| THE RESIDENCE
Artfully transformed from a raw space into an elegant display of original concepts inspired by 1920s Art Deco, Wiener Wersktätte's Austrian designs of the 1930s, and 1950s French and Italian mid-century modern ideas, this full-floor cooperative has been renovated into a grand and private residence perfectly positioned in North Tribeca.
From the key-locked elevator door step directly into the residence: a foyer and coat closet are beside the elevator but chevron oak floors lead your eye west toward the River views flooding into the grand living room. With five huge windows facing west, the living room measures 54 feet wide and benefits from exceptional light which reflects off the lacquered ceilings. At the northern end of the room is a formal dining space. Positioned in the center of this open living and dining space, set back and separated by three sides of oak bookshelves, the library is designed as a separate living space but does not give up the views or light of the major living spaces.
Off the corridor is another custom-designed oak door which opens to a powder room of black marble floors, and Lefroy Brooks fixtures, reminiscent of a pre-war European hotel. Behind the library is a large sitting room with double-doors on its north and south sides as well as a custom walnut media center featuring a flat-screen television concealed behind the woodwork. This room is surrounded on all sides by light-diffusing panels of oak wood each with fifty hand-carved oak cubes inside allowing light from the surrounding windows to reach the room. Similar to a fanlight, each panel opens ninety degrees to permit the movement of air between rooms.
The kitchen and pantry: Jean Prouvé-inspired and featuring such distinct and comforting elements as an Aga stove, narrow subway tiles done to the ceiling and completed by the original windows, each featuring six vertical panes of glass. Beside the kitchen is a welcoming eat-in banquette for informal dining. An interior guest bedroom is located behind the library and there is a large full bath across the corridor. There are several closets, laundry and mechanical spaces, as well as two service exits on the northern wall. The master bedroom features a large walk-in closet, Carrera marble in the master bath, rain shower, and a wall of nine closet doors. Measuring approximately 25' x 18', the master bedroom includes southern and eastern exposures captured through its massive windows which are protected by wooden shutters. Off the main corridor leading to the elevator is a second bedroom with a full bath.
Inspired by a range of artisans, this outstanding full-floor cooperative has been redrawn in a manner that calls to mind the manifesto of the Union of Modern Artists, co-founded by Jean Prouvé: "We like logic, balance and purity."
THE BUILDING
While the land was owned originally by the largest early developer of New York City, the real estate family of William A. White & Sons, 427-429 Washington did not begin construction until 1918 and was completed in 1920 when it was sold to Samuel Weil. Months later, Weil leased 427 Washington Street while it was still under construction to oil magnate Frederick Leuders of George Leuders & Co. Today the building has transformed into an intimate self-managed cooperative known for its open layouts, large windows, and high beamed ceilings. | 
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