Spacious units are tough to find in prewar Manhattan condo buildings, in which walls and doors typically divide every room. But with the help of architect Matthew Miller, the proprietors of the unit transformed their 1,400-square-foot condominium by combining it with a neighboring studio. Miller reconfigured and opened the floor plan, producing slick multipurpose spaces for entertaining, storage and overnight guests.
He started by moving the living room and the kitchen close to the windows that were adjoining, filling those essential areas with light and updating the interior design. Before,”my clients did not really invest in anything that their kids could ruin,” he says. “But their kids are older now, so they felt like it was time to renovate — and rebrand — their home entirely.”
at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their 2 kids, ages 12 and 16
Location: New York City
Size: 2,000 square feet
That’s intriguing: This really is really a Vantage”smart home,” meaning that the homeowners may control the air conditioning, and lighting and solar shades remotely.
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The southern window fills the relocated living room with light. Wide-planked, gray-stained walnut flooring adds to the airy feel.
Sectional: Zanotta; floors: LV Floors
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LED cove ceiling lights lead the attention to the living room from the hallway. The sectional’s open arrangement expands the expansive, loft-like feel.
Built-in seating and concealed underbench storage make for a slick mudroom.
Before Photo
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BEFORE: “Before you would walk into an area that essentially had a box about ityou’d walk into the dining room or the living room and close a door behind you,” says Miller.
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AFTER: The architect produced a loft-like feel by opening the chambers to another while still decorating out various activity areas. Dropped or cove ceilings signal transitions from 1 distance to the next.
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“We had some extra space that we could have added to the dining room, but we determined that the distance will best serve the family as a practical addition. So we made it into a concrete-box home workplace, which also transitions to a media room,” says Miller.
Dining chairs: Cassina; dining table: Matthew Hilton
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Installing the unit’s centralized air conditioning — making it that the building’s first and only centralized unit — posed a struggle for Miller. He says,”The condominium board scrutinized us for the central AC installation. We hired an acoustical engineer to analyze the noise impact and also a structural engineer to analyze the vibration”
Additionally, coordinating the AC installation without really seeing the condenser components (concealed in one of the kids’ rooms) proved challenging. “But we are really happy with the final result. The AC is quiet, and the concealed linear diffusers from where air spills out aren’t the least bit intrusive,” says Miller.
Here, a horizontal ceiling slit in the home office gives the only visual cue of the diffuser.
Before Photo
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BEFORE: The older kitchen captured a moment in mid-’80s design.
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AFTER: Like he did with the living room, Miller transferred the kitchen beside the southern window where it gets lots of light — so much so that aerodynamic solar shades sometimes sheath the chimney. Walnut-veneered cabinetry lends the bright and white kitchen a warm, comfy appeal. Informal gatherings and dinners frequently happen around the L-shaped bar table.
Kitchen chairs: Arper; fixtures, accessories, plumbing: AF Provide; kitchen counter: Ceasarstone; shades: Somfy Motorized Shades
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A barely visible line to the remaining framed photo marks a door which conceals a stacked washer and dryer. The light timber door on the left leads to the guest bath; the pocket door on the right, generally open when guests aren’t around, leads to the kids’ bedrooms.
BEFORE: A mishmash of towels and other toiletries visually cluttered the guest bathroom.
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AFTER: A custom designed built-in over the toilet and custom vanity cabinetry give visually attractive storage options from the recently renovated bath.
Glass tile: Ann Sacks; toilet: Toto
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A loft bunk bed adds additional room for weekend sleepovers. Sky-blue walls bring bright color to the home’s largely neutral palette.
Bed: Room & Board; ceiling fan: Minka Aire
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Underbed drawers give more space-saving storage options. Regardless of the robots, toys and framed prints, this tween boy room can quickly transition into a cozy guest bedroom.
Blink and you could just miss the AC condensor components beneath the window, thanks to Miller’s signature brushstroke of sleek, concealed and unobtrusive design.
Bed: Modu-licious, Blu Dot; ceiling fan: Minka Aire
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