RIVER HOUSE

The River House building is one of our favorite residential buildings. The landmarked Art Deco by William Lawrence Bottomley is known for its superb proportions and details. When the clients approached us to renovate their duplex apartment, we urged them to take a more conservative approach.

While outdated, the space retained much of its original architecture. In order to create the spacious family setting that the clients wanted, we combined the small staff rooms and undersized kitchen to create one large, modern kitchen that could serve as the heart of the apartment. Though modernized, the new kitchen features interpretations of many of the original architectural details.

Throughout the apartment, we replaced the worn flooring with new hardwood, and soapstone with bronze inlay for the entry. The original staircase was refurbished, bringing it back to its original grandeur. Where historic plaster moldings had degraded in the living and dining rooms, we recreated them, retaining the space's original design intention.

These thoughtful renovations preserve the flow of the original footprint, and the historic architecture of the spaces. The clients now enjoy an updated, family-oriented apartment that maintains the spirit that Bottomley intended.

Completed in 2015