Upper West Side Townhouse

A five-story townhouse, once divided into a warren of small apartments, is thoughtfully restored and reimagined as a gracious single-family home. Original architectural details are uncovered and celebrated, serving as inspiration for a renovation that blends historic integrity with contemporary livability.

This Upper West Side townhouse renovation represents one of the most ambitious residential projects in Tonos Design Studio’s portfolio of New York City interior design work. The five-story building—formerly carved into rental apartments—required a comprehensive reconversion back to a gracious single-family residence, a complex undertaking unique to Manhattan’s rich architectural heritage. The Upper West Side’s grand townhouse stock, with its high ceilings, ornate moldings, and generous proportions, demanded a restoration approach that honored the building’s history while meeting the demands of contemporary family life.

Throughout the renovation, original architectural details—decorative plaster, hardwood floors, period fireplaces, and staircase millwork—were uncovered, restored, and woven into the new design narrative. Each floor was thoughtfully reimagined as part of a cohesive whole, balancing private and communal spaces across the building’s vertical footprint. The result is a home of extraordinary character that feels both authentically historic and completely livable for a modern New York City family.

Tonos Design Studio is a New York City architecture and interior design firm with extensive experience in Manhattan townhouse renovations and full-building residential transformations. From the Upper West Side to the Upper East Side and beyond, we bring the expertise, vision, and craftsmanship required to realize the most ambitious New York City interior design projects with integrity and elegance.

A row of three decorated historic Victorian-style apartment buildings on a city street, with cars parked in front and leafless trees in the foreground.
Entry with hardwood floor, yellow and green wainscoting walls, staircase with black railing, and a fireplace with a decorative metal screen and a potted plant nearby. Two wall-mounted lights are on.
Interior view of a room with a wooden fireplace, wood paneled walls, and elegant wall sconces, viewed from a staircase with wooden railings.
A dining room with a decorative wooden fireplace, a window with multiple panes, two wall sconces above the fireplace, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a radiator below the window.
Living room with three large windows, hardwood floor, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and two radiators below the windows.
The image shows a vintage kitchen stove in front of a stained glass window with teapot and pots on top, surrounded by wooden cabinets and a brick wall.
Interior view of a staircase with dark wooden handrails and light-colored spindles, leading to an upper floor, with decorative wooden panels and a wall-mounted light fixture.
Close-up of a staircase with white spindles and black-topped handrails, against a warm orange wall.
A bathroom with a white sink on the left, a white toilet on the right, and a decorative wooden wall with back-lit onyx panels surrounding a white door.
A white pedestal sink with chrome fixtures in front of a wall with dark red subway tile and a mirror with a dark wood frame.
Clawfoot bathtub in a bathroom with dark red subway, a window, an exposed showerhead and mosaic marble floor.
Interior of a modern kitchen with wooden cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a brick accent wall. The space has a metal ceiling with ductwork, a window with black trim, and a skylight.
A bathroom with exposed brick wall, green and beige mosaic tiles, a bathtub with a glass shower partition, a black marble countertop with an integrated sink, a wall-mounted faucet, a rectangular mirror, and terracotta tile flooring.
Bathroom with green tile wall, black marble countertop with sink, large mirror, and wooden cabinet, with wall-mounted lights and a glass-enclosed shower.
Showcase of a bathroom with a brick wall, black marble frame, and green tiled walls on either side.
Interior of a bathroom shower area with a green tile wall, a brick wall, and a glass shower door.
Indoor area with terracotta floor tiles and a colorful tiled wall in shades of green and brown.
Architectural drawing of proposed exterior elevations of a brick building, showing west and north views with annotations for windows, greenhouse structure, gutter, and exterior modifications.
A multi-story brick building with several arched and rectangular windows, some with decorative trim, and a black door with glass panels reflecting trees and sky.