East 54th Street Residence

This gut renovation project combined two adjacent apartments into a two-bed, two-bath unit. The client desired a complete reimagining of the current space into a calm, serene refuge from which to live and work. The project met a number of challenges: the need for a hybrid office/guest bedroom, low ceilings, lack of proper lighting and a large, surprise building column close to the main foyer entry. The solution grew out of an initial desire to bring in as much natural light from the east facing windows as possible. This was accomplished through creating a series of openings at the kitchen and foyer, widening the main hallway circulation and utilizing a pair of translucent glass French doors for the office/guest bedroom. The surprise column was left exposed to become an architectural feature and allowed for a greater sense of openness not typically seen in the standard co-op. Emphasis of the finishes throughout the apartment were chosen for subtle warm tonal shifts in color and light.