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by Susan Alberto
New York, NY-
If you believe in the adage that, "you can't teach an old dog
new tricks," you've either never been inspired enough, or you've
never met someone with enough inspiration.
Take, for instance, this brownstone - which was built
in the late 19th century in a Landmarks District located on Manhattan's
Upper West Side and converted to tenant apartments prior to the gentrification
of the neighborhood. The building's original character was seriously
compromised during the conversion when the previous owners removed all
of the original woodwork to convert the building into two apartments
per floor.
The new owners wanted to recapture the classic
feel of the original building, without compromising modern-day functionality.
A professional couple in their 30s, the clients
rejected the traditional room concept, instead opting for an open, fluid
space that would combine kitchen, dining and living areas in order to
maximize entertaining.
According to Frank Marsella and John Knoetgen
of the Westchester, NY-based Marsell + Knoetgen Architects, the clients
requested that the four 500-sq. ft. tenant apartments, with their small,
dark rooms, be converted into one space, with the idea of expanding
as they have children. The renovated 2,000-sq. ft. residence occupies
the entire first floor parlor level, and the north half of the cellar,
basement and second floor.
Photos: Elizabeth Felicella
A
simple, neutral wall treatment throughout the space provides the backdrop
for an expanding art collection.
project highlights
- The driving motivation for the design was the refection of
the traditional room concept, with the design team instead creating
one fluid space that contained the living, dining and kitchen
areas.
- Major design concerns included deciding where to locate the
internal stairs, and working around the tenant stairs, which
could not be moved. Additionally, the narrow space needed to
be opened up visually with greater use of natural light.
- Products include: custom cabinetry by Wood-O-Rama,
Inc.; Absolute Granite countertops supplied by Stone Source;
42" side-by-side refrigerator by Sub-Zero Freezer Co.;
black Spacemaker II microwave oven by General Electric; 36"
cooktop with four burners, 12" range with simmer plate,
30" warming draw, 24" dishwasher and garbage disposal,
all in stainless steel from Viking Range Corp.; custom-made
stainless steel range hood; stainless steel double sink and
polished chrome tri-flow faucet by Franke; stainless steel screen
wall with 3/4" etched Bendeim glass; 3"x3" ceramic
tiles by Daltile; dual-function downlight/wall washers by Lightolier;
MR-16 floods by Halo; Freejack Pendant FJ-Cones in apricot with
2"-sq. Canopy White; undercounter strips by Xenon; 2-1/4"
red oak floor strips woven into existing flooring.
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