Black Cherry Design is Ready to Return to Where It All Started
The lead designer and founding partner of the interior design studio plans to open a new storefront in Lawrenceville later this year.
PHOTO BY JASON SNYDER PHOTOGRAPHY
Black Cherry Design is moving to where the stylish studio originally started – in the heart of Lawrenceville.
After three years of renting out a second-floor space in Garfield, Lauren Piasecki says she’s excited to return to the Lawrenceville neighborhood, where the interior design company opened a studio and retail storefront in 2017.
“I think that it’s an opportunity for me to sort of reintroduce myself to the neighborhood in a way that I wasn’t really able to do last year,” Piasecki says.
The lead designer and founding partner of Black Cherry Design says she struggled with her second-floor Garfield location at times. From moving furniture up and down stairs, to reduced visibility of the store’s signage, it was harder to attract customers.
PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA
Now renovating a first-floor space at 3818 Butler Street, Piasecki says the new studio will be a “living advertisement.”
“Black Cherry’s style, my own personal style, has developed over these last few years,” she says.
Slated to open by late spring, the Lawrenceville location will have a showroom and a studio that will be open by appointment only. Piasecki says the showroom will be accessorized but won’t take on a “retail environment.”
“So, definitely more of a place for us to meet with clients to give people an idea of what we do, what we’re capable of, and to have a nice location.” she says.
PHOTO BY BECKY THURNER PHOTOGRAPHY
After Piasecki completes the interior renovation, she plans to touch up the exterior storefront for more curb appeal. When the doors do open, Piasecki says she wants the studio to be an inviting space for clients, especially to those who may feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the plethora of interior design choices.
She also hopes to host community events and collaborations with local artists, something she did at Black Cherry’s original location.
“When we had the other location on Butler Street, it gave us the opportunity to have a lot of really cool events with musicians and artists and other creatives in Pittsburgh,” she says.
