A Gloomy Manhattan Apartment Is Transformed Into a Light-Filled Showplace

Connecticut design firm Alisberg Parker gave new life to this dated Manhattan apartment. Take a tour to see the dramatic transformation.

January 22, 2021

By: Meredith Rosenberg

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Photo By: Wes Tarca

From Drab to Fab

Thanks to a gut renovation, you'd never guess that this 2,000-square-foot Manhattan apartment originally consisted of a succession of small, dark rooms — the norm for many Manhattan spaces. In order to modernize the unit, design firm Alisberg Parker removed most of the walls and shifted rooms around in order to open up the floor plan. The result is a light-filled home that's conducive to both entertaining and relaxing.

Color and Light

The living room immediately sets the tone with a 130-square-foot balcony that maximizes light and Central Park views. Paneled walls add a layer of visual contrast while complementing the owners' repurposed antique furniture. Orange and blue pillows break up an otherwise neutral color scheme.

Wine Design

In a clever design choice, the Alisberg Parker team hid a wine and storage cabinet in this part of the living room. (It resides behind the paneled doors with brass hinges.)

Custom Features

This game table is ideal for entertaining, along with custom-upholstered dining chairs and ottomans in the prefered accent colors of orange and blue. Meanwhile, a custom media and storage cabinet separates the living room from the den, along with floor-to-ceiling pocket doors. "This allows the den to be used as a guest bedroom or a cozy seating area," says designer Susan Alisberg.

Double Duty

Since the apartment only contains one main bedroom, the den fits a sectional that doubles as a bed for guests in this multitasking room. The space offers its own bathroom as well.

Total Transformation

The owners love to cook, so having a large functional kitchen ranked high on their list. There was no way to make the original galley kitchen work, so the design team removed it, along with a small bedroom, in order to accommodate an eat-in chef's kitchen with appliances, island, banquette and, of course, natural light. Here, a custom built-in serves multiple functions by separating the kitchen from the dining room, hiding unsightly plumbing and wires, and serving as a convenient spot for a wall-mounted TV.

Built-In Privacy

This angle spotlights the large sliding doors and easy access between the kitchen and dining room. It also reveals the pantry storage tucked behind the white door on the left.

Made for Entertaining

In the dining room, blue goes from being an accent color to the dominant choice. But instead of painting the walls blue, Parker chose grasscloth wallpaper for something different. A dining table that can seat 12 is a rarity in the city, as is the ability to close the doors while entertaining, both enviable features of this flexible dining room-kitchen space. In addition to the artwork, the statement pendants from Urban Electric provide a conversation starter for guests.

How to Do Blue

This perspective highlights the true color of the Bright Group dining chairs and Wud table. It also reveals the butler's pantry and storage closet at the far end. By widening this space, Parker and her team were able to increase the natural light in the apartment's central hall.

At Your Service

The butler's pantry is fully equipped with a wine fridge and glass stemware. The glass cabinet and antique mirror backsplash create the illusion of more space, while the marble counter adds an elegant touch.

Major Expansion

The kitchen wasn't the only area to be completely overhauled. The design team doubled the size of the master bath to make room for a bathtub, large shower, double vanity and makeup area. The blue and orange accent colors are traded for a cleaner aesthetic here, including a gleaming white marble floor and wall tile.

Added Warmth

A custom paneled wood vanity and medicine cabinets with custom mirrors add warmth to this sleek bathroom.

Modern Living

This area deserves a closer look, as the team made the most of the space by combining a soaking tub with the large, light-filled shower. It's unconventional, but a good reminder how the right design can reimagine old architecture to fit modern lifestyles.

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