Working it

Photograph: Roxana Marroquin

René Melcher

A 350-square-foot studio apartment in Kew Gardens doesn’t prevent private art dealer Rene Melcher (renemele@gmail.com) from cramming into his home enough avant paintings and sculptures to satisfy a seasoned Chelsea galleryhopper. When he’s not guest-curating exhibitions at the Venezuelan consulate, he often invites in-the-know aesthetes to his tiny home to view up-and-coming artists from around the globe. “My service is a bit more intimate,” he says. “I know my clients’ tastes and they get to see mine,” he adds. To wit: Melcher props up edgy works such as 21-year-old Indian painter Akash Nihali’s colorful, complex canvases against his walls and atop stacks of books to create a cozier environment than a typical Manhattan gallery. “What I wanted to show is that art doesn’t necessarily have to be on a pedestal. Art can be displayed very comfortably at home.”

To continue the down-to-earth vibe, Melcher has prospective buyers perch on leopard-printed floor pillows or even his king-sized bed. “I serve drinks and they like to look out the window to see who lives in the neighborhood,” he says. But don’t expect to spy a basket of laundry in the corner, a sink full of dirty dishes or a pile of unread newspapers, as Melcher keeps his apartment in immaculate condition. “I’m always prepared, always in control, always neat.”

Since his collection includes a $20,000 photograph by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, Melcher refrains from throwing raging house parties (“I’m afraid that people might break something”), but that doesn’t prevent him from having a little fun. “One client slept over, but I don’t want to talk about it,” he reveals before breaking out into giggles. “But I closed the deal before and made sure business was taken care of before pleasure.”

Click for a gallery of René Melcher's apartment