Bermuda Post

Friday, Mar 29, 2024

A Meticulously Restored 19th-Century Row House in Manhattan

A Meticulously Restored 19th-Century Row House in Manhattan

Part of a cobblestone cul-de-sac in Washington Heights, the three-story residence

One of 20 identical row houses designed in 1882 by architect Gilbert Robinson Jr., this three-bed, two-bath Victorian is nestled in Sylvan Terrace, a cobblestone cul-de-sac in upper Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood. Previously featured in Dwell, the three-story building was treated to a top-to-bottom renovation by owner Tom Givone, an ad copywriter who discovered a new career as a contractor during the years-long project.



Designed in 1882 by architect Gilbert Robinson Jr., this Sylvan Terrace row house in Washington Heights is meant to mirror the Morris-Jumel mansion nearby.

When Tom found it, the 1,500-square-foot row house had been abandoned mid-renovation. "It had some electric and sheetrock," says Tom. "It was like a Home Depot shell that looked like an active job site-paint had hardened over and mud was on the walls." Undaunted, he moved in, adding a sink and an old stove to make it habitable.



All 20 row houses on Sylvan Terrace have matching yellow, brown, and green facades, as dictated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Every day after work, Tom would start a new home project, ripping out sheetrock or uncovering 15-foot ceiling beams. He became so proficient that he left his advertising career to focus on architectural design, pausing work on his own home to take on other projects. It wasn’t until a few years later, in 2015, that he refocused on this building, where he’d lived for nearly 16 years. By then, says Tom, "I had a good crew, I was finding interesting materials, and I was learning different building applications."



In a high-low blend, the kitchen’s Ikea cabinets are clad in anodized aluminum-faced plywood sheets to match the sides of the island. The range has a wood frame and is wrapped in cement board as well as a thin layer of polished concrete.

Still executing much of the work himself, Tom toiled for hours to improve on the design and restore the interiors, including recreating true plaster medallions for the ceilings in parlor spaces and using anodized aluminum-faced plywood sheets for the kitchen doors, cabinets, and staircase and baseboard trim. For materials, Tom combed flea markets and salvaged supplies from neighbors, sourcing everything from hardware to hinges to pieces from original flooring from dumpsters. Some surprises he excavated from the home itself, like a pair of eight-foot-tall wood doors that had been covered by sheetrock.



Topped with polished Carrara marble, the 12-foot kitchen island is made from a single stone slab with a waterfall edge and an integrated apron sink.

Now, the home’s historic charm shines again. Restored pumpkin pine flooring extends through the parlor level, where you’ll find the recreated ceiling medallions and a refinished staircase. A reception and dining room can serve as bedrooms, living areas, or home offices. The lower level features an open living space with a wood-burning fireplace and a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and Carrara marble countertops.



On the parlor floor, a room can be flexibly used as a bedroom, home office, or living area features a wood-burning fireplace and built-in shelves.

The crown jewel is the top floor, which houses the entire owner’s suite under 15-foot beamed ceilings. Restored 19th-century French chandeliers and a remote-controlled venting skylight are overhead, while original brick fireplaces add to the period charm. The adjacent bath with polished concrete floors and quartz tile walls features an old water fountain from a park in Philadelphia, leading to the laundry room/closet.



During the renovation, owner Tom Givone uncovered plenty of surprises, including original pocket doors that had been hidden in sheetrock.



The entrance vestibule on the parlor level features restored pumpkin pine flooring.



Exposed brick walls complement refinished floors in the open living, dining, and kitchen space on the ground floor. Tom applied marine epoxy, sawdust, and paint blend between the floorboards like grout before sanding them to a smooth finish.



Three of the fireplaces in the home were rebuilt, including the pair in the main bedroom on the top floor, where a skylight punctures the high ceiling.



In the main bathroom, Tom sourced an old water fountain basin from a park in Philadelphia.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Bermuda Post
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
'I just lost it' Lowe’s worker fired after 13 years of employment for confronting thieves trying to steal $2K of merchandise
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
×