The couple didn’t set out looking to buy a whole house. During the pandemic, eager for a change of scenery yet reluctant to travel, they opted for an extended staycation, renting a single-family property in the West Village and falling in love with the area, whose off-grid streets reminded them of Paris. “We weren’t going to move to another city,” says the wife, who recalls thinking, Why not change up our neighborhood? When their initial search for a prewar apartment proved fruitless, their real estate agent took them to a 19th-century town house just down the block from their rental. Opposite a park, sun streaming through the windows, the home dispelled any preconceptions of such buildings as dark and cloistered. Thus they officially became West Villagers.
In the couple’s bath, a curved room divider sets off the water closet to the left and shower to the right.
Mellone designed a bespoke sofa, armchair, and coffee table for the husband’s study; artworks by Günther Förg (left) and Norman Lewis (above fireplace).
In the kitchen dining area, Paavo Tynell pendants and a Stanley Whitney painting command attention.
Art: © Stanley Whitney
Gae Aulenti seating in the garden.
Also in the couple’s bedroom, a painting by Ed Clark and a vintage Gianni Moscatelli chair and ottoman.
Art: © The Estate of Ed Clark / Hauser & Wirth, Lee Ufan – © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
Updating the Italianate structure would require a gut renovation. To help, they enlisted architect Jean-Gabriel Neukomm (no stranger to such transformations) and AD100 designer Andre Mellone, for whom the job marked his first town house project. Any changes would be subject to particular scrutiny given the property’s landmark status as part of a block-long sweep of historic homes. Innumerable filings later, Neukomm expanded down, digging into the ground to create a proper basement, and up, adding a penthouse office, set back from street view. Rooms are now arranged off a sinuous staircase, with plaster balustrades and an uninterrupted railing of hammered blackened steel that reveal a subtle ovoid profile—a little Giacometti, a little Scarpa.
“We balanced large-scale moves with a spirit of tactility,” reflects Neukomm. Terrazzo flooring likewise reveals a European influence, extending from the entry (framed by a screen of solid glass rods) through the dining and living rooms. Whereas they preserved the brick façade in front, they added soaring window walls to the rear, coaxing light into the double-height family room and adjoining kitchen, its island a marvel in stone.
The formal dining room features a Sam Gilliam painting, a vintage Carlo Scarpa light, and a custom table.
Art: Sam Gilliam – © 2025 Estate of Sam Gilliam / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
A custom glass-and-steel room divider distinguishes the entry, which displays works by Lynda Benglis and Suzan Frecon.
A bespoke bed anchors the primary suite.
Art: Hélio Oiticicathat