Sewing It Up at the American Thread Building

Back in 1981, artist Claudia Doring Baez and one of her brothers were walking around downtown and came upon the 1896 American Thread Building on the corner of West Broadway and Beach Street, which had been newly converted into condos. The two of them, along with another brother and their mother, moved into an apartment on the fourth floor. Twenty years later, in 2001, Doring Baez sold that apartment and moved upstairs to the penthouse, which was originally built for the members-only Wool Club. But it took another 20 years to get around to hiring a decorator, which she finally did. Now the modernist furniture is juxtaposed with the original black walnut paneling, mosaic entrance-hall floor, and beautiful stained-glass skylight.