Elle Decor Spain: March 2024
A good renovation made the noble past of this 19th-century house compatible with the relaxed lifestyle of the family of six who lives in it.
BY FRAN MUÑOZ | PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRITTANY AMBRIDGE
If the brick walls of this house located in New York's West Village could talk, they would tell us stories of some of the best American artists, writers and politicians of the last two centuries. Since it was built in 1831, this house has belonged to several patrons and philanthropists , among them the artist, gallerist and decorator Clara Davidge, who since 1907 turned her home into a refuge and residence for creatives - this is where she finished her book The town Down the river the poet Edwin Arlington Robinson. Patti Smith, Allen Ginsberg, Muhammad Ali, Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter and Hillary Clinton, among others, have also slept under this roof.
The story of this house continues now with six new residents, a young couple with four children between 6 and 12 years old , who contacted the interior designer Alicia Murphy to adapt their new home to their tastes and needs, maintaining the stately style of the building and honoring its great past. They wanted each member of the family to have their own spaces to relax and work, they wanted to have areas to spend time together and other areas to receive many friends and family.
Just by setting foot in the house we already perceive the classic-modern and friendly style that reigns in it. The interior designer has used classic elements , such as moldings and paneling , but from a very contemporary point of view , with clean and simple lines, without too much ornament. In materials, it has combined more luxurious finishes, such as stone, brass and aged mirror, with other natural ones, especially wood. In the furniture it continues with this pattern: modern and organic shapes with a traditional color palette in white, black, gray and beige, and vintage pieces mixed with other very current designs.
Although this house also hides surprises... The most striking is, without a doubt, the KUULAS model lamp by Cameron Design House that hangs from a skylight and descends the spiral staircase that the interior designer has designed to join the five floors of the house . One of the living rooms is also surprising, decorated in a monochromatic blue look (one of the latest trends in decoration ), with glossy lacquered walls and a ceiling painted with plant motifs, also in blue.
And outside the surprises continue, with a beautiful patio decorated with great style and with different environments to eat or enjoy the cool of the summer nights and an independent house with a bar and a TV room with a fireplace. The end result is a young and very familiar version of a traditional New York townhouse. What did the new residents think? "The clients are super happy with this house, which for them is their 'home for life,'" explains Alicia.
