General Assembly has reimagined the interiors and layout for the home of a young family on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. A redesign of two previously combined apartments, the space pays tribute to the grandeur and elegance of a historic pre-war building while creating a home that feels both contemporary and timeless.

Designed by Gaetano Ajello, who shaped much of the neighborhood’s architecture in the early 20th century, the storied building was once home to celebrated New Yorkers like composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. Classic pre-war features like grand, ornate facades with intricate architectural details, decorative moldings, cornices, and stone carvings, are referenced in the studio’s material choices and balanced by the clean lines and warm tones of the apartment’s ample custom millwork.     

The apartment’s carefully selected finishes have been thoughtfully juxtaposed to emphasize their natural beauty. Nowhere is this more evident than the generous kitchen, which retains a sense of intimacy even as it opens to the living room beyond through a series of elegant pocket doors.         The combination of stone counters, a solid marble island and a built-in white oak table lends an immersive and inviting atmosphere to one of the most utilized spaces in the home. 

For the living room, General Assembly paired two organic, custom-designed coffee tables in solid white oak and travertine in the open plan space. Elsewhere, built-ins have been integrated to maximize storage, another nod to the original detailing of the apartment.