Meuron handled the building’s design, and John Pawson took charge of the interiors. The furniture and decor? Almost entirely designed by Hendifar himself. "Yes, it's my work, but I see it as my playground."
Recently, Gabriel unveiled his latest collection, Apparatus Act IV. Among its standout pieces is the Settee sofa, featuring a Bauhaus-inspired metal frame, and the Reprise orb-shaped suspension lights, which grace his bedroom with their ethereal presence.
The 2018 collection, Apparatus Act III, took a very different approach. It drew inspiration from a jewelry box once owned by Gabriel’s grandmother, which she had brought with her from Iran to the U.S. The box, crafted with the traditional Persian khatam marquetry technique, held deep sentimental value. Hendifar aspired to imbue Apparatus’ designs with the same aura of heritage and craftsmanship. While many pieces were originally intended to be handcrafted in Iran, the political landscape between Iran and the U.S. made that impossible. “I eventually accepted that Iran would remain a place tinged with nostalgia, something unreal to me. I can’t bring it here. I could have the pieces made in New York, but that’s not the point. What matters isn’t the objects themselves, but rather what they signify,” he concludes.