Name: Kimberly
Location: Greenwich Village, NYC
Although this was a great loft with 14 and a half foot ceilings and fantastic light; it had the typical New York City challenges of a tiny bathroom and an ugly galley kitchen. Access to the upstairs loft was also undesirable since I have a dog that was afraid of the very steep ladder. By removing all the walls in the kitchen and adding an island, the kitchen is much more functional and feels much bigger than its 90 sq. ft. Also the hallway that had been along side the kitchen is now an open more interactive area in which I built a cantilevering open tread stair up to the loft.
The existing bathroom consisted of the developer standard 30" x 60" tub, 24" vanity and toilet all of which felt very cramped. I really wanted a standard shower and a tub. Growing up my parents had a Japanese soaking tub that I loved, so this was my solution. Borrowing 6" from the existing kitchen I built a custom sink, shower and tub, all clad in mosaic glass tile. An interesting feature of which is the drain of the sink where the water seemingly disappears into the wall. One corner of the shower was removed and replaced with translucent glass walls to allow some natural light into the bathroom. In the entry of the apartment this same glass transitions into a two story light wall.
In order to help with the age-old problem of storage in the city, the guardrails of the duplex were replaced with double-sided bookshelves accessed by a rolling ladder from below.
Thanks, Kimberly!
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I need to see more of that tub!
i could soak in that tub for days......
I'm wondering why you didn't go all the way to the top with the bookshelves.
I'm guessing the railing on those stairs "hasn't been installed yet", hmm?
the bathroom seems very sterile and utilitarian, hardly cozy or relaxing, to me with all those hard edges and all one color tile. It is dizzying. Maybe it is the picture but the grout looks dingy or something. Plus, one slip and its all over for you.nd, can anyone under 6 foot see in that mirror over the sink?
Otherwise, the rest of it is a vast improvement and I love the stairs.
And, can*
my apt. is similar in shape and layout. I LOVE the bookcases facing out hiding the loft. Lovely.
It looks great, although the new kitchen gets very dark right in that dark corner.
Very nice. The stairs would probably still scare my dog, but they sure do look pretty.
I love the entire renovation. I like the staircase idea...very smart. I'm also a big soaking tub fan yet am constrained with the standard bathroom fixtures. Can you provide the name or contact info of your contractor? Would love to do something similar in my place. thanks!
Makes me smile.
looks like a different place! so glad you could find a way to make it suit you.
Beautiful. I can barely imagine it's the same place as the photos.
Maybe the bookshelves don't go all the way so there's still an airy-open feeling in the loft?
The only thing that seems even a tiny bit off are the wires all over the place to light the dining table. They must be intentional, because nothing else looks messy, but the tangle up near the ceiling just looks... well, like a tangle.
the stairs scare me - not even a handrail?!
Love it! Can you please list some sources? Thanks!!!!
Very well done, and I love the soaking tub. But honestly---those stairs? I can't believe a building inspector signed off on those stairs.
I'm in love with your results - This turned out great!
I love it all, especially the shelves, ladder & bathtub. More photos, please!
The tub and sink look hard and painful to me, rather than warm and welcoming. I think I'd stick to the shower in that bathroom. The hard lines and sharp corners seem harsh. I'd also put in a stair rail. Other than that, great job; this is a beautiful renovation. Amazing improvement over the original layout.
I think the stairs are beautiful. Bathroom looks very serene. Love it!
I really love this. Coherently projects its aesthetic throughout in a very appealing way.
Wow! What an improvement! I would have done exactly what you did. I like the stairs-sans-rail, very modern, and if its just you and a dog, why not? And I like the shelves not going all the way up, keeps the loft open and light. LOVE!
The bathroom is gorgeous. I find the uniform color very soothing.
That took some real vision! I think the bathroom is awesome, and I love the cabinetry. Love the kitchen, too!
B R A V O ! ! !
It's a beautiful loft. I especially love the gravity defying staircase and all the maple cabinetry. Excellent job!
Wow, what a difference. Nice job on the renovations.
Love it! But I would have to have a stair rail.
I love the stairs with no rail, perfect. Did you pull permits for this renovation? How did they let you get by with the open railing?
I would fall right off those stairs. I feel anxious just looking at them.
If the owner and her dog are comfortable climbing the stairs after a couple glasses of wine, then I think they look great... a railing just wouldn't look right to me. However, I'd be terrified to climb that ladder and get down a new book!
Good use of space although the stairs and bathroom are too edgy for my taste.
i love it. although i would like a button to press at the top that made the stairs into a slide, so that i wouldnt need to worry about falling down them :)
i have to say, the insults hidden in compliments are very hilarious today
i like it! the tub is friggin awesome. i need one of those
Great job! Vastly improved from its original state.
My only suggestion would be to go for high reflectivity in the black back splash area of the kitchen. Or at least continue the satin finish of the cabinets down into the back splash. Right now, it looks like you have a matte black finish which creates a bit of a dark cave. If you used black glass, for example, you would pick up reflections in the back splash which would give that corner a bit of polish and depth, while still preserving that great maple/black contrast you have going. Relative to everything else, the cost would be inconsequential and it would take the whole kitchen up a notch.
Nicely done!
And really, anyone who has ever done a renovation in NYC deserves an award... and access to a support group.
: )
I have to agree with some of the posts I've read re: practicality but I love the results. I particularly covet your bathroom. Very tasty, though at my age, probably not a viable option. Enjoy and thanks for sharing.
I hope those stairs aren't used in the morning.
Beautiful place!!!
wow! more pics please!
@tabithacat: Ha! re the Underminers. This is really nice work , its a case of a lot of little, very personal and well thought out changes that add up to one huge change.
Great looking space, although I think some variety in the bathroom finishes would have make it feel warmer. As for the cantilevered stairs, I also wonder how you're getting past code requirements.
how do you get into the tub? would love more pix of that.
WOW. more please.
Amazing! I would love to have a bathroom like that... And all the rest!
Although the renovation is very well done, I would like to see a bold shot of color in the main living space--perhaps paint the left wall (which is now gold) a bright 60's orange or tomato red?
Very very cool.
What are the dimensions of the bathroom and tub? I'm interested in learning how you fit the shower/tub/sink/toilet all in that space.
I love the bathroom and I wish I could see more of the kitchen area.
Bravo on an excellent job! Are you going to put some plants in your bathroom? I think orchids would look great in that space!
interestingly, that staircase is beautiful but would not pass code where i live - it would need a rail to "enclose" it.
Wonderful... can hardly believe it's the same place as before!
I would have to have my coffee maker upstairs though, as I'd be too scared to brave the stairs every morning "decaf".
I love it! More pics, please.
I just don't get all the knitpicking. Kimberley has taken an underutilized space and turned it into a deeply pondered and personal home. She has brought light into the space and created her own haven. Color is deeply personal and not everyone has the same level of balance.
Its funny how everyone gets so stuck on the staircase... I love the staircase and wouldn't need a rail. At my parents home we have the steepest stairs without a rail. You get used to it and after a week u just run up and down them like nothing.
amazing bathroom. please let us know how you fit everything into that space. source for the tub?
Similar to my place. I'd like to see pictures of the lost. Great work. I also love the bookcases.
Does anyone know who were the architects that did her apartment or the contractors? I would love to hire them.
lovely, lovely, lovely place [no caveats], ...
minute detail: can you tell me the source for the pulls on your bathroom cabinetry?
ooo, the kitchen looks so awesome!
what does the lofted area look like? can you access the bookshelves from both sides?
beautiful space, very inspiring. thank you for sharing!
i love the color of your bathroom tile--very soothing and chill.
Is this really NoHo, next to Dojo's? I love this!
I am loving those stairs. As for the tub, I just took a bath and I long to be able to get all 5'9" under water at once! Don't envy anyone cleaning the tile, but it looks great. The whole place is beautiful. Nice job.
I am laughing a bit imagining all the AT posters who can't manage to climb very wide stairs without having to hold on to something. Time to get a check on the inner ear? haha
Hi everyone- thanks for your great response- this is kimberly, i am going to try to respond to some of the questions here. first lets start with the fact that i am my own architect- i am licensed in New york State- for those of you who wanted the architect information or to contact me regarding sources and contractors my website is www.kimberlypeck.com.
i guess the vast majority of questions are regarding the stairs and the code- who knew there were so many sticklers out there for NYC city code! yes it was filed and in NYC if your loft head height is under a certain height a stair can be filed as a ladder (new york is quirky), that is how the open treads got by- lets just leave it at that. also what gets added or removed after the building department inspects is my business right, this is a private residence!? rest assured no one has ever had a problem traversing the stairs- even after a few cocktails.
as for the bookcase height they don't go all the way to the ceiling because i wanted to be able to look down into my living room from my bedroom- so the cases give some privacy yet still maintain an open feeling in the bedroom
the tub is a custom tub built with a laticrete waterproof membrane, roughly 36x 36x 42 deep-it does have a bench inside.
again thanks for all the positive feedback- i love my apartment, it fits my lifestyle. when designing ones personal space i think it is very important to take into account how YOU live and what YOU like and come out with an individual result- not everyone is going to like it that is what makes it work for you and that is what makes it unique.
Your place is FANTASTIC. Can you recommend the architect or contractor you used? I am trying to buy a similar space and just LOVE what you did with it!
Sorry. I just read your comment more closely. i'll go to the the website!!
This is fantastic. The bathroom is amazing! What an incredibly creative use of space, getting a shower and a tub in there! I'm looking to do something similar. The sink is incredible too! I just adore the whole thing. It is so good as to be almost unrecognizable from the "before" photos.
Did you build the tub and sink with wood, then do tilebacker and tile? Details? ;)
Oops, I should have read more closely too. Thanks for the info on the laticrete membrane!
I think the place is beautiful. I have a loft with what looks like a very similar floor-plan and layout. I opted for the spiral staircase and even that gives me problems. (I have some sort of vertigo when it comes to edges. Not heights but edges.)
The soaking tub is great idea that I wish I had the guts to follow through on for my own space/loft. Things were dragging on and I just got tired/fed-up with the contractors.
Very cool!
That's an awesome before and after. Love the stairs, especially. And the bathroom is fantastic. Just... how do you get to your books?
the bathroom is my favorite....it reminds me of a very upscale sauna...and to me, it's quite tranquil.
you don't need lots of wood and other traditional items to make a bathroom feel serene...I think it's funny that people often forget that there's more than one way to bake a cake.
the clever use of space, and use of quality materials is what I really like about this apartment. very thoughtful design.
when can I move in?
Soaking tub! I want one! Is there a bench in there though?
beautiful design! i'm wondering though, does the range suffer from the lack of a venting hood? I would worry about smoking up the place.
VAST improvement. :)
I believe that the bookcase does not go all the way up because some degree of light should get through to the loft. This is a great renovation. Would not change a thing.
I.LOVE.IT.
I come back and look at this space over and over. It is a source of inspiration to me as I work on my own space!
I saw this apartment on a show on HGTV and liked it very much - this layout seems to be so prevalent in New York, and so difficult to deal with. This seemed to be a very successful update, and neither the stairs nor the ladder would bother me at all - I really like them both. I personally would have gone light and reflective in the kitchen rather than dark, but the owner/designer was very adamant on the show that dark and receding was what she wanted.