All articles by Dana Schulz

July 7, 2014

Susan Wisniewski Landscape’s River House is an Enchanting Hudson Valley Escape

Nestled in the quaint town of Coxsackie, New York is a residential garden oasis with crystal clear views of the Hudson River and magical green landscaping that could very well serve as the backdrop for a children's fairytale book. The enchanting grounds of the River House were designed by Susan Wisniewski Landscape, who created a natural-looking setting to frame the environmentally friendly Hudson Valley home.
Take a tour of the beautiful outdoor space
July 7, 2014

PULSE3AM Uses Horizontal and Vertical Lines to Open Up the Pilnock Residence

It's easy to get bogged down in the details when designing a home, but PULSE3AM thought high and wide when they took on the Pilnock Residence project. The duplex apartment exudes spaciousness thanks to the firm's creative mix of horizontal and vertical interest. Structural elements like steel beams, tall windows, and long ceiling vaults are accented by striped walls, exposed-brick pilasters, and geometric lighting fixtures—together creating a comfortable, open home.
See more of the residence right this way
July 5, 2014

Brooklyn’s ‘A Cabin in a Loft’ Transforms a Space with Two Treehouse-Like Bedrooms

Remember as a kid how much you loved hiding out in a fort made of couch cushions or creating a make-shift house in the backyard? The owners of A Cabin in a Loft recreated that fun feeling by building a cabin and treehouse within their Bushwick loft to serve as private sleeping quarters. Each wooden bedroom cabin has its own semi-private garden, set at both ends of the open loft. The idea came about in 2009, when artists/designers Terri Chiao and Adam Frezzo wanted to create separate bedroom spaces within their open-plan guest house and artist space, located in a former textile factory building. Instead of cutting off light and making the unit feel half its size by building floor-to-ceiling walls, they decided to construct the simple, geometric volumes. What resulted is a space that feels like an outdoor environment and takes a new approach to loft living.
See more of the artistic loft
July 3, 2014

Add Some Desert Flair to Your Garden with Spacio Terreno’s Brooklyn-Made Faceted Concrete Planters

The sandy deserts of the southwest are a long way from New York, but that doesn't mean we can't add a little of that earthy style to our lives. And the Faceted Concrete Planters by Spacio Terreno are the perfect way to start — their distressed concrete bodies and dusty colors remind us of sandy deserts, while the geometric design maintains an urban aesthetic. Plus, they're made in Brooklyn.
More on the lovely planters right this way
July 3, 2014

Game On!: Five New York Buildings with off the Hook Health Clubs

Roof decks, concierge services, screening rooms--these building amenities are so last year. The newest crop of luxury residential developments are offering more active perks. From basketball courts to rock-climbing walls, these calorie-burning features not only alleviate the need for a gym membership, but also offer the convenience of around-the-clock access and the ease of being just an elevator ride away from home.
See some of our picks for best building offerings that will get your heart rate up
July 2, 2014

Jane Kim Design’s Tribeca Loft Lifts the Bedroom to Create an Oversized Living Space

In an endless attempt to maximize space in tiny New York City apartments, the lofted bed has become a popular mechanism. This usually consists of a mattress hoisted up on wooden supports, leaving just about a foot of space below the sleeper's head and the ceiling. But in a beautiful Tribeca loft renovation, Jane Kim Design masterfully tackled this issue by lifting the entire bedroom volume only slightly off the ground, encasing it in an architectural glass cube, and installing cabinetry, bike storage, HVAC, and a washer/dryer beneath.
Take a look at the rest of this ingenious space
July 1, 2014

Tranquil Fishers Island House by Thomas Phifer is a Study in Light and Transparency

When you arrive 11 miles off the tip of Long Island at the Fishers Island House you'll be instantly in awe of the Long Island Sound views, apple tree orchard, lush green landscaping, and colorful mix of flowers. You then might to start to wonder where the house is... until you realize you've been peering straight through its transparent glass frame the entire time. Thomas Phifer & Partners designed the simple, 4,600-square-foot pavilion to delicately blend in to the surrounding landscape and create a seamless interior/exterior transition. At two points in the otherwise rectangular floorplan, the outdoor space penetrates inward — once in the entry way, which emerges as a shallow reflecting pool that disappears into the Sound, and again with a tranquil, mossy rock garden at the other end of the home.
Don't miss the rest of this incredible work of architecture
July 1, 2014

Moorehead & Moorehead’s Chipboard Pendant Will Light Up Any Room With Its Sinuous Form

The Seattle-based lighting manufacturer Standard Socket teamed up with Robert and Granger Moorehead of Moorehead & Moorehead to create an uncomplicated, organic pendant light that takes on a shape much more complex than its basic construction. The result is the Chipboard Light — an elegant, sculptural fixture that complements both traditional and modern design esthetics.
More on the design here
July 1, 2014

If at First You Don’t Succeed… Anne Hathaway Sells DUMBO Clocktower Loft the Second Time Around

After re-listing her DUMBO digs for the second time in early June, Anne Hathaway has found a buyer for her Clocktower loft, last priced at $4.25 million. Hathaway snagged the 2BR/3.5BA unit at 1 Main Street with then-fiancé Adam Shulman in February 2013 for $4.1 million, but reportedly never moved in, instead using the 2,592-square-foot apartment as an extremely oversized closet. The unit first hit the market in September 2013, but was removed shortly thereafter in December. The buyer hasn't yet been identified, but he or she will certainly not be disappointed with the giant master suite, library and media room, corner layout, and spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Manhattan skyline.
Get All of the A-list details this way
June 30, 2014

From Gilded Movie House to University Gym: Uncovering the Past of the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre

We're thinking of becoming local college basketball fans — not necessarily because we love the sport, but because we're dying to get inside this Long Island University gymnasium that was once the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre. Commissioned in 1928 by Paramount Pictures, with a sister theatre in Times Square, this regal venue was the largest movie theatre in Brooklyn, second largest in the city, and the first theatre designed for talking pictures. Noted theatre architects Rapp and Rapp designed the rococo-style palace with 4,084 burgundy velvet seats, a ceiling painted with clouds, a 60-foot stage curtain decorated with satin-embroidered pheasants, huge chandeliers, and tiered fountains filled with goldfish. Movie houses struggled during the depression years, and by 1936 the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre had lost $1.5 million since opening. In 1950 Long Island University purchased the building, and twelve years later they renovated the auditorium as their gymnasium keeping the original, ornate details of the space intact. The LIU Blackbirds played their first game in 1963, and in 1975 a second renovation occurred thanks to funding from local businesses.
We uncover the storied past of this grand movie palace
June 30, 2014

SoHo’s Jendretzki Bubble Loft is Out of This World

When we say "out of this world," we don't just mean it's an amazing architectural feat — this apartment was actually modeled after Spaceship 1 through its technology and methodology. Also known as Luminal Gallery, the loft is the first dedicated video-art gallery in New York City. The 6,000-square-foot space was designed by architectural firm Jendretzki and features organic architecture meant to evoke the future, which is playfully juxtaposed against industrial loft details like cast-iron columns and exposed wood ceiling beams.
More space-age details ahead
June 30, 2014

The Architects at Triarch Make Wood Paneling Look Ultra Modern in This Tribeca Penthouse

Wood-paneled walls came along before the dark, dreary styles of the 80s that were found in your grandparents' basement. Earlier in the century, modernist architects, such as Jean Michel Frank, Adolf Loos and Bruno Paul, tastefully incorporated them in their designs. This splendid penthouse, located in a Civil War-era building in Tribeca, is inspired by that style, masterfully melding limed oak paneled walls with dark wenge flooring and 90-degree angles. Though definitively modern, this home's calming simplicity and warm material palette give way to cozy and welcoming rooms not often attainable in spaces of this size.
Take a tour of the home here
June 30, 2014

These Ballpark Blueprints are a Homerun for Baseball Fans

There's only so many miniature bats and steeply priced game tickets you can buy for the baseball-loving family member or friend in your life, so Uncommon Goods' Ballpark Blueprints are the perfect gift for aficionados of America's pastime. The framed illustrations "evoke the nostalgia of midcentury architectural plans" through an aged finish that gives the look of a vintage document. Each print comes complete with the stadium's design specs and notes particularly interesting game stats. The Portland-made drawings are printed on museum-grade archival paper and framed in black poplar wood using acid-free archival board.
Step up to the plate for more design details
June 29, 2014

Architect Morris Adjmi’s NYC Industrial Revolution – How One Architect Dares to Be Different

Have you ever seen an interesting building and wondered if it was old, new, or somewhere in between?  If so, there's a good chance you were looking at one of Morris Adjmi's creations. This is the brilliance of the architect--his buildings focus on the fundamentals of design, blending in with their historic surroundings, but still showcasing subtle, modern touches that make them unique. While Adjmi's contemporaries seem to be in a race to build the tallest, glassiest building in town, he has become the go-to architect for downtown developers thanks to his utilitarian- and industrial-influenced designs.  After opening his own firm MA in 1997, Adjmi gained permanent notoriety with the Scholastic Building in SoHo, a 2001 project he collaborated on with Pritzker Prize winner Aldo Rossi. It was the first example of new construction in the SoHo Cast-Iron Historic District, and architecture Paul Goldberger said it was "a building that will teach generations of architects the proper way to respond to historic contexts."
More on Adjmi's work right ahead
June 27, 2014

90 Years Later, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fuel Station Finally Built in Buffalo, NY

Filling up the ole' gas tank is not a glamorous job, and usually not a task that leaves one marveling at the surrounding architecture.  But in 1927, Prairie-style extraordinaire Frank Lloyd Wright put together plans for a fuel filling station in Buffalo, New York that would leave even the most seasoned driver awe struck. Now, almost 90 years later, the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum has realized Wright's vision and constructed the station as a one-of-a-kind installation housed in a 40,000-square-foot glass and steel atrium, made possible by a $6.3 million state grant. The arts-and-crafts gas station, the third Wright recreation in Buffalo, makes a nod to Native American design and thoughtfully mixes practicality with visual appeal.
Take a virtual tour of the architectural masterpiece
June 25, 2014

$1.8M Greenpoint Apartment Boasts Incredible 16-Foot High Exposed Ceilings

When you hear about a Greenpoint apartment for sale, "loft" might not be what first pops into your head.  But apartment 8 at 190 West Street, currently listed for $1.825 million through CORE, will make you a believer in Brooklyn loft living. The 1,364-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment has all of the loft-like charms you'd hope for--steel support columns, nine-inch oak plank flooring, and exposed wood ceiling beams, duct work, and pipes.  It also feels twice its size thanks to 16-foot ceilings, 40 feet of street-facing frontage, eight-foot-high windows, a large skylight, and an open layout that can easily accommodate a two-bedroom conversion.
Don't miss the rest of this Brooklyn beauty
June 24, 2014

Academic Historian Philip Bobbit Sells his Scholarly Beekman Penthouse for $1.3 Million

With four degrees from three ivy league universities, Philip Bobbit might be expected to live in a house lined with bookshelves and filled with piles of marked-up papers.  The author, academic, historian, and public servant, however, kept a pristine space with virtually no clutter to be seen.  But there is a scholarly feel to the 2BR/2BA apartment with its traditional design, formal artwork, and dignified furniture. Despite its studious charm, Bobbit has sold PH1606 at 575 Park Avenue, known as the Beekman, for $1.325 million.  If the dramatic décor of the penthouse wasn't enough to entice the buyer, it also features north, east, and south exposures, as well as two custom, operable glass NanaWalls that open onto a gorgeous 45-foot-long outdoor terrace, creating an indoor/outdoor oasis.
Continue your penthouse education ahead
June 23, 2014

BOUNCE Collection by Véronique Baer Will Make Your Foam Matress Jealous

Comfy foam is not just for mattresses and your grandma's slippers anymore.  The BOUNCE Collection by Véronique Baer is made up of sculptural foam seating that can be adapted as chairs, stools, ottomans, and even chaise lounges.  The quilted pieces transform to the body that sits on them, and when that person gets up they bounce back to their original form. Véronique Baer had three goals when creating the BOUNCE collection: to create an adaptable seat that would offer maximum comfort; keep production simple and the product affordable; and bring joy to the user.
More about the joyful collection this way
June 23, 2014

OKUM’s oon Power Outlet Makes the Boring Extension Cord Fun

Next to the desk at which I'm currently sitting is an unattractive, jumbled mess of extension cords. I've always figured this was an inevitable way of life, until I saw the oon power outlet by OKUM.  The fun and functional product is a flexible, cloth-covered cable that stretches up to six feet and has painted wooden blocks strung on it.  Made of Connecticut hard maple, three cubes are outfitted with sockets that can be rotated to accommodate blocky adapters, while smooth spheres prevent tangling.
Say goodbye to your white extension cord and learn more about oon here
June 20, 2014

Here Comes the Sun…In This Industrial Tribeca Loft Complete with Artist’s Studio

That's right, little darling, we have here a sun-soaked duplex apartment that will make you want to belt out Beatles' tunes.  The 2BR/1BA apartment at 74 Reade Street comes complete with 3,000 square feet of flexible space and a live/work permit — the perfect combination for an artist or entrepreneur looking to personalize their home. Apartment 1E is listed for $3.1 million. Its selling point is most definitely the abundance of natural light that shines in through the full wall of double-height windows on the first floor and large, geometric skylights that grace each bedroom.  The open floor plan, huge exposed brick walls, and 15-foot tin ceilings add to the bright, airy feel of the apartment.
sun, sun, sun...more this way
June 19, 2014

Brownstone of Park Slope’s “Original Gentrifiers” Sells for $3 Million

When Evelyn and Everett Ortner bought their Park Slope brownstone at 272 Berkeley Place in 1963 for $32,000 they probably never imaged it would sell 50 years later for over $3 million.  But it was their own historically sensitive and forward-looking vision that helped revitalize the area and make it a much-sought-after Brooklyn neighborhood. The Ortners moved to Park Slope when brownstones were unfashionable and the rich turned their noses down at the area.  They convinced their friends to also buy brownstones in the neighborhood. Evelyn was an interior designer specializing in period interiors, and the couple meticulously restored their home down to every last historic detail.  After a 25th anniversary trip to France, where they were inspired by local preservationists working to conserve a crumbling castle in Normandy, Mr. and Mrs. Ortner dedicated themselves to historic preservation efforts in Park Slope until their deaths in 2006 and 2012.
See the results of the couple's tireless passion
June 18, 2014

Printhouse Lofts are Ready to Make Their Mark on the Williamsburg Real Estate Scene

If you follow Williamsburg real estate news, you likely read about a lot of glassy waterfront towers and swanky hotels.  It's refreshing, therefore, to hear about the Printhouse Lofts, a new residential development housed in a 104-year-old manufacturing building that seamlessly blends historic character with modern design. Located at 139 North 10th Street, the site originally housed a printmaking company and was later a toy factory.  After failed conversion attempts by two different developers, Greystone bought the property last year for $15.8 million and undertook an adaptive reuse project that resulted in 36 fabulous apartments.
Take a tour through one of these stunners
June 17, 2014

Time Warner V.P. Unloads Upper West Side Condo for $4.3 Million

A strikingly elegant co-op apartment at 375 West End Avenue has for $4.3 million, according to city records.  The seller, Paul T. Cappuccio, Vice President and General Counsel at Time Warner, Inc., bought the 5BR/3.5BA unit in July 2011 for $3.5 million, netting him an almost $1 million profit. The handsome, 2,400-square-foot space is a mix of traditional design and convenient, modern touches.  Stunning, detailed moldings and shiny herringbone hardwood floors work alongside barely-there recessed lighting and a contemporary, marble bathroom.  Ten-foot ceilings and large windows framed by panel molding are decorative elements that harken back to the building's prewar construction, while custom walk-in closets and a laundry room with full-size washer/dryer are 21st-century touches.
Take a look at the rest of this swoon-worthy pad
June 13, 2014

Downtown Flips: Four of the Biggest Moneymakers of All Time

At any given hour when you turn on a home design television channel you have about a 50% chance of landing on a realty show about flipping houses.  In real life, though, it's not all hunky property brothers and fairy tale endings; trying to flip a house is a gamble, which is why oftentimes the most successful flippers are those on the inside, like real estate developers and seasoned brokers. For anyone looking to make a flip, New York is ripe with opportunity thanks to low inventory and a constant race to be bigger and better.  Within the city, Downtown Manhattan is the ripest fruit on the vine.  Full of highly desirable, trendy neighborhoods, it's a hot bed for investors.  There's no textbook definition of a flip, but it's generally thought of as a three-year turnover.  Downtown there have been 58 apartment swaps within the past three years.  We take a look at some of the greatest hits.
This way for all the triumphant flips
June 12, 2014

Tribeca Loft That Wouldn’t Sell Will Be Just as Happy as a $45K/Month Rental

When the going gets tough...put your massive Tribeca condo on the rental market for $45,000/month.  Well, at least that's what the owners of Apartment 1 at 16 Jay Street recently did after trying to sell the pad since April 2011.  Available immediately, the space can come furnished or unfurnished. Known in the design community for its sweeping cast-iron and mahogany staircase that was welded together inside the home in the shape of a double ellipsis, this floor-through apartment occupies the entire 4,200 square feet of 16 Jay Street's first floor.  It has 3BR/3BA and a 900-square-foot patio that contains a 25-foot-high sculpture and heated limestone flooring.
The interior excitement continues here