"In all of New York, there's no place like Gramercy Park, an impeccably tended gated square to which only lucky residents of the surrounding town houses and apartments have a key. Behind those gracious facades, you'd expect to find dimly lit parlors draped in damask. But in the case of one six-story Greek revival house, nothing could be further from the truth. Imag ine entering the 1865 building and taking the elevator to the apartment on the top three floors, where you encounter a decidedly untraditional, unconventional space. Sunshine from an enormous skylight bathes a dramatic travertine staircase. Pedigreed mid-century furniture and large-format contemporary photography fill the rooms on either side. That's the scenario envisioned by the house's owner, Classic Media cofounder and co-CEO Eric Ellenbogen, who has bought, fixed up, and sold multiple Manhattan residences as well as owning a William F. Cody house in Palm Springs, California.
Renovating the Gramercy property involved a multiphase, multiyear collaboration with Michael Haverland Architect. The house was a complete eyesore at the outset-stripped of its original stoop, encrusted with peeling lime-green paint, and chopped up into eight apartments in which nary a mantel, molding, or ceiling medallion remained. While tenants were relocated, Michael Haverland began restoring the redbrick facade to the exacting standards of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. He stripped and re-pointed the brick, reinstated the stoop, and reproduced the original ironwork and cornice. As for the interior, it was devoid of details and dark like most town houses, having windows only on the front and rear. Gutting the space and starting from scratch was the only solution. "I'm all for economy and salvaging," Haverland says. "In this case, though, there was nothing to save."
-joel
