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Designer’s Pre-War UWS Kitchen & Bath Renovation Maximizes Resale Value
Photography: NA

Designer’s Pre-War UWS Kitchen & Bath Renovation Maximizes Resale Value

Apartment by Studio AK in New York, NY

In designing her own apartment on the Upper West Side, Studio AK Partner Kristin Tarsi employed her own transitional design sensibilities to renovate and design interiors that honor the building’s pre-war history. In just four months, the 750-square-foot one-bedroom one bathroom apartment underwent a kitchen redesign, gut bathroom renovation, and a design overhaul to give the space’s original details a contemporary facelift.

Offering a perch to people watch over Central Park and the busy west side streets below, a breakfast nook was an absolute must. A custom-designed banquette offers functional seating with simple millwork that mirrors the adjacent kitchen’s front slab cabinets. Upholstered in Arabel Fabrics linen, the cushion top conceals piano hinges, opening the banquette up for storage within. The corner seating is perfectly scaled to accommodate Tarsi’s beloved 36” round Herman Miller table. Above, a chrome lighting pendant from Tom Dixon ties in with the table’s metallic foot accents. Accessorized with West Elm pillows and framed Adirondack Mountains maps to honor Tarsi’s husband’s Upstate roots, the cozy banquette offers a transitional space to bask in the natural light shining within.

In a sure-fire effort to maximize resale value, Tarsi modeled the design of her apartment’s bathroom after luxurious hotel suites. Prioritizing quality in the details, chrome American industrial-inspired Waterworks fixtures are selected to complement sleek polished white marble walls. Working in the tight quarters typical of New York City apartments, the door frame was cut to install an RH vanity top custom-made to match marbled walls. Above, a recessed RH medicine cabinet and its mirrored face reflect warm light against crisp white walls and maximize bathroom storage utilizing the in-wall space. A deep Kohler tub with a crystal clear frameless hinged shower door adds an additional spa-like amenity to the newly renovated space.