Tour the exceptional projects shaping today’s residential real estate landscape in Westchester County and the Hudson Valley, from the adaptation of a downtown 1920s movie theater into luxury apartments to the preservation and modernization of a circa 1788 country homestead.
Best Affordable Multifamily Development
WBP Development (Winner)
Griffon Construction, L&M Design, and Beyer Blinder Belle
Designer: Helen Piteo Interiors
645 Main, Peekskill
With beautiful Hudson River views, this modern five-story, 82-apartment building is a fully affordable multifamily residential community. Residents enjoy a community room leading to a rooftop courtyard, two lounges, a fitness center, laundry room, a “sky lounge” with pool table and family games, and on-site parking. Sustainable features include an all-electric HVAC system, a rooftop photovoltaic solar array, a high-performance building envelope, and 30 EV charging stations. A public/private partnership, it owes much of its success to support from its public partners, including an award of housing tax credits and subsidy funds from New York State and funding from Westchester County. The resulting contemporary structure is a key feature of the new visual gateway to Peekskill, helping to position it as updated and economically vibrant.
Best Adaptive Reuse
MdeAS Architects (Winner)
RXR and PS&S
Designer: MdeAS Architects
One Clinton Park, New Rochelle
Rising on the site of what was once the Church-Division parking garage, this new 28-story tower brings 352 residences and ground-level retail to downtown New Rochelle. Partnering with the city to rewrite the zoning in the area and expedite the process for new residential developments, the result is a dynamic addition to the landscape that elevates its architectural fabric while providing a luxurious residential experience, including an exceptional amenities program (see New & Noteworthy: Best Community Amenities). With sweeping Manhattan and Long Island Sound views, its limestone base takes its cues from the surrounding buildings, seamlessly integrating retail and lobby experiences with adjacent street life. A plaza at its base engages with dining and retail to enliven the area and provide a scenic path to the nearby train station.
Murphy Brothers Contracting
Architect and Designer: Stephen Tilly, Architect
Harrison Playhouse Lofts, Harrison
An adaptive reuse of a downtown Harrison 1920s movie theater, this transit-oriented residential development is directly across from the train station. Featuring 36 luxury apartments, it preserves the adjacent historic commercial streetscape while retaining the original theater marquee as one of the new building’s entries. Amenities include large landscaped public and private terraces and courtyards, below-grade parking, a fitness center, and a cinema screening room. With an emphasis on environmentally sustainable design, its basic construction and mechanical systems use Passive House approaches like air-tight construction, heavy exterior insulation, and more. The building’s amenities, indoor-air-quality measures, and recreation features make it the first in Westchester County to qualify for FitWel certification, the international certification system that recognizes buildings that support occupant/user health.
Best Custom Home
Guiltec Development
Architect: Jones Byrne Margeotes Partners
Located on five country-like acres, this stunning 8,000-square-foot modern Colonial exhibits the perfect balance of luxury and comfort with large light-filled rooms, detailed accents, and exquisite craftsmanship. The home consists of four levels, two located below ground, and features five bedrooms and eight baths. The main level houses such entertaining spaces as an expansive living room with a panoramic garden view and a generously proportioned dining room. Outdoors, a tennis court and a 50-foot pool round out the offerings for this sporty family with three children. Originally planned to be housed in a separate structure, sport facilities, including a basketball court, golf simulator, and gym, were instead incorporated inside the house on the first lower level to enable frequent usage in all seasons. Media and play areas, a craft room, and a viewing area overlooking the action on the basketball court can be found on the other lower level.
Studio MM Architect (Winner)
Kaat Cliffs, Saugerties
Located on a uniquely positioned rocky site at the base of the Kaaterskill Wild Forest, the two stunning views from Kaat Cliffs — a dramatic cliff face and a panorama of the Hudson Valley — informed the design for this peaceful retreat in Saugerties. The clients wanted a warm open home filled with sunlight. Inspired by their appreciation for Philip Johnson’s iconic Glass House, large floor-to-ceiling glass became the defining feature of the central living space. But while expansive views are the focal point, particular attention was given to creating a sense of coziness, with wood soffits and decks on the exterior and a central fireplace bringing warmth to the interior. The expansive kitchen features white oak cabinetry, a large central island with a rich gray stone countertop with waterfall edges, and a polished concrete floor. And a fire pit offers stunning cliff-face views to this nature-oriented new home.
KOSL Building
French Chateau, Scarsdale
Situated on half an acre, this elegant 8,000-square-foot modern French Chateau offers a leveled backyard with barbecue station, heated pool with spa, and a retractable pergola for year-round enjoyment. The six-bedroom, seven-bath home features walls limewashed with taupe base and plastered topcoat, arched accents with connective flowing trim, and six-inch European white oak flooring throughout, with Brazilian marble slabs used for kitchen counters, back-splash, and fireplaces. Custom oak built-in cabinetry, exposed beams, and accent panels were used in the home office, and family and living rooms, with suede wallpaper in the dining room. The lower level houses an oak-paneled movie theater, rec room, jungle gym, and guest bedroom.
Best Community Amenities
MdeAS Architect (Winner)
RXR and PS&S
One Clinton Park, New Rochelle
This new luxury 28-story residential building offers top-of-the-line amenities, in addition to sweeping views of Long Island Sound, the Manhattan skyline, and the surrounding historic downtown. A full co-working suite is on the second floor; on the third floor, a gym, playroom, resident lounge, and Gibson’s Speakeasy spill onto an expansive landscaped terrace. With grilling stations, a dog park, and plenty of space for gathering, this 8,000-square-foot park in the sky is the heart of the community. Gibson’s Speakeasy doubles as a space to socialize and create, with custom booth seats that convert into workstations. Named after former New Rochelle resident Charles Dana Gibson, an illustrator for LIFE magazine, it honors the longtime tradition of artists and creatives making this city their home.
Best Remodeling Projects Under $300,000
DTF Rosemount (Winner)
Woodruff Architects
Designer: K&B Creations
Historic District Tudor, New Rochelle
A renovation and facelift turned a traditional 3,800-square-foot Tudor (dating to the early 1900s) into a more functional and attractive home for an active family with three young children, while adhering to the restrictions of its designated historic district location. Walls were knocked down and several of the typically smaller rooms characterized by this architectural style — including a maid’s room and bath, and a formal dining room — were combined to create an expansive new open-concept kitchen/great-room space featuring traditional wood cabinets and wooden beams and a customized walk-in pantry, as well as a mudroom and a small powder room (a new dining room was created in another location). The result is an appealing new look and layout, and a home better suited for the day-to-day life of a growing family.
DTF Rosemount
Architect: Sergio Marin Architecture & Design
Full Basement Renovation, Purchase
An active family with several young kids wanted to turn the large unfinished basement of their 4,600-square-foot modern Colonial built in 2017 into a full lower-level indoor recreation center with a walk-out to their outdoor pool. The impressive result includes several play areas, one covered with a turf floor for sports; a full gym; and a new spa-like bathroom that doubles as the pool bath/changing room and features a shower with body jets, rain head, handheld, and steam functions. A haircutting salon and laundry complete a project that makes this home’s new-found 1,600-square-foot space both fun and functional.
Best Remodeling Projects Over $300,000
DTF Rosemount
Architect: Woodruff Architects
Designer: K&B Creations
Historic District Mediterranean, New Rochelle
The renovation of this 3,500-square-foot traditional Mediterranean home, dating back to the early 1920s and located within a historic district, was born out of necessity. The owners were out of the country when a burst pipe caused extensive water damage throughout the home. The company brought in to remediate it in their absence was unable to do so effectively; when the owners returned, they hired Rosemount to, in effect, start the process again. Rosemount recommended and worked closely with another remediation company that successfully removed all the mold and restored the structure to a safe and healthy condition. It then totally renovated the kitchen, adding new stonework and wood flooring, and added a new bedroom and bath to the house. A highlight of the project was renovating the previously unused basement by digging down beneath the existing floor to get more height for the space and create eight-foot ceilings. The reclaimed 1,000-square-foot lower-level space now features a gym, huge playroom, office, and laundry room.
DTF Rosemount
Designer: Piazza Interiors
Townhouse Renovation, Yonkers
When an older couple downsized from their large family home, they hired Rosemount to do a complete reno of their new 3,200-square-foot 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath townhouse, originally built in 2006. The project touched all areas of the home from a new, fully remodeled transitional kitchen with inset cabinets to the addition of a media room, extensive built-in storage, and new carpeting in the finished basement. Wood floors throughout were refinished and all walls were painted. An office was redone with the addition of floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets and pocket doors to make it more work-from-home friendly and the spectacular new primary bath features a hand-painted mural and stunning marble inlay flooring which mimics a carpeting effect. One of the most striking visual elements is the vapor/electric fireplace in the great room; while not requiring gas or venting, it offers a much more realistic look than a usual electric fireplace.
Murphy Brothers Contracting (Winner)
Lovas Architects
Designer: SOCO Interiors
Barmore, LaGrangeville
Set on 169 acres of rolling hills in Dutchess County, Barmore, a two-story Georgian-style home built in 1788, has been totally modernized while maintaining its historical provenance. The renovation team faced numerous challenges related to the structure’s original construction. Tree-trunk supporting beams and walls made of tree-cut studs with bark intact, plus exterior walls filled with brick, made insulation and the installation of the all-new, modern electrical and plumbing systems extremely challenging. Old timbers from the property’s barns were used to help maintain the authenticity of the project with interior spaces totally revamped including new insulation, windows, exterior doors, and modern finishes. The addition of an airy 366-square-foot screened porch, a bluestone patio with spa, a built-in barbecue, and a fire pit add to the revived homestead’s allure and the seamless integration of modern comforts and historic charm.
Related: Tips for Selling Your Westchester County Home in the Winter
