Houzz Tour: Prewar Manhattan Condo Puts Everything in Its Place
Minimalist lines, clever storage and no-fuss furniture keep this renovated condo running smoothly for a young family
The design team had little work to do in the dining room besides constructing a new built-in for the radiator under the window. The built-in includes cabinets on both sides of the radiator that the owners use like a buffet to store tableware.
The rest of the space includes freshly painted white walls that work well to highlight a large family photograph and a framed newspaper clipping. Cannell says the owners selected the molded wood dining chairs because they are easy to wipe down. “With two young kids, all the furniture had to be easy to clean,” she says.
The rest of the space includes freshly painted white walls that work well to highlight a large family photograph and a framed newspaper clipping. Cannell says the owners selected the molded wood dining chairs because they are easy to wipe down. “With two young kids, all the furniture had to be easy to clean,” she says.
No-fuss furnishings played an even larger role in the living room, where the family spends most of its time together. A cowhide ottoman serves as a soft-cornered coffee table, while the two midcentury-inspired light blue sofas are what Cannell calls “starter sofas.” “They work great for now and they’re pretty inexpensive, so if the kids spill on them, it’s not the end of the world,” she says.
Browse cowhide ottomans
Browse cowhide ottomans
The large custom built-in covers an entire wall of the living room, providing plenty of storage, bookcases and a spot to conceal media equipment. The center cabinet opens to reveal a desktop computer that also serves as a TV screen.
The cabinet doors for the built-in were created by furniture maker Michael Iannone. The doors feature a forest scene with bamboo insets of trees and wildlife. The rest of the built-in is made out of high-gloss laminate.
Design Debate: Should You Use Books for Decoration?
The cabinet doors for the built-in were created by furniture maker Michael Iannone. The doors feature a forest scene with bamboo insets of trees and wildlife. The rest of the built-in is made out of high-gloss laminate.
Design Debate: Should You Use Books for Decoration?
The narrow bathroom works hard for the family of four, but a clever design makes it manageable. The narrow custom bathtub allows the owners to give their young kids baths, while a wall-mounted shower head and three built-in niches let the parents take a shower with bath products within easy reach.
Find a bathroom designer on Houzz
Find a bathroom designer on Houzz
The master bathroom is another minimalist space with freshly painted white walls and a collection of midcentury-inspired furniture. The design team again built a custom surround for the radiator under the window, but instead of cabinets, this surround features open shelves on both sides of the radiator.
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Condo at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with two young kids
Location: Upper West Side, New York City
Size: About 1,600 square feet (149 square meters); two bedrooms, one bathroom
Designer: Weetu
The owners of this prewar condominium in a high-rise building in New York City’s Upper West Side neighborhood are busy professionals with two children and a strong desire for having everything in its place. “They wanted the place to fit together like a puzzle piece,” says designer Carly Cannell. “Every design detail needed to have a function.”
Since the condo is in a large multiunit building, relocating plumbing was a no-go, so the galley kitchen and the narrow bathroom had to remain. Cannell’s task, therefore, was to make the most of every square inch. The designer transformed a former pantry closet on the left side of the kitchen into a custom built-in featuring a cabinet to house the microwave and a bookshelf above to store cookbooks.
The owners prefer clean, crisp lines and white walls, allowing the occasional jolt of color to demand even greater attention. In the kitchen, that jolt comes from the bright orange gas range that the couple received as a wedding gift. The rest of the kitchen is white, including the Corian countertops, subway tile backsplash and glossy spray-finished cabinets.
Find orange gas ranges on Houzz