Architecture And Design

Built-in book cases can take any space from drab to fab. Unfortunately, these custom-built units are often expensive—and if you don't own your home, not worth the investment. Now thanks to the Japanese design firm Nendo, and their new shelving unit called Nest, you can have a set of book cases adjusted exactly for your living space. This ingenious shelf stretches to accommodate any size. Each unit is made from carbon fiber materials, so it will hold up under extremely large amounts of weight. Plus, unlike built-ins, when it's time to move, you can take these customizable pieces with you to adorn your new home.
learn more about the design here

September 21, 2015

This Beautifully Preserved Park Slope Brownstone Was Once a NYC Mayor’s Mansion

By Michelle Cohen

On an impossibly lovely landmarked brownstone block near the border between north Park Slope and Prospect Heights, the 1890s townhouse at 212 Saint Johns Place is a testament to the idea that they don't make them like this anymore. This historic brownstone, on the market for $3.895 million, will definitely appeal to anyone smitten with the idea of living in a beautifully preserved home from the 19th century rather than constructing a modern interior with contemporary flair. Once the home of New York City mayor William J. Gaynor (1910-1913), this two-family neo-Grec townhouse is filled with original architectural details from parquet wood floors, richly-carved mahogany trim and ten-foot parlor floor doors to the exquisite wood-carved cabinet built into the third floor landing.
Tour this historic home, this way

Infographic: The Most Popular Housing Typology in Major Cities Across the U.S.

Created by the Washington Post

September 21, 2015

Infographic: The Most Popular Housing Typology in Major Cities Across the U.S.

The American dream may be to own a sprawling single-family home with a picket fence, but clearly very few New Yorkers are interested in that fantasy. Instead, as this fascinating infographic breaking down the most-popular housing typologies across the 40 largest U.S. cities points out, less than 10 percent of NYC inhabitants live in a detached single unit. The majority, in fact, reside in buildings with 20 or more apartments.
See how 40 of America's largest cities stack up against one another

Architecture And Design

September 21, 2015

Üllo Purifies Wine to Remove Sulfites and Hangovers One Glass at a Time

It's probably safe to say that many New Yorkers enjoy a good glass of wine (we certainly do), and who doesn't want to appreciate it just as the winemaker intended? James Kornacki, the mastermind behind Üllo, wants to make sure this is possible with every opened bottle, and according to him it's all about purity. That's why Kornacki teamed up with the award-winning product development and brand incubation firm MINIMAL to create a product than can remove the sulfites used to preserve wine when sold commercially.
More on the product

September 21, 2015

Beautiful Boerum Hill Townhouse Has a Whimsical Kids’ Playroom and an Impeccable Garden

When it comes to Brooklyn townhouses, we often find ourselves ogling their immaculate renovations; incredible undertakings that always somehow manage to perfectly balance the beautiful and historic roots of a construction with the whimsical and wonderful details of modern homes. This gorgeous four-story row house in Boerum Hill is no exception. Renovated by CWB Architects back in 2010, the project included a gut renovation of the two lower floors, and the family room, guest room, playroom, bar and mechanical space were all redesigned. A large opening was also inserted into the southern facade facing the garden, and a sunscreen was integrated into the structure to shield the interior spaces. What came to be was a home that's both cohesive and inviting.
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September 21, 2015

Units Finally Hit the Market at Jean Nouvel’s MoMA Tower

The time has finally come. After years of setbacks and teasers, units at Jean Nouvel's 1,050-foot-tall MoMA Tower, now officially known as 53W53, have hit the market. Nine listings (out of 139) went up on Corcoran, according to Curbed, ranging from a $3.17 million one-bedroom 19th-floor unit to a $50.9 million four-bedroom, 63rd-floor unit. When construction started earlier this year, rumor had it that the listings wouldn't be made public, but now that we know otherwise, we've got plenty of floorplan porn to ogle, as well as lots more interior renderings courtesy of designer Thierry Despont.
Renderings and floorplans right this way

September 20, 2015

Bioscleave House Uses Architecture to Extend Lifespans and Strengthen Immune Systems

New Yorkers are always looking for new ways to stay young, and the next health craze may be just a bridge or tunnel away in Long Island at the Bioscleave House in East Hampton. Arakawa and Madeline Gins are the masterminds behind the house, which is also referred to as the Lifespan Extending Villa. The duo's design philosophy is to combat mortality by creating architecture that makes people use their bodies in unexpected ways, challenging them to maintain equilibrium, in turn stimulating their immune systems. “They ought to build hospitals like this,” Ms. Gins told the New York Times in a 2008 interview. Although the idea sounds fascinating and beneficial for all, their out-of-the-box methods might not be exactly what you'd expect. With undulating floors–possibly unsafe for children–and a variety of other disorienting details, the verdict is still out on whether or not their methods will, in fact, reverse the aging process as they claim.
Plenty more on the Bioscleave House ahead

Architecture And Design

It’s Official! JetBlue Will Turn the Iconic TWA Flight Terminal at JFK Into a Hotel

Image courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle

September 18, 2015

It’s Official! JetBlue Will Turn the Iconic TWA Flight Terminal at JFK Into a Hotel

No longer will the fate of Eero Saarinen’s architectural masterpiece sit in limbo, Crain's reports that the iconic structure will indeed be made into a hotel, developed through a partnership between MCR Development and JetBlue. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chose the pair amongst a "field of several competitors" bidding for the job, and the decision will be formally announced at the agency's board meeting next week. As we previously reported, the new destination will be known as the TWA Flight Center Hotel.
more details this way

September 18, 2015

Grandiose Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown Helps You Relax and Restore Medieval-Style

Located at 400 Benedict Avenue in Tarrytown, NY, a short thirty minutes north of Manhattan, Castle Hotel & Spa sits atop one of the highest points in Westchester County. This majestic palace (h/t FEH) overlooks the Hudson River and quaint suburbs below. The Castle is over 100 years old and a visit will easily whisk you away to America's enchanted Gilded Age.
Learn more about the historic property

SHoP Architects Are Bringing a Wooden Condo Building to Chelsea

In March, an Austrian architecture firm announced plans to build the world's tallest wooden skyscraper in Vienna. They noted that by using wood as opposed to concrete they'd save 3,086 tons of CO2 emissions. Then, a study showed that timber buildings actually cost less to build. These benefits really must have stuck with SHoP Architects, who are developing plans for a ten-story residential building in Chelsea, overlooking the High Line at 475 West 18th Street, that will be made entirely of wood, according to the Wall Street Journal. SHoP's project came via a competition hosted by the United States Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Softwood Lumber Board and the Binational Softwood Lumber Council, that asked architecture firms to design buildings at least 80 feet tall that employed wood construction technologies. SHoP's design, dubbed 475 West, won the competition along with a 12-story building in Portland. The firms will split a $3 million prize to "embark on the exploratory phase of their projects, including the research and development necessary to utilize engineered wood products in high-rise construction."
More on the project here

September 17, 2015

This Nomad Loft Was Created With Curbside Finds, Elbow Grease and an Eye for Beauty

By Michelle Cohen

There was a time in NYC when there wasn't an expectation that an apartment or loft come with a full set of shiny new appliances and amenities; you could carve out a space for yourself over time, and end up with a beautiful, unique and comfortable home. That's about the time–1977, to be exact–when the owners of this cool and crafty Nomad loft, then a recent co-op conversion, bought it for $50,000 and moved in. Now this large two-bedroom 12th floor loft with a private terrace is on the rental market for $8,000 a month. The owners–she was an art historian who passed away about a year ago, he's a retired biophysicist–and their daughter had always been fond of the excitement of scavenging what others left behind–like a six-burner restaurant stove and what is now a veritable jungle of plants. The building had been used for light manufacturing, and the couple had to design the entire 1,620-square-foot space to make it a home. Since the space was completely raw, they could configure it any way they pleased. The loft was featured in a 2006 article in the Times, in which the home's late owner and main design force is described as having "a gimlet eye for the gorgeous."
Take a look around, this way...

September 17, 2015

New Details of Tribeca’s Mysterious Skybridge House Emerge, Including Floorplan

Details were scarce when it was announced last week that one of Manhattan's last sky bridges was coming to the market. As it turns out, the property, which spans 9 Jay Street and 67 Hudson #3AB, is a pocket listing being marketed by brokers Ryan Serhant and Kaptan Unugur of Nestseekers. Tribeca Citizen, however, was able to score the floor plan of the massive home, and a pretty nifty rendering offering color-coded a street view of what you'd be buying—if you were to snap up the home, which is going for a reported $30 million.
See more here

September 17, 2015

New York Public Library Hires Dutch Architecture Firm Mecanoo to Lead Renovation

On Tuesday, news surfaced that eight architecture firms were being considered for the redesign of the New York Public Library's main branch, the landmarked Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street, one of whom was starchitect Bjarke Ingels. The list also included Ennead Architects, Studio Gang Architects, and Robert A.M. Stern Architects. One name that wasn't mentioned, however, was the Dutch firm Mecanoo, but the New York Times is reporting that the architects from the Netherlands have been selected by the library to lead the $300 million renovation, which also includes a complete overhaul of the Mid-Manhattan branch at Fifth Avenue and 40th Street.
More details ahead

Architecture And Design

September 17, 2015

Luna Globe Lights Will Illuminate Your Living Space Just Like the Moon

At night, the New York City skyline is illuminated with the artificial glow of its towering skyscrapers and bridges. While this sight is breathtaking and often reminds us of why we love the city so, we can't help but long for an occasional glimpse of the stars and moon. This was Acorn Studio's sentiment and inspiration for the design of Luna, an artificial globe light that looks just like the moon!
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September 16, 2015

Where I Work: Inside Made in Americana’s Bed-Stuy workshop and collaborative

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we meet the founders of Brooklyn's Made in Americana. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! Many of us come to New York with certain goals in mind, but more often than not we're at the whim of the city which has plans of its own. But this is not always a bad thing. Case in point: When college friends Jordan Johnson and Joey Grimm moved to NYC a few years ago, they wanted to be performance artists; now they're running a burgeoning furniture business called Made in Americana. Today, the pair work out of a massive industrial studio at the border of Hasidic Bed-Stuy and Bed-Stuy Bedford, designing custom interiors and building modern pieces meant to last for generations. But that's not all, they've opened their very large and very well-equipped space to other newbie BK designers to create a collaborative environment that gives others the opportunity to not just get their works made, but refine them with top-of-the-line sustainable materials to get them showroom-ready—with their help, of course. Jump ahead to learn more about what Jordan and Joey are doing, exactly how they got to where they're at, and of course to tour of their quirky, and quite cool, DIY studio space.
Go inside their awesome studio here

September 16, 2015

Lang Architecture Updates a Carroll Gardens Brownstone With a Two-Story Wall of Windows

Prior to renovation, this Carroll Gardens brownstone came complete with tattered wall-to-wall carpeting and three separate apartment units. Plus, it was just 14 feet wide. The arduous task of transforming the four-story Italianate home into an attractive one-family residence was awarded to Drew Lang of Lang Architecture (the same firm responsible for Hudson Woods, the Catskills eco-community). When first approached, Lang's clients said they wanted to restore the historic elements of the house, but also make it feel airy, light, and modern.
See how Drew Lang rose to the challenge

September 16, 2015

West Village Condo, Asking $2.4 Million, Calls Itself a Bibliotheque

By Emily Nonko

If you're a reader, prepare to fall in love. This West Village condo apartment at 302 West 12th Street is essentially one big book shelf, and beautifully designed at that. It's also located in a pre-war apartment building right in the heart of the West Village and just a short walk away from the Hudson River Greenway, the Chelsea art galleries and the Meatpacking District. For bookshelves galore and such a charming location: $2.4 million.
Check it out

September 15, 2015

Fort Greene Townhouse, Up for Rent at $8,500 a Month, Has Its Very Own Treehouse

By Emily Nonko

If a New York townhouse is only as good as its outdoor space, this place in Fort Greene is one of the best. Located at 283 Adelphi Street, the historic brick house boasts a beautiful interior with both modern and historic touches, and then a downright awesome exterior. A fire pit, an outdoor dining area, and yes, there's a treehouse. (It looks just large enough to fit a grownup, too!) Simply put: this house has us sold, inside and out. It's up for rent during a six-month period–January 2016 to June 2016–asking $8,500 a month.
See it all

September 15, 2015

The Best Places to Buy Cheap Vintage and Antique Furniture in NYC

Finding the time and money to properly adorn your living space is challenging in any capacity, and living in a city as expensive as New York makes it that much more difficult. However, this bustling metropolis is not only filled with people, it's also home to all of their furniture! As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure, and New York is the perfect town to hunt for good deals on vintage pieces that are often better in quality and better looking than what you'd buy new from IKEA (minus the ferry ride). To save you time, we've put together this list of some of our favorite NYC spots to hunt for cheap vintage furniture and accessories. We also included a few new and not so new websites that also offer excellent deals.
The best shops to find great deals here

September 15, 2015

Is Bjarke Ingels Redesigning the New York Public Library Flagship?

Bjarke Ingels is most certainly on his way to New York architectural greatness, and scattered on the path behind him are the remains of Norman Foster's abandoned designs. Curbed has caught wind that the baby-faced starchitect is currently being considered for the redesign of the New York Public Library's landmarked Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street. Yesterday afternoon, Theodore Grunewald, Vice President of the Committee to Save the New York Public Library, tweeted that both Bjarke Ingels and Ennead Architects were among the eight finalists being considered for the project—a list that also includes Studio Gang Architects and Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
Find out more here

Architecture And Design

September 15, 2015

There’s a Secret Bathhouse Modeled After Ancient Greco-Roman and Ottoman Traditions in Tribeca

We don't always have enough free time to escape NYC as often as we'd like (or need). However, when we find ourselves desperate for some immediate R and R there are a few gems of tranquility hidden inside the walls of this concrete jungle. One breathtaking example is AIRE's Ancient Bath House located right in Tribeca behind a very unassuming cast iron storefront (we didn't know it existed either!). This sexy newcomer offers guests access to a suite of amenities including pools of hot, warm, cold and ice water; jet and salt baths; and a steamy hammam.
Have a look inside the incredible space ahead

September 15, 2015

Convivial Production’s Structured Hanging Planters Are Perfect for Crawling Greens and Succulents

In a recent edition of 6sqft's Apartment Living 101 we featured the best plants for apartment dwellers, which put us on the lookout for cool planters to house all your leafy greens. This Structured Hanging Planter from designer Chentell Stiritz of Convivial Production Inc. was created specifically for crawling plants and succulents. The planters are made to order and constructed in porcelain and stoneware.
More on the planters here

September 15, 2015

Brooklyn Brownstone by McGrath II Shines With Subtle Color Palettes and Curated Accessories

The mother-daughter design team that makes up McGrath II recently renovated this beautiful Brooklyn brownstone. Their eclectic but elegant aesthetic combines traditional furnishings with contemporary style, resulting in a whole that's definitely greater than its parts. Not only is their ability to curate refined yet surprising design accessories apparent in all of their projects, their talent for selecting subtle colors outlined by bold, bright accents is also always worth another look.
Explore the space in greater detail

September 14, 2015

Russian Castle on Long Island With 35 Bathrooms Asks a Whopping $100M