I Should Be Laughing: Architecture Wednesday: 1893 Renaissance Revival Loft

This home, this magnificent loft at 21 Bond Street stands within the NoHo Historic District of New York City as a remarkable example of late 19th-century commercial Renaissance Revival architecture. It was commissioned by real estate operator Leon Tannenbaum and designed by Buchman & Deisler in 1893, the six-story loft and store building—with one residence per floor with private keyed elevator—with a communal rooftop terrace and ownership of one-fifth of the ground-floor store was conceived as a modern interpretation of the Renaissance Revival style.

Its cast-iron storefront, framed by brownstone piers, Palladian-inspired second-story windows, and intricate rosettes set within a triangular pediment, reflects the decorative ambition of the era. Grouped openings on the upper floors—highlighted by terra-cotta fleurs-de-lis and a dramatic fanlight-style arch—complete the building’s elegant vertical rhythm beneath a classic iron cornice.

Originally conceived as a storefront-and-loft building, the residence was reimagined by a noted New York architect who stripped away Sheetrock, exposing the century-old brick and timber framing and added a massive new skylight at the center of the living room, drawing sunlight through 14-foot ceilings.

The flooring was replaced with Dinesen white oak planks, crafted from trees aged between 80 and 200 years and individually selected for their grain and proportion; each plank is joined with traditional oak butterfly joints, preserving the natural character and integrity of the wood. And antique European elements throughout the home introduce a sense of lived-in grandeur, like the addition of a Provençal-style mantel from the Paris flea market that anchors the living room fireplace.

The living room also features four oak-framed arched windows with blackout shades, 14-foot ceilings and exposed brick walls; a remote-controlled gas fireplace, an 11' × 10' operable skylight and a Sony projector with 125” motorized movie screen.

In the adjoining kitchen are high-end Miele appliances, custom oak cabinetry with antique chicken-wire glass, a Julien sink with integral drainboard and garbage disposal, marble countertops and vintage 1950s drafting chairs at the island.

The primary bedroom has South-facing steel windows with oak Venetian finish, 13-foot ceilings, a remote-controlled gas fireplace and floor-to-ceiling oak wardrobes with mirrored fronts. The primary bathroom has radiant-heated French terracotta floors, a deep porcelain cast-iron soaking tub, an antique Empire vanity with Belgian black-stone top, dual sinks and custom brass electric towel warmers; there are extra-large dual medicine cabinets, a heated toilet with bidet function and an operable window with motorized Lutron blackout shade

The three additional bedrooms each accommodate a king-size bed, feature built-in desks and divided oak wardrobes and solar-powered skylights with blackout shades. The secondary bathroom features heated French terracotta floors, an antique mahogany vanity with dual sinks, mirrored walls and walk-in glass shower, custom brass towel warmers and a heated toilet with bidet function.

The powder offers an operable skylight with blackout shade, along with heated French terracotta floors, a mahogany vanity with Belgian black-stone top, mirrored walls and heated toilet with bidet function.
There is also an in-home laundry room with both a large-load LG washer/dryer and a small-load Miele washer/dryer, an extra-large stainless-steel utility sink with professional spray faucet and a towel warmer for delicate items and clothing care. The home also features a Mitsubishi concealed central air system, Nest-controlled steam heat, Nest smoke and carbon monoxide detection, Lutron-controlled lighting, Dinesen solid European oak floors throughout dry areas, custom 8-foot-tall, 2-inch-thick oak doors and E.R. Butler & Co. Empire hardware throughout.

Seriously worth every penny of the nearly $9 million asking price.