MADISON AVENUE DUPLEX

This apartment renovation expands an apartment upward with a vertical combination. The homeowners’ existing first-floor apartment had been fully renovated and decorated by a team of developer, prominent Architect, and Televised Interior Designer. The spaces were appointed with very comfortable design but a fair amount of the plan was taken with formal living room, dining room, gallery and study-type spaces which left the kids to pile up with their things in the kitchen and relatively small bedrooms.

Our mission was to expand upward to create a ‘kids floor’, programming the space so children have their own domain to drop backpacks and hockey gear, paint and shoot mini hoops at whatever volume they desire. As the kids have grown the furnishings have shifted to allow the space to be repurposed as a den away from the main living room so the kids may play video games and movies at volumes suitable to teenagers without disturbing parents. A suite for visiting grandparents is close to the kids.

An important part of this project was the expanded architectural services provided to the homeowner to facilitate the complicated real estate transaction and the intense structural renovation needed to make this project a reality. We took on the project as the upper floor became available by the developer team, just as a portion of the interior fit-out was started by the developer. The combination effort was orchestrated by Rodman Paul Architects. As the combination expanded and became more involved the team pivoted to a more conventional bid model. Negotiations for this contract involved our expertise with the developer, building management, insurers, the NYC building department, the NYC Landmarks Commission, contractors, engineers and other vendors.

In the end, the apartment flows naturally from room to room with no evidence of any compromise. The spaces move from one to the next in an effortless way as a classic pre-war duplex should.

Interiors: TFI – Thom Filicia Interiors

Contractor: DiSalvo

Engineer: Silman