This unique apartment is a combination of two studios with a terrace on three sides and is located in the heart of the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan. It was an absolute pleasure and a privilege to work with the owner.
This project is especially close to my heart as the clients and I share a love for modern architecture going back to Bauhaus influence. The pre-war Central Park West apartment did not have any significant original details so it was easy to convert it into a modern home. The final decoration includes furniture designed by Alvar Aalto, Eero Saarinen and other prominent designers as well as a few cherished mid-century pieces the couple inherited and meticulously restored.
Besides the style, the importance was given to openness, light and to provide a kitchen for an avid cook.
I want to thank Amy Scott, the designer, who invited me to participate in the project.
The challenge here was to create a clean canvas for an extensive art collection and refine interior decoration. State-of-the-art lighting and home automation technology were used. Existing details of this pre-war apartment were restored and combined with contemporary details where new work was added. The owner's appreciation of hand-made materials is evident in the choice of tiles and architectural hardware.
Part of the work was to create a beautiful boudoir including a bathroom tiled with Thassos and a custom, hand-made marble mosaic floor.
The work on the street façade consisted of the removal of existing paint and restoration of the original brownstone as well as replacement of existing deteriorated ironwork.
Work included kitchen and bedroom renovation.
The scope of work included a whole-house air conditioning with a challenge no to disturb historical interior of this Federal style home. We also renovated two bathrooms and are currently working on the restoration of the street facade and bluestone sidewalk.
The existing configuration consisted of a narrow twelve-foot-long entry hall that doubled as a kitchen. The owners asked me to create a new separate working kitchen. The existing entry hall/kitchen was converted to a proper entry hall with a bench and coat hooks. The end of the hall closer to the kitchen gained a pantry storage cabinet with a freezer and a wine cooler.
This two bedroom apartment was converted into a one bedroom loft-like space with an oversized island in the kitchen and a wall of industrial-type storage in the living room. A large space with a fantastic view was thus created for cooking together and entertaining.
