Fifth Avenue Duplex

The 1912 McKim, Mead & White limestone Renaissance palazzo building was the neighborhood’s first luxury apartment building. Our art collector clients acquired a spacious duplex and committed to a full gut renovation. 

Key revisions included covering the Master Bedroom’s walls in textured gray-blue silk, and its ornate mantel was replaced with an elegantly minimal one in blue-veined white marble. The original two Living Rooms were split in half to create a Library with sleek millwork and in the other a cozy Study paneled and beamed in natural pine. The original millwork and plasterwork were so extravagant that adding heavy lacquer paint to the details updates the room with a modern feel. The iconic and widely published black and white Kitchen presents highly polished cabinetry, granite floors and countertops, and exacting details that result in a clean, balanced space to create meals with ease and flair.  A red L-shaped banquette, ideal for casual dining, provides a jolt of color. This chic home expresses a beautiful conversation between the architectural traditions inherent in the storied building’s original form with fanciful contemporary touches reflecting the lives of a young couple.

Architect: Arcologica Architecture
Designer: S.R. Gambrel
Photographer: Eric Piasecki