Architecture Wednesday: The Old Ballroom

Now this is how you do a ballroom, you know …

This home was once a ballroom in a former Edwardian hotel on Loughborough Road in south-west London before being renovated into an expansive three-bedroom, three-bathroom 1880 square foot apartment.

Originally conceived as a grand hotel for the urban expansion of Lambeth, the building is nestled among grand Victorian and Edwardian villas that were built to accommodate merchants and clerks leaving the smog of the city. It was also a salsa club and an acrobat arena before it was converted into apartments in 2008 all while retaining its original decorative scheme and grandeur.

Situated on the first floor—what we call the second floor in America—the apartment has an amplified sense of volume with soaring ceilings and a number of mezzanine levels, as well as a stuccoed dome that provides a focal point; the dome was recently repainted and wired with atmospheric up-lighting.

The open plan kitchen features a charming outdoor terrace paved with chequerboard flags and catches the south-facing sun. It has plenty of room for a table and chairs as well as pots full of herbs and flowers for the horticulturally inclined.

The main reception area opens up to a double-height space finished in a pastel palette while light floods into the space via expansive sash windows, which have recently undergone a full restoration to improve energy efficiency. A working fireplace provides a central point for the sitting room while the main floor includes an office, a full bathroom and adjoining bedroom currently used as a nursery.

Upstairs, on the left mezzanine, is the primary bedroom suite, with intricate decorative period plasterwork stretching out overhead and along the upper part of the walls. The room also has dual-aspect windows looking over the front and side of the street as well as an en suite bathroom with a large tub edged in Moroccan tiles, a vanity and water closet.

On the opposite side of the upper story is a second bedroom suite, with windows to the front, built-in storage space and a separate en suite.

As always, click to emBIGGERate …

The Spaces

Architecture Wednesday: West Village Apartment

On Perry Street in the West Village is where contemporary design style meets historic bones in this turnkey two-bedroom, two-bathroom home featuring expansive interiors, triple exposures and a desirable split-bedroom layout in a boutique cooperative.

The moment you enter the residence, you find a spacious, airy ambiance rarely found in historic West Village homes. Dramatic barrel-vaulted brick ceilings soar 14 feet high over wide-plank hardwood floors, substantial millwork, oversized windows and Juliet balconies facing north, east and south. The gracious foyer is lined with floor-to-ceiling custom cabinetry.

Ahead, the open-plan great room invites you to relax and entertain alongside swaths of exposed brick, designer lighting, illuminated shelving niches, and a warm wood-burning fireplace. Sharing the space is the open kitchen, where custom cabinetry and marble surround stainless steel appliances, including a Miele gas range, cabinet-front refrigerator, dishwasher and Summit wine cooler. The oversized center island adds plenty of room for casual dining and conversation, while large glass doors frame southern sunlight. Opposite the kitchen is a table for eight and large windows open to the view.

Head to the owner’s suite to find a king-size bedroom with a roomy closet and its own sliding glass door and Juliet balcony. The en suite spa bathroom features a large soaking tub, rain shower, double vanity and illuminated medicine cabinets, all surrounded by floor-to-ceiling tile. A spacious secondary bedroom and a full guest bathroom complete the well-planned layout, while an in-unit washer-dryer and a deeded storage unit add comfort and convenience to this wonderful West Village sanctuary.

Built in 1905 and beautifully reimagined in 2017, 131 Perry Street is a stunning warehouse building featuring a striking corbelled brick facade with grand arches and a two-story tower reminiscent of medieval Italian design. The self-managed, 14-unit elevator co-op offers low monthly charges, part-time superintendent service, intercom entry, and private storage.

Located on a tree-lined Belgian-block street within the Greenwich Village Historic District, this home is surrounded by coveted West Village amenities such as Hudson River Park’s 500 acres of waterfront outdoor space and recreation, The High Line and Whitney Museum and iconic dining and nightlife venues such as Dante, White Horse Tavern and Magnolia Bakery.

Come up with $3M USD and you’ll be living in luxury.

Dwell

Architecture Wednesday: Jessica Chastain’s Gilded Age Manhattan Apartment

Once you enter the opulent lobby of the Osborne cooperative ... built between 1880 and 1885 ... you are transported back in time with its magnificent turn-of-the-century details … marble, mosaics, gilded surfaces and leaded glass, glistening carved wood details; the Tiffany glass was created by Louis Comfort Tiffany and is reputed to be Tiffany's first decorating job.

So, let’s head upstairs to 4B, the meticulously renovated crown jewel of the Osborne which has been renovated, updated and revived. The move-in ready four bedroom home’s Gilded Age details set the stage for a lifestyle of unparalleled luxury and sophistication. The sun-drenched living room has restored mahogany paneling, elaborately carved doorways and windows, and a very special bay window with Tiffany Studio-created leaded glass transoms. Additional details include plaster crown moldings, oak parquet floors, fourteen-foot ceilings, and one of five wood-burning fireplaces in the home. Adjacent, the parlor room evokes the grandeur of bygone days with a spectacular framed oak doorway with pocket doors and period hardware. Here is another of the five wood-burning fireplaces, this one with a more modern marble surround and wall treatment.

The living room, library and dining room all have raised and fielded paneling that accentuate the architectural beauty of the space including restored original wainscoting, pocket doors, leaded glass transoms, gorgeous oak flooring, original, restored plantation shutters, and much more.

The eat-in kitchen has a soaring fourteen-foot ceiling, a rolling ladder that’s both practical and a fun design element, plus a custom central island that provides a pop of color and functions as the kitchen’s main gathering space. Incredible storage is available in the custom quartersawn oak cabinets; top-of-the-line appliances are integrated with custom panels.

The en suite primary is a romantic space with another of the five wood-burning fireplaces and a wall of mirrored closets and a bespoke copper-soaking tub. The fully tiled bathroom includes a water closet, double sinks, walk-in shower and built-in vanity. Down the hallway are two additional bedrooms and full bathroom with large soaking tub. The sunny east-facing bedroom has a trio of windows with views to Carnegie Hall.

Apartment 4B has had an illustrious provenance, with previous tenants including Adam Guettel, composer for musical theater; Bobby Short, American cabaret singer and pianist: and Leonard Bernstein, iconic composer, conductor, and educator—a lineage perfect for the buyer who loves the aesthetic of Old Hollywood and the Gilded Age.

The Osborne is across from Carnegie Hall, one block to Central Park, proximate to Broadway theaters, the shops at Columbus Circle, scores of the best restaurants in the world and multiple subway and bus lines. Amenities include a newly renovated gym, building and bike storage, 24/7 doormen, resident building manager and a landscaped roof terrace with open city and Central Park views.

And for just $7.5M 

As always, click to emBIGGERate ...

Dwell