East 81st St, NY, NY

Apartment renovations in large buildings built in NYC during the 70s that were originally rental apartments are the most challenging to transform to the owner's vision. The building's original design and construction is grounded in investment parameters that had little to do with design, amenities, and spacial considerations we see in today's newer buildings. Small, cookie cutter approach to the room layouts, narrow galley kitchens and poor construction is the starting point. Removing walls to open the kitchen/dining/living room area and reconfiguring intercom risers was the first hurdle. It required floor level considerations, conduit lines reconfigured and tested for the relocated intercom system, seamless transitioning from the new travertine flooring in the kitchen to the teak wider planked flooring surrounding this new open area and the rest of the apartment.

The second impasse arose while reconfiguring the sink and toilet orientation in the bathroom. We had to design the bath relocation of the sink and turn the toilet to face the shower instead of the bathroom door without having to change the bathroom to meet ADA compliance. This meant not being able to enlarge it as we planned, while still converting the tub to a shower. Tub to shower conversion required breaking into the bathroom below ours to change the waste pipe drain to 2 inches.

Metal cased doors were all removed, and replaced with new single panel beautiful doors with a modern baseboard and casing installed throughout the apartment. All closets were reconfigured (size, shape) and wall to wall radiator and air conditioner covers installed to match cherry kitchen cabinetry. The wall color palette was integrated throughout the apartment to feel light and open, even though the ceiling height was constricting. The bathroom materials and kitchen materials selected balanced the contrast of the color and texture in the surrounding material. Stone selection in the bath and kitchen brought old world jerusalem gold and travertine into a transitional design that supported modern interior decor.

The end result was a transformation that exceeded the owner's imagination and created an environment (open loft) not expected in this type of apartment. Even though her second home on the island was her escape, this apartment became her primary retreat... and a wonderful space to call home!