#historic-restoration

#historic-restoration

LENOX - Five years ago, as the multi-generational Allegrone family prepared to mark the 100th anniversary of their construction company's opening in Pittsfield, they had good reason to pop the cork on a favorite Italian red wine. The National Park Service had just awarded the Allegrone Cos. a $40 million, two-phase, five-year contract to shore up the massive granite Fort Wood Walls structure built in 1807 to defend New York Harbor.

Every time a boat passes through a canal lock, thousands of litres of water are released and must be replaced, usually from other sources. To reduce water loss, engineers sometimes build side ponds next to canals with several locks in succession. These side ponds allowed water to be "put aside" rather than lost. When a lock chamber was emptied to lower a boat to the next level, paddles were opened to divert the water into an adjacent side pond.

It's official: The White Lotus is taking up residence in the French Riviera's grande dame hotel: Château de la Messardière. Crowning a hilltop between the Bay of Pampelonne and the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, the 19th-century palace is cinematic in every sense. Originally an aristocratic wedding gift, it was later restored by Jean-Claude Rochette, architect-in-chief for France's historic monuments, before joining the Airelles Collection in 2021.

Housed in a bespoke armoire at least six feet tall, it is filled with curated delights of every kind. Mine, for instance, was stocked with an expansive tea selection requisite of a non-coffee-drinker, as well as a host of healthy-ish snack options, like pea chips and protein bars (though I couldn't resist the gourmet Turkish delight or gummy bears either).

When a project involves young kids, interior designers know they're striking a delicate balance between sophistication and sheer survival. Behind-the-scenes essentials-stain resistance, sturdiness, safety-quietly shape the most polished rooms. The fantasy, of course, is to have an ivory cashmere-covered sofa-and to let the kids eat cake while sitting on it, too. Lauren Geremia of San Francisco-based AD100 firm Geremia Design had both goals in mind when designing the richly hued, intriguingly layered interiors of this historic house in the city's Pacific Heights neighborhood.

Falling for the charms of an old property is a common tale, but perhaps less so when your own personal history is intertwined with it. But this was the case for Amanda and Warren East, who had regularly visited the beautiful Grade II*-listed building over the decades. "We were living in the house opposite for 27 years," explains Amanda. "Ours was a 1970s 'box' and although we'd changed it a lot, it was not the most characterful of houses." Then their neighbours, who were both in their nineties, left the house to a college in Cambridge, who in turn decided to sell.

Abandoned, boarded up behind drywall in the basement for years and only recently rediscovered, the Bushwick restaurant's massive coal oven dates all the way back to 1890 - even before near-ancient pizzerias like Lombardi's, John's of Bleecker and Grimaldi's made their debuts. Today, it's firing up some of NYC's best pies - and the neighborhood can't get enough. The sprawling, 18-foot by 15-foot space of sizzling real estate boasts 63 heat zones and can churn out the zestiest 'za in just five minutes.

For the transformation of a former boathouse in Sweden's east archipelago into a serene retreat, it all started with-what else?-the sea. "I was really struck by the first time that I visited the site," says designer Kajsa Melchior. "You come from the forest and from the outside the house looks so simple and tiny, but when you enter, the only thing you see is the sea."

Osso Architecture was brought into the project by New York City-based interior designer Jessica Whitney Gould of JWG Interiors, whom the homeowners had contacted initially and who immediately realized a total overhaul was in order. "We did a complete gut, removing three structural columns floating in the middle of each floor, and found ways to open up the space," Otten recalled. "We brought in a lot of steel."

After Napoleon's 1798-1801 Egyptian campaign, his publications of its scholarly findings, including engravings of Egyptian styles, were widely disseminated. A fashion for Egyptian styles and military camp furnishings swept Europe and inspired Friedrich's architect, Nikolaus Friedrich von Thouret. "This is probably the only palace in Europe to have a drapery room remaining to this extent of completeness, including fabric, trimmings, and furnishings to match," says Anu-Susanna Ventelä, a textile conservator at the State Palaces and Gardens (SPG) of Baden-Württemberg. Exposed to years of soil, dust, sunlight, pollution and even insect retardants, the silks, originally turquoise and now a faded blue-green, needed cleaning, she says.

Over the course of four episodes, viewers of The Last Wright have watched Frank Lloyd Wright's last design come to life, as mother and daughter team Debbie and Sarah Dykstra built a home based on a long-lost set of plans by legendary architect. Tonight at 8pm EST on Magnolia Network, fans will get to see the completed house revealed. Wright's design for a Usonian house he called Project #5909 had been on his drawing board when he died in 1959.

Park Lane Copenhagen opened in January 2025, but the building dates back to the early 20th century and was originally a social club. Soon after, it was converted into a movie theater until the 1970s, when the building became a small hotel. Design details throughout the spaces, such as the stucco and restored chandeliers that used to hang in the old ballroom, are a beautiful reminder of the hotel's past.

Mette and Rolf Hay are founders of the furniture and home accessories brand Hay, and Barbara "Bibi" Husted Werner is a fashion impresario (known for her now-shuttered cult Copenhagen boutique, Holly Go Lightly) married to film director Martin Werner. All four believe in living surrounded by contemporary art and good design, and they approached their acquisition as a delicate historic restoration awakened by the addition of their far-ranging collections.