Cassie Rosenthal had lived in her Greenwich Village apartment for decades, but she’d been torn between selling and staying. After years of watching the Manhattan real estate market, she and her husband, Paul, decided to renovate. “We love the space, we love the building, we love the neighborhood,” Cassie says. “This is home.”
Cassie first moved into the building in 2003, when 13th Street was closed for PATH train construction, so scaffolding swallowed the building, and the block looked, she recalls, “like a war zone.” Despite this, she fell for the apartment’s soaring ceilings and natural light. Five years later, she upgraded to a two-bedroom apartment down the hall, which boasted south-facing windows and unobstructed sunlight.
The Renovation Decision
The building, constructed in 1906 as the original Macy’s department store, had been converted into condominiums nearly a century later. However, the apartments lacked architectural detailing, and Cassie’s unit felt like a blank canvas. For years, she postponed renovating, convinced she’d eventually move. But instead of leaving, she decided to invest in the apartment she already loved.
Cassie hired Nate Berkus, a renowned designer whose office was just a few blocks away. She’d spotted him around the neighborhood and knew he was working on another residence nearby. “I thought, I’m making this big decision to renovate. I want a designer who can transform this apartment into the forever apartment I know it can be,” Cassie says.
Nate saw the project as an opportunity to honor the lives that had unfolded in the apartment over two decades. “There was something really romantic to me about the idea that somebody would evolve while greeting the same doorman every morning and knowing the building engineers on a first-name basis,” Nate says. Cassie had a clear vision for the renovation, inspired by Parisian and mid-century styles, with vintage lighting and an art collection she’d spent decades building.
Transforming the Space
Nate and his team, including senior designer Rian Smith, worked to create a sense of arrival and surprise in the apartment. They added dentil molding, handmade doors, and notable hardware. The team also carved out a pantry, coffee bar, wet bar, office, and ample hidden storage within the existing footprint. A defined entry sequence now buffers the apartment from hallway noise, and the kitchen features a generous island and clever storage.
The living room revolves around a fireplace framed by oak millwork, displaying beloved books and Paul’s father’s record collection. A curved bronze-and-glass office introduces a sculptural focal point visible from nearly every room. But the true star of the renovation is Cassie’s art collection, which includes pieces by Cecily Brown, Elizabeth Peyton, and Kehinde Wiley.
Cassie grew up on Museum Mile and majored in art history. She spent nearly a quarter century building her parents’ remarkable collection piece by piece. When her mother offered to let her choose works for the renovated apartment, Cassie happily obliged. “I was like a kid in a candy store,” she says. “These pieces have new life in a completely different setting,” she says of the collection now. “It’s really sentimental for me to be living with these pieces that remind me so much of my mom and dad.”
The emotional connection to the art collection guided the interior design. Nate says, “When you’re dealing with a collection that’s been so lovingly collected over time, we really toned down the rest of the finishes.” The walls were intentionally reserved for future installations, and the millwork remained restrained. A carefully calibrated palette of whites allows the artwork to take center stage.
During the 11-month renovation, Cassie and Paul lived in a bare-walled rental, the first time in her life she’d experienced an absence of art. When they moved back in and hung the art, Cassie says, “I was like, ‘Oh my god. It feels like I have family back.'” The renovation had finally transformed the apartment into the “forever apartment” she knew it could be.
The Final Result
The apartment now features a defined entry sequence, buffering the apartment from hallway noise behind rippled glass doors. The kitchen has a generous island and clever storage, including a sliver-thin spice cabinet tucked into what had been unusable space.
