Greenwich Village Terrace Upgrade
Renovation of a large terrace overlooking historic Greenwich Village.
At 700 square feet this downtown terrace is an extremely unique and special amenity for a home in New York City. The owners wanted to enhance their time outdoors by transforming the space into a scenic escape. We created a garden oasis perfect for disconnecting from a busy day, hosting intimate dinners or having large parties.
We started by space planning the various seating areas. Our goal was to activate the entire terrace and leave no space underutilized. We designed three distinct areas: a dining area adjacent to the kitchen; a conversational seating group for six; and another seating group for two. We chose contemporary style furniture from heirloom producers McKinnon & Harris. The dining table and sofas were thoughtfully sized to allow guests to comfortably circulate.
One of the most impactful changes was adding white oak-style pavers over the existing red tiles. The porcelain pavers are durable and have a high solar reflectivity index (translation: they stay cool in the sun). This new flooring layer created a flat surface above the old flooring, which was sloped for drainage. The color coordinated with the indoor flooring to enhance the connectivity indoors and outdoors. Tiles were laid in a herringbone pattern rather than runningbond – a unique and elevated touch. To meet New York City code, we sourced a wind uplift system to secure the pavers and worked through board approval on the engineering.
The landscaping is lush and layered with a variety of colors in decorative pots from Pennoyer Newman. We teamed up with a landscape designer to carefully select a mix of screening plants, evergreens, florals and fresh herbs. Irrigation and accent lighting operates on automatic timers for ease of use. The result is a styled blend of a curated English garden mixed with eclectic wild plantings.
The terrace design enriched how this couple uses their outdoor space, while enhancing the view from the indoor living areas. We are thrilled to have provided a backdrop to many new memories with one another and family and friends for years to come.
