WEST VILLAGE HOUSE

An artist and his wife fell in love with this West Village wood-frame house, with its sloping floors and 1820's charm, but the house had been structurally weakened by repeated renovations and additions. Our priority was to strengthen it and build in the potential for additional rooms in the back of the house, which might include raising the roof at a future date.

This required much stronger supporting walls than the house had, so everything inside the house was opened back to the original exterior: all the plaster and lath was removed, most of the existing wooden supports were replaced, new steel I-beams were installed, existing roof beams and joists were replaced or reinforced, and the fireplace was fully rebuilt. Sheet rock, plaster and traditional moldings were then put back and finished in such a way that the house appeared to never have been renovated, and character was restored by deliberately incorporating irregularities in the floors, walls and ceilings. While the house was in its dismantled state we also replaced all the plumbing and electrical, and rebuilt the 3 bathrooms.

ARCHITECTURL DESIGN: Prosper Devas
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION: Richard Baronio & Associates