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May 22, 2007

At Upper East Side Mansion, Everything Must Go

ddceiling.jpg ddrailing.jpg
It's ironic (dontcha think?) that too much money can be more of a threat to a house than too little. A perfect case in point is the salvage operation that Demolition Depot is about to undertake at a mansion on the Upper East Side. The gazillionaire who recently bought this place decided that the gobs of money the previous owner spent on custom bannisters, wood-paneling etc. were beneath him and it all had to go. (Alright, we'll concede those bathrooms could use a spruce-up but come on.) So, starting today, Demolition Depot will be dismantling the entire interior. If you want to make their job easy and get a serious discount for cash-and-carry, you can visit the site next week. Just call 212-860-1138 to arrange a time.
Townhouse Salvage Highlights [Demolition Depot]




Posted by Brownstoner at 11:06 AM | Comments (18)
Categories: Salvage

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Comments

Kewl...How many times in life do you get a chance to feel like a revolutionary peasant looting a dascha? Sign me up for a doorknob or two to bring back to Flatbush!

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at May 22, 2007 11:12 AM

WOW! If only I could get that staircase on the subway.

Amazing that a period masterpiece like that house would have a collection of the most hideous bathrooms I have ever seen in my life. Gotta love the hair washing sink!

I hate it when original details are stripped from a house. At least they aren't going in the dumpster, but Demolition Depot is not going to be giving anyone any kind of cheap bargains, either. Sigh.

Posted by: Sterling Silver at May 22, 2007 11:28 AM

aside from the center staircase railing and the wall mount toilet everything is junk

Posted by: Anonymous at May 22, 2007 11:30 AM

I'd hardly call the coffered ceiling, leaded glass windows and most of the fireplace mantles, among other things, junk.

Wall mount toilet? I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder, and one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 22, 2007 11:42 AM

Please tell me they will try and save the flocked wall paper in the Velvet Room!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Anonymous at May 22, 2007 12:30 PM

haha, i love the hairdresser sink - rich people are so funny!!!

Posted by: stephen at May 22, 2007 12:31 PM

It's the previous owner that really went wrong. It's hard to decide what to keep and what needs to go when you move into a place. It looks like the seller took out more than they salvaged and didn't really have the funds to bankroll a proper restoration. Old does not always mean great.

Posted by: drunkenstooper at May 22, 2007 1:07 PM

Chinese Proverb: After the lions come the hyenas. Just because this buyer has a few dollars to burn does not mean he has better taste. From the pictures, it seems like a nice restoration work went into this complex. It's criminal to tear it down. Arabic Proverb: Those who destroy beauty are doomed to a life of imaginary ugliness.

Posted by: Marc Albert at May 22, 2007 2:06 PM

Chinese Proverb: After the lions come the hyenas. Just because this buyer has a few dollars to burn does not mean he has better taste. From the pictures, it seems like a nice restoration work went into this complex. It's criminal to tear it down. Arabic Proverb: Those who destroy beauty are doomed to a life of imaginary ugliness.

Posted by: Marc Albert at May 22, 2007 2:06 PM

American proverb: Money doesn't buy taste. This horror is perfect example. It's foul; I would gut it, too.

Posted by: Rascal at May 22, 2007 2:52 PM

Ok, there's a mish mash of styles here, and some serious bad taste, but gutting it is a bit extreme, although that is obviously what they are doing.

Money does not buy taste. That certainly is true. I could use a few things in here, starting with sections of that stairway, and the leaded glass windows.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 22, 2007 3:05 PM

Chinese proverb with lions and hyenas?

Posted by: Anonymous at May 22, 2007 4:02 PM

Money does buy taste. Previous owner didn't spent a cent to hire decorators nor architects. In this grand house, unbelievable....

Posted by: Anonymous at May 22, 2007 5:54 PM

Is that the house that Madonna bought?

Posted by: Anonymous at May 22, 2007 8:15 PM

This house is wonderfully grotesque and garish. Look into the reflected images in some of the mirrors and you see richly coffered ceilings that are installed in rooms with no cornices or window trim. Everything is tastefully out of scale. When viewed as a whole, the images and photos are an amazing clash of tastes. My overall impression is that it dates from middle to late NYC Pimpism with touches of cocaine to enhance its vulgarity.

Posted by: anon at May 22, 2007 11:59 PM

What a dump.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 23, 2007 8:49 AM

Thank you for pointing out they are hairdresser sinks. I thought I was behind the curve and needed sinks to wash my balls in.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 23, 2007 10:15 AM

Money doesn't buy class, education doesn't make for common sense, why not burn the place down and start over?

Posted by: Jess Smith at June 7, 2007 12:18 AM

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