Gut renovations -- aptly named to describe the stripping down of a space to its bare bones and starting fresh, and the visceral fortitude forged with each decision leading up to the finish line -- are exhausting. But the payoff is the drama of the before and after. Particularly when the "before" describes a decrepit warren of creepy rooms that are nearly impossible to recognize as a home, the "after" feels like a hard-won victory.
In my most recent West Village project in NYC, rescuing a neglected space and updating it with new fixtures and finishes was the easy part. My clients challenged me to carve out two bedrooms and two bathrooms, an en suite master bath with double vanity, and a second bathroom with a full tub, space for a washer and dryer, a functional (although perhaps not often utilized) kitchen, dining space, ample closet space, and of course a comfortable living room -- all in just under 1000 s.f. In a coop landmarked building. Whoa.
Let's just zoom forward, past the iterations, past the approval process, past the second-guessing, past the drama with the contractor. Let's fast forward to today, where maybe we are still working out some punch list items, but where we have achieved what we set out to do.
I'm excited to share the beautiful photos, taken by Emily Sidoti.
The view from the entry/dining into the guest bedroom and galley kitchen. The chevron floor, select grade white oak finished with a very light gray stain, and the clean mouldings lend texture and balance to the newness of the austere white walls.
The tiny galley kitchen accommodates a 30" Wolf stove, a built-in wine refrigerator, an appliance pantry, and a 30" Sub-Zero integrated refrigerator/freezer. Dressing up the kitchen with modern flat panel rift cut oak cabinetry and a thick marble counter offsets the fact that you pass through it to get to the living room. A cased opening to the kitchen adds another layer of detail and articulates the space.
Capturing hallway space between the two apartments was the gesture that allowed us to get so much into the space.
Behind the tall door is the stacked washer/dryer unit. (It's a condenser dryer, not vented to the exterior). You can see it peeking out below the door -- I had to get photos before the punch list items were complete!
We salvaged the original fireplace mantles in a nod to the apartment's past. The two living room windows get amazing southwest light and face a quiet interior courtyard.
Here is the before shot, where you can see a little bit of the conditions when we started the project; note, it's the real estate shot, which you know means it was worse in person.
Pocket doors in the master bedroom save precious floor space.
The second bathroom right off the entry could easily double as parking for strollers...key for families in the west village!
We had been worried that the second bedroom would feel as small as it is, but the high ceilings, natural light, light floors, and clean mouldings make for a perfect second bedroom or home office.
Check out more photos here!
