Architecture And Design

Long Island City isn't known as a neighborhood of historic townhomes--especially considering all the new development--but it does boast the impressive Hunters Point Historic District, lined with incredible residential architecture. One such building in the historic district is the Italianate townhouse at 21-20 45th Avenue built by developers Root and Rust in 1870. It's now on the market for $3.5 million. According to the listing, the exterior use of Westchester stone--a durable sandstone resembling marble--"has allowed this and other townhouses along the row to survive almost 150 years looking almost as good as the day they were built." Inside, there's tin ceilings, marble mantels and exposed brick, as well as a sunroom that leads out to a truly incredible backyard.
Go see it

May 16, 2017

Bates Masi’s passive Hamptons house boasts a twisted canvas facade

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Adjacent to a preserve full of rolling sand dunes and low bushes of Long Island's south shore (the secluded area is said to once have been used as a film location for desert scenes in silent movies), this passive vacation home by Bates + Masi Architects named "Amagansett Dunes" takes full advantage of its setting. A unique facade of vertical louvers made from twisted canvas strips let marine breezes pass through them to cool the interiors and let in natural light without the harsh afternoon glares.
Learn more about this house in between the dunes

Architecture And Design

May 15, 2017

French-inspired townhouse asks $8.5M on Sutton Place

This $8.5 million townhouse at 19 Sutton Place boasts an interesting backstory dating to the 1920s. The home--like most others in the area--was built as an unassuming brownstone in the late 1800s. In 1920, the wealthy literary agent Elisabeth Marbury, with her partner Elsie de Wolfe, a well-known decorator, moved to the block and hired an architect to transform a nearby townhouse into a neo-Georgian townhouse. Millionaires followed suit, moving in and redesigning the homes of Sutton Place. At 19 Sutton, banker B. Stafford Mantz transformed the brownstone into a "provincial Louis XVI townhouse of grey and brown brick" according to Daytonian in Manhattan. And today, the interior boasts elegant spaces with high ceilings, five wood-burning fireplaces, and its own elevator.
Take a look around

May 15, 2017

NYCxDesign 2017: The 6sqft guide to finding the best design events this month

NYCxDesign 2017, New York City’s official turn to celebrate all things design, hits town from May 3 – May 24. NYC is among the world’s design capitals and home to more designers than any other U.S. metro area. NYCxDesign spotlights the city’s diverse design community and its contributions to our economy and everyday life, and increases awareness of and appreciation for design with a collaborative mix of cultural, professional, educational and commercial offerings. This year’s celebration is the longest-running one to date. You can head in any direction and you'll stumble into a design-related event, but we've compiled a guide to a few of the top collaborative efforts and highlighted some of our picks.
Check out our NYCxD picks, this way

May 14, 2017

$3M SHoP Architects-designed Red Hook townhouse is clad in zinc, concrete, and a hardwood screen

While we're used to seeing headline-stealing buildings from innovative design firm SHoP Architects–Barclays Center, the American Copper Buildings, and what will be Brooklyn's tallest tower, to name a modest few–we don't see SHoP-designed townhouses every day. This particular two-family home at 87 Dikeman Street in the heart of creative and laid-back Red Hook has at least four bedrooms and consists of an owners' triplex and a rental unit plus a garden and off-street parking. But it's the home's design that will likely attract the most attention, with an exterior comprised of zinc panels juxtaposed with polar white concrete planks and accented by a hardwood slat screen and full-height peerless windows. This 3,080-square-foot home, its innovative design–and design pedigree–can be yours for $3.15 million.
Tour this unique Brooklyn home

May 12, 2017

Stanford White-designed chapel, once part of the Edwin D. Morgan estate, is now a home asking $3.25M

Talk about a living arrangement that's holier than thou. This chapel is part of the former Edwin Denison Morgan III estate in Old Westbury, Long Island. The impressive estate, complete with gardens and fountains, was designed by the great Stanford White in the late-19th century, and now its chapel is on the market for $3.25 million. (It's a price decrease from last year, when it hit the market for $4.3 million.) Amazingly, the chapel was once connected to the estate’s other buildings by tunnels, though it was converted a while back to a four-bedroom home. Cathedral ceilings, stained-glass windows designed by John La Farge--the stunning space has got everything, not to mention a heated gunite pool and putting green outside.
Take a look inside

May 11, 2017

Arckit’s new modeling sets make it easy to build professional models without cutting or gluing

By Rebecca Paul

Arckit, an architectural model kit manufacturer, has recently added to its family of offerings a series of playful yet professional three-dimensional modeling sets designed to satisfy the needs of building professionals, as well as aspiring designers. Traditional methods of model building include "cut and glue" techniques or 3D drawings, but these kits, called Arckit Cityscape and Arckit Masterplan, provide the same tactile experience with no special skills required.
Learn more

May 11, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for the week – 5/11-5/17

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! Get outside of the white cube this week and experience an art opening inside of a corporate lobby, or experience an architecture talk inside of an art museum. Celebrate Haiti’s rich culture with the kick off of their film fest, then check out future art stars at FIT’s graduate exhibition. Grace Exhibition Space hosts a five-hour performance art event, and the historic Salmagundi Club on Fifth Avenue opens its doors for the ARC Salon Exhibition. Head to the Bronx for JMR’s latest solo show, or spend the week at the architectural events lead by Van Alen’s Spring Festival.
More on all the best events this way

Finance firms in talks to move to Vornado’s proposed Hotel Pennsylvania-replacing supertall

Plans to replace the century-old Hotel Pennsylvania with a 1,216-foot office building have surfaced again. Financial firms Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank are reportedly contemplating a move to Vornado Realty Trust’s planned supertall skyscraper, 15 Penn Plaza, according to the Post. Vornado first won the city’s approval in 2007 to build a supertall at the location of Hotel Pennsylvania on Seventh Avenue and nearly signed a deal with Merrill Lynch to be a tenant until the financial crisis dissolved the agreement. This design, by Pelli Clarke Pelli, is being presented to the firms along with new options says a source.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

May 10, 2017

This 1760 farmhouse in upstate New York can be yours for $1.1M

If looking to trade in the chaotic city life for a much quieter, country one, check out this new listing for a farmhouse in Rotterdam, New York. The Georgian Brick Colonial at 322 Wemple Road, known as the Delamont-Wemple Farm, was built around 1760 and is featured on the National Register of Historic Places. As Curbed learned, the home, sitting on over 60 open acres, includes a custom pool house, four bedrooms, three bathrooms and many fireplaces. And it's on the market for $1.1 million--less than most tiny NYC apartments.
See inside this 18th Century farmhouse

The history of New York’s Newspaper Row, the epicenter of 19th century news

Image via Library of Congress

May 10, 2017

The history of New York’s Newspaper Row, the epicenter of 19th century news

By Michelle Young

While the news industry today continues to shift from bustling offices to laptops in coffee shops, it may be hard to imagine that the publishing industry was at the epicenter of some of the world's most important architectural feats. But this was the case in late 19th century New York City, when the daily newspaper industry was centered at Park Row, near City Hall. Such institutions included The New York Times, The New York Tribune and The New York World.
Take a trip back in time with us and explore Newspaper Row

May 9, 2017

Resolution: 4 Architecture designed this ‘white, bright, light, and tight’ duplex for a young family

This 3,000-square-foot, four-bedroom duplex loft was totally transformed by Resolution: 4 Architecture, who sums up their Manhattan project as "white, bright, light, and tight." To house a young family of four, the firm renovated the upper level into a communal space, lined with hidden storage and centered by a sculptural spiral staircase that leads to the bedrooms below. The striking, modern interiors may not necessarily look family friendly, but the firm says "the home was designed with family, play, and the production of art in mind."
Take a look at the stunning space

May 9, 2017

First look at the amazing amenities at Waterline Square

As 6sqft previously reported, a trio of glassy residential towers known as Waterline Square is rising on a five-acre waterfront site between West 59th and 61st Streets. Aside from the megaproject's size, its roster of starchitects–Richard Meier and Partners, Rafael Viñoly Architects, and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates–has been most impressive. But now a head-spinning host of perks joins the wow-factor, as Curbed reports that the Rockwell Group has revealed renderings of a three-story amenity space to be dubbed The Waterline Club, divided among all three buildings. Among the offerings are a three-lane pool; 4,600-square-foot kids' playroom; gardening, art, and music studios; and indoor tennis court, basketball court, soccer field, and skate park.
Moreamazing amenities this way

May 8, 2017

Desai Chia Architecture combined a traditional Hamptons cottage with a bold modern addition

By Rebecca Paul

Located in the quaint hamlet of South Hampton, Water Mill is home to some truly beautiful modern architecture thanks to its picturesque ocean backdrop and preserved greenery. And this 4,600-square-foot house from Desai Chia Architecture is no exception. In 2015, the home underwent a full renovation, and the current structure is an expansion of a traditional shingled cottage upgraded with a modern addition.
READ MORE

Architecture And Design

May 6, 2017

For just $450K, a charming Connecticut cottage with a unique musical history

This Connecticut home, which is beyond quaint and has been dubbed the "Sunset cottage," comes with a musical backstory dating from more than a century ago (h/t CIRCA). In 1900, the former farmhouse served as a summer dormitory and reading room for students at the Greene School of Music. Sixty years after the school shuttered in 1924--and after a full renovation into a home--musician Paul Fenick snatched it up. He often used the space to perform with his bluegrass band, The Still River Ramblers. The school's library was converted to a practice space, and framed album covers, concert posters, and artist photographs were hung on the walls. Now the cozy house, located in the heart of Brookfield’s Historic District, is up for sale asking $449,900.
Tour the house right this way

May 5, 2017

Flavor Paper and UM Project’s ‘Conduct’ wallpaper doubles as a power source

Design, art, and technology are intertwined in this new product co-developed by wallcovering company Flavor Paper and design firm UM Project. Conduct, an interactive installation at Collective Design, which is part of New York’s design festival NYCXDesign, is a wallpaper that doubles as a power source. As Fast Co.Design reported, the installation is composed of five motorized or electrical objects. If a person touches one of the copper dots on the wall, which is covered with paper that’s printed with conductive ink, they complete an electrical circuit and turn on the object.
Find out more

May 4, 2017

Terra cotta figures that adorned building demolished for One Vanderbilt construction seek a new home

A rescued collection of terra cotta building facade figures–including naked cherubs, smiling porpoises and the head of Neptune–that once adorned an 18-story office building next to Grand Central Station are in need of a new home. The building was demolished to make way for the under-construction One Vanderbilt skyscraper; at the urging of New York Landmarks Conservancy Chair Lloyd Zuckerberg, the new building's developer, SL Green Realty Corp., saved the three terra cotta panels from the facade of 51 East 42nd Street. Warren and Wetmore, the building's architects, also designed the station.
Find out more

May 4, 2017

Connecticut Georgian estate where Harry Houdini hung out is up for auction for $4.75M

An incredible Georgian estate in Ridgefield, Connecticut is up for auction at an asking price of $4.75 million. The 10-bedroom mansion at 162 Old West Mountain Road, also known as Sunset Hall, was owned 100 years ago by Harry Houdini’s brother, Dr. Leopold Weiss, and it's said that the magician practiced his underwater escapes in the pool. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and sits on nearly seven acres of land with sweeping views of the Long Island Sound and Catskill Mountains. As the New York Post learned, it also has quite the celebrity pedigree. It was originally built in 1912 for U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain James Stokes and was subsequently owned by the Brooklyn beer baron Samuel Rubel and famed actor Robert Vaughn; and after WWII, it was considered for an official site of the United Nations.
Find out more

May 3, 2017

Bowerbird architects create a custom nest in a Boerum Hill loft with details in steel and reclaimed wood

"Everything evolves," begins the mission statement by architecture and design firm Bowerbird, explaining how their namesake (the bowerbird) evolved to design and decorate its home with an eye for detail. The firm explores the idea that good design and creativity similarly "does not spring forth in a single moment of inspired genius;" they work to produce an uncommon solution for each undertaking. Evolved design is definitely in effect in this Boerum Hill loft, resulting in a home with a fresh look that leaves crowded, overdone design and cold, unfinished lofts in the dust. Rooms are polished, elegant and comfortable without being fussy. And natural and reclaimed details aren’t contrived, but rather fit in well with the former factory’s big-shouldered loft bones.
See more of this timeless loft design

May 3, 2017

$3M home in the urban suburb of Prospect Park South is a freestanding beauty

Want to live in a gorgeous suburban enclave that's attracted the likes of Michelle Williams? Then look no further than Prospect Park South, a neighborhood designed, as developer Dean Alford put it, to "illustrate how much natural beauty can be incorporated within the rectangular limits of the city." The landscaping and the homes have remained intact since this area was constructed more than 100 years ago, including this home built in 1907. Designed by the architect Arlington Isham, it's a Simplified Free Colonial style house with an enclosed porch and plenty of period details. For this escape into the finer pastures of Brooklyn, it will cost a cool $3 million.
This way for interior pictures

May 1, 2017

Asking $14.8M, this renovated 1875 townhouse on the Upper East Side might be just a little too perfect

Perfectly situated in the we-never-heard-of-it-either Treadwell Farms Historic District on the Upper East Side, this $14.79 million townhouse at 215 East 61st Street, originally built in 1875, survived a two-year renovation and emerged as a "seamlessly cohesive modern home encased within historic architecture." Within are five stories plus a finished basement and an elevator to navigate them. Five exterior spaces were created to match, including a bluestone-paved landscaped garden with a cedar fence, an automatic watering and lighting system, a sound system and a gas grill.
Take the five-story elevator tour

April 30, 2017

This $1.3M converted barn in Garrison, NY hails from the horse and buggy era with the modern feel of a loft

Tucked away amid the dirt roads and country atmosphere of Garrison, NY, fifty miles from Manhattan in Putnam county, this 1840s brick carriage house at 65 Indian Brook Road is the kind of home you rarely find in either city or hamlet. The 4,000 square-foot, three-bedroom home (h/t Circa), asking $1.295 million, has open loft-like proportions, hand hewn beams, a cozy wood-burning stove and high ceilings, with modern details like floor-to-ceiling glass, central air and a gunite pool off the back patio.
Take the tour, and check out the pool

April 29, 2017

A unique 19th-century Hudson Valley home can be yours for $485,000