The Antithesis of a Townhouse

The Breakfast Nook: The cantilevered kitchen features a Jens Risom breakfast table from 1stdibs and chairs by Gio Ponti from Wright. The pendant light is by Jason Miller for Roll & Hill at the Future Perfect, and the zellige floor tiles are by Clé Tile. Photo: Annie Schlechter

Wide, quiet street; south-facing garden; just enough period detail to give it character: Each element featured prominently on designer and collector Olivia Song’s townhouse-search checklist, but the towering cluster of old London plane trees posed a challenge for her team of architects. So in came a cantilevered kitchen that wouldn’t disturb the root base of one of the nearby trees — an effort to protect the six-story giants and some of the disparate plantings thriving outside. “We have different species of dogwood, Japanese maples, and winterberry — all of which don’t really go together if you were to create a new garden,” Song says. “But to me they were like living, ongoing creatures.” Ultimately, one of the three plane trees had to go because it was leaning too close to the house, but the backyard, with its elegantly lush feel, has remained very much the centerpiece of the home.

Inside, meanwhile, Song and her husband, financier Scott Rofey, wanted a place where everyone, including their two small boys and the occasional visiting in-laws, could come together but then spread out into separate areas when downtime was needed.

Song had spent enough time in friends’ Brooklyn homes to know she didn’t want the classic seven-and-a-half-foot garden-level ceiling height. “I wanted this big lofty space — basically the antithesis of a townhouse,” she says. “That’s where we came up with the idea of the cutout.” Song worked closely with Greg Heasley and Shawn Watts of Leroy Street Studio, whose design/build practice kept the charm of the parlor’s original staircase while removing part of the floor to create a double-height garden-level family room.

But at the end of the day, it was Rofey who drove the kitchen design in terms of color and how much space he needed. “He loves to cook,” Song says. “We don’t go out that much, because what he cooks is better than anything at a restaurant. He even makes bagels, with the sesame topping, the whole thing.”

The Kitchen: The cabinetry, by Marquis Millwork for BLDG, is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Black Blue. The stove hood is by En.Zo Metal for BLDG. Photo: Annie Schlechter

The Garden: Brook Landscape cleared the overgrowth and left as much of the original planting as made sense for the garden plan. The two giant London plane trees are lavished with love, and planted moss and grasses flank a stone path leading to the alfresco dining area, which features a table from Restoration Hardware and chairs from Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec from HAY. Brook Landscape laid down Granite Belgian Block for the hardscape around the dining area. Photo: Annie Schlechter

The Family Room: Song treats the bookshelves as a climbing wall when she needs a book from the top. “I love rock climbing — at the climbing gym and outdoors,” she says. “This shelving is deep enough to stand on but also reinforced with steel brackets. Each shelf has a handhold lip, so I can hold with one hand and arrange or grab books with the other.” Photo: Annie Schlechter

The Parlor: The sofa is from Tyler Hays at BDDW, the Piet Hein Eek coffee table is from the Future Perfect, and the Omaggio a Andy Warhol stool is by Studio Simon from R & Company. Photo: Annie Schlechter

The Entrance: The original staircase was preserved and painted with Studio Green from Farrow & Ball. The art is by Tyler Hays from BDDW, and the door hardware is from the Nanz Company. Photo: Annie Schlechter

The Master Bath: A claw-foot tub from Olde Good Things is painted in Green Bay from Benjamin Moore. The double vanities are painted in Railings from Farrow & Ball, and the Bianco Carrara-marble tiles are from Nemo Tile. Photo: Annie Schlechter

The Master Bathroom: The vintage leopard-base lamp is from Rofey’s grandmother, while the chair is by Piet Hein Eek from the Future Perfect. The standing floor lamp by the terrace door, on the right, is by Mario Botta for Artemide found on 1stdibs. The plants are on rolling dollies so they can be moved to suit their moods. Photo: Annie Schlechter

The Master Bedroom: The serene bedroom houses a bed with integrated wall-hung nightstands made by Marquis Millwork for BLDG. The photograph above the bed is by Steven Klein, and the duvet is from ABC Carpet & Home. The area rug is from the Rug Company. The stacked wood stools were found at the Paris Flea Market. Photo: Annie Schlechter

The Playroom: Stuffed animals, kids, and their parents can get lost in the deep comfort of the two Michel Ducaroy leather sofas from Ligne Roset. The shelving unit against the wall is from USM, and the green lamp is vintage Flos found at the Paris Flea Market. The kids’ table and chairs are from Offi. Photo: Annie Schlechter