Fabled East Village triplex with retractable screen overlooking 14th Street asks $4.2M
Beginning in 2006, the conversion of a boarded-up brownstone at 224 East 14th street has been too fascinating to avoid headlines. The features that make the four-unit “Brownstone East Village” so noteworthy: on the second floor, a facade of honeycomb-patterned aluminum with a brownstone veneer can be automatically retracted to bare the home’s interiors to the bustling traffic of 14th Street just outside. At the rear, a glass- and steel-paneled garage door raises to open the kitchen onto the open air of an urban lawn. The project’s architect, Bill Peterson, moved into the garden triplex with the retractable facade screen and garage doors; Philadelphia developer Alon Barzilay purchased the home from Peterson in 2014 for $2.355 million. Now, this traffic-stopping two-bedroom triplex is back on the market asking $4.2 million.
Among numerous other media mentions, the triplex has been on the cover of New York Magazine and was selected as Elle Decor’s Pick of the World’s Most Beautiful Homes. Adding up to about 2,000 square feet of eclectic architect-designed custom finishes, the home offers ordinary luxuries like an elevator, 12-foot ceilings, a 500-square-foot private garden with a cabana, exposed brick walls, laundry, and a home office and rec room. Joining the retractable walls on the eclectic side is an aquarium that runs the width of the apartment.
The entry foyer, currently used as a home office, is fronted by the aforementioned perforated metal screen. On the opposite side of this floor is a pale white monochrome eat-in kitchen equipped with high-end appliances and custom lacquered cabinetry and countertops.
On the other side of that industrial garage-style door awaits a garden oasis, outfitted with a cabana, grill, bar, and refrigerator.
On the upper level are two spacious bedrooms, one of which is “perhaps the most unique in all of New York City.” Not because it features a Murphy bed and an en-suite bath with motorized shades, a rain shower, and floor-to-ceiling sound-insulated windows. It’s the fact that, at the flip of a switch, a retractable wall “transforms the space into an indoor/outdoor living experience” that sets this bedroom apart.
The home’s lower level is currently being used as a formal dining room. This space, too, is an eye-opener, with exposed stone walls that are original to the building’s foundation, a floor-to-ceiling window, and garden access. The building keeps it sleek with keyless entry, keyed elevator access and central heat and air.
[Listing: 224 East 14th Street #1 by Ryan Serhant and Adam Berke for Nest Seekers]
[At CityRealty]
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Images courtesy of Nest Seekers.
