Playful Animation – Clinton Hill Townhouse by Ronen Lev
With reignited period detailing within, Clinton Hill Townhouse is also overlaid with an expression of personality through the application of a contemporary character. Ronen Lev integrates a unique charm, inserting moments of saturation and the unexpected as a key part of the journey through the heritage home.
Originally built in the 1890s, the home is inspired by the iconic townhouse typology that New York is so well known for. Readied for modern occupation, the dwelling is given a reworking from within that ensures the existing ornate detailing remains among the new insertions. A key selection of vintage furniture, lighting and artwork from Europe provides the ideal backdrop for the energetic residence, where colour and texture bring moments of delight. Home to a family of four, and located within its namesake, Clinton Hill Townhouse needed to be a place of recharge and disconnection as well as a work-from-home environment. Combining touches of the architects’ heritages – one architect is from Persia and the other the east coast of the US – with the home’s history, Ronen Lev integrates a playfulness among the more traditional moments.
In the rejuvenation of the home, the architects integrated an abundance of colour that connects back to the midcentury era. Together with an elevated elegance, and the grandeur that townhouses provide, the interior is enlivened through a careful selection of its parts. Employing an interplay of patterns and tones ensures the spaces also echo a warmth and familiarity throughout, inciting a childlike wonder through the bursts of colour and the nostalgic feelings created.
The preservation of heritage and the importance of retaining and celebrating the history of the home is seen through the presence of the original fireplace, mirror, cornices and handrail detailing. Spanning four generous stories, the narrow residence is naturally lit through large windows that flank either end of the structure. The timber flooring running throughout continues a crafted and nature-rich approach, binding the home across it’s vertical and horizontal levels. Though the dwelling features a mostly muted base, moments of surprise exist within some of the smaller rooms such as the powder room and select living and sleeping spaces.
Employing an interplay of patterns and tones ensures the spaces also echo a warmth and familiarity throughout, inciting a childlike wonder through the bursts of colour and the nostalgic feelings created.
