Adapting a historic home to meet modern needs.
This gable-front-and-wing home also known as the Martin Barney home located within Manhattan’s historic Houston-Pierre Street District is well loved by its current owners. They enjoy the features of the past, such as the original wood trim, large windows and the overall character of the house. However, they do not enjoy the steep staircase and the nearly unusable attic space above. The clients often work from home liked to have a designated office space that could be closed off from the rest of the house, as well as more space for family members to stay with them. There is currently only one bathroom in the house, and they would like to increase that number.
Timber & Stone proposed adding a dormer to the flat section of roof to increase the ceiling height and livable area, as well as the amount of natural light. The dormer continues to the back facade of the house to incorporate windows and add in a small bathroom to the attic space. Skylights along the east side of the roof adds even more natural light to the open space, ideal for a home office. The renovation also includes adding a mini-split HVAC system to the attic to better control the temperature.
2023—As things change, the goal of this project shifted to focus on the main living spaces within the home. T&S looked into opening up the kitchen and dining room to the central living room to better fit their modern needs. Through maintaining the existing historic door and window trim throughout these newly-connected spaces, the historic atmosphere lives on while creating a better flow for the inhabitants. The existing kitchen had limited counterspace and several openings that inhibited work flow. The bathroom was relocated between the front bedrooms to make more space for the kitchen. When the clients are not home, the residence functions as a short-term rental which was kept in mind when redesigning the layout. The washer and dryer are now upstairs in the kitchen so that access to the basement is now restricted to guests, and the interior basement door is thughtfully hidden in the cabinet door system.
Existing Photos
Finished Photos
