WEST VILLAGE TOWNHOUSE

New York City
 

Formerly home to Margaret Mead and later Veronica Lake, this once glamorous townhouse had long ago deformed into a homely wreck. Beyond a mere face-lift this battered star needed a total rejuvenation. The landmark facade with its rusticated brownstone base and panel moldings had been destroyed and necessitated an entire rebuilding, as did the ravaged garden. The installation of a new cast iron railing along the front reestablished the transition between the street and the entry, with imported balusters and garden gates fashioned from the remains of an antique iron railing found in Pennsylvania.

New bluestone terraces and new planter beds reinstated the front garden. The interior had likewise not been spared from devastation and required full renovation. Some rooms sprang back to life in accordance with their original proportions and recreated plaster moldings. Others were refashioned into charming and airy chambers that retained the home's spirit but allowed for new program requirements.