UWS Transitional Gut Reno & Apartment Combo
320 W 76th St, NYC
Project Overview
TYPE: Transitional Gut Renovation & Apartment Combination
LOCATION: Upper West Side (The Elliot at 320 W 76th St, NYC)
CONSTRUCTION DURATION: 6 months (Planning phase including Approvals and Permits 11 months)
Construction Duration for the Design Build Combination of 1 BR/1Bath apartment with 2 BR, 1 Bath: 6 months (Planning phase, including Approvals and Permits: 11 months). This project involved adding 4 through-the-wall AC units, replacing 1 (totaling 5), combining the 2-bedroom, 1-bath apartment (removing its gas kitchen), adding a powder bath, and merging it with the existing 1-bedroom, 1-bath apartment. The result is a 2,200 sq. ft., 3 BR, 2 1/2 Bath home with an entrance hall closed off with pocket doors for sound, a great foyer from the combined units, a sunken family room, a living room, a separate office closed off with a pocket door for sound/privacy and built-in storage, a wet bar, a powder room, and wall-to-wall radiator/AC covers/storage in almost every room—and more!
UWS Prewar Apartment Combination & Remodel at the Elliot
Paula McDonald Design Build & Interiors
The goal was to combine the apartments, utilizing every inch of space we could, creating the primary suite as one wing on the one-bedroom side, with the children’s room and guest bedroom on the opposite side. We expanded the kitchen, added a dining storage hutch off the sunken dining room, and created a large foyer by opening up the space between the two apartments and the sunken living room. The formal foyer was separated by two 8-foot pocket doors. Adding the through-the-wall AC units and the overall combination required board approvals, landmark approvals, full DOB plan reviews to pull DOB, mechanical, and plumbing permits. The building architect and engineering reviews and final co-op board approval took longer than we anticipated, with permits taking longer than expected, and then, logistics delays with materials—of course! Yet, we managed to finish the construction overall in 6 1/2 months.
Remodel Challenges at The Elliot, NYC
This was a complicated project for demo, with the 2 BR side being an estate-condition apartment that required ripping open walls to change the kitchen, moving the master bathroom over dry areas, and adding a powder bath off the foyer. Ripping up old wood floors and leveling between the apartments is always a challenge, along with adding bedrooms and closets, new radiators, and sleeves for condensers. We also created new openings for three 2-ton condensers through the walls and new duct runs to the air handler locations. Leveling subfloors was challenging, and we ripped out the estate-side floors to add new ones, matching the existing apartment’s Prewar details. We finished the floors with a beautiful provincial stain and satin finish.
Paula McDonald Design Build & Interiors installed custom-built wall-to-wall covers, with the most difficult being for the condensers in two bedrooms. The project involved complete rewiring on the 2-bedroom apartment side to integrate load balancing between apartments, dropped ceilings, new crown moldings, tons of built-ins, and new plumbing for the powder bath (capping the gas meter and removing the piping). We updated the hall bathroom, added wallpaper accent walls in specific rooms, reconfigured the layout with new pocket doors, made closet changes, created new door openings, and installed new doors and door hardware. Every detail—from baths to trim—was executed to perfection!
Paula McDonald Design Build & Interiors installed matching new oak floors (2 1/4”) with a herringbone field and borders in the foyer, framed the floor with borders in the living room/dining room, and included flush saddles (one of my must-haves), while maintaining the natural floor finish throughout. We added crown molding, straightened the ceiling beams, changed the steps, and installed all new base moldings and door casings to create a crisp, tailored finish. Every room has custom built-ins to hide the AC and radiators, with integrated Vanilla Noir or Calacatta Nuvo Caesarstone tops to complete this Prewar transformation into a great family home!
Transitional Gut Renovation Transformation into a Contemporary UWS Prewar Oasis
Coupled with extremely difficult approvals by management and DOB permitting, Paula McDonald Design-Build & Interiors was able to transform this apartment into an amazing, classic Prewar apartment that truly feels like a home in the city. We know that the clients were truly amazed at how we created their gorgeous New York City home with their specific input, perfectly suited to their lifestyle and tastes, despite challenges at every step of the way! It exceeded both our expectations!!
Prewar Apartment Reno Videos – Before & After, Walkthroughs
For those of you who love the ups and downs of renovation transformations, don’t miss my prewar project playlists featuring before and after videos of some of my most challenging prewar apartment renovations, and a prewar walkthrough video playlist too.
If you love this UWS Transitional Gut Reno & Apt Combo as much as we do, and you’re ready to renovate, contact Paula McDonald Design Build & Interiors today!