When a family purchased a turn-of-the-century Georgian house in Bronxville, they were drawn to its classical architecture and generous double lot. However, they didn’t love its past renovations and its dark interiors. So the homeowners called on Greenwich–based architecture firm Alisberg Parker and builder the Shanahan Group to help them respectfully bring the house into the 21st century. Architect and founding partner Susan Alisberg recalls, “This client wanted classic contemporary.” The family also wanted to live and entertain in a more casual way.
Alisberg and her partner, Ed Parker, quickly decided that rethinking the stairwell could be the solution to the house’s dark interiors. By replacing the heavy staircase with an open one and inserting a series of multi-story windows, they could flood the home with daylight. The new stairs also created a continuous connection between all four stories, making the attic and basement floors more usable.
To satisfy the family’s desire for a larger kitchen and a more casual place to hang out, the architects conceived of two additions. They added a wing to the north that mirrored a previous addition to the south, which had the bonus effect of restoring symmetry to the front façade. “All the additions on the home mirror the existing historical details,” notes Alisberg, adding that Parker is a master of classical detailing. With the new wing, they were able to expand the billiard room with a more gracious primary suite above.
A lenticular print by Julian Opie hangs above the custom fireplace. A Mondo Collection coffee table and a Tucker Robbins console are paired with B&B Italia sofas.
Oversized Allied Maker pendants hang above the kitchen’s waterfall island; the counter stools hail from Hive Modern.
In the breakfast room, a Roll & Hill chandelier illuminates a table from the Bright Group and Ethnicraft dining chairs.
Dining room furnishings include a Lawson-Fenning sideboard and a dining table and chairs from B&B Italia, while the wallcovering is from Phillip Jeffries.
In the billiard room, a chandelier by Apparatus illuminates the table, which is from Blatt Billiards. Seating from B&B Italia invites lounging.
A cascading John Pomp Studio chandelier and a photograph by Matthew Pillsbury draw focus in the house’s new stairwell, which delivers daylight to the interiors.
A photograph by Laurie Victor Kay and a chandelier from Design Public enliven the serene primary bedroom.
In the primary bathroom, the marble wall tile and the floor tile are from Walker Zanger.
Working with the Shanahan Group, architecture firm Alisberg Parker blended the addition seamlessly with the existing structure. The exterior lighting is from Visual Comfort and CL Sterling & Son.
Alisberg Parker reinterpreted the classic Georgian window profiles to create a multi-story, paned window for the stairwell at the center of the house.
The architects also added to the rear of the house expanding the cooking area and creating a breakfast room. Both spaces have large windows that grab more light for the interiors. The kitchen is a balance between classic and modern vernaculars: The white cabinets are a time-honored design, but the architects wove in some steel and glass cabinets that lend the cooking space a little edge. Likewise, a waterfall island is paired with a separate butcher block, adding timeless warmth while breaking up the scale of the island. And a large rear terrace was added, which can be accessed by both the formal and informal spaces in the home.
Director of architectural interior design Will Jameson designed millwork that is cleaner and more modern yet in line with the home’s architectural aesthetic. “Our design melds the history of the house with someone who wants to live in a more contemporary way,” says Alisberg.
When it came time to select furnishings for the home, Alisberg worked alongside director of interior design Jackie Chase sourcing classic contemporary pieces. They created a calm space with a neutral palette enlivened with pops of color.
The final piece of the puzzle—and perhaps Alisberg’s favorite part of the project—was selecting artwork. An avid collector herself, Alisberg advised her clients on works that would suit each space. “The art introduced color and energy into the rooms,” she says. The artworks—which range from landscape photographs to a unique lenticular print—inhabit the space much as the family does. In this stately home, the color and joy of life are set against a quiet, classic foundation.
