Above: The parlor room features the modular Mah Jong sofa by Roche Bobois with custom pillows in Pierre Frey’s Pachira Blanc fabric. The area rug is custom, and the coffee tables are the Blackbird Glossy Tables by Gio Pagani. The wallpaper is the Terrace Porcelain Woven Sisal Wallcovering by Carlisle & Co., and the pendant is an Akari Lantern by Noguchi.
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 facade 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 onsite suite. Throughout the home, spaces are decorated to honor the family’s Japanese culture and heritage. For example, most of the bedrooms have tatami mats (i.e., 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 color combinations. Galli’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.