The lovely flower petals on a Chelsea factory

In 1906, Charles Hellmuth, a maker of printing ink, built a factory at 154 West 18th between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

Back then, the block was lined with old stables and newer manufacturing buildings.

The Hellmuth factory doesn’t stand out all that much—except for the enchanting Art Nouveau–inspired doorways.

I love the lettering that spells out the building name (especially the interlocked Ls) and the floral ornamentation, so beautifully detailed, especially for an industrial building.

Today it’s a co-op—probably pretty expensive too.