This stunning Gramercy Park Apartment is located on a top floor in one of Manhattan's favorite neighborhoods-- the East Village. The family of four contacted bSTUDIO with the wish to enlarge the space for better circulation and for accommodating the everyday life of a couple and their two small daughters.
In order to fulfill the needs of a young active family the whole layout had to be completely revised in order to create an open kitchen/dining/living room with two large bedrooms, a closet, and a TV/guest room. Wooden beams were revealed during demolition and exposed in the living and dining areas. All walls, floors, and ceilings were replaced or refinished and the bathroom and the kitchen were gutted. With the exception of the refrigerator, all plumbing fixtures and appliances are new.
As the family prides itself on its extensive book and eclectic art collections, coming up with a smart and practical storage solution became a challenge. The custom built-in millwork was thus designed along the bedroom, living room, dining room walls to provide enough display, necessary storage, and easy access to the beloved items.
The priority was also to design a space in which the children could apply their creativity, play, and learn in challenging ways. The clients read daily with their daughters, so the TV space and other entertainment was moved to an isolated room in order to keep the rest of the room distraction-free. Additionally, a chalkboard wall was installed in the kitchen for the daughters to draw on or as a place for jotting down recipes and shopping lists.
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