Brownstone Interior Destroyed Modernized by Artist Couple
We had mixed emotions reading the Times Real Estate story this weekend about the older artist couple who financed the purchase of a Stuyvesant Heights brownstone four years ago by selling a Basquiat that one of them had picked up for $100 back in the Eighties. (Anyone know what block this is?) Aren’t there enough…
We had mixed emotions reading the Times Real Estate story this weekend about the older artist couple who financed the purchase of a Stuyvesant Heights brownstone four years ago by selling a Basquiat that one of them had picked up for $100 back in the Eighties. (Anyone know what block this is?) Aren’t there enough brownstones that have already been stripped of their original detail that someone wanting to create a modern space could avoid destroying yet another piece of history? Yes, these folks were considerate enough to call in a salvage company to save the architectural artifacts, but it’s still a bummer. And how about all that tree-cutting? What a soap opera! Update: Okay, it’s sounding like the Times article might have overstated how salvageable the interiors of this place were, so it’s looking like we came down a little too hard on these folks. Apologies.
Bankrolled by a Basquiat [NY Times]
Photo by Gabriele Stabile for The New York Times
Buying an historic house and spending big bucks to destroy the interiors and making it into a drywall vanilla box is bad karma. These two old farts should be ashamed of themselves. They have destroyed something of value for the sake of their own vanity.
RH,
“let them buy something modern”. Do I hear the word “regulation”?
But seriously, no one stood between them and a modern home. There WAS a reason they bought that property.
How come no one ever comes on here and says:
I can’t believe those home owners! They took a perfectly fine ‘modern’ brick box and added all those outdated 19th Century architectural details. Look at the heavy use of crown mouldings and over scaled base moulding. And can you believe they even added chair railings and a hideous ceiling medallion.
These people are crazy turning this ‘modern’ house into a relic…such bad taste!
I agree with the other old home nuts. If they wanted a modern home, let them buy something modern. Personally, I’m not too impressed with the renovation. It’s totally cookie cutter.
Morris & Marry-Anne…looking forward to pizza with you when Saraghina opens.
“one of my neighbors sold all his parlor floor woodwork to an antique dealer. MANY neighbors rang my bell, asking what we could do to stop him”
That’s not even funny what some people would do to invade others privacy. I wouldn’t be surprised if they would spy to see what underwear their neighbors have and whether it has details that please their eyes through binoculars.
Brownstones are more (much more) than just crown molding and baseboards. People can appreciate them for different reasons: compact design, generous Parlor volumes, energy efficiency, grand stairwells, neighborhood scale, etc….. I suggest people think more thoughtfully on this count before condemning other motives for wanting to live in this type of dwelling.
Removing the chair rails does not negate the quality of this renovation.
The cabinetry is all top notch. That’s what Morris does for a living. You can’t find any better out there.
Can we focus on tearing apart the lighting choices now!!?? 🙂
How can anyone condemn what they did if we do not even know what “details” they “destroyed” – all the article mentions is “victorian details” and fireplace mantles.
For all anyone knows the inside of this place was a wreck.
All that being said – this renovation is still DULL