West End Avenue Apartment, By Alyssa Kapito

Kapito describes the project, located at 555 West End Ave., as "a gorgeous historic condo conversion with a unique backstory and incredible bones." The condo, which is one of 13 in the restructured building, boasts a spacious 3,500 square feet, providing ample room for design and abundant natural light. Converting a space into something vastly different from its original purpose can be a challenging task, but Kapito found the structure of the old school to be ideal for her redesign. They utilized the home's elegant, clean foundation as a starting point and incorporated interesting elements to infuse character and personality. Features such as a fireplace, distinctive lighting fixtures, textured wallpaper, exclusive art and more were added. Despite retaining some of the original character of the space, it is now difficult to discern that this home was once a school.

Kapito drew inspiration from the school's existing design to achieve the desired outcome. The client desired a peaceful and calming design that would complement the tranquil palette already present in 555 West End Ave and create a serene oasis for them to come home to. Kapito's design approach often includes using neutral backgrounds and colors to create a strong foundation and allow art and furniture to stand out. Throughout the home, dark colors are used sparingly. The living room, for example, is a cream-colored oasis that effectively conveys the serene ambiance the client desired. The theme continues in other rooms, with striking white oak floors in the hallways and white oak cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms.