Renovating can feel overwhelming because there are so many decisions and options to consider. The best thing to do is deal with issues one at a time and make sure that the decisions and choices all work together in the end.
I am Jorge Fontan an architect in New York and owner of Fontan Architecture an NYC-based architecture and design firm. In our office we work on various project types including residential renovations. I am going to review some ideas and tips for renovating your apartment in NYC and use some of our projects as examples along the way.
Remove Interior Walls
One renovation strategy you might consider is removing interior partition walls in your apartment. This can be a transformative move, allowing you to open up your kitchen or create a larger living room. While most interior walls are relatively easy to remove, it’s crucial to consult an architect or engineer to determine if the wall is load-bearing or has any utilities. Creating an open-plan space allows you to enjoy a more spacious and flexible living area.
In some of our gut renovations, we rip everything out and start from scratch with a completely new layout, offering you the ultimate freedom in design.
The picture below shows an apartment we renovated on the Upper East Side. We removed several walls, opening up the space. This made the living area feel much larger and brought in a lot more light.
You can see another post we wrote to learn more about Removing Interior Walls In NYC.
NYC Apartment Renovation Before & After (UES, Manhattan)
Install New Floors
Installing new floors is a great way to give your apartment a fresh look. New floors are very transformative and can elevate a space when done well. Species of wood, finish, plank size and pattern are some of the key decisions to make when picking floors with regard to design. Then you have to choose engineered vs sloid wood and on-site finished or prefinished floors.
Below is a loft apartment in SoHo where we installed new wide plank floors that really helped liven up the space.
White Oak Floors (SoHo Loft Apartment)
Combine Apartments
Combining apartments is quite common in NYC. We usually work on at least one or two at any given time. Sometimes, combining apartments is a better option, especially when the neighbor puts theirs up for sale. It can be easier for some to combine apartments than to find a perfect one as is.
Below, you can see the before-and-after plan of two apartments we combined to create one 4,000-square-foot apartment. If you want to learn more on the subject, we have another post reviewing the logistics of Combining Apartments in NYC.
Combining Two Apartments in NYC
Add a Home Office
If you work from home full time or even some times having privacy and a separation form work and home can be very helpful to productivity. Adding a home office is a great way to have a dedicated space that keeps work in the office and life in the rest of the apartment.
The photo below is in an Upper West Side apartment we renovated. We added a home office with custom black metal and glass doors.
Home Office Dedicated Workspace (UWS, Manhattan)
Reconfigure or Add Rooms
You can build new partition walls to add rooms to your apartment. If you have enough space, you may be able to reconfigure the walls to increase the number of bedrooms. Also, you may want larger rooms and make fewer than you started with. There are many ways to optimize the apartment’s function and achieve a better layout.
Bedroom (SoHo Loft)
Enlarge Your Bathrooms
Most older bathrooms aren’t as nice as you might hope and are often disappointingly small. Gutting and enlarging your bathroom can really help enhance your entire apartment.
Below is a bathroom in an Upper East Side apartment we gut-renovated. The condo had five bathrooms, but the client did not feel they needed so many. We decided to combine two adjacent bathrooms to make one larger primary bathroom. To achieve a luxury aesthetic, we built it with marble slabs and a freestanding tub.
Marble Bathroom Remodel
Tub vs Shower
People are constantly replacing tubs with showers. In most of the apartments we renovate, people remove their tubs if they have multiple bathrooms and usually just have one tub in the apartment. We have another post on Bath-to-Shower Conversion in case you want to read more.
The photo below was taken in a Manhattan Apartment we renovated on the Upper East Side. This bathroom originally had a tub. The client wanted to replace the tub with a shower, so there were only two tubs in a five-bath apartment. This decision is up to personal taste, but there has been a huge trend of replacing tubs with showers for a long time now.
New Shower where there was a tub (Upper East Side)
Open The Kitchen
Kitchens used to be smaller than today’s standards. They were also often placed in a separate room with walls. This is an issue of personal taste. Not all of our clients prefer an open kitchen.
You can create an open plan for the kitchen, living, and dining areas, which means having no walls between any of the spaces. This will create a more connected feel and make the apartment seem larger. Kitchen design today is an integral part of an apartment renovation. The kitchen is a feature. You can also have a kitchen island with stool seating, which creates a really useful space.
Open Kitchen With Island (Upper East Side)
Restore Original Apartment Characteristics
You should assess all the existing characteristics to see if there are any unique or architecturally significant aspects. This will depend on the apartment type and personal taste.
For example, some people might want to expose the brick in a loft apartment, but others want to cover it up. Renovating your apartment comes down to your preference and the overall big-picture idea for your design.
Exposed brick wall in a SoHo loft
Add Laundry
I wouldn’t live in an apartment without laundry. If your building allows laundry, you should add it. This is a critical upgrade when it comes to convenience.
Below is a photo of a Chelsea loft we reconfigured and renovated with a new laundry closet outside their newly renovated primary bathroom.
Adding a Laundry to an Apartment in NYC (Loft in Chelsea)
Closet Built-Ins
I do not think anyone living in New York has ever said they have too much storage. Optimizing your storage space is a great way to enhance your apartment and add convenience.
Below, you can see a closet in a West Village Apartment we renovated where the design was to keep all the shoes and handbags on display.
Modern Closet Design in a West Village Apartment
Details
The details will make or break an apartment. When we design people’s homes, we always consider different options for all the little things. These details are what really make the difference between an OK apartment and a really thought-out one.
There are so many little details to consider, but here is one example of a recessed baseboard in an Upper East Side apartment we gutted. This is a subtle detail that makes the apartment a bit more unique and modern.
Recessed Baseboard UES
Smart Home Devices and Automated Systems
There are many smart home devices and systems that you can use. You do not need all the bells and whistles, but some people would love to add them. A few examples of automated or smart systems for your homes could be:
- Automatic Blinds
- Built-In Audio Visual
- Integrated Lighting Systems
- Smart Shower (Photo Below)
- Smart Thermostats
- Switch Glass
Adjustable Hand Held Shower Slide Bar UES
Alteration Agreement
When renovating a Condo or a Co-Op, you will need to enter into an “Alteration Agreement.” Your building management will provide you with this contract, which identifies each party’s responsibilities.
The alteration agreement will also, in some cases, limit what you can and cannot do when renovating.
Condo Loft Renovation
Understand Your Design Services
Not all architects offer the same services. It is important to understand what is included and what is not included in the proposal for architectural services. Are you getting full services, and if so, how are these defined?
Always ask people what is included in their price and what is not.
At our office, we prefer to do full-service projects where we handle everything, but we also collaborate with our client’s decorators if they have someone they want to use.
Architectural Kitchen Drawings (Flatiron District, NYC)
Approvals
There are many people involved in an apartment renovation in NYC. You will need to get approvals from your building board/management company and the Department of Buildings (DOB). I find that the DOB is usually faster than the building management companies when it comes to approvals. The management companies typically make the DOB look good in comparison.
Building Management Review
Once we have a set of drawings and the scope of work we send them to your building management company for review before we can file them with the NYC Department of Buildings. Understanding that the building review must be completed before filing with DOB is critical. The building will typically have its own architect or engineer review our plans. The building’s reviewing architect reviews our plans and issues questions and comments. We then respond and work with their team until the job is approved.
Thank you for reading our blog post on Renovating an Apartment in NYC.
I hope this was helpful. If you would like to speak with an architect about a potential project, you can contact us at Fontan Architecture directly.
Contact Fontan Architecture
This post was written by Jorge Fontan AIA a Registered Architect and owner of New York City architecture firm Fontan Architecture. Jorge Fontan has earned 3 degrees in the study of architecture including two degrees from the City University of New York and a Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Jorge has a background in construction and has been practicing architecture for 20 years where he has designed renovations and new developments of various building types.
