Welcome to Floorplanning, a new Curbed column in which architect/designer Kristin Luks provides revised floorplans for listings recently featured on Curbed. Have a property to nominate? Let us know in comments or via the tipline.
Today, in our first biweekly installment of Floorplanning, we re-imagine four properties we've featured recently. First up, 560 State Street #1B. The first floor of this apartment (located in Jay-Z's old stash house) presents one major problem: the poorly-laid-out kitchen. Demolishing the kitchen and relocating it along one wall of the living space really opens up the first floor and allows for a great furniture layout. A small entry foyer can then be created by extending the existing bathroom wall to meet the coat closet wall. The living space suddenly feels much more generous and open. The second floor layout is already decent. Extending the niche at the central window creates a usable space adjacent to the window and enlarging the closets and stacking the washer/ dryer helps make more storage space for both bedrooms.
Our next apartment, 214 Riverside Drive, #207, is already organized quite well spatially. The main modification would be to open up that stairway. Exposed treads and risers with no wall enclosing them would make the living space seem about 3'-0" wider. This can make all the difference in tiny apartments. To create the feeling of more space in the first floor bathroom the tub is removed and a shower with a glass enclosure is installed. A new kitchen with a smaller fridge and better layout is also a big improvement and allows for two people to cook in the kitchen together. Upstairs, the removal of the shower and closet in the master bathroom allows for a nice large tub to go in. The final modification is a walk-in closet that's created in the remaining non-bedroom space.
The old vet's office at 411 Vanderbilt Avenue would be anyone's dream project?beautiful historic exteriors with terrible interiors just waiting to be gutted and customized! This place has so many possibilities it's dizzying. One possible iteration, as drawn, allows for a massive central living space with a dining room and kitchen just off the backyard. A coat closet, bar, powder room, and laundry room are all directly off of the main living space. The layout of the second floor is fairly traditional?two secondary bedrooms with a shared bath and a master suite complete with dressing room and cavernous bathroom. A new terrace is accessible off the stair hall. The new family room takes up the complete full-height portion of the top floor and a storage room is adjacent.
Here's the original floorplan:
And here's the revised floorplan:
The last home up for a faux-renovation today is the townhouse that just sold at 173 Warren Street. The main living spaces on the parlor floor are pretty amazing but my guess is that if you are going to spend $350K over asking price you probably want to lose the rental apartment at the garden level, amp up the two bedroom floors, and super-size the tiny kitchen on the parlor floor. I've assumed that as many original details will be saved as possible, including the stair, and have progressed from there. Once the rental is removed from the garden level an open kitchen and family room fit in quite nicely. The tail can house the bathroom for this floor and the rear garden is also redesigned. The only change to the parlor floor is the bar/pantry that takes the place of the existing kitchen. Moving up to the master floor, the bathroom is relocated to the tail, the bedroom is enlarged and the whole front of the house is dedicated to a gigantic dressing room that is connected to the master bedroom through a small study. At the top floor an en suite bathroom is added to the rear bedroom, two walk-in closets are added for the two larger bedrooms, and the existing bathroom is re-organized for ease of use.
Here's the original floorplan:
And here's the revision:
?Kristin Luks
· 560 State Street coverage [Curbed]
· 214 Riverside Drive coverage [Curbed]
· 411 Vanderbilt Avenue coverage [Curbed]
· 173 Warren Street coverage [Curbed]
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