Tour a Prewar NYC Apartment Transformed Into a Modern Family Home

Thomas Morbitzer and Goil Amornvivat of AMMOR Architecture knew their recent renovation project — an update of a prewar (meaning before WWII) apartment on New York City's Upper West Side — called for special attention to preserve its historical beauty. "New York City 'prewar' buildings are well built with distinct rooms and desirable details such as ornate moldings and beautiful floors," explains Goil. "They were designed as an affordable alternative to owning houses in the city. Created specifically for refined urban life, a good specimen has many wonderful qualities, usually large windows and tall ceilings, but many still have elements that may not be as desirable, like maid’s quarters and closed kitchens."

The goal for this renovation was to maintain the apartment's built-in beauty and historical significance while making it livable and comfortable for its owners, a couple and their two young sons. "Maintaining a home's history can mean a lot of different things to different people and we often assess what works and what doesn't," notes Thomas. "We would not recommend keeping something just because it was old or does not work with the needs of the owners. For example, a maid's room may function better as a laundry room or a small window facing a brick wall may work okay to vent a kitchen range. We bring the home to 21st-century standards while maintaining prewar character."

Alongside the overarching mission to preserve the apartment's prewar charm, Thomas and Goil were hired to make it more livable and comfortable. "The most common upgrades for this building type are the infrastructure (like power, new windows and central air) as well as kitchens and baths," explains Thomas. Their experience working on similar projects in NYC proved valuable for completing these challenging tasks.

"Generally, we always try to maintain original room proportions and keep original details," says Goil. "Wherever we could, we kept the door hardware and base moldings and — when we could not — we found the closest new replicas. The builder Reid Maclean of BIKO Renovations has a collection of salvaged hardware from similar projects and came through with many replacements he had in storage."