55 West Ninth Street, nyumba ya ghorofa nne yenye upana wa futi 22 iliyojengwa mwaka 1840, iko katikati ya eneo la kihistoria la West Village, kwenye barabara ya kupendeza iliyojaa miti, lakini ikiwa karibu kabisa na kila kitu.

Ikiwa na urefu wa ghorofa nne (pamoja na basement iliyokamilishwa), na ikiwa imepambwa kwa mawe ya brownstone kwa mtindo wa kiklasiki wenye kiasi, uso wake wa mbele ulirejeshwa kwa umakini mkubwa na mbunifu Jean-Gabriel Neukomm. Cornice ya awali na matofali yaliyowekewa tena chokaa vimehifadhiwa, huku kila kitu kingine—kuanzia ngazi za mbele hadi fremu za madirisha—kikiundwa upya kwa usahihi na mafundi stadi. Kila mfumo ndani ya nyumba umefanywa wa kisasa na kuboreshwa, ikiwemo kiyoyozi cha kati, mifumo ya sauti na usalama.

Uhalisia wa uso wa mbele ulihamasisha usanifu wa ndani, na kusababisha mchanganyiko wa muundo wa kiklasiki na wa kisasa: anasa ya Ufaransa inakutana na umaridadi wa New York katika maelezo kama vile jiko la moto la Louis XVI, miamba ya marumaru iliyotengenezwa maalumu, mapambo ya ukingo yaliyochochewa na mtindo wa beaux-arts, dari refu katika nyumba nzima, na sakafu za mwaloni zilizopangwa kwa muundo wa chevron zinazokumbusha Paris ya Haussmann. Ngazi pana inayopinda na mapambo ya ukingo, yaliyotokana na muundo wa Beaux-Arts, huipa sehemu ya ndani fahari tulivu.

Kwenye kiwango cha ukumbi mkuu, uwiano mkubwa wa nyumba unaonekana wazi. Sebule ina hadhi na pia inakaribisha. Dari refu, madirisha makubwa na mapambo ya ukingo ya beaux-arts yaliyofanyiwa utafiti kwa umakini huipa nafasi hiyo hali isiyopitwa na wakati, huku sakafu za mwaloni zilizopangwa kwa muundo wa chevron zikiongeza joto na mvuto wa kimaandishi.

Karibu na sebule kuna maktaba yenye mtaro wa kupendeza unaoangalia bustani iliyopambwa iliyo chini. Maktaba na sebule vinaungana kwa mtiririko mzuri, hivyo vinaweza kutoa hisia ya nafasi kubwa sana ya kuburudishia wageni, au nafasi mbili za karibu zaidi. Jiko la moto la kuni la maktaba, lenye sehemu ya juu ya Louis XVI iliyochongwa kwa ustadi, huipa chumba hicho uzito na hadhi. Karibu tu na maktaba kuna chumba cha kusomea cha kupendeza kinachofunguka kuelekea kwenye mtaro.

Ghorofa ya juu imetengwa kabisa kwa ajili ya chumba kikuu cha kulala cha kifahari, kilichoundwa kama maficho binafsi. Bafu la marumaru lenye mwanga wa angani, lililopewa msukumo na miundo ya ndani iliyoboreshwa ya Paul Dupré-Lafon, ndilo kitovu cha usanifu wa nyumba. Chumba cha kulala kina jiko la gesi linalofanya kazi na sehemu nzuri ya kuketi. Pia kuna vyumba viwili vikubwa sana vya kuhifadhia nguo, vilivyopangwa kwa ustadi.

Mbali na chumba kikuu cha kulala kilicho kwenye ghorofa ya juu, nyumba hii inatoa vyumba viwili vikubwa vya ziada pamoja na vyumba viwili vidogo kwenye ghorofa ya tatu. Vikiwa na ukubwa wa ukarimu na kujaa mwanga wa asili, vyumba hivi vimepambwa kwa uzuri kwa sasa, lakini pia vinaweza kutumika kwa njia mbalimbali. Kwa sasa kuna bafu moja kubwa kwenye ghorofa hii, lakini jingine linaweza kuongezwa kwa urahisi.

Kwenye kiwango cha bustani kuna chumba kingine kizuri cha kulala chenye bafu kamili, choo cha wageni na jiko la mpishi lenye eneo la kula, lililobuniwa kwa kuvutia sana. Upande mmoja wa jiko umejikita kwenye ukuta wa kuvutia wa urefu wa futi 30 wenye makabati yanayofika dari na sehemu za kuhifadhia zilizofichwa, unaouacha ukuta wa upande wa pili—uliofunikwa kwa safu endelevu ya marumaru ya Calacatta gold—ukiwa wazi na wenye mvuto wa kipekee. Matokeo yake ni hali tulivu na ya kisanaa: jiko linalohisi zaidi kama kazi ya usanifu, huku likiwa pia lenye matumizi bora. Katikati yake, jiko la Lacanche huvutia macho. Likitengezwa kwa mikono huko Burgundy na kufunikwa kwa enamel na chuma cha pua, linatoa utendaji wa kiwango cha kitaalamu pamoja na mwonekano usiopitwa na wakati. Meza kubwa ya mtindo wa shamba ndiyo kitovu cha jiko, ikiwa na sehemu ya kuketi ya chumba cha familia upande wa bustani wa chumba hicho.

Basement iliyokamilishwa ni nzuri kama sehemu nyingine za nyumba, na ina chumba kizuri cha kufulia pamoja na nafasi kubwa za kuhifadhia.

Nje ya sehemu za ndani, Miranda Brooks amebuni bustani yenye viwango viwili. Mtaro wa kulia chakula una meza na viti vilivyochochewa na Donald Judd, huku sehemu ya nyuma iliyoinuliwa ikikumbusha bustani za Palais Royal, ikiwa na nguzo za miti ya boxwood, changarawe nyeupe, uzio wa hazel uliosokotwa, na miti ya Yuda iliyopogolewa kwa ustadi ambayo huchanua maua ya waridi kila majira ya kuchipua.

55 West 9th inatoa kiwango cha maelezo na ubora wa ujenzi ambacho ni karibu haiwezekani kukipata. Ni yenye mtindo, furaha na mvuto, huku pia ikiwa yenye uchangamfu, mwanga wa jua na matumizi ya vitendo. Eneo pamoja na nyumba yenyewe ni ukamilifu mtupu.

55 West Ninth Street, a 22 feet wide townhouse built in 1840, is located in the heart of the historic West Village on a charming tree lined street but close to absolutely everything.

Four-stories tall (with a finished basement in addition) and trimmed in brownstone with classical restraint, its façade was meticulously restored by architect Jean-Gabriel Neukomm. The original cornice and repointed bricks remain, while everything else—from the stoop to the window surrounds—was recreated with precision by master craftsmen. Every system in the house has been modernized and upgraded, including central AC, sound and security systems.

That authenticity of the facade inspired the interior architecture, resulting in classical and modern design: French luxury meets New York chic in details such as a Louis XVI fireplace, bespoke marble mantels, beaux-arts–inspired moldings, high ceilings throughout and chevron-laid oak floors reminiscent of Haussmann’s Paris. The sweeping staircase and moldings, based on Beaux Arts design, anchor the interiors with quiet grandeur.

At the parlor level, the home’s grand proportions are evident. The living room is both stately and inviting. High ceilings, generous windows, and meticulously researched beaux-arts moldings give the space a timeless athmopshere, while chevron-laid oak floors contribute warmth and texture.

Adjacent to the living room is the library with a charming terrace overlooking the landscaped garden below. The library and living room flow gracefully allowing for the feeling of a very large entertaining space, or two more intimate spaces. The library's beautiful wood-burning fireplace with a finely carved Louis XVI mantel gives the room a sense of gravitas. Just off the library is a charming reading room which opens to the terrace.

The top floor is reserved entirely for the luxurious primary suite, conceived as a private retreat. The skylit marble bathroom, inspired by Paul Dupré-Lafon’s refined interiors, is an architectural centerpiece. The bedroom has a working gas fireplace and a lovely sitting area. There are two very large, beautifully fitted out closets.

In addition to the top-floor primary suite, the townhouse offers two large secondary bedrooms as well as two smaller bedrooms on the 3rd floor. Generously scaled and filled with natural light, these rooms are beautifully decorated now, but also allow for flexibility of use. Currently there is one large bathroom on this floor, but another can easily be added.

On the garden level is an additional lovely bedroom with a full bath, a powder room and an impressively designed chef's eat-in kitchen. One side of the kitchen is anchored by a dramatic, 30-foot wall of full-height cabinetry/concealed storage that allows the opposite wall, clad in a continuous sweep of Calacatta gold marble, to remain strikingly unbroken. The effect is serene and sculptural: a kitchen that feels less like an architectural statement but also functions well. At its center, the Lacanche range commands attention. Handcrafted in Burgundy and clad in enamel and stainless steel, it offers professional-grade function with a presence that feels timeless. A large farmhouse table is the center of the kitchen with a family room sitting area at the garden end of the room.

The finished basement is as nice as the rest of the house and has a wonderful laundry as well as extensive storage.

Beyond the interior, Miranda Brooks has designed a two-tiered garden. The dining terrace opens with a Donald Judd–inspired table and chairs, while the raised rear recalls the gardens of the Palais Royal, complete with boxwood columns, white gravel, woven hazel fencing, and pleached Judas trees that burst into pink bloom each spring.

55 West 9th provides a level of detail and quality in construction that is next to impossible to find. It is chic and fun and cool while also being cheerful and sunny and practical. The location and the house are perfection.