THE ENTRY The original entry into the 9th floor apartment was dark and confined, due primarily to a windowless kitchen left of the entry hall, and the location of the guest bedroom, which partially blocked the view from the front door.  Not only did the guest bedroom result in the narrow passageway into the living room, it also eliminated any light accessing the internal hallway leading to the back of the apartment. The design solution was somewhat drastic (at least in terms of standard real estate renovation practices), given that I decided to eliminate the guest bedroom completely and remove most non-structural walls, in line with my goal to create a loft-style space.  That decision resulted in a much larger living room, exposed the entire apartment to more south-facing sunshine, and created a more dramatic focal point for the entrance. Sixteen-inch Absolute Black Granite squares replaced the carpet, which reflects light from the new contemporary track lighting (the ceilings are concrete, so recessed lighting of any kind is impossible with the already low ceilings); 30″ x 4″ green corrugated  plastic panels march down the track, which adds some interest to the ceiling; and, the outdated bi-fold metal closet doors were replaced by aluminum-framed glass sliding doors, a theme repeated throughout the renovated apartment.

A small wooden base cabinet had been set into an indentation midpoint along the original entry hall that provided limited storage, and a place for keys, etc. Removing it allowed me to create a series of glass shelves to display part of my collection of handblown Blenko and other art glass, which adds more color to the otherwise black and while motif, as does the addition of several colorful original art pieces. A stainless steel column conceals a roof drain, previously enclosed by a closet in the original guest bedroom, which was eliminated as part of this renovation.