Sitename
Contact

Historic Stoops this Holiday Season

Design

This holiday season, we're looking back at some of our favorite stoops from throughout the years. Stoops are the first thing inviting people into your home, and a well-designed stoop is the perfect welcome to holiday celebrations.

After
Before
At some point in its history, the stoop of this Upper West Side, Manhattan brownstone was removed.
Photography: Adam Kane Macchia

Designed by architect John Sexton in the late 1800s, the original stoop matched the contemporaneous brownstones next to it. We worked closely with the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and the artisans at Kleen Construction to design the reinstalled stoop, with brownstone stairs and iron railings designed to match the neighbors. Restoring the brownstone façade details rounded out the renovation.

See the full project here.

After
Before
Originally one of eight identical single family Italianate houses built around 1853, this building was converted to four through-floor apartments in 1939-1940. To optimize the layout, the developer removed the stoop as part of a full façade removal.
Photography: Peter Peirce

When the house was converted back to single-family use, we decided to bring the stoop back. The design was informed by the scale, proportion, and texture of the Italianate original – but with a 21st-century spirit and contemporary details.

After
Before
This Upper West Side Renaissance Revival brownstone had lived many lives before its current owners approached us. Unfortunately, one of its lives included the removal of its original stoop, designed by architects Thom & Wilson in the late 1800s.
Photography: Peter Peirce

We collaborated with talented tradespeople at Azor Co. and Taffera Fine Building & Finishes to recreate the original stoop and façade details. Luckily, many of the neighboring buildings had intact original details, which we were able to use as references for our restoration.

This project is a great example of combining historic preservation and high-performance building. It is the first Certified Passive House in Manhattan and the first home to achieve both Passive House and LEED for Homes Platinum Certification. It is currently on the market – check out the listing!

See the full project here.

After
Before
This eclectic brick townhouse dates to the mid-1800s. Throughout its life, multiple modifications had been made to the front façade – resulting in a stoop and entryway that were poorly thought out, hard to use, and not cohesive.

By reorienting the stair, we were able to reopen a window that had been filled with brick to accommodate a second front door. Because of the narrow sidewalk in front of the building, curving the stair to the left allowed us to take advantage of the width of the building and create and easier-to-use areaway underneath.

Photography: Peter Peirce

After
Before
This home dates to the 1820s, a rare wood-frame, shingled building in the neighborhood.
Photography: Peter Peirce

The front façade was "modernized" in the 1950s, bringing it out of step with the character of the neighborhood. In order to bring the front entrance closer to its original location, we designed a wood stoop above the garage, which had been added during the 1950s renovation.

Major work was done to bring the front façade back in character with the original building, including restoring the masonry on the first floor and re-siding the home to match the original siding. The project was honored by the New York Landmarks Conservancy in 2012, shortly after its completion.

See the full project here.

After
Before
Reinstalling the original stoop, doors, and surround enabled us to return this townhouse to its historic grandeur.

The stoop had been removed prior to historic photos we were able to find, but we collaborated closely with our brownstone subcontractor, Azor Co., to design the final details. We carefully studied similar homes in the neighborhood, taking etchings and measurements to ensure the stoop blended seamlessly with surrounding homes.

See the full project here.

Photography: Mike Tauber

Design Journal

Back to Journal