A Little Celestial, A Lot Striking—This Designer's 550-Square-Foot Studio Is a True Jewel Box
BySamantha Weiss-Hills,Photography byAngela Hau,Art Direction byLinda Denahan,Styling byElaina Sullivan
PublishedMar 22, 2026 3:58 AM EDT
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OK but can we talk about how interior designer Ernesto Gloria nails high-low? A prolific antique shopper, Gloria can telepathically sense if an expensive vintage lamp, heirloom chair, or thrifted artwork will pair perfectly with anIKEA sofaor CB2 table. He'll source shelving from warehouse supply stores and fabric from textile studios likeSchumacherandZak + Fox. Those unexpected combos are exactly what make his projects feel immediately lived-in, like each piece has been collected over time. I'm honestly obsessed with this approach.
That intuition is on full display in his own home, too. Gloria, who had worked inTom Scheerer's practice before branching out on his own during the pandemic, had just establishedStudio Trewhen he spotted a 550-square-foot studio for rent in London Terrace Gardens, a famed, circa-1930s courtyard building he'd longed to live in. He jumped at the chance for multiple reasons, chief among them his built-in community there. But there was also the sitcom of it all: "I go to the barber downstairs. I've had acupuncture downstairs, a facial," Gloria ticks off. "It's the New York dream of having everything in the building." I mean, right?
He name checks early-2000s shows likeWill & GraceandFriendsas design inspiration—his first impressions of what a New York City apartment could look like. "There are little Easter eggs in my apartment that remind me of those two shows," he says, nodding to a frame over the peephole like in Monica's apartment and a similar eclecticism to Will's place. "[They] gave me the permission to be more playful and unconventional with my decorating, not to mention the urge to create little mise-en-scenes throughout the apartment since every shot or angle needs to be considered." And honestly, that energy is everything.
Plus, the unit isn't your typical open-plan layout. This one has a separate foyer, kitchen, and dressing room nook that he could tuck his bed into. "I love the separation of spaces, because you have more walls to put art up and play around with," Gloria notes. Ahead, he gives us a tour around his petite, personality-packed Chelsea apartment.
Samantha Weiss-Hills is the managing editor for Domino. She edits and writes home tours and features, and she's the friend who everyone texts for glassware, sofa, and sheet recommendations. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Alex, and their beagle-corgi, Elsa.
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