LOCATION: Upper West Side, Manhattan, NYC

DESIGN, STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY: Fareez Giga Design

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: We completely transformed this classic, pre-war apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side through considered architectural interventions that help to redefine the space.

The kitchen, previously blocked off from the dining and living rooms, is now open to both with the removal of a dividing wall. Doing so allowed us to create a new peninsula with increased counter space as well as additional seating bordering the dining room. The peninsula, along with new custom cabinetry, help to define the edge of the kitchen as a room, while the wood floors of the apartment now seamlessly flow through the kitchen, blurring the edge of that spatial definition. The kitchen features new custom cabinetry throughout with rich, rift cut walnut doors that create a sense of coziness and warmth. White quartz counters and a Carrara marble herringbone backsplash add a touch of brightness to the new wooden kitchen, while the minimal brass pulls and brass faucet add a hint of a sparkle to the space.

The bathroom is similarly transformed through the deletion of a wall between the vanity and the tub. We kept the layout of the fixtures the same, but dramatically increased the usable area and storage through careful fixture and finish selections. While the space was not large enough for a double vanity, we were able to add a wide sink with two faucets. A new glass divider separates the tub and shower from the vanity allowing natural light to now flow from one end of the room to the other. This custom glass panel also features a special detail — a small half-moon sized notch cut at its edge, allowing the custom brass pipe shower curtain rod to slip past the glass and connect up to the ceiling. White subway tile is used in a vertical stack pattern, a nod to the history of the apartment while making a modern statement. New niches in the tub and shower area increase storage for soaps and bathroom items, while glass shelves above the toilet add in additional areas for even more storage and display. Panel molding is added to the final wall to add texture to the space, defining areas for the brass and stone towel hooks to hang. The gray tile floor is mimicked on the ceiling through a painted gray ceiling, shortening this narrow space and helping to redefine its proportions.