The Origin Story : Witness Apartment

A Creative Space That Laid the Foundation for Witness Locations

Before Witness Locations became a curated portfolio of distinct properties, it began with a singular space—an incubator, an ever-changing set for what was to come.

Witness Apartment was a 2,000 sq ft loft tucked inside a historic Art Deco building in New York’s Flower District, just two floors above the home where founder Ani Tzenkova lived with her two children, Cassius and Penelope Lou. More than just a loft, it was a living studio—a space reimagined each year to explore the emotional architecture of home: how light, form, texture, and sound shape the way we feel and gather.

After a decade spent in digital content and editorial direction, Ani used the apartment as a way to step into physical storytelling. The space became a quiet yet creative force—hosting brand collaborations with IKEA, Sonos, and Google, intimate dinners, conceptual events, and creative residencies—always featuring an inspired curation of industrial design, interiors, and art.

A dating experiment with Raya—Roulette Club—turned the loft into a catalyst for connection. Creative workshops, pop-up showrooms, product launches, and photoshoots followed. Each gathering invited guests into an immersive, intentionally curated setting that blurred the line between domestic life and cultural experience.

Witness Apartment also became a platform for emerging designers—those without gallery representation or showroom access—offering a thoughtful, design-rich backdrop to showcase their work in a lived-in, emotionally resonant environment.

Over time, the space revealed a need that extended far beyond its walls: a desire for locations that felt human, layered, and creatively aligned. Spaces with a point of view. Spaces that didn’t require massive set design budgets to feel beautiful or real.

That realization became the foundation for Witness Locations—a growing portfolio of homes, studios, and destinations selected not just for how they look, but for how they feel. Each one carries forward the ethos of the original loft: curated, character-driven, and designed to support storytelling in all its forms.

Today, while Witness Apartment no longer exists in its original form, its impact remains woven into the fabric of everything we do. It was the first space we loved and lived in. The first space where people came not just to see, but to witness something—an experience, a connection, a shift in perspective.