Historic SoHo Pre-War Loft Renovation | 477 Broome St

BEFORE: THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

The original kitchen in this soho loft was not just outdated but lacked functionality due to the cooktop being located in the corner of the island while directly being located in front of the refrigerator. In addition to this, since our customer wanted to install a central HVAC system but did not want to go with split units created an additional challenge. Our design and build team knew that by installing round ducts throughout the loft space would aesthetically work, the issue however was figuring out where to hide the air handler without having to sacrifice the 12 foot ceiling space in this loft.

Luckily, this particular building did not have restrictions on condensers being placed on the roof, so we knew we had the issue of where to place the condenser handled. Installing the air handler while having it hidden from sight was an entirely different challenge.

DURING: CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

To solve the design challenge in this Soho kitchen renovation while also ensuring that we were creating an aesthetically pleasing space for our customer was not a small feat. In the kitchen, it was important for us to plan that the sink does not fall in front of the column and that none of the kitchen cabinet door swings or drawers became obstructed. By moving the sink to the right we ensured that our customers would not feel claustrophobic in their new kitchen. To solve for the cabinet and drawer door swings, we installed fully custom flat panel kitchen cabinets that were precisely measured and built specifically for this kitchen. Lastly, the cooktop was moved to the island while being upgraded to an electric induction cooktop. This not only improved the functionality and design of this kitchen but also served as a workaround of the buildings restrictions on rerouting gas plumbing lines through the floor.

With the kitchen being complete, what about the outstanding issue of where to place the air handler? Staying true to the ceiling height of the loft, it did not make any sense to bring the ceiling height down in the kitchen or living room to accommodate the air handler. Since we were also renovating the bathroom, our design and build team lowered the ceiling height in the bathroom to 9.5 feet. This was done to allow room for the air handler to be installed while simultaneously hiding the access panel in the adjacent closet, completely absent from any view.

THE FINISH

Rounding out the completion of this soho loft renovation was the bathroom. Incorporating a white modern bathroom with a touch of accent wall tiles in a herringbone pattern brought texture to the space. Our design team also incorporated a custom niche to further create texture in the mostly white modern bathroom, all while solving for storage.

Considering a pre-war renovation in NYC? View our portfolio of pre-war renovation before and afters, learn more about Gallery, or contact us today.

We are an award-winning design-build firm in New York City with a full-service approach to residential renovations in Manhattan and Brooklyn that includes everything from interior design and architectural services to facilitating building management and board approval, to construction and construction management. We’re loft renovation experts known for our work with kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, millwork, and all that falls in between. Let us bring your dream home to life.