The Project
For this Upper East Side residence, our clients wanted to transform a 2,400-square-foot prewar apartment into their dream family home. The gut renovation needed to accommodate four bedrooms and five bathrooms while creating a contemporary interior that still felt connected to the character of its New York City setting.
The Challenge
The main challenge was fitting everything the family needed within the apartment’s existing footprint. In a New York City apartment building, the existing plumbing stacks needed to be navigated because they serve multiple units. Some could be pushed or relocated, while others had to remain in place, requiring creative solutions for room layouts and millwork.
The Design Approach
Traditional moldings, paneled cabinetry, and other architectural details are balanced with clean-lined furnishings, sculptural lighting, marble, warm woods, textured wallcoverings, and metallic accents. The result is a transitional interior that feels connected to the building’s history without feeling dated. At the entrance, a VeroMetal-finished hallway creates a dramatic metallic transition into the lighter spaces beyond.
Custom closets and millwork throughout the home accommodate the family’s storage needs without relying on walk-in closets. Built-in wardrobes, shelving, desks, window seating, and cabinetry make use of the available footprint while becoming part of the architecture itself. Across the bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces, shifts in color, pattern, and material—from soft neutrals and blue-gray tones to plaid, marble, warm wood, and blush—give each room its own character while keeping the apartment visually cohesive.
The Result
The completed Manhattan apartment brings together the character of a prewar Upper East Side home with the needs of contemporary family life. Integrated storage makes better use of the existing footprint, while the mix of traditional details and contemporary materials creates a home that feels refined, comfortable, and suited to the way the family lives today.
