A Century-Old Abode In New York Gets A New Style All Its Own

Buying a circa 1917 Colonial Revival-style house was a surprising decision for a Scarsdale couple who prefer modern design. Initially planning to build a new home for themselves, their young children and their treasured collection of Southeast Asian contemporary art, the husband and wife changed their mind after viewing the distinguished old house, which was up for sale for the first time in years. While enchanted by the old-world curb appeal, some of the period details inside the house were not to their liking, especially its heavy crown molding and dark wood paneling. Recognizing potential nonetheless, the couple purchased the property with the intention of renovating it to suit their tastes.

Led by designer Luba Libarikian, architect Sid Schlomann and general contractor Ostap Vidov, the overhaul aimed to inject the home with modern perspective without entirely erasing its historical character. “I reminded my clients, ‘You fell in love with this house for a reason, so let’s not change everything,’ ” Libarikian recalls. Most of the exterior architecture was left intact, including its stone cladding, slate roof and an intricate Palladianstyle window. And when changes were made, they were designed to impact the original architecture as little as possible. In addition to replacing old windows with stylistically compatible new ones, Schlomann added an attached garage and upstairs primary suite at the rear of the house, thereby preserving the integrity of the classical façade. Even the paneled front door, which had reached the end of its lifespan, was replaced with an exact copy. “We did as much as we could to respect the history of the house,” says Schlomann.