Houzz Tour: A 1960s Apartment is Given a 21st Century Update
Before and after photos show how a new layout and fresh colour palette have turned a dated flat into a contemporary home
After years of renting, Tina Ramchandani and her husband, Ajay Swamy, were looking for an apartment to buy in New York City. They searched in areas such as Queens and New Jersey, looking for something that was within their budget and had enough space to accommodate a home office for Ramchandani’s interior design business.
A small notice in a local newspaper led them to the sale of a seventh-floor apartment in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village that had not been updated since the building was completed in the 1960s. Looking past the dated wood panelling, wallpaper and dark colours, Ramchandani was instantly smitten. Just four months after buying the property, she has transformed it into a fresh, modern space that she and Swamy love.
A small notice in a local newspaper led them to the sale of a seventh-floor apartment in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village that had not been updated since the building was completed in the 1960s. Looking past the dated wood panelling, wallpaper and dark colours, Ramchandani was instantly smitten. Just four months after buying the property, she has transformed it into a fresh, modern space that she and Swamy love.
Pale oak flooring and white walls throughout provide a clean, fresh backdrop for the transformed main open space, which includes the living room and hallway, as seen here. Ramchandani also reconfigured the kitchen to open onto the living room and tucked a flatscreen TV and media unit into a corner wall.
One large Roman blind, as opposed to three smaller ones for each window, provides privacy and visually lengthens the wall.
Ramchandani kept the furnishings simple and, except for artwork, used a neutral palette so the small interior wouldn’t be overwhelmed.
“We have a big family and entertain a lot,” she says, “so I designed a modular sofa for maximum seating.”
Walls painted in Super White, Benjamin Moore. Modular sofa, Home Interiors by Anthony Giaramita. White side table, West Elm. Console, Room & Board.
One large Roman blind, as opposed to three smaller ones for each window, provides privacy and visually lengthens the wall.
Ramchandani kept the furnishings simple and, except for artwork, used a neutral palette so the small interior wouldn’t be overwhelmed.
“We have a big family and entertain a lot,” she says, “so I designed a modular sofa for maximum seating.”
Walls painted in Super White, Benjamin Moore. Modular sofa, Home Interiors by Anthony Giaramita. White side table, West Elm. Console, Room & Board.
The renovated apartment’s pale, neutral colours not only visually enlarge the space, they serve a purpose in Ramchandani’s design business, which she runs from home. “I pick a lot of colours for my clients all day long,” she says. “My white surroundings don’t interfere with that.”
In a corner of the living room, furniture with slim, midcentury profiles keep things airy. The sofa’s cotton fabric appears as several shades of grey, depending on the light.
Sofa covered in fabric by Robert Allen. Chair, Suite New York. Coffee table, CB2. Pendant light, Flos.
In a corner of the living room, furniture with slim, midcentury profiles keep things airy. The sofa’s cotton fabric appears as several shades of grey, depending on the light.
Sofa covered in fabric by Robert Allen. Chair, Suite New York. Coffee table, CB2. Pendant light, Flos.
The dining area is in the same spot in this view of the entrance door from the living room. The doors to the coat cupboard and home office are on the far left.
The couple picked up the sofa’s cushions during a trip to Morocco.
The couple picked up the sofa’s cushions during a trip to Morocco.
A bespoke banquette invites you to linger around the dining table. The couple’s artwork has been collected over the years.
Banquette, Home Interiors by Anthony Giaramita. Dining table, RH. Panton chairs, Vitra. Pendant light, Flos.
Banquette, Home Interiors by Anthony Giaramita. Dining table, RH. Panton chairs, Vitra. Pendant light, Flos.
Ramchandani sealed off the kitchen’s original entrance on the right and placed the fridge against the new wall. She opened up the kitchen to the living room for easier entertaining. Removing the wall between the kitchen and the living room also flooded the interior with more natural light.
New high-gloss Poggenpohl units teamed with white Caesarstone worktops and splashback help bounce light into the space and complement the apartment’s uncluttered style. Unit doors on the Liebherr fridge and Miele dishwasher provide a seamless look.
Range cooker and microwave, Smeg. Sink, Blanco. Tap, Kohler, via Blackman Plumbing Supply. Ceiling light, Flos.
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New high-gloss Poggenpohl units teamed with white Caesarstone worktops and splashback help bounce light into the space and complement the apartment’s uncluttered style. Unit doors on the Liebherr fridge and Miele dishwasher provide a seamless look.
Range cooker and microwave, Smeg. Sink, Blanco. Tap, Kohler, via Blackman Plumbing Supply. Ceiling light, Flos.
Considering an all-white kitchen? Fall in love with these chic designs
While converting the kitchen, Ramchandani salvaged a strip of the original wallpaper and decided to frame it as a reminder of the apartment’s past life.
To create a new, serene bedroom, Ramchandani painted the walls a soothing pale grey and built a soffit above the window to hold new lighting and blackout shades. She also had the radiator painted the same colour as the walls to make it visually recede.
“The bedroom is actually a pretty good size,” she says. “We borrowed a few feet of space to create a new master wardrobe.”
Walls painted in Bunny Gray, Benjamin Moore.
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“The bedroom is actually a pretty good size,” she says. “We borrowed a few feet of space to create a new master wardrobe.”
Walls painted in Bunny Gray, Benjamin Moore.
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As in the rest of the house, furnishings and accessories were kept simple in the bedroom.
Bed, Serena & Lily. Bedside table, Pottery Barn. Bedside light, Circa Lighting.
Bed, Serena & Lily. Bedside table, Pottery Barn. Bedside light, Circa Lighting.
A hallway links the main bedroom to the bathroom through a doorway on the left. A walk-in wardrobe is behind the curtains.
Chest of drawers, West Elm. Mirror, One Kings Lane.
Chest of drawers, West Elm. Mirror, One Kings Lane.
Ramchandani moved the bathroom door so it opened onto a hallway off the main bedroom, adding privacy. She also replaced the bath with a walk-in shower. The step up allowed the couple to do the plumbing work within the apartment without having to access it via the neighbour’s bathroom below.
Vanity unit, RH. Worktop,
Caesarstone. Shower fixtures, Hansgrohe.
Vanity unit, RH. Worktop,
Caesarstone. Shower fixtures, Hansgrohe.
Grey, linen-textured tiles on the walls and floor add a tailored touch to the bathroom. The wraparound counter provides an extra surface next to the basin.
Taps, Brizo, via Blackman Plumbing Supply. Linear light, Sonneman.
Taps, Brizo, via Blackman Plumbing Supply. Linear light, Sonneman.
The floor plan after the remodelling shows how the alcove at the bottom became a home office. The bedroom’s wardrobe and the bathroom at the top left were reconfigured to create more storage and privacy.
What do you think of this converted 1960s apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
What do you think of this converted 1960s apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here Tina Ramchandani, an interior designer, and Ajay Swamy, a product leader
Location Greenwich Village, New York City, USA
Property A 1960s apartment
Size 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Design and build team Tina Ramchandani (interior designer) and Pegasus Realty Solutions (contractor)
After photos by Jacob Snavely
The apartment’s original interior, including the living room shown here, had parquet flooring, traditional furniture and, in other spaces, dark-coloured walls that created a sense of gloom.
“This apartment was on the market for a while,” says Ramchandani. “I think people took one look and couldn’t see past the surface things. I’ve done so many renovations that I wasn’t daunted. I saw a large central space for a living and dining area, and knew that it was an easy fix to move a few walls to get what we needed.”