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Architect Makes Dark Chinatown Tenement Modern and Bright

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Peeking inside the apartments of architects and interior designers is always fun, especially when, like the Chinatown home of New York-based Koray Duman, they are the result of inventive makeovers. No stranger to gut renovations, Duman and his firm re-did the apartment in 2011, as 6sqft just recalled, turning a three-bedroom with 80s-era fixtures into a bright, modern, roomier one-bedroom.

Elements of the old remain—exposed brick, small swaths of vintage wallpaper—but a large yellow dividing wall, a sleek stainless steel kitchen, and white decor dotted pops of color brought the fifth-floor walk-up into the 21st century. (Of the chartreuse: "It makes me feel happy!") Check out how the two loveseats combine into a daybed that serves multiple purposes and saves space. Duman and co., who won an award for their work here, count Design Within Reach among their clients, and it shows.

· Chinatown Loft by Buro Koray Duman Architects Mixes Tenement Details with Bright, Modern Geometry [6sqft]
· Buro Koray Duman [official]
· City of Dreams: Koray Duman Lives His New York Fantasty In a Renovated Apartment [Interior Design Magazine; pdf with photos!]
· Turkish-born architect's abode boasts a modern flair [NYP]