To the interior designer Corey Damen Jenkins, living a glamorous lifestyle surrounded by beautiful things is simply part of the job.
“I look at myself as a design doctor,” said Mr. Jenkins, 48. “And I would never prescribe for a patient a prescription that I would not take myself.”
That’s why when he expanded his studio to a new space in Manhattan in 2021, he was intent on renovating it with as much time and care as he would put into a home.
“It’s very important that I’m surrounded by things that really appeal to me, since I spend so much time here,” he said, adding that his workspace doubles as something of a showroom for his clients. “A lot of times, clients don’t get a chance to see my work in person,” after seeing it online, said Mr. Jenkins, who plans to debut “Design Reimagined,” a YouTube streaming series this month, as well as a book by the same name with Rizzoli this September.
“By making our atelier residential feeling with flourishes in ornamentation, and great architecture and detail, we give clients a sneak peek at what we could create for them,” he said.
Mr. Jenkins recently showed us a few of the pieces that help make it one of his favorite places.
Easy Upgrade
Dublin Crystal Coaster Set, $15 at Godinger
“When people visit me, I always offer coffee or tea, or something refreshing to drink,” Mr. Jenkins said. “Having a coaster is a nice way to upgrade that experience.”
He especially likes this set of cut-crystal coasters, which have a pattern that reminds him of snowflakes. “They’re inexpensive but look like a lot of money,” he said.
When he uses them, he doesn’t just set them out on a table. “I always hand a guest the coaster,” Mr. Jenkins said. “It has a weight to it, and they can feel the sculpted nature of the glass. They feel the beauty of it in their hands.”
Such seemingly minor touches are important, he said, “because I want people to feel like royalty.”
Splurge
1930s French Trolley, $3,500 at Judy Frankel Antiques via 1stdibs
A bar trolley “is not a requirement” for a room, Mr. Jenkins said. “It’s not something you need to have.” But when he saw this antique piece in 2012, as his career was beginning to take off, he couldn’t resist.
“It was the first big, hefty-price-point antique I bought,” Mr. Jenkins said. Made from brass and glass, “it’s a real work of art and beautifully crafted,” he noted.
In his office, Mr. Jenkins keeps the trolley well stocked with handsome liquor bottles and bar accessories, but also has it equipped with a table lamp so that it doubles as an end table beside a sofa.
“There’s no drinking and drawing during business hours,” Mr. Jenkins said, but he sometimes opens the bar on Friday evenings, at the end of the workweek. “We really enjoy having work-family time, and that trolley is very much at the center of our firm’s social orbit,” he said. “It’s paid for itself a million times over with all the memories.”
One of a Kind
Dachshund Finial Chairs
When Mr. Jenkins spotted this pair of 1920s chairs in an antique shop, he couldn’t resist buying them. “These brass dachshund finials are a real statement-maker and such a great conversation piece,” he said. “They also feel good under your hands when you’re sitting there.”
The only problem was that the cushions were covered with mustard-colored fabric, which seemed a little staid for the vibe Mr. Jenkins desired. To make the pair truly unique, he had them recovered in Kravet’s out-of-production Izu velvet, which has a pattern depicting mountains and clouds.
“I had always loved this fabric, and I pitched it to a client who was not in love with it, so when these chairs became available, I thought it was perfect,” he said. “The juxtaposition of this contemporary fabric with the traditional frames of the chairs makes them really special.”
Hiroko Masuike is a New York-based photographer and photo editor for The Times.
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