Many nineteenth century townhouses built originally as single family residences for the upper middle class were divided in the 1970’s and 1980’s into condominiums for professional individuals and couples. Rarely did the design or construction of these newly partitioned interiors undertaken as speculative developments match the quality of the original details.
Such is the case with this penthouse – see the existing photographs below. Renovations underway here include a complete replacement of the three story interior stair, reshaping the stairwell, replacement of all light fixtures, creation of a new bar with full appliances, and renovation of all closets to include new built in millwork.

The design challenge in this project is to develop details and a language for our interventions that are compatible with and respectful of the original interiors, but which are also subtly contemporary and acknowledge the true evolving history of the house.