In matters of New York City real estate, bigger is, almost without a doubt, always better. So when a couple with two children scoped out a six-floor, 7,800-square-foot Chelsea townhouse with soaring ceilings, a double-height parlor and dining room, and a spacious layout that included his-and-hers offices, a guest apartment, and a home theater and gym, they were, needless to say, intrigued. It had a fascinating history too: Before it became a single-family home, the building was an artist’s refuge, a boarding house, and even a convent, owned by Sisters of St. Agnes, next door. The stained glass windows on the parlor level served as a reminder of its past life. They were practically sold. Well, he was. “I wasn’t so sure,” recalls his wife. “I was feeling a bit daunted by the size and scope of the house.” That’s when the couple called on Brittney Hart and Justin Capuco, cofounders of the New York–based design firm Husband Wife, hoping they could deliver a few tweaks—and a major vibe shift.
“It started off kind of surgical and it ended up becoming much more of gut renovation,” explains Capuco of the job, which, as they often do, snowballed fast. Despite its many amenities, the space was a bit of an architectural hodgepodge—medieval-ish stair railings; a mishmash of molding styles, and somehow dark, even with the large windows and high ceilings. Beneath it all, though, there were great bones. The designers just had to edit their way to them.
An early decision that guided the project was to leave one heavier element totally untouched: the rich mahogany floors, installed by the previous owner. “We decided to lean into it,” explains Capuco of the feature, which would serve as a grounding foil to the otherwise lighter, brighter interiors, giving the place a sense of gravitas, like the French modernist homes they looked to as reference points. Those floors would influence their redo of the dramatic staircase, a central artery visible throughout the home, which they clad in a similar dark wood, modernizing it with a slick glass banister that amplified sunlight in the townhouse interior. To keep things from going too cold, they added a sumptuous, matching wood railing.
Hart and Capuco, who worked alongside Dutchman Contracting, reimagined the home’s dramatic, central staircase by cladding it in a dark wood—a nod to the original mahogany floors—and installing a glass banister that would allow more light to flow through the space. The artwork on the right is by Joan Miró and the enameled door handle, just below, is by Paolo De Poli and Gio Ponti.
Like many couples tasked with agreeing on fabric swatches and stone samples, this client admits that vibe-wise, she and her husband were not entirely in sync with how they envisioned the space. He leaned towards something a bit more tailored, with a palette of blues and grays, while she imagined a warmer, more diaphanous look. Hart and Capuco were able to find a happy balance, creating a shared language that spoke to both parties, where strong architecture is tempered by contemporary, more organic forms. In the dining room, for example, curved-back 1968 Gianni Moscatelli chairs covered in a brindle linen by Angela Brown and a beehive-like 1950s chandelier by Hans Bergström sit with formal ceiling moldings and a marble fireplace, creating a harmony between hard and soft.
For these clients who love to entertain, a big priority was balancing the periodic needs of hosting, say, a 100-person dinner party with the everyday reality of life with two very active kids. They found their solution in flexible seating all around–like in the dining area, where they installed two dining tables instead of one long one. “You can sit six or eight at one table and still feel a sense of intimacy,” Hart explains of the pair of blackened steel rattan-topped pieces by Ruemmler. “Or you can expand and have a huge holiday dinner there.”
Meanwhile, in the parlor, custom furnishings are arranged into configurations that are comfortable for intimate gatherings or large functions. “It’s a very voluminous house,” says Hart. “So to make things feel more manageable and approachable, we tried to create spaces that could be subdivided a bit if there's a party.” When they’re not entertaining, these areas morph seamlessly into chill zones where the family can snuggle up with a book or a board game. Downstairs, in the screening room, the designers had a different sort of flexibility in mind when coming up with a comfort-forward (but aesthetically pleasing) sofa that could host a Super Bowl viewing, movie night, or sleepover.
A plaster pendant light from Liz O'Brien crowns the study, which features a custom Art Deco rug by Rug & Kilim, a Brutalist planter by Pia Manu, custom side table, and the clients’ own chair.
Throughout the home, the couple’s enviable collection of art peeks out from a palette of textured neutrals. A Joan Miró beckons one’s gaze in the stairwell while another delivers a dash of drama to the living room. Meanwhile, the client reports, the pair of Simon Benjamin paintings that hang in the dining room, “sparks meaningful dinner conversations about how history can serve as guides to our future.” By reframing pieces in hand-painted or silver-leafed frames the designers gave the collection, assembled over many years, a slight refresh that felt in keeping with the architecture.
Now, having finally moved in full-time, the family is easily settling into the larger space, finding their groove and new routines. Perhaps it comes as no surprise that the kitchen is where they report spending most of their time. Here, where they were able to salvage the existing professional-grade cooking range and grill top while happily concealing new appliances behind custom millwork, you’ll likely find them at the kitchen island or breakfast table, both made from slabs of Taj Mahal marble (“It took a crew of 10 to install them due to their impressive weight and scale,” the homeowner reveals). She deems that area, like so many of us, “the heart of the home,” explaining, “It’s where we gather for family dinners, casual hangouts, and those cherished moments of catching up on our day.” In the end, all they needed was a little bit of tailoring. The too-big house now feels just right.
“It's a really high functioning kitchen, but they also wanted it to look beautiful,” says Hart, of the space they outfitted with hardwearing Taj Mahal stone, 1950s ceiling lights by Alvar Aalto, and custom millwork. Not pictured: a banquette and a big table that hosts 12 diners and loads of storage.
In the dining room, Hart and Capuco used a pair of Ruemmler tables, surrounded by circa-1968 Gianni Moscatelli dining chairs, to lend flexibility to the space. “You can sit six or eight at one table and still feel a sense of intimacy,” Hart explains. “Or you can expand and have a huge holiday dinner there.” The walls are covered with a decorative plaster finish, the 1950s chandelier is by Hans Bergstrom, and the artwork is by Simon Benjamin.
In the living room, a glass-and-walnut cocktail table from Stamford Modern is surrounded by a midcentury-modern John Behringer bench, a pair of 1950s Pierre Guariche Troika lounge chairs, and a pair of custom sofas. The diaphanous curtains are made from a sheer jacquard by Dedar and a Joan Miró artwork hangs over the mantel.
A 1950s Rene Herbnst oak side table by the sofa in the living room. A look into the stairwell, which features a custom daybed and a Salvador Dalí artwork.
The cofounders of firm Husband Wife custom designed the lacquered screening room sofas, wrapped in Kravet velvet, to accommodate Super Bowl viewing, movie night, or slumber parties (the bolsters are removable, in case you want to lay down). The walls are sheathed in Elitis grasscloth and the cocktail tables are by Gae Aulenti.
A pair of stainless steel lamps by Maison Charles are on either side of the custom walnut bed with a custom bench at its foot. The wallpaper is by Phillip Jeffries.
A Murano oval mirror hangs over a custom walnut demilune table in the primary bedroom. The chair is by Pascal Sarfati and the stool is by Umberto Bellardi Ricci.
“The primary bathroom renovation wasn’t planned, but when we discovered the perfect green marble slabs, we knew they had to be included,” the homeowner recalls of this luxurious space, in which a pair of 1970s Murano glass sconces by Barovier & Toso flank the mirror.
A Willy Guhl urn holds a tree in the primary bathroom where floors are clad in bowenite stone. The mahogany veneer side table was made to match the vanity millwork. Leaf and June oversaw the home’s interior plantings.
A custom design in figured walnut adorned with nickel hardware by Nanz anchors the office. The steel table lamp is 1970s Italian.
The custom bed in one of the children’s rooms is outfitted with sconces by Astro Lighting and a vintage coverlet.
