PostWar Contemporary Renovation & Interiors in Flatiron, NYC
45 E 25th St, NYC
Project Overview
TYPE: 80’s Building Gut Renovation.
LOCATION: 45 E 25th St, NYC
CONSTRUCTION DURATION: 5 months
Converting a 1980s Prewar-style Co-op into a Modern 2BR, 2BA Residence:
This full Design Build residential renovation in NYC required complex coordination between Construction, permitting, and Restoration to transform a dated, No Mad Park apartment into a high-functioning, contemporary, convertible Den to second bedroom as well as interiors for a specific lifestyle of less is more.
The project required:
- NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) permits for plumbing, electric, and general construction
- ACP 21 Asbestos Remediation to mastic behind mirrors
Once approvals were in place, the transformation included:
- Complete rewiring and network setup
- Window treatment wiring
- Wall removals for Open Floor plan
And that was just the beginning.
The Full Story Behind This Renovation:
This typical 2 Bedroom Post-War apartment with balconies off the primary Bedroom had incredible potential, and our team worked to maximize every inch. The new layout includes:
- Maximum height doors and tandem pocket door wall to open Living Room to Den and views facing West over NoMad Park
- An open kitchen with a seated counter faced the Living Room and Dining Room faced West through the convertable Den
The Western-facing living room opened up the views, and the dropped ceiling throughout added dimmable recessed LED lighting and warmth by area. The tall doors created the illusion that the ceiling heights were larger then they are.
The gut renovation involved:
- Removing walls, dropping the ceilings, rewiring the entire apartment moving the breaker panel
- Gut renovating both bathrooms, adding towel warmers, converting the primary bathroom to a shower,
- Enlarging closet openings, adding interior closet lighting with jamb switches, adding tandem pocket doors for the Den, and a pocket door for the Primary Bath, keeping the interior closet built-ins. New Doors, Door hardware, new baseboard and door casing moldings.
- Protecting and keeping the existing flooring (repairing areas for moved walls)
- Wired Window Treatments including vertical shades for the balcony doors/windows, room darkening and solar panel Shades for the Den, and new Caesarstone window sills throughout
- Complete rewiring of the apartment required, moving breaker panel to bring up to code
Challenges in a Post War Co-op
This NoMad area co-op came with logistical hurdles:
- Service elevator access for all materials and trades was severely limited
- Union harassment by the Building Super for our contractors
- Back-to-Back plumbing in existing bathrooms required wall changes, sound proofing between the apartments.
Yet with a strategic redesign and patient coordination, we improved layout flow, closet access, lighting, and circulation.
Kitchen & Millwork Highlights
- Open-concept kitchen with seating for two at the counter
- Custom cabinetry with finger-pull and open shelving over the sink
- Cambria countertops and ceramic backsplash
- LED under-cabinet lighting and custom millwork throughout
Bath Design with Personality
Each bathroom features a unique design expression, with:
- Full-wall porcelain
- Frameless ½-inch Starphire glass enclosures
- Custom curbs and Custom vanities by PMD
- California Faucet plumbing fixtures, Vogue towel warmers, and floor-mounted Toto bidet toilets
Each bath is modern, functional, and luxurious—true to our contemporary-modern vision.
Final Interior Details
- Complete Full Service Interior Design and planning to achieve the client’s Japandi style goals, procured and stored selections and delivered installation provided prior to move-in.
- Maintained existing WiFi service with new wiring
- Wired solar shades and blackout treatments for key rooms
We are delighted to know how much our client loves this transformation.. and exceeded his exceptions.. from concept to completion!! We love it!
More Contemporary Reno Before & Afters, Walkthrough Videos: We Renovate Co-ops, Condos, Townhomes, and More
For those of you who love the ups and downs of renovation transformations, don’t miss my contemporary project playlists featuring before-and-after videos of some of my most challenging prewar apartment renovations, as well as a prewar walkthrough video playlist too.
If you love this Upper West Side Primary Bathroom Remodel as much as we do, and you’re ready to renovate, contact Paula McDonald Design Build & Interiors today! We’re proud to offer full-service design build solutions that handle every detail — from design through to final construction.