PPA gut-renovated this duplex in a 1920s Fifth Avenue building for a young family who wished for the apartment to have both the character and structure of traditional architecture but also a more modern and open flowing plan. Key to this balance was the realignment of the entrances to all the main spaces to provide clear and open views from one to the next. The kitchen was also connected with wide sliding doors to a family sitting room, creating an informal relationship between these spaces. PPA added a new curved stair serving the three family bedrooms upstairs. The moldings and paneling, the doors and hardware are an inventive take on the classical roots of pre-war apartment house. The interior designer, Steven Gambrel, layered his rich finishes on this architectural framework and brought his sense of scale, texture, and color to the furnishings throughout.