The hasty renovation of this 1930s greystone turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When our clients bought the house, it had been stripped of its period details but given a contemporary vocabulary that invited us to do something inventive. With structural work and systems already updated, we started on a targeted intervention: reinstating key historic details like millwork and stone mantles, while layering in contemporary finishes and furnishings that gave the house the considered, lived-in quality it had been missing.

In a city home, spaces flow from front to back and must be beautiful and functional at every point along that axis. Here, the private rooms hew traditional — antique commodes and desks, vintage Italian pendants — while the shared spaces lean contemporary. The dining room brings the two into conversation: iconic midcentury pieces alongside antique French elements, striking enough to delight the eye but relaxed and functional, designed with everyday family meals in mind. The children received thoughtful personal touches in their bedrooms — aviation art for a plane-obsessed boy and a whimsical cloud wallpaper appropriate for growing twins. All six enjoy one of the home’s signature touches: a plush ten-foot sofa custom-made to hold them all at once.