Upper East Side Townhouse

Located on a discreet block on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, this brick townhouse was completely renovated for a family with a generous social life. The family’s art and design collection—with a focus on postwar Italian modernism—enlivens the home throughout. The ground floor includes a large open kitchen with a bronze and transparent glass window wall that echoes the entry vestibule. End grain fir block flooring gives the space a rich materiality. A collection of vintage glass pendant lamps punctuates the room. Through the large bronze glass-doors, a two-level rear garden features a concrete plinth that steps down to a brick lower level with a custom bronze and glazed lava stone table. A muted gray brick wall encloses the garden with simple plantings. A deep blue carpet gives a white ribbon staircase a highly graphic quality, and unites the house floor-to-floor. On the private floors, all the family’s activities are graciously accommodated with spaces that reflect how they live. The roof features a small study and an intimate deck surrounded by a three-season garden with an abundant mix of edible, decorative, and native plants.