Joe Cook Credenza
This bespoke projection credenza was designed in collaboration with Vanish Designs, with MODA’s founder serving as the lead designer behind the piece.
MODA’s founder has spent the past two decades designing discreet technology solutions for clients who value beautifully resolved environments—spaces that transform only when technology is needed. This project is a clear expression of that approach.
At its core, the piece is a handcrafted credenza that conceals a 4K ultra-short-throw projector and a large-format motorized ambient light-rejecting screen. In its resting state, it reads unmistakably as furniture—material, architectural, and rooted in its surroundings. When activated, the credenza becomes the foundation for a fully immersive theatrical experience, allowing cinema-scale performance to appear and disappear without permanently altering the space.
The credenza was commissioned as part of an extensive, 18-month restoration of a historic New Jersey home once owned by vaudeville performer Joe Cook. MODA led the restoration in its entirety, overseeing architectural preservation, interior design, custom furniture fabrication, and the sourcing of period-appropriate pieces throughout the home.
The client’s brief was clear: the technology had to disappear.
In response, the credenza was designed as a one-off, bespoke object inspired by the era in which the house was built. The form, detailing, and ornamentation draw directly from 1930s Art Deco, with all elements handcrafted specifically for the residence. The central starburst panel is fabricated from solid brass, serving as both a functional concealment and a theatrical artifact—an intentional nod to the home’s performance-driven history.
This was never conceived as a product. It was designed as a singular object, inseparable from its architectural, cultural, and historical context.
Within MODA’s broader body of work, the project reflects a foundational idea that continues to guide the studio today: technology can be immersive and powerful, while remaining invisible until the moment it is invited into the room.