MUSINGS: MATERIA CELEBRATES ITS XV ANNIVERSARY WITH AN INTIMATE WINTER FÊTE
Gathering around the seasonal Farm Coast inspired meal
MATERIA co-owners Megan Sommerville and Matt Ensner, recently celebrated their design studio’s fifteen year anniversary with an intimate dinner inside their SoHo, New York loft gallery, set under expansive penthouse skylights and the soft glow of their new PAILLETTE and PLATEAU collections. Established in the Hudson Valley in 2009, MATERIA has steadily grown from a small custom furniture company based inside of a former dairy barn, into a flourishing design studio hand making timeless and elegant lighting collections, upholstered furniture and elemental tabletop objects with a trusted group of artisans throughout New England.
Philip Leeming and Megan Sommerville
Alexis Steeves, Kariche Mirijaj, Drue Henegar, Gayle Smith, Leong Ong, Rain Saukas and Dages Juvelier Keates gather before dinner
Opening their gallery in an historic SoHo artist-in-residence designated building in 2019 served as a major moment for the duo; not only because of the significance of having a physical space in one of the preeminent neighborhoods of one of the world’s most important design cities, but because of the opportunity to steward a loft that is a piece of New York’s rich arts history.
Deciding to host their fifteenth anniversary dinner inside their loft gallery was an immediate choice; the voluminous center space, crested by a twenty-two foot long skylight and painted a deep aubergine for the occasion, perfectly set a moody and intimate tone for a dinner designed to tell the story of Megan and Matt’s journey from Upstate New York to Southern Massachusetts, where the co-owners and life partners have lived since 2020. Aptly dubbed the Farm Coast, the peninsula that the duo now calls home was represented that evening not only through the soulful antiques decorating the walls and tabletop, but most poignantly through the thoughtful coastal cuisine presented by Lisa Lofberg, a friend and the Chef-Owner of Little Moss restaurant in Padanaram, Massachusetts.
Chef Lisa Lofberg, shucking fresh Island Creek Oysters
Punctuated by local delicacies including oysters on the half shell with Beach Rose mignonette, Island Creek Caviar, Sweet and Salty Farm fresh Jersey milk cheeses, and a variety of Massachusetts farmers fall bounty, the main course of Farm Coast Bouillabaisse made with local Tautog and littleneck clams, New Bedford Scallops and Maine Uni rouille stood out as a nuanced and distinct nod to the special place Megan and Matt now call home. The seasonal meal was accented by wines selected by Lofberg and sourced through Vine Farmer, a small Massachusetts importer focusing on producers that authentically reflect location, vintage, and the vigneron. Guests celebrated the end of the meal with a decadent chocolate and wild bay leaf birthday cake served with Autumn Olive jam and creme anglaise, alongside a toast with Gaston Chiquet Brut Tradition 1er Cru.
Farm Coast Bouillabaisse being prepared
Littleneck clams and Maine Uni rouille
The dreamy, darkly romantic tablescape was a painterly mix of vintage crystal stemware, antique silver flatware and inherited large scale vintage pressed copper platters juxtaposed with the more modern elements of MATERIA’s own smooth, slip cast porcelain vessels. Set against rich black and grey textiles, the varied heights of the floral arrangements, created by Megan and Matt, punctuated the moodiness of the tablescape with ivory, blush, soft dark green and wine tones. Featuring the off-kilter and almost surreal combinations of flowers the duo loves, such as Brunia Berry, Leucothoe, Protea and Leucadendron, added a lush, almost forest floor like feeling to the dining room.
Roasted Wishingstone Farm squash with romesco and salsa macha
Jason Gnewikow serving radicchio to Philip Leeming, Alexis Steeves and Megan
Menus describing the night’s delights
In attendance were 13 guests, all long term collaborators and friends of Sommerville and Ensner, brought together to celebrate and be thanked for their long term support of MATERIA and its founders.
Matt Ensner and Dages Juvelier Keates parlezing
“It was so important for us to close out such a monumental and important year in our business with those nearest and dearest to us; to get out of the digital space that so often occupies us as designers and business owners, and to plant both feet firmly in real life, surrounded by what we have created and those we love, have collaborated with, and that have been by our side since the inception of MATERIA.” - Megan Sommerville, Creative Director
Chocolate and wild bay leaf birthday cake
Perhaps most noteworthy about this magical and celebratory winter evening, was that it marked the final event the duo would host at this location of their gallery. As the design duo and their studio evolve, new things are on the horizon; a transition into designing complete spaces, as well as a move to an exciting new location. Stay tuned….
The dreamy, darkly romantic tablescape set the tone for a festive meal
Photography: Jack Platner and Emma Tuccillo