MKCA // Michael K Chen Architecture

A thorough reinvention of a generously scaled but awkward post-war West Village Apartment. Lightened and subtly textured materials, and exactingly detailed custom elements create an elegant and informal living environment for a professional couple. A reconstructed kitchen, anchored by a sturdy block of richly figured Vermont marble and bleached ash establishes a functional and airy center that integrates an informal bar and entertaining zone, generous work area, and a pull-out concealed television.

The kitchen is shifted to the center of the apartment creating a separate bar for casual dining and socializing. Concentrating all of the solid elements in the center of the apartment liberates the entire perimeter of the apartment facing Bank Street. A continuous sill running the width of the apartment provides a location for a rotating gallery display. A home office at one end can be partitioned from the rest of the apartment with an oversized pocket door.

A slide-out television disappears into a millwork enclosure. The living room effortlessly transitions between an open and visually porous state conducive to conversation and socializing, and one that allows the television to be front and center.

A built-in bar and banquette upholstered in a terracotta hued wool and custom dining table are inserted into an awkward entrance gallery, converting a leftover space into a generous and gracious entertaining and dining space.