Stuyvesant Townhouse

How do you give new life to an old house? This is the question we had in mind when we started the design for a hundred-year-old limestone townhouse in the Stuyvesant Heights landmark district. The design strives to maintain the historic character of the house while accommodating a modern lifestyle. The choice of finishes, fixtures, and furniture strives to blend modern and traditional elements to create a sophisticated, yet hip, living environment for the client who is a young professional active in the art and design fields. It was important to maintain the original details of the plaster moldings, wood panels, and period elements that have lasting beauty and embody the history of the house while incorporating the openness and transparency associated with contemporary living. The compartmentalized layout of the original house was altered to cultivate an environment that promotes connections and conversations. The original dumbwaiter shaft was transformed into a light well bringing natural light into the center of the house and down to cellar level. The relocation of a half bathroom created a new opportunity to connect the kitchen and outdoor garden space. The extension of an originally separate bathroom into the new master bedroom helped to carve out space for a second bathroom. The choice of new cherry wood panels used throughout the project echoes the existing mahogany wood panelling while lightening the overall color of the space and revealing the richness of the natural wood grains.