A Wood-Paneled Renovation Turns Two Units Into One

Designer Danielle Fennoy in Darcy Gerstein’s Lower East Side apartment.
Photo: Tori Sikkema

Darcey Gerstein and her late husband bought their neighbor’s apartment on the Lower East Side and combined it with their own back in 2011, but it would take another 12 years before the two spaces fully became one. “I’m a single mom and a widow,” Gerstein says, “and the girls and I just realized we needed a clean slate.”

She enlisted Danielle Fennoy, founder of Revamp Interior Design, to do the gut renovation in 2023. Gerstein interviewed a few designers who specialize in design-build projects, but they were all “either more design or more build and not the total package.” Fennoy was different. “She can negotiate and navigate between the pure aesthetics and then the nitty-gritty,” Gerstein says. “Very few people have that ability to do them both in a great way.”

Aside from having the two units feel like one, Gerstein wanted an overhaul on the décor, seeking something “well designed but not stuffy,” she says. “And my kids are somewhat young, so it needed durability.” Part of that involved making bold color choices, such as the bright-salmon velvet couch in the media room, which doubles as a guest room. “I’ve always been afraid to commit to a color,” says Gerstein. “Our previous space had a lot of neutrals.”

“We made massive updates in both functionality and aesthetics,” Fennoy says. She overlaid the apartment’s original parquet floors with sleek concrete microtopping. They also went full “wood-clad core,” she adds, installing rift-cut white-oak walls throughout the dining room, kitchen, and living room. “It gave a cohesive warmth to the entire space,” she adds.

Gerstein’s two teenage daughters made their own design contributions: Teecia, 12, chose her room’s wallpaper and color scheme, eventually settling for a more practical loft bed over her initial vision of a hanging bed. Meanwhile, Cela, 15, “wanted everything in soft pink,” Fennoy says. Since the renovation, “all their friends hang out here,” says Gerstein. “We’ve become the party house.”

Entry foyer. Curved wood walls open a more spacious entry foyer and lead to a combined guest-and-media room. The artwork above the custom floating Revamp console is Letter to the Unknown #15, by Erin Zhao. The rug is Mixing Pixels of Wasp, by Ruben de Haas and Emma Larsson Ruben for Moooi. The Birdie’s Nest LED fixture is by Ingo Maurer.
Photo: Tori Sikkema

The kitchen. The Heracleam III Endless fixture in nickel is by Bertjan Pot for Moooi. The backsplash tiles are by Patricia Urquiola at Stone Source. The chairs are Chubby Counter Stools in Brick, by Dirk van der Kooij.
Photo: Tori Sikkema

Guest room and media room. The wood paneling is custom by Revamp. The Akira carpet is by Kit Miles for Moooi. The pink sleeper sofa is by American Leather. The Olo Wu LED wall sconce is from Lumens. The cushion fabrics are Bark Cloth Noir, by Donghia, and Wild Rose at Dusk, by Iona Crawford. The shelving is by Rakks, and both the small and large Laccio tables are Marcel Breuer for Knoll from Design Within Reach.
Photo: Tori Sikkema

The primary bedroom. Gerstein’s bedroom is swathed in a soothing neutral palette. The chaise is by Cristina Celestino for Moooi, and the headboard is custom-designed by Revamp. The hanging lights are from In Common With.
Photo: Tori Sikkema

The Hookah Lounge. Fennoy named and designed the cozy window-seat area off the living room, with custom banquette and bolster pillows covered in Scott fabric, by Rubelli, in the color Pavone. The rope drum pendant lamp is from Bone Simple Design, and the drapery fabric is Tapestry Flower in Vintage Green, by Designers Guild from Osborne & Little. The two small wood tables are from Hem.
Photo: Tori Sikkema

Teecia’s bedroom. Fennoy designed a custom loft bed. The Chess wallpaper in Multi, by Eskayel, was Teecia’s choice, and “she only wanted those two walls covered, not the window wall,” the designer points out. The pink custom DVF carpet is from Patterson Flynn. The six-drawer dresser in navy-painted maple is from Room & Board, and the Mylar Balloon print above is by Lindsey Cherek Waller at Urban Outfitters.
Photo: Tori Sikkema

The living room is grounded by the custom-designed Urban Vibes carpet, by J.D. Staron. The sliding door at back leads to a small terrace and is covered with drapery fabric from Osborne & Little. The two chairs are from Haute Living, and the maroon swivel chair is My Turn, by Bensen, from Modernlink. The Saba sofa is from ABC Carpet & Home. The coffee table is from the Future Perfect.
Photo: Tori Sikkema