From the sidewalk, a row of Upper West Side brownstones may appear deceptively uniform. Many do feature the classic hallmarks of this corner of Manhattan — deep wooden accents and sturdy fireplaces — but some can also defy expectations. In this particular Beaux-Arts home, the interior tells a far different story than the façade lets on.
The homeowners, a couple with three young children, wanted to turn the traditional building into a vibrant, indoor-outdoor multigenerational home for their nuclear family, plus the wife’s parents, who would live in a private on-site suite. Throughout the home, spaces are decorated to honour the family’s Japanese culture and heritage. For example, most of the bedrooms have tatami mats (traditional woven floor coverings traditionally made of grass or straw) instead of beds.
To transform this townhouse while preserving its character, the couple turned to Fawn Galli, a New York- and Paris-based designer best known for her bold, eclectic style and vibrant colour combinations. Fawn’s work would complement a full gut renovation – led by the Brooklyn-based firm Sherman Architects – that focused on bringing light and natural elements into the space.
‘They came to me for my use of colour and nature, but they wanted it to also have a simplicity,’ Fawn says. ‘They wanted it strong and simple.’
They also trusted the designer to combine two seemingly disparate styles: ‘I basically had to apply Japanese logic and aesthetic to Gilded Age Beaux-Arts architecture,’ explains Fawn. The home also needed to be both kid- and grandparent-friendly – the kind of place where a big family could actually live, relax, and enjoy.
Fawn wanted to set the tone right from the jump. The entryway features a rabbit-shaped stool tucked behind a curved green sofa and is a playful hint at the themes embedded in the home’s design.
What's everyone reading?
‘It’s meant to be fun times right away with a bunny hiding behind a green moss sofa,’ Fawn says. ‘The colours purposefully reference nature.’
Despite the home’s urban location, the outdoors play a major role. The renovation included the addition of terraces and massive windows on each floor, so the outside always feels accessible. This is especially true for the children, who are constantly looping inside and out. The backyard landscaping was overseen by Liz Pulver and features a pergola with a swing that is surrounded by greenery. The roof, meanwhile, is tricked out with a hot tub and vibrant chaises. ‘I really like the seamlessness between exterior and interior,’ Fawn says.
The entry wasn’t the only place where Fawn drew in colours from outside. In the reading room, a light-filled area next to the dining space, she created a custom velvet chaise that matches the hue of the plants on the other side of the window. It sits among bookshelves filled with philosophy and technology tomes. Around the corner, latticework extends into a double-height atrium, bringing in even more light.
‘They really read there and they really sit on that bench,’ Fawn notes. That chaise became one of her favourite items in the whole home. ‘It’s been a successful piece – very comfortable and relaxing, but joyful.’
The living room has its own showstopper seating in Roche Bobois’s modular ‘Mah Jong’ sofa, which Fawn ordered in jewel tones of canary yellow and royal purple. The kids like to jump around on the oversized cushions, so the family rearranges the layout easily and frequently. ‘Every time I arrive, they’ve put it in a different configuration,’ she says.
But perhaps the most unique pieces of furniture – at least for Manhattan – are the aforementioned tatami mats that replace beds in the main bedroom, the grandparents’ suite, and the boy’s bedroom (the girls have two beds). It was Fawn’s first time designing for tatami mats, but it was a challenge she enjoyed. She customised the nightstands, sourced from Industry West, because the mats were so low.
In the main bedroom, the mat sits on a raised wooden platform with a custom velvet headboard. Paired with wallpaper that features rollicking dunes from Brett Design, Fawn likens the room to an oasis. ‘It’s all very saturated but simple,’ she says.
These inherent contrasts – calm but vibrant, light pieces within heavy architecture, sunlight within dark rooms, Beaux-Arts and traditional Japanese – are what make the home so unique. ‘It’s just amazing how you can reimagine so many spaces in New York,’ says Fawn. ‘These townhouses are treasures.’ fawngalli.com
