Old House My House

Thus far in our renovation, we have had three major, hand-wringing decisions between preserving or changing. Here is a recap of the first:

When we first saw the master bathroom, it fulfilled our longing for a romantic, well-lit and -ventilated past, with its ornate tiles, original mirror and huge window. (NYC bathrooms and kitchens rarely have windows.) We knew we had to find a vintage clawfoot tub and place it in its rightful position. Within a month of closing, I found one on Brownstoner's forum, and Kevin―with the more than generous help of our friend Charles―hauled it up the stoop into our front parlor. Our plan was to set it up with a hand-held shower only, for the kids' baths upstairs, and then have Kevin and I trek two flights downstairs to shower in the compact "laundry" bathroom on the garden level.

In October, after Mike Streaman came on board the project as our GC, he immediately vetoed our vintage tub.

Aside from the fact that he does spectacular, historic renovation work, Mike is an invaluable resource for designing functional living spaces.

When Carole Freehauf began working with us, she suggested that we change the original layout and shift the modern tub in front of the window, which would need to be shrunken (the horror!), to maximize the room's space and allow for two sinks. Carole's design advice is always very smart. For several weeks, we debated this change with me clinging to my elusive, huge bathroom window and Mike saying our bathroom would look like a bowling alley with the tub along the longer wall.

Finally, after seeing another project of Mike's with a similar bathroom―and with the condition that he would keep the window as long as possible―we agreed to the new floor plan. The room is not yet complete, but the smaller window (seen here on the second floor on the right) has been perfectly done with a beautiful sill. From the yard, looking up, it's a wonderful view.