Studio
Nein
is
the
creative
partnership
of
Architect,
Mile
Verović
and
Artist /
Designer,
Sara
Blake.
The
story
behind
N
E
I
N
It was one of the hottest days of the summer when Sara and Mile first set foot on the Residence 9 property. The interior was in rough shape, but the plot was stunning. “Well, what do you think?” Sara asked. “We can make something out of it,” Mile replied. And that was that. The Residence 9 project is Sara and Mile's most beloved design collaboration, and the birthplace of what would become the Studio Nein philosophy.
In German (Mile’s native tongue), the pronunciation of the number 9 is "Nein," the German word for "No." What started as a joke soon became an acknowledgment of a more sincere truth—that nurturing the discipline to say a committed "no" to the wrong things in life only creates space for the right ones. It's this principle that guides the studio. In other words, choose your NEIN’s wisely, so you can commit wholeheartedly to the JA’s that truly matter.
Residence 9 cemented Sara and Mile’s creative partnership (not to mention, the process was infinitely more fun together), and it became clear the next step was to make their collaboration official as a creative studio. Now, Studio Nein’s work focuses on architectural residential projects as well as custom art and furniture, pulling from their combined backgrounds as an architect and artist.
Mile Verović
Architect
Mile (mē-leh) is Croatian by blood and German by upbringing and education. He received his degree in architecture from HfT Technical University in Stuttgart, Germany. During his studies, Mile took a spontaneous trip to Manhattan with a friend, and his plans suddenly took an unexpected turn, ultimately resulting in a three-decade-long architecture career in New York City. He specializes in modern, minimal residential and commercial projects. Previously, Mile worked with renowned firms such as Kohlhoff & Kohlhoff Architects, Keenen/Riley Architects, and 1100 Architect. In 2007, Mile established MV Studio, his own architecture practice. In another twist of fate, Mile met Sara, and a creative union was born. In 2023, he co-founded Studio Nein.
Sara Blake
Artist / Designer
Sara was raised in Richmond, VA and educated in and built by New York City. Sara attended New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study to pursue art through a range of media including painting, drawing, graphic design, and creative writing. Sara has spent the last two decades working as a multidisciplinary Artist and Designer for agencies, startups, and Fortune 500 companies like IBM and Nike. Sara has both exhibited and spoken about her independent work globally at contemporary art institutions, conferences, and galleries, and has published a novel combining art, prose, and poetry. After gut renovating a series of her own spaces, Sara's creative focus began to shift towards moments of artistic experience within the home. As fate would have it, Sara met Mile, and a creative union was born. In 2023, she co-founded Studio Nein.
"We come from different fields, different cultures, and different generations.
Now we're combining our deep expertise from our respective individual backgrounds to create a new unique perspective as Studio Nein.
Our exploration of artistic, architectural, and poetic expressions in our daily lives is core to our practice—because as writer Annie Dillard famously said, 'How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.'"
— Sara / Mile
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