Pre-war restoration — matching what is already there
Cornices, panelling, beamed ceilings, chimneypieces and herringbone floors, repaired and re-run to the original profile rather than replaced with the nearest stock item.
Matching a profile, not approximating it
The difference between restoration and replacement is whether the new work is taken off the old. A cornice is measured, a template cut, and the run made to that profile — not bought in from a catalogue that is close. The same applies to panel stiles, rail heights and the reveal on a window casing. Once one element is approximate, every junction it meets has to be fudged.
Levelling what has moved
A hundred-year-old building has settled. Beamed ceilings are rarely in one plane, floors run out, and openings are out of square. Bringing a room back means deciding what to correct and what to accept — correcting everything is both ruinous and wrong, because the room stops reading as what it is.
Chimneypieces, plaster and stone
Carved marble chimneypieces can usually be lifted, cleaned and reset rather than replaced. Plaster enrichment can be cast from a surviving section. These are slow trades and there are not many people left doing them properly, which is the real constraint on programme.
Floors
Herringbone and parquet are laid to an axis, and the axis matters more than the boards. A floor set out from the wrong centre line looks wrong in a way most people feel without being able to name.
Common questions
Can original detail be saved, or does it have to be replaced?
Far more can be saved than most people expect. Plaster enrichment can be cast from a surviving run, marble chimneypieces lifted and reset, and panelling repaired in place. Replacement is the answer when a section is missing entirely — and then it is matched to the surviving profile.
Is restoration more expensive than replacing with new?
Usually, yes, per element — it is slower work by hand. Whether the project costs more overall depends on how much survives. A room with intact cornice and panelling can be cheaper to restore than to strip and rebuild.
Do landmark rules apply inside my apartment?
Landmark designation in New York generally governs the exterior and, in some buildings, designated interior spaces such as lobbies. Individual apartment interiors are usually outside it — but the building's own alteration agreement will still apply.
Related work
Pre-War Apartment
Panelling and beamed ceilings restored to profile, a carved marble chimneypiece reset in place, and a stair hall rebuilt around its original geometry.
Classic Six
Beamed ceilings and built-in cabinetry to the fireplace wall, a panelled dining room with a concealed bar, and a white inset kitchen in honed marble.
Garden Residence
A house opened to its garden — a formal dining room with French doors, a family room joined through a wide cased opening, and a travertine bath in dark walnut.