Architectural Alchemy
Enda Donagher reimagines a labyrinthine prewar layout into an effortlessly fluid, livable gallery.
The open-concept living and dining area is filled with abundant natural light from the windows that face Park Avenue. To protect the client’s art collection and finishes, and add sound-proofing, the windows are triple glazed.
The Upper East Side is known as a bastion of prewar, luxury apartments. Beautiful bones aside, what isn’t so coveted is the dense warren of rooms that often accompanies them. When architect Enda Donagher was tasked with reconfiguring just such a fragmented Park Avenue floor plan, he found an ideal creative partner in his client, interior designer Wendy Weissman. While he wielded a deft hand to transform the maze of rooms into a free-flowing, chic one-bedroom sanctuary and setting for a significant art collection, Weissman took on the interior design.
Left: Donagher defined the gallery with Belgian bluestone tiles from Artistic Tile—creating a cool counterpoint to the flat-sawn white oak that warms most of the rest of the home. A Julian Schnabel plate painting lures visitors into the living room.
Right: A captivating artwork, purchased by the clients in Havana, Cuba, forms a dramatic focal point along with the Harry Bertoia Charms.
Left: The architect custom-designed the profile of the fireplace mantel using slabs of marble from Artistic Tile. A vibrant work Weissman fell in love with at a design show takes pride of place over the mantel. right of fireplace: Tilted Ada by Alex Katz.
Right: The new eat-in kitchen was fully gutted and expanded to host a suite of high-end appliances, including a gas range, range hood, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave from Bertazzoni. The faucet and water dispenser are from Newport Brass, while an undermount sink is from Julien. All available through Ferguson Home.
“My role was to shape the spatial proportions and the structural framework so that Wendy’s design decisions could sit within a strong architectural setting that also allows the artwork to evolve over time,” says Donagher. He promptly stripped everything down to the studs, and focused on developing “strong wall planes, creating clear sight lines, and realizing axes that form natural focal points for the art.” Snaking corridors connecting the private rooms to the rest of the public rooms were replaced with a connected entry gallery, carved through the center of the plan and defined by Belgian bluestone tiles. It serves as the home’s architectural spine, allowing each room to unfold naturally to reveal a curated sequence of visual destinations designed to draw one forward. To the right, a guest bedroom adjacent to the primary suite was reimagined into a jewel box of a library, where restrained classical wainscoting and plaster crown moldings add depth to the atmospheric blue- green shade that crystallizes the walls, creating an inviting, cozy ambiance.
“She [Weissman] hit the nail on the head with the shade in this room,” says Donagher. “It’s a great example of how color can transform a space from merely beautiful to truly transcendental.” Donagher custom designed all the millwork and standing trim.
Left: In the powder room, Donagher designed a custom vanity with stone from Artistic Tile and a faucet from Newport Brass, through Ferguson Home. Sconces from Visual Comfort, also available through Ferguson Home.
Right: Understated elegance defines the en suite bathroom where a stone countertop from Artistic Tile is paired with a Kohler sink, a faucet by Newport Brass, and Visual Comfort lighting—all through Ferguson Home.
A classical enfilade was established—running from the kitchen through the family room to the open-concept living and dining area—creating visual continuity and a beautiful sense of flow along the home’s Park Avenue windows. Expertly placed artwork beckons from almost any angle—though none quite so dramatic as the Julian Schnabel work in the living room that immediately greets visitors upon entering the apartment. A once-cramped galley kitchen now features a central island that wraps around a column concealing utility risers. Ceiling-height cabinetry maximizes storage while a crisp palette of neutrals lends the space a light, airy feel. The addition of a secondary access point enhances the home’s overall flow. Aside from the invisible architecture—including concealing ductwork and creating electrical grids built for longevity—the architect installed triple-glazed windows that not only help with thermal regulation and acoustic insulation but offer UV protection for the art and finishes. It’s a level of technical planning designed to protect a client’s investment long term.
A playfully oversized paint tube by an unknown artist sits atop amorphous Karl Springer coffee tables.
“We wanted to create a restrained, classical sensibility that pays homage to New York’s iconic pre- war style, while also serving as an elegant backdrop to a fairly contemporary collection of art,” says Donagher. A concept made possible by what he calls a “very creative dialogue.” Weissman agrees, “He [Donagher] has a wonderful sensitivity to proportion, and a deep knowledge of architecture that enabled him to make a modern home inside the walls of a prewar apartment.” To keep the focus on the art and the aesthetic language, Weissman kept the interior palette deliberately subdued aside from the color-drenched library—a shade that recalls a storied Parisian apartment.
Left: An artwork by Kikuo Saito adds the perfect touch over the living room sofa.
Right: Architect Enda Donagher stands in the family room entrance. Behind him, the entry gallery’s gilded antique mirror reflects a work by Dusty Boynton.