The Architect Is In: A Skylight Like a Moon in Tribeca - Remodelista
How to draw natural light into the center of an apartment? Photography by Mikiko Kikuyama. When Melissa Baker and Jon Handley, founding principals of New York’s Pulltab Design and members of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory... ...were asked to transform a duplex in Tribeca for a couple with two young children, they took full advantage of the fact that it occupies the fifth and top floor of the building. The skylight brings much needed additional light into the open dining room and kitchen. Hired to perform a complete renovation, from architecture to interior design, Pulltab worked closely with their clients, one of whom is a former art director at Martha Stewart. “We established early on that the floor was to be a clear-grade, solid walnut–American black walnut,” says Handley. In the kitchen area, additional lighting is provided by recessed spotlights and Flos Glo Ball ceiling-mounted fixtures by Jasper Morrison. With many collections to display, the client requested a combination of open shelving and closed storage cabinets. She gathered her white Ironstone china collection over time at flea markets, antique shows, and from Red Chair Antiques of Hudson, New York. Black-and-white photographs by Bernd and Hilla Becher form a gallery wall overlooking the dining table. The door on the left leads to the laundry room and, on the right, to the children’s room and stairs to the penthouse. White Artek Bar Stools by Alvar Aalto fit neatly under the kitchen island, where the Calacatta Extra marble countertop has been detailed to cascade down each side. A custom chandelier by Lindsey Adelman hangs beneath the skylight. “The millwork is very much part of the architecture,” Handley says. The moon-like skylight is a subtle, glowing presence. The glass-fronted shelving was inspired by a century-old wood lawyer’s cabinet that the architects own. Baker and Handley worked closely with a cabinetmaker to devise hardware that would allow the cabinet fronts to lift up and slide back like garage doors using a simple track-and-peg system. The office/guest room features a Murphy bed built as part of the extensive cabinetry, parts of which are accessible from the living room, hallway, and kitchen. A skylight brings natural light into the room and a recessed light with a cover runs up and over the desk, eliminating the need for a lamp. The ceramic centerpiece on the dining table is by Karen Karnes and the series of number prints on the far wall (discovered by the client at a thrift shop) The stairwell walls and treads are made of the same American black walnut as the floor. The architects developed a recessed handrail detail with their contractor. A view of the rooftop garden and the city beyond from the penthouse. The concrete pavers were custom made in Pennsylvania to Pulltab’s specs. The floor plans of the renovation show the fifth floor (bottom) and penthouse (top). And axonometric drawing illustrates the relationship of the new penthouse addition to the large drum skylight. A cross-section drawing details the way natural light comes into the space below. The beginnings of the renovation. Interested in seeing how other New York architects solve natural light challenges in the city?