Modernizing Upper West Side Charm

When asked about the selection of color flooring and pattern, architect Matthew Rauch shared his thoughtful approach. "The apartment's only windows face a typical NYC rear courtyard that doesn't get a lot of light," he explained. Though the co-op had good bones, the inefficient layout was the primary concern of the homeowners, who wanted to get more use out of their homes' relatively small, 700-square-foot footprint "we wanted to select a lighter colored wood that would maximize the reflected light in the space. The pattern was selected because we liked the sense of movement that the herringbone introduced. The complex geometry of the floor plan also meant that there were not a lot of clean right angles in the space, so the herringbone helped create a continuous flowing pattern that tied the entire space together."

The flooring played a vital role in the overall design of the space, according to Rauch. "Flooring plays an important role in the design not only because it is one of the largest single, uninterrupted surfaces that you see, but it's also the surface that you interact with the most physically," he emphasized. "Because of gravity, (of course!), you are almost always touching the floor, making it a crucial element to consider not only in terms of aesthetics but also performance, function, and 'feel.' I can't think of any other surface or component that is as important as the flooring on so many levels – from walking on it barefoot to having kids crawling on it, to being durable enough for spills, scratches, and dents.   

Over the course of a year, the homeowners' vision came to life. Among the most visually striking features of the renovated apartment are the light herringbone floors that gracefully adorn the pre-war apartment, accentuating the beautiful doorway arches throughout the space.