interiors ALLISON CACCOMA, INC.
builder HOBBS, INCORPORATED
First of all, this home makes quite an entrance.
The entry was designed to be more of a grand experience by entering immediately from the front stoop into the quintessential New York townhouse “parlor” room, and the front door is a custom color mix done by the client. He has a wonderful eye and had the painter mix in a bit of black to the blue.
What is your history with this client?
This is the fourth home I’ve decorated for this client, and his taste has evolved over the years. Our first project was a beautiful home with a similar design approach, but leaning more toward the traditional. He now favors a more modern approach, which I love to temper with restraint, and this home is a true balance. He purchased this townhouse for the next chapter of his life, and it was a complete renovation. He has three kids who are high-school- and college-age, so they’re a little bit older, and this house was very much designed to accommodate them as well.
Tell me about the home.
It’s in the West Village on a beautiful, tree-lined street. It was built in 1899, and its Italianate-style façade is landmarked, so it was left untouched and slightly restored. The house is 3,600 square feet with four bedrooms and four and a half baths, and it’s five full living stories. There’s a rooftop deck and garden, and a very small terrace garden in the back as well. The client bought the townhouse as is and immediately knew he wanted to renovate it. The interior was completely rebuilt and restored.
What was the design concept for both the architecture and the interior decoration?
It was to create a contemporary yet classical interior. The previous owners had done a much more modern renovation, and we wanted to bring it back to classicism and what it would have looked like back in the early 1900s. Our design is a reference to classical architecture with more contemporary details, but it’s more in keeping with what the townhouse would have looked like back when it was built. Historic preservation was important to us, but interpreted in today’s design.
How did you do that?
We maintained the integrity of the townhouse by bringing back the crown and base moldings, adding an elegant, open stair and removing awkward soffits by reconfiguring the plumbing, electric and ductwork. We also did everything we could to gain as many inches in height and width. Our effort was not so much in terms of the decorating but in the architecture.
At what stage did you enter the project?
David Hottenroth, the architect, had already done the preliminary design, which ended up being the final design, and I was brought in very early on in the process. David, Hobbs, Incorporated, and I have all worked together before, so it was a very easy process. David specified a lot of the finished materials, and my client and I worked with him to make final decisions. The renovation immediately took on a life of its own in regard to opening up the space, and that had much to do with David. He does a lot of townhouses in New York, so he knew exactly how to achieve more space with what we had. He’s an amazing architect and does a magical job combining classical architecture and classical elements to create a contemporary space. And by virtue of him being part of this renovation, we came up with the final product. He’s a master.
You enter the townhouse on the parlor level. What changes were made?
David reconfigured the ceiling on this level to add six inches, which was a lot. We cleaned up soffits and plumbing to make it a more true ceiling height. We also did a glass balcony on this level, which opens down to a double-height ceiling in the family room. This balcony is a contemporary feature that complements the more classical elements. It was the client’s idea to keep that as a glass balcony so the view is open to the back of the townhouse, which has a double-height steel-and-glass window wall. That was part of the previous owners’ more modern renovation, and we would never have been able to do that now due to today’s codes. We loved it and thought it was fantastic.
The new staircase looks completely different from the previous one!
That was a major part of the construction, and it opens up the entire townhouse. The original stair was a closed-in, walled stairway, and it was very rectilinear. We completely took that out, and David, who is a master at these elegant staircases, designed a curving, very gracious stair that runs the entire height of the townhouse, from the ground level all the way up to the rooftop deck. On the parlor level, the stair going up was next to the stair going down. The architect stacked the stairs on top of one another, allowing us to gain three feet of width on both the parlor floor and the garden floor. It has a mahogany stair rail with a beautiful French polish on it, and the balustrade is waxed steel to keep it very light and thin; when you’re in such a small space, you don’t want anything bulky. All of these elements were brand new. “Sinuous” is the word I like to use to describe the stair because it’s so elegant.
On the garden level, did you reconfigure the kitchen or family room in any way?
We left everything as is. We were able to reconfigure the architecture to add ceiling height in the kitchen, but that was really the only change. We raised it from seven feet, three inches, to seven feet, nine inches. It’s still very low, but that’s why six inches was a lot!
Heading back upstairs, what changes did you make to the second floor?
The entire second floor is the master suite, and we completely reconfigured it. We moved the bedroom from the back of the building to the front. The thought was that the light would be more beautiful, and it’s a very pretty view looking out onto a very old synagogue and the tops of the trees. We then moved the bathroom and dressing rooms to the back.
How did the master bath come together?
We wanted a very clean look—none of us on the team particularly cared for a lot of detail in tile or stone; we liked to keep it simple and elegant. The client loved the tub, and in the cabinetry, David did this detail, a nickel inlay, in the recessed doors and drawers. It’s a very beautiful, modern touch on a more traditional design. If you look at the shape of the tile on the wall, it’s also a modern take on a more traditional pattern.
What were some of the materials and finishes used throughout?
David and I worked on those together, so it was a collaborative effort. On the parlor floor, next to the dining table, is a magnificent bar. There used to be a fireplace there, and we removed it and created this bar. The finish on the cabinetry is faux shagreen made by the woodworker who did the French polish on the mahogany stair rail. The bar has a slight Deco influence. The floors on the parlor level and garden level are chevron-patterned white oak, and the bedrooms are all wall-to-wall carpeting. The master bedroom has beautiful blue-lacquered walls. There is also a magnificent Venetian plaster finish on the walls in all of the open spaces, from the front door into the parlor, downstairs in the family room and kitchen, and all the way up the stairs. I immediately knew I wanted to use Venetian plaster because it was a lot of open wall space, and we needed something of interest on those walls. The plaster gives you not only movement but sheen. It makes for a much more interesting, warm space.
Looking at the home overall, how did you approach the interior design?
The original decorating was more modern. I focused on a more transitional approach by using current fabrics with traditional patterns (like damask curtains), bringing in more clear colors and mixing in antiques.
Did you incorporate any existing pieces?
Most of the furniture was the client’s from previous homes that we repurposed. He was moving out of another place, so some things were from storage, some were from where he had been living. All of the materials were new, so the bedrooms, for instance, were all completely new. The furniture we repurposed is mostly on the parlor level and in the family room. There are nods to midcentury design in the parlor and family room as part of the successful mix.
Where was the artwork sourced?
My client has an impeccable eye, and he has a fabulous collection of photos that add a layer of art that lends a more modern feel. The two pieces above the sofa on the parlor floor are part of a triptych; they’re two of three pieces he commissioned from an artist in Connecticut. He had it in a previous home, but we only had room for two of them.
Did you have any challenges completing this renovation?
The biggest obstacle for me in terms of decorating was making sure things could get in the door and up the stairs. I’ve had plenty of projects in New York where something doesn’t fit, and we had to pop out a window and use cranes; we go to all sorts of lengths to get things in. But, to the best of my knowledge, everything went through the front door. The tub, which was extraordinarily heavy and crated, was carried up the stairs. But a funny story about the tub—when it arrived, we were in the middle of a site meeting. The foreman said, “I want to make sure it’s the right tub before we go through the effort of bringing it upstairs.” He checked it out on the sidewalk, and it was the wrong tub! These are the things you learn by experience.
How would you describe this home now?
Elegant and timeless. The townhouse doesn’t feel particularly modern or traditional. The interiors will now stand the test of time, as the townhouse has for 118 years!
RESOURCES
Interior designer: Allison Caccoma, Inc., San Francisco, Ca.; 415-678-5449; allisoncaccoma.com
Architect: David Hottenroth, Hottenroth + Joseph Architects, New York City, NY; 212-941-1900; hjnyc.com
Builder: Hobbs, Incorporated, New Canaan; 203-966-0726; hobbsinc.com
Decorative painter: Artgroove, New York City, NY; 212-244-7199; artgroovenyc.com