This Upper West Side apartment by General Assembly is the result of the reimagining of two residential units for a new client - a young family after a 'forever home' in Manhattan's storied neighbourhood. The project, which reorganises the floorplan for two combined, adjacent residences in a majestic, pre-war building, brings together old and new, classical detailing and sleek, contemporary apartment interior design for the 21st century.
Tour this Upper West Side apartment by General Assembly
The home is nestled on the upper levels of an existing structure, which was designed by Gaetano Ajello ('who shaped much of the neighbourhood’s architecture in the early 20th century,' the design team writes). It even was the base of legendary composer Sergei Rachmaninoff at one time.
General Assembly nods to the period context through the design, explaining that here, 'classic pre-war features like grand, ornate facades with intricate architectural details, decorative mouldings, cornices, and stone carvings, are referenced in the material choices and balanced by the clean lines and warm tones of the apartment’s ample custom millwork.'
Working with the original apartments' layout in order to maintain the essence of the historic spaces, the designers tweaked and updated the interior to bring it to the present day, and the family's contemporary needs and requirements of daily life.
Maximising light and views was a priority. Within this approach, there is a balance of large and small, open and flowing living and entertaining spaces, and more cocooning private quarters.
Luxurious, natural materials wrap the interior in a soft, organic feel. These include the kitchen's stone counters, a solid marble island and a built-in white oak table.
Elsewhere, there are custom-designed coffee tables in solid white oak and travertine in the open-plan space; a bar with high gloss finishes; and thick shelves carved into the plaster wall in the hallway.
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, General Assembly is headed by founder Sarah Zames and partner Colin Stief.
-
Samsung and Sony have unleashed new phone flagships, with Nothing snapping at their heelsDo flagship smartphones still have a place in a world of masterful mid-range devices and a general move towards less screen dependence, rather than more? We explore two new entries into the genre
-
Find bubbly, chewy, perfectly crusted pizza at Cosetta, LA’s new Westside Italian gemLocated in a slightly industrial area by the Santa Monica airport, Cosetta, from pizza maestro Zack Pollack, champions the local Italian dining scene with tradition and innovation
-
Oscar Niemeyer: a guide to the Brazilian modernist, from big hits to lesser-known gemsArchitecture master Oscar Niemeyer defined 20th-century architecture and is synonymous with Brazilian modernism; our ultimate guide explores his work, from lesser-known schemes to his big hits; and we revisit a check-in with the man himself
-
PlayLab opens its Los Angeles base, blending workspace, library and shop in a new interiorCreative studio PlayLab opens its Los Angeles workspace and reveals plans to also open its archive to the public for the first time, revealing a dedicated space full of pop treasures
-
Los Angeles businesses regroup after the 2025 firesIn the third instalment of our Rebuilding LA series, we zoom in on Los Angeles businesses and the architecture and social fabric around them within the impacted Los Angeles neighbourhoods
-
‘Fall Guy’ director David Leitch takes us inside his breathtaking Los Angeles homeFor movie power couple David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, interior designer Vanessa Alexander crafts a home with the ultimate Hollywood ending
-
The Lighthouse draws on Bauhaus principles to create a new-era workspace campusThe Lighthouse, a Los Angeles office space by Warkentin Associates, brings together Bauhaus, brutalism and contemporary workspace design trends
-
This minimalist Wyoming retreat is the perfect place to unplugThis woodland home that espouses the virtues of simplicity, containing barely any furniture and having used only three materials in its construction
-
Croismare school, Jean Prouvé’s largest demountable structure, could be yoursJean Prouvé’s 1948 Croismare school, the largest demountable structure ever built by the self-taught architect, is up for sale
-
We explore Franklin Israel’s lesser-known, progressive, deconstructivist architectureFranklin Israel, a progressive Californian architect whose life was cut short in 1996 at the age of 50, is celebrated in a new book that examines his work and legacy
-
A new hilltop California home is rooted in the landscape and celebrates views of natureWOJR's California home House of Horns is a meticulously planned modern villa that seeps into its surrounding landscape through a series of sculptural courtyards
