Upper West Side Townhouse
New York, NY
The Story
THE CHALLENGE: Create big changes on a tight budget. Including adding central air, and creating a large Prime Bathroom and plenty of closets in the Prime Suite.
THE CLIENT: A Real Estate Professional and a Special Education Teacher leaving the suburbs found their ideal home, an investment property with an owner’s apartment.
Gut Renovation + Full Services
photos: Eduard Hueber © Archphoto.com
THE TRANSFORMATION: We stripped away elements from multiple renovations to reveal the light and views of this garden apartment; now the entertaining spaces flow together. We created a spacious Prime Bathroom and a wall of closets for the Prime Suite.
HONORABLE MENTION BLT Design Awards: Architectural Design / Residential Category.
BEFORE The narrow Entry is only a corridor due to the large closet on the right
AFTER We made the Entry more open and more welcoming. We evaluated the distribution of space and storage and created more habitable space.
AFTER We made the Entry more open and more welcoming. We evaluated the distribution of space and storage and created more habitable space.
![2_14w95_0101_Tcrop_1200x1600_SC A teak paneled wall A divides the minimalist stair from the Entry. The low ceiling at the Entry is made higher with a recessed oval architectural light; wide wood floorboards connect the spaces.](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2_14w95_0101_Tcrop_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
We reduced architectural clutter and made the Entry-level feel bigger. We enhanced the feeling of openness when we replaced the stepped sheetrock wall with a blackened steel railing.
BEFORE Poor lighting, wall-to-wall carpet, and ornamental sheetrock construction obscure the spaciousness of this groundfloor apartment.
AFTER We made this narrow Living Room feel more expansive. We used light and materials to create the experience of more depth for each view.
AFTER We made this narrow Living Room feel more expansive. We used light and materials to create the experience of more depth for each view.
![4c_14w95_0303_REVISED_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC the Dining Area, Kitchen, and garden are below, and The wide cabinet with miniature carved wood animals is now on the left](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/4c_14w95_0303_REVISED_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
We removed all elements that obscured the garden and we emphasized the apartment’s connection with nature by introducing natural materials to break up the sheetrock.
BEFORE This light-filled room does n and t live up to its potential
AFTER We maximized views and storage when we removed the sheetrock that obscured this jewel-box Kitchen. We increased storage capacity and added custom teak cabinetry that blends the transition between the Kitchen and the Dining Room.
AFTER We maximized views and storage when we removed the sheetrock that obscured this jewel-box Kitchen. We increased storage capacity and added custom teak cabinetry that blends the transition between the Kitchen and the Dining Room.
![5c_14w95_0404_REVISED__Tcrop_1200x1600_SC A ribbon of windows wraps this Kitchen which reaches into the garden.](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5c_14w95_0404_REVISED__Tcrop_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
We created a gem. A ribbon of windows wraps this Kitchen which reaches into the garden. The swirls of the Manhattan granite, the satin mirrored backsplash, sleek flat fronts of the teak cabinets, and black slate floor bring the outside in.
![6_14w95_0306_REVISED_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/6_14w95_0306_REVISED_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
We designed this large Dining Room to make entertaining easy, with ample storage for hosting large family gatherings.
BEFORE Lacked inspiration
AFTER We worked with and enhanced the existing architecture.
AFTER We worked with and enhanced the existing architecture.
![9_14w95_0406_LANDING-REVISED_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC At dusk, the house glows; the galley Kitchen projects out from the double-height glass facade of the rear of the townhouse.](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/9_14w95_0406_LANDING-REVISED_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
We created an inviting home by using warm materials that invite the outside in.
![10_14w95_0103.2_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC View up a staircase with light from the garden visible through the railing](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/10_14w95_0103.2_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC-scaled.jpg)
We connected the stair up to the bedroom level to the views and light of the entertaining spaces. We removed a stepped sheetrock enclosure and added an open blackened steel railing with wood treads to match the new floor.
![11_14w95_0105_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC A 25’ wall of full height cabinets lines the wall from the door to the window over the garden.](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/11_14w95_0105_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
A wall of full-height storage leads to the Main Bedroom
![12_14w95_0202_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC table and contrasting wall color frame the bed. A pocket door connects the Main Bedroom with its glowing white ensuite bathroom.](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/12_14w95_0202_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
The bedroom is a calm retreat.
![14_14w95_0203 VERTICAL Left_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC A glowing white bathroom with a double sink on the left, a double shower and pullout storage for towels and toiletries reflected in the mirror above the sinks, a tube in the center on the back wall of the bathroom](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/14_14w95_0203-VERTICAL-Left_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
We created a gracious, spacious ADA-accessible bathroom with a double shower, a double sink, and plenty of storage – of course!
![15_14w95_0205_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC A textured white tile-clad double shower has a built-in bench on the left and a full-width niche for shower supplies with an accent of clear glass tile.](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/15_14w95_0205_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
The double shower accommodates busy schedules, and romance too. We included a built-in shower seat and a long storage niche for comfort and convenience.
![16_14w95_0402_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC A narrow bathroom with materials that match the finishes of the Living and Dining Rooms, teak vanity with flamed black granite countertop and floors, extra -long white subway tiles in a staggered pattern](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/16_14w95_0402_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
We created a custom sink cabinet for this expanded ½ bath downstairs. We added a shower.
![17_14w95_05030_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC The off-white sandstone townhouse from the street, with a classic stoop, the upper stories partly hidden by the delicate leaves of Spring.](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/17_14w95_05030_Tcrop_72_1200x1600_SC.jpg)
Our clients moved from the suburbs to their forever home in this classic 19th-century townhouse
Learn our Healthy
Gut Renovation Process
![Allegra Kochman Architecture Logo Allegra Kochman Architecture Logo](https://akainsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/aka-1.png)
ALLEGRA KOCHMAN ARCHITECTURE
404 Riverside Drive NY, NY 10025
Phone: 212.316.3934
www.AllegraKochmanArchitecture.com