Maximizing Space, New York City
RETROFIT TEAM
ARCHITECT: PJCArchitecture
- Philip Consalvo, principal
- Nestor Rouyet
- Ana Teresa Calmon
- Nandar Godoy-Dinneen
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Quadrant Development Consultants
INTERIOR DESIGNER: Opaline Home
- SholehDjahanbani
MEP ENGINEER: Nearby Engineers
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Dunne & Markis Consulting Engineers, (718) 884-4647
MATERIALS
The following is a sampling of materials used in the project:
BALCONY DOORS: Kolbe Windows & Doors
ENTRY FLOOR: Eternity Circles in Carrara Marble from AKDO
PATIO: Seastone Grey Textured from AKDO
PLUMBING FIXTURES: House of Rohl
APPLIANCES: Sub-Zero and Thermador
LIGHT SYSTEMS, SHADES: Lutron
LIVING-ROOM LIGHT FIXTURE: Currey&Co.
SOFA AND DINING ROOM TABLE: Century
WALLPAPER: Phillip Jeffries
KITCHEN LIGHTING: Arteriors
THE RETROFIT
On East 82nd Street, entrenched in Manhattan’s historic “Museum Mile”, sits a five-floor, gilded-age townhouse previously utilized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the conservation and restoration of paintings. Interestingly, it also was a set location for Woody Allen’s film “Anything Else”.
Engaged by the building’s new homeowners to transform the building into a comfortable family residence, PJCArchitecture, in collaboration with Quadrant Development Consultants, undertook a gut renovation of the 6,500-square-foot space while maintaining the integrity of the home’s historic style.
From the outset, the homeowners conveyed their preference for a traditional aesthetic that would maintain the spirit of the time in which the townhouse was built. This directive afforded PJCArchitecture the opportunity to divert from its characteristic clean-lined, minimalist vocabulary and research townhouse architecture of the late 1800s to ensure proper attention to detailing and proportions.
The resulting home boasts six bedrooms, six bathrooms and a powder room. Challenged to fit all desired spaces into the building’s narrow width, PJCArchitecture navigated strict zoning requirements to extend the building to the rear of the property from the basement level to the fourth floor; the team also expanded the size of the smaller fifth floor to match the footprint of the rest of the building. PJCArchitecture reorganized the interior layout, creating open and airy spaces filled with natural light.
The small entry foyer that had connected to a first-level parlor was transformed into a more spacious foyer. Meanwhile, the parlor was relocated to the second level. The team also relocated the kitchen and dining spaces from the second floor to the rear of the first floor and combined them in an open-concept layout. The new kitchen spans the full width of the townhouse while the dining room connects directly to the rear yard, extending the house when the floor-to-ceiling doors on the rear façade are open.
The entry foyer leads to the core staircase, a key design element that runs from the first level to the fifth, featuring custom-fabricated spindles and balustrades, capped with a custom brass handrail. Also connecting all levels is a custom elevator that replaced the existing 1800s elevator cab and operating system that was no longer safe or reliable. Because modern elevator systems wouldn’t fit into the parameters of the existing shaft, the team designed a completely custom elevator.
At the rear of the second floor, a pair of Juliet balconies off the family room overlook the yard, furthering the indoor-outdoor connectivity. All six bedrooms—located on the third, fourth and fifth floors—are outfitted with en suite bath- rooms while the primary bedroom on floor four includes a bathroom, dressing room and flexible office space/seating area. In the basement, the family enjoys a media room, bathroom, laundry room, fitness room and storage rooms.
The interior furnishings were spearheaded by interior designer Sholeh Djahanbani, the creative force behind Opaline Home. In close collaboration with the clients, Djahanbani artfully fused their preferences and personalities, resulting in a harmonious symphony of colors, textures, and elements. Each hue was handpicked with meticulous care, reflecting the clients’ unique tastes and the desired ambiance of the house.
The collaborative design team elegantly converted this historic Upper East Side townhouse into a functional residence for a modern family while respecting and drawing design inspiration from the building’s original architecture.
PHOTOS: Bjorg Magnea
