As NYC dwellers and architects, we are amazed how effortlessly we can “time travel” from the sleek, steel, and modern skyscrapers of Manhattan to the old-time charm of the historic districts throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. For us, that’s part of New York City’s magic. It enchants us every day.

A penthouse loft in a former Greenwich Street warehouse offered us the opportunity to blend modern New York with its historic past. The large open space had been used as a painter’s studio. Except for a small kitchenette and bathroom, the bare, open penthouse loft revealed exposed brick walls and a topography of ceiling joists supporting the roof above. Copious amounts of light from both western and southern exposures streamed into the space.

The raw and open space allowed us to create discreet areas within a larger space. Working closely with the clients, our team at Turret Collaborative Architects brought a thoughtfully designed, handcrafted living and work environment tailored to a growing TriBeCa family.

Access to the upper living spaces is provided by a custom blackened steel and oak ship’s ladder that sits discretely off the main foyer entry giving the couple the opportunity to go straight to work without ever disturbing the continuity of private life in the spaces below. The soaring 17-foot ceilings, abundance of wood-framed windows, and custom Arrigoni wide-plank Bavarian oak floors envelope a vast and open entertaining expanse.

At the south end of the loft is a two story glass and steel wall that allows light to flood into the loft from the south, while defining the master bedroom suite  in its own separate wing. A split bedroom layout offers two bedrooms at each end, with the master suite commanding an enormous dressing room/closet and equally huge private bath.

The suite is composed of both a double height master bedroom and den which can be used simultaneously when the door between them is opened.  A custom blackened steel surround on the bedroom side includes a sliding panel when privacy is desired.  When required, curtains along the glass wall in both the master bedroom and den can be drawn to allow for complete and total privacy.

One end of the dining room features a 6 foot long gas fireplace while the other is anchored by a built in piece of millwork that acts both as a credenza for storage of plates and linens on one side, and an a/v cabinet on the other with a concealed TV that can be raised with the touch of a button.  A structural glass skylight directly above the dining area floods the room with additional light from the outdoor terrace above.

More details at TURETT COLLABORATIVE ARCHITECTS.