Are You Restoring A House In The City?

Taking on a major gut renovation is not for the faint of heart. When Ingrid Abramovitch spoke about her new book, Restoring a House in the City, she shared behind the scenes experiences with architects and designers  Kathryn Scott, Ellen Hamilton, and Stephan Jaklitsch, all featured in the book. Ingrid organized the book showing period restorations first, then old meets new with modern conveniences, and finally, modern restorations. Jaklitsch spoke about his longstanding working relationship with Mark Jacobs, having done hundreds of retail projects together. He also renovated Robert Duffy's Federal West Village townhouse, keeping authentic original details and adding modern conveniences, such as air conditioning. Scott shared her gradual process of purchasing and renovating various floors of an 1865 Brooklyn brownstone. The kitchen she created looked like it would have been there, down to the recreated moldings. Hamilton shared a Greek Revival project also in Brooklyn, for an avid art collector family. The five floor home was transformed by vivid color. Their museum quality modern art collection was hung salon style on the walls, making it appear less precious and more livable.

Overall, hearing the personal tales of trials and tribulations of  renovations left the audience excited and provided a heavy dose of what really is involved when choosing to go that route.

Pictured: Kathryn Scott's kitchen with rolling ladder and fitted cabinetry

three designers and architects that have projects in the book.