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Collection by Luke Hopping

Light-Filled NYC Homes

Accessing natural light in a city hemmed in by row houses and skyscrapers requires getting creative. These five sun-soaked New York homes are designed with maximum exposure in mind.

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Graphic designers Ned Drew and Brenda McManus have made their renovated Manhattan apartment a showcase for their collectibles, including a vintage Eames leg splint and a “Wilhelm Tell” poster by Armin Hofmann.
Graphic designers Ned Drew and Brenda McManus have made their renovated Manhattan apartment a showcase for their collectibles, including a vintage Eames leg splint and a “Wilhelm Tell” poster by Armin Hofmann.
“When I first thought of moving to Harlem, I looked at a map,” says Ryall. “The island’s about 210 blocks long, I’m near 110th Street—I thought, ‘It’s right in the center of Manhattan.’”
“When I first thought of moving to Harlem, I looked at a map,” says Ryall. “The island’s about 210 blocks long, I’m near 110th Street—I thought, ‘It’s right in the center of Manhattan.’”
The rear of the house is virtually all glass, essential for ensuring the 15-foot-wide structure doesn't feel claustrophobic. "Our office obsesses over the color and quality of light, both through physiological understanding as well as keeping up with the latest technological trends," Lubrano says. "In this project, color is presented through the natural characteristics of materials. The garden level floor is a smooth but visually textured concrete. The upper floors are white-washed wood, allowing the grain to present itself. The walls were plastered to a perfect finish and the trim was painted in selected hues of white. The tactile nature of surfaces is very important."
The rear of the house is virtually all glass, essential for ensuring the 15-foot-wide structure doesn't feel claustrophobic. "Our office obsesses over the color and quality of light, both through physiological understanding as well as keeping up with the latest technological trends," Lubrano says. "In this project, color is presented through the natural characteristics of materials. The garden level floor is a smooth but visually textured concrete. The upper floors are white-washed wood, allowing the grain to present itself. The walls were plastered to a perfect finish and the trim was painted in selected hues of white. The tactile nature of surfaces is very important."
The New Project Group renovated a cramped, uninviting space on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The company gave the 400-square-foot apartment a gut renovation, with a new kitchen and bathroom designed for efficiency. A parallelogram-shaped window pane, rescued from an architectural salvage yard, was outfitted with steel edges and casters, and repurposed as a coffee table.
The New Project Group renovated a cramped, uninviting space on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The company gave the 400-square-foot apartment a gut renovation, with a new kitchen and bathroom designed for efficiency. A parallelogram-shaped window pane, rescued from an architectural salvage yard, was outfitted with steel edges and casters, and repurposed as a coffee table.