Design lovers across New York are reeling after a roaring warehouse fire reduced almost a thousand rare pieces of Danish furniture to ashes, wiping out both a flourishing business and a living archive of mid-century craftsmanship in a single night.
A Legacy Lost Overnight
When David Singh and Lars Balderskilde switched off the lights at Lanoba Design, their Red Hook shop, on Wednesday evening, they believed—quite reasonably—that tomorrow would be just another day. After all, the lights illuminated 8,000 square feet packed with nearly 900 handpicked pieces: towering sideboards, sleek bookshelves, an extraordinary Sven Skipper lounge chair, and a majestic 12-foot dining table lovingly restored to showcase the dark teak grain. By sunrise, all that remained were memories and soot.
« The tragedy is these pieces lived 70 years and were ready to live another 70 years, » Singh shared, surveying the devastation. In a cruel twist, many of these treasures were so rare that only a handful might be left worldwide—emphasis on the « might. »
Inferno at Van Brunt Street: No Hope for Salvage
The first inkling something was wrong arrived in the small hours. At 3 a.m., Singh’s phone lit up with images from their building manager: flames engulfing the handsome brick warehouse at the tip of Van Brunt Street. By then, the fire had already broken out on the third floor and was spreading. This wasn’t just a home for Lanoba Design; under its roof gathered architects, a community newspaper, and dozens of artists busy prepping for a forthcoming open-studio event.
Firefighters fought valiantly, even pumping water straight from the harbor at a rate of 50,000 gallons per minute, but much of what the fire didn’t annihilate, the water finished. When the partners arrived, Singh described it as « Niagara Falls coming out of the building. » According to the FDNY, the old heavy timbers in the structure likely helped the inferno travel fast. With the roof collapsed and the interior either charred or drowned, hope vanished. « We do not have one piece of inventory that can be salvageable, » Singh said grimly—not even their tools. He estimated losses in the millions. « This is a 100 percent wipeout. »
Sleep doesn’t come easily. « I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about a piece I had forgotten about, and I can’t go back to sleep. Something that is so rare is just gone, » Singh confessed.
From Apartment Dreams to a Vintage Design Powerhouse
Lanoba’s journey began not in a gallery but in a cramped apartment kitchen in 2015. Inspired by a surge of post–Mad Men enthusiasm for Scandinavian mid-century design, Balderskilde—a Dane—began traveling back to Denmark, rescuing treasures as families parted ways with heirloom desks and dining sets. The partners taught themselves to restore furniture and soon upgraded to a Jersey City warehouse.
Even the pandemic couldn’t slow their roll: makeshift home offices led to desks flying out the door. With most customers around Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, Lanoba hunted for a closer home, falling for the Red Hook warehouse within ten minutes of seeing it. Balderskilde remembered envisioning their honey-hued Danish pieces set against the raw stone walls and exposed beams. It proved a savvy move. Since opening there in June of the previous year, they saw sales surge by 50 percent, moving 3,500 items in just twelve months. « We became, probably, the biggest vendor in Vintage Modern Danish Design, » Balderskilde remarked.
Mourning, Support, and What’s Next
As smoke still lingered in the air, messages of support poured into the partners’ inboxes. From their apartment—no longer a workshop but suddenly a crisis control center—they juggle the fallout: fielding texts, handling insurance claims, launching a GoFundMe, refunding customers, and paying final bills to suppliers and delivery drivers. Balderskilde had planned to fly to Denmark to source new finds next month, but now remains in New York, pondering what to do with a just-arrived container stranded by the fire.
Finding a new space is proving daunting. « We were a little squeezed in Red Hook, » Singh admitted, hinting they hope the next spot will be bigger (and, presumably, more fireproof).
Yet the financial blows are only a part of the pain. Lanoba was more than commerce; it was an archive, a living museum. Visitors flocked—not always to buy a $1,200 telephone bench—but to bathe in the beauty of the showroom, to hear Balderskilde teach about design history or explain why each piece mattered. « This is my cultural heritage, » he would say. Every item was treated as art.
Even minor accidents—Singh confessed to the occasional mirror-jostling or vase-bumping—could bring him to tears. « I would always want to cry because that was the original piece. »
There aren’t many ways to end a story like this except by appreciating what once was—and hoping, perhaps, some part of Lanoba’s spirit will someday rise again. In the meantime, a reminder: never wait too long to visit a beautiful place or cherish a piece of history. Tomorrow is never guaranteed.
With a discerning eye for exceptional craftsmanship and timeless beauty, Edward has dedicated his career to sourcing and curating fine antique furniture from across USA. His deep appreciation for historical design, from Georgian elegance to Art Deco sophistication, guides collectors and enthusiasts in discovering pieces that tell stories of bygone eras. Through his expertise and genuine passion, he helps preserve the artistry of master cabinetmakers while bringing distinguished character into contemporary homes.
