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Jul 23, 2023

In This Manhattan Apartment Transformation, Two Separate Units Became One

By Marni Elyse Katz Photography by Matt Dutile What city dweller hasn’t fantasized about busting through a wall to claim the apartment next door? During the pandemic, Thomas Morbitzer and Goil

By Marni Elyse Katz

Photography by Matt Dutile

What city dweller hasn’t fantasized about busting through a wall to claim the apartment next door? During the pandemic, Thomas Morbitzer and Goil Amornvivat’s client, a communications executive with a one-bedroom in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood, actually did it. The result is a 1,100-square-foot serene, two-bedroom abode. “The objective was to combine the two apartments into one cohesive home, from the architecture to the interior design,” Goil, a partner at Ammor Architecture, says. “You don’t want it to look like you just stuck a door between them.”

Given the limitations of working within a multiunit building, that’s easier said than done. There were electric panels, exhaust shafts, structural columns, plumbing risers, and gas lines to navigate. Unlike in a single-family home, such infrastructure could not be moved. There were strict wet-over-dry restrictions too, meaning kitchens and baths must remain over kitchens and baths.

BEFORE: The full-gut project included swapping out the dated parquet flooring for white oak planks.

Still, the setup lent itself to an ideal layout, with bedroom suites bookending an expansive central living space. The small kitchen shoved in a corner is now a powder room. The dividing wall, which ran from the window to the building’s corridor, came down, as did a pair of closets that had enclosed the other kitchen and jutted out into the living area. “We were able to achieve a simple, great room design with just a few adjustments,” says Thomas, who is also a partner at the architecture firm.

AFTER: A long line of streamlined storage runs from just after the entry to the kitchen. A Hans Wegner lounge chair and powder-coated metal coffee table are among the accent pieces in the living room, which was also designed by Ammor.

To make up for the storage lost from demolishing those closets, the architects devised a streamlined wall of three closets that stretches from the foyer to the bar before seamlessly transitioning into the kitchen cabinetry. “Pushing the storage onto one wall allowed for more floor space in the living area,” Goil says. It also provided a clever way to conceal some pesky columns. “The closets are nestled between irregular columns. There are intentional uses assigned to each—printer and office supplies, personal items, coats—they’re not just catchalls.”

BEFORE: The renovation expanded the footprint of the original kitchen. The kitchen in the acquired unit was turned into a powder room.

AFTER: The strong shape of the bentwood counter stools plays off the abstract artwork by artist Alarah Gee. The homeowner commissioned ceramicist Shira Berg to create an organic installation of stoneware daisies for the far wall.

Thomas and Goil treated the other columns in the living space with a concrete finish, in effect celebrating them instead of hiding them. The column between the windows, which is where the wall came down and the where the sectional sofa now sits, provides a subtle marker between the living and dining areas.

By Morgan Goldberg

By Sara Barragán del Rey

By Ludovica Stevan

AFTER: A structural beam with a concrete finish intersects the peninsula. The concrete-treated column on the wall behind it separates the cooking side of the kitchen from display space and the fridge.

The pair also put a positive spin on the impossible when they moved a column standing smack in the middle of the kitchen and built a peninsula in its stead. “It affords a dash of privacy by obstructing the view of the cooking area from the entry,” Thomas says. “We look for clever opportunities to improve what others may label as a problem.”

AFTER: Tripod chairs with rounded triangular backs by Brazilian designer Juliana Lima Vasconcellos complement the understated table. By dropping the ceiling in the entire living space by three inches, the team was able to add recessed lighting.

Although the kitchen is mostly open to living space, its visual impact is quiet. There is minimal hardware, while the upper and lower cabinets are flush. Also of note, open shelving between the back column and the fridge allows for some display space. As for the abstract art and furnishings, a splatter-shaped coffee table pops against the plush ivory rug and pale gray bouclé sofa in the living room, while a Hans Wegner shell chair is positioned nearby. The custom walnut wall-hung credenza and offset floating shelves hold the wall and help highlight the homeowners’ collections. In the dining area, the built-in under the window functions as a bookcase and sideboard and simultaneously conceals the air conditioner. The primary bedroom, with its complementary design, is situated right off this room. “We make things look simple, but there’s a lot of detail,” Thomas says.

By Morgan Goldberg

By Sara Barragán del Rey

By Ludovica Stevan

AFTER: To make the primary bedroom feel special and in line with the look and feel with the living area, the architects chose a gray lime wash for the walls that matches the concrete finish of the structural columns.

AFTER: Matte black metal accents run throughout the space, including in the powder room, where artwork by Manhattan-based Curtis Kulig hangs on the limewashed walls.

AFTER: The matte porcelain floor tiles in the primary bath resemble concrete, ensuring that the spa-like space feels unified with the rest of the home.

BEFORE: The guest bath needed some serious freshening, but the fixture locations remained the same.

AFTER: Zellige tile in the guest bath reflects the homeowner’s interest in ceramics.

By Morgan Goldberg

By Sara Barragán del Rey

By Ludovica Stevan

AFTER: The guest bedroom has a more whimsical vibe thanks to the iconic Slim Aarons photograph and leaf-shaped throw pillows. The upholstered bed is from Room & Board. The windowpane check duvet is from Brooklinen.