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Hagan thought the inches could make a world of difference. Courtesy of Victoria Hagan Interiors at the Philip House are imagined and executed by designer Victoria Hagan. “Those three inches mean whomever lives here can have side tables of a proper length, width and height,” said Hagan, who had a product line at Target and designed director Barry Sonnenfeld’s Hamptons house years back. “It might look fine, but when you put a king size bed in these rooms, you’ll want proportion. Those three inches make the entire space feel bigger.” Originally a rental project built inthe 1920s for upper class families by a New York real estate concern led by Philip Rhinelander, (hence Philip House), the building, then called 141 East 88th St., had a main entrance on Lexington Ave. between 88th and 89th Streets and apartments with maid rooms and service entrances. “It was pretty swank stuff for a rental, even back then,” said Susan Hewitt, a principal at Cheshire, a development company that specializes in converting older rentals with good bones into high-end condominiums.
“When you walk in this building, you felt the history. That lobby was grand but a little institutional. Giving it more of a residential feel would allow us to please our demographic.” Hallways, says Hagan, are central to a New York City home. A full block long stretching from 88th to 89th St., the Philip House lobby has a black and white squared floor, brass doors, marble walls, and two sets of elevators. In a move toward creating a quieter residential atmosphere with condo-style class, the developer decided to move the entrance from the middle of Lexington Avenue to the building’s actual address on 88th St. A separate keyed entrance will be available to residents who wish to enter from 89th St. Hagan added a key design stroke—a hand-carved plaster element that gives the already strong lobby texture. It sets the tone for the design details in the rest of the building. “You want people to feel welcome the second they walk in,” Hagan said. “That plaster helped make the space intimate and grand at the same time.”
Susan Watts/New York Daily News Kitchens have two dishwashers, marble backdrops and white lacquer cabinets. Upstairs, apartments range in size from one-bedrooms for just over $800,000 to five-bedrooms for over $8 million, one of which is already in contract. Already 16 home are taken, all at full asking price. Cheshire Group purchased the building with 25 rent stabilized tenants still living in the building. Because the Attorney General can’t approve a condo plan until 15 percent of a building is in contract, Cheshire cannot offer buyouts to existing tenants until the plan is approved. They have offered rental tenants the ability to buy their homes. None have done so. All leases for tenants paying market rate prices were not renewed, allowing Cheshire to begin converting over 70 percent of the building. Retail includes a bike shop and running store. Both will remain on this stretch of Lexington Ave. “We know how to build with people still living in the building,” said Hewitt.
“We stopped renewing leases while we were in negotiations to acquire the property. We’re not keeping any of this a secret and we’ve been working as closely as we can with the tenant group to make the construction process as seamless as possible. We know it’s a miserable pain in the neck to live through this. If regulated tenants stay, they are welcome to buy their home at a discounted price or enjoy the improved building.” Not allowed to discuss tenant buyout options until after Attorney General approval, Hewitt and Cheshire do have a history of buying tenants out at fair prices. At Devonshire House on Tenth St., no renter complained about the scenario. Cheshire also has a history of turning an older underperforming asset into a first-rate residential condominium with modern amenities and building performance systems. Hagan fought hard for extra space in the master bedrooms. “Essentially we’re putting a brand new building into a pre-war shell,” said Stribling Associates Robert McCain, whose group is in charge of selling the units.
“All the pipes, systems, everything inside the building will be brand new. That’s a big selling point.” Hewitt, who never seems in a rush, did extensive market research before deciding upon floorplans and certain details. “There is this huge demand for big apartments again on the upper East Side,” she said. “More people are staying in the city and they’re looking at these properties as string investments where they can live and raise their families.” There’s plenty of space for large tables in the living room. Working with Hagan and Alan Rose’s downtown-based ARCT Architecture, the team decided to build large homes mixing traditional upper East Side staples with modern accents. Strong moldings, nickel hardware from Waterworks, heavy interior doors, and large kitchens with two dishwashers blend with natural light oak flooring, Belgian bluestone kitchen countertops, and lacquered built-in eating nooks. The results feel like a combination of a country house with an urban edge, or the opposite.
“I design spaces that make people good,” said Hagan. “They look good, too, but I try to give the space an energy. I think cosntantly about what makes a great kitchen for today. It’s all I do design--365 days per year. A hallway, for instance, is key in a New York apartment. We wanted these hallways to have some dignity.Nothing about these homes was meant to feel slick, but they have a low-key luxury and quiet elegance that my clients like.” Susan Hewitt of Chesire Group Hewitt and Hagan worked together on Devonshire, where not one of the 70-plus buyers altered a kitchen or a bathroom. “That’s unheard of in new developments,” said Hewitt. “Victoria is a genius in making people feel at home. To live in one of her spaces without paying a fee is a gift.” Most homes are being sold after they are released. Unlike other new developments selling off floor plans and construction sites, Cheshire and Stribling felt it more appropriate given the price and level of detail at Philip House to show homes that were immediately available.
Closings should occur in the summer. “We feel people can appreciate these homes when they can see a finished apartment,” said Hewitt. “These are upper East Side homes where people will spend a good portion of their lives. We want them to be able to spend time here and understand what they’re buying.” Jefferson Siegel for New York Daily News The Apthorp, a full-block building on the upper West Side. One of the top residential addresses in the world, the building has an inner courtyard. Four-bedrooms list at $7.75 million. The Apthorp was built by the Astor family. Bryan Smith for New York Daily News Devonshire House was reconceived by the same team as Philip House. Actors Alec Baldwin and Amanda Seyfried both bought there. It has an inner garden area off the lobby and spacious layouts. Julia Xanthos/New York Daily News In downtown Brooklyn, the conversion of Bell Telephone labs to condominiums provided large lofts and a grand Art Deco lobby in this strong building which was for a time one of the tallest buildings in Brooklyn.