Fifth Avenue

A Serene Manhattan Pied-a-Terre

This residence, conceived as a versatile, stress-free perch in New York City for a married couple with grown children, benefited from a gut renovation that transformed a pre-war jumble of rooms into something orderly and serene. By reconfiguring the entry into a gallery space and minimizing visual clutter with deftly hidden storage, the home feels modern and emphatically classic—thanks in part to traditional touches such as walnut flooring and plaster moldings, all newly installed. With ample windows overlooking Central Park, the redesign makes the most of the views and the natural light, making it airy and elegant. But precious and fussy it isn’t, which perfectly aligns with the homeowners’ request for a space that would envelop them when alone but where they could also comfortably host their grandchildren.