Welcome to the future. Weed is legal. Order it online and it’ll arrive at your door that same day. Peruse every strain in-store, displayed like a museum via glass boxes, and organized by notes, farm, organic origins, or aroma. Increasingly, New York is getting a feel for cannabis’ high-craft era—but this time with a warm, earthy twist. In Times Square, luxury dispensary Charlie Fox recently opened (despite the fact that New York’s Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act said it would prioritize licenses for those most victimized by the war on drugs). Unlike the bodega-like, fluorescent interiors of New York’s typical dispensary, Charlie Fox is a lifestyle-oriented brand, defined by high-quality goods and refined customer service. As such, the 3-story dispensary tapped Home Studios whose work of warm hospitality projects makes it a natural fit for the brand’s concept.
The project is the first retail project for the studio, but the architects approached the interiors like its usual hospitality projects all the same. “The goal was to evoke a sense of comfort, curiosity, and connection by integrating hospitality-driven design principles to create a transportive setting,” Oliver Haslegrave, founder and creative director of Home Studios, told AN Interior. The space is conceived as three floors: the first acts as a tranquil and welcoming retail space, the second floor features a private lounge for personalized shopping, and the third floor (opening in the spring of 2025) will hold space for dining and shopping.
Throughout each level, millwork clads the space. On the first floor, custom floor-to-ceiling millwork was used alongside vintage details which display the brand’s products. Wood also makes up the sales counter which doubles as a back bar for the staff’s “budtenders.” The concept ties to old-world apothecaries, creating a more ritualistic atmosphere to the space. The wood is softened with fluted elements and ambient lighting. Lighting from Ladies & Gentlemen Studio and In Common With, and a custom mural by Kimmy Quillin add feminine touches to the space.
“The design achieves a balance of masculine and feminine energies by blending strong, durable materials like wood and stone with soft textures, refined detailing, and warm neutrals,” continued Haslegrave. “This interplay mirrors the duality of nature and the cannabis plant, creating a space that is striking yet inviting.” It also further refers to apothecaries, a source of inspiration for the design.
On the second floor, the lounge resembles something between a swanky bar and apartment with its built-in closets and book shelves, relaxed seating, and intimate banquettes. Charlie Fox uses this space as a private lounge for one-on-one consultations. As such, Home Studios layered the interior with high-crafted furnishings and materials, referencing the dispensary’s own high-quality customer experiences.
Both floors are united by the same color palette of earthy neutrals and browns (what Pantone might call Mocha Mousse). The second floor varies in its plaster-wrapped walls with rounded edges. It also features custom scones made in collaboration with Pinch, further emphasizing the interiors’ and thus the brand’s level of customization and attention to detail.
The third floor, referred to as the den, will be a place for exclusive dining and shopping experiences. Though not yet complete, the topmost floor will maintain the overall design’s color and material language but with twists that create meaningful and unique interactions with the brand.
“The greatest design challenge was creating a cohesive narrative across three distinct floors while redefining the dispensary experience. This was addressed by giving each floor a unique purpose—retail, private consultation, and exclusive experiences—while tying them together with consistent use of high-quality materials,” noted Haslegrave. The result is a sensorial interior, seeped in both old and new world sensibilities.