This 4,500-square-foot townhouse at 126 East 74th Street on the Upper East Side, asking $10.5 million, has a unique architectural history in addition to a designer’s touch. Built in 1880, the home was constructed in the stately Victorian-era Italianate style of its neighbors. It was transformed in 1924 by William Shire, who created a facade resembling a Mediterranean villa while preserving the grand Victorian details within. The home’s unique facade remains remarkably unchanged since then, but its interiors have gotten a complete overhaul to meet modern standards in both design and livability.
The years since its construction saw the building occupied by a series of well-heeled residents, all of whom overhauled the home’s interiors. According to Daytonian in Manhattan, Eustace and Maud Seligman, who purchased the home in the 1920s, undertook renovations that were far more extensive than mere interior upgrades.
Architect Edward I. Shire was hired to modernize the classic brownstone; following the work of Frederick Junius Sterner, who was known for turning Victorian brownstones into Mediterranean- and Tudor-style villas, Shire created a stucco-clad Mediterranean villa for the new owners. Highlights include an ornate Spanish-style wrought iron grill, Palladian windows, a Doric loggia on the second floor with iron railings and three sets of French doors, and a pair of Spanish-tiled roofs.
More recently, renowned designer Miles Redd brought timeless style and modern convenience to the home’s interiors, which have been featured in Elle Décor.
The Mediterranean motif was repeated in twisted wrought iron fixtures and balusters, stuccoed walls, heavy beams, and ornate fireplaces. An elevator serves all floors and the roof, and the home’s basement holds updated mechanicals as well as room for storage and a full bath.
In keeping with the traditional townhouse configuration, the home’s kitchen anchors the garden floor, thoroughly renovated to 21st-century standards. Details include bespoke millwork, energy-efficient heated flooring, and plenty of storage. A built-in banquette invites casual dining, and a large dining room has a working fireplace.
The dining room provides access to a sunny, south-facing landscaped rear garden for outdoor living. This verdant private space offers bluestone pavers, a planted perimeter, and mature cherry blossom trees, surrounded by historic stone walls.
Beneath ceilings of nearly 12 feet, the open parlor floor is suitably glamorous. A 70-foot-long living room is framed by arched details and period moldings, enhanced by a wood-burning fireplace and a wet bar. In the back, a dramatic glass-walled loggia opens onto a terrace overlooking the garden.
The third floor is occupied by the primary suite and an attendant library. The bedroom has an adjacent sitting room that overlooks the garden below. A marble-clad ensuite bath has a walk-in shower and a soaking tub.
On the top floor are three more bedrooms and two full baths. Considered design details give each room a unique personality.
An elevator provides accessibility and convenience not often found in a townhouse. Looking toward the future, approved plans for a fifth-floor extension mean the possibility of added living space or a rooftop terrace.
[Listing details: 126 East 74th Street at CityRealty]
[At Sotheby’s International Realty-Eastside Manhattan Brokerage by Nikki Field and Jeanne H. Bucknam]
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