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P R O F I L E | M AT T M C K AY
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entertaining and music.
"I was thinking a lot about the 1960s-'70s
folk music scene in Los Angeles when
designing this home and how that could
meld with the character of a historic
townhouse," says McKay.
Originally built in 1828, the Federal-
era property features a classicizing
architecture typical of the 1780s-1830s
in the United States, which is based
on the work of Italian architect Andrea
Palladio (1508-1580) complemented by
innovations by Thomas Jefferson (1743-
1826). Throughout the project that took a
year to complete, McKay strove to respect
the past of the home while introducing
contemporary updates and crafting an
n two aspects, this house was a
premiere: for the homeowners, it
happened to be their first large-
scale residential project; and for the
interior designer, it was the first work
under his studio name, McKay.
"I was drawn to the unique historical space
that required a younger perspective,"
remembers Matt McKay, who tackled the
challenge of transforming this charming
townhouse located in the Greenwich
Village historic district in the heart of
Manhattan for his longtime friends, a
couple in their mid-30s.
One of the main objectives of the makeover
consisted in creating a space that would
foster connection and community through
42 DIGS.NET
| 6.16.23
