{"id":944662,"date":"2026-07-19T03:44:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T03:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/944662\/"},"modified":"2026-07-19T03:44:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T03:44:42","slug":"this-colorful-upper-west-side-family-home-brings-japanese-influence-to-a-beaux-arts-townhouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/944662\/","title":{"rendered":"This Colorful Upper West Side Family Home Brings Japanese Influence to a Beaux-Arts Townhouse"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated4 min read<\/p>\n

Above: The parlor room features the modular Mah Jong sofa by Roche Bobois with custom pillows in Pierre Frey\u2019s Pachira Blanc fabric. The area rug is custom, and the coffee tables are the Blackbird Glossy Tables by Gio Pagani. The wallpaper is the Terrace Porcelain Woven Sisal Wallcovering by Carlisle & Co., and the pendant is an Akari Lantern by Noguchi. <\/p>\n

From the sidewalk, a row of Upper West Side brownstones may appear deceptively uniform. Many do feature the classic hallmarks of this corner of Manhattan\u2014deep wooden accents and sturdy fireplaces\u2014but some can also defy expectations. In this particular Beaux-Arts home, the interior tells a far different story than the facade lets on.<\/p>\n

The homeowners, a couple with three young children, wanted to turn the traditional building into a vibrant, indoor-outdoor multigenerational home for their nuclear family, plus the wife\u2019s parents, who would live in a private onsite suite. Throughout the home, spaces are decorated to honor the family\u2019s Japanese culture and heritage. For example, most of the bedrooms have tatami mats (i.e., traditional woven floor coverings traditionally made of grass or straw) instead of beds.<\/p>\n

\"BrownstoneJason Schmidt<\/p>\n

The exterior of the Beaux-Arts Upper West Side townhouse.<\/p>\n

To transform this townhouse while preserving its character, the couple turned to Fawn Galli, a New York\u2013 and Paris-based designer best known for her bold, eclectic style and vibrant color combinations. Galli\u2019s work would complement a full gut renovation\u2014led by the Brooklyn-based firm Sherman Architects\u2014that focused on bringing light and natural elements into the space.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey came to me for my use of color and nature, but they wanted it to also have a simplicity,\u201d Galli tells ELLE Decor. \u201cThey wanted it strong and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also trusted the designer to combine two seemingly disparate styles: \u201cI basically had to apply Japanese logic and aesthetic to Gilded Age Beaux-Arts architecture,\u201d says Galli. The home also needed to be both kid- and grandparent-friendly\u2014the kind of place where a big family could actually live, relax, and enjoy.<\/p>\n

\"StylishJason Schmidt<\/p>\n

The formal foyer sets the tone for the rest of the house with the Rat Pack Sofa by Mod Shop, a copper Baby Rabbit Chair by Stefano Giovannoni, and the Noctambule Cylinder Floor Lamp by Konstantin Grcic for FLOS.<\/p>\n

Galli wanted to set the tone right from the jump. The entryway features a rabbit-shaped stool tucked behind a curved green settee and is a playful hint at the themes embedded in the home\u2019s design.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s meant to be fun times right away with a bunny hiding behind a green moss sofa,\u201d Galli says. \u201cThe colors purposefully reference nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the home\u2019s urban location, the outdoors play a major role. The renovation included the addition of terraces and massive windows on each floor so the outside always feels accessible. This is especially true for the children, who are constantly looping inside and out. The backyard landscaping was overseen by Liz Pulver<\/a> and features a pergola with a swing that is surrounded by greenery. The roof, meanwhile, is tricked out with a hot tub and vibrant chaises. \u201cI really like the seamlessness between exterior and interior,\u201d Galli says.<\/p>\n

\"CozyJason Schmidt<\/p>\n

The garden features a daybed swing by The Porch Swing Company with cushions in Holly Hunt fabric. The lounge chairs are from Room & Board and the coffee table is the Concrete Pedestal Outdoor Table by West Elm.<\/p>\n

The entry wasn\u2019t the only place where Galli drew in colors from outside. In the reading room, a light-filled area next to the dining space, Galli created a custom velvet chaise that matches the hue of the plants on the other side of the window. It sits among bookshelves filled with philosophy and technology tomes. Around the corner, latticework extends into a double-height atrium, bringing in even more light.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey really read there and they really sit on that bench,\u201d Galli notes. That chaise became one of her favorite items in the whole home. \u201cIt\u2019s been a successful piece\u2014very comfortable and relaxing, but joyful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ModernCostas Picadas<\/p>\n

The centerpiece of the reading room is the custom chaise by Fawn Galli Interiors in Varese Velvet by Designer\u2019s Guild. The side tables are by Reda Amaloua and the window seat cushion is in faux black fur by Kravet. The area rug is also custom and the hanging pendant in the latticed double height space is the TR33 Pendant by Tom Rossau.<\/p>\n

The living room has its own showstopper seating in Roche Bobois\u2019s modular Mah Jong sofa, which Galli ordered in jewel tones of canary yellow and royal purple. The kids like to jump around on the oversized cushions so the family rearranges the layout easily and frequently. \u201cEvery time I arrive, they\u2019ve put it in a different configuration,\u201d Galli says.<\/p>\n

But perhaps the most unique pieces of furniture\u2014at least for Manhattan\u2014are the aforementioned tatami mats that replace beds in the primary room, the grandparents\u2019 suite, and the boy\u2019s bedroom (the girls have two beds). It was Galli\u2019s first time designing for tatami mats, but it was a challenge she enjoyed. She customized the nightstands, sourced from Industry West, because the mats were so low. In the primary room, the mat sits on a raised wooden platform with a custom velvet headboard.<\/p>\n

Step Inside\"AOpen Gallery\"\"<\/p>\n

Paired with wallpaper that features rollicking dunes from Brett Design, Galli likens the room to an oasis. \u201cIt\u2019s all very saturated but simple,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

These inherent contrasts\u2014calm but vibrant, light pieces within heavy architecture, sunlight within dark rooms, Beaux-Arts and traditional Japanese\u2014are what make the home so unique. \u201cIt\u2019s just amazing how you can reimagine so many spaces in New York,\u201d says Galli. \u201cThese townhouses are treasures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sourcebook\"Richard<\/a>\"Birchwood<\/a>La DoubleJ Birchwood TrayCredit: Net a Porter\"Orelle<\/a>West Elm Orelle Side TableCredit: West Elm\"Women's<\/a>Zimmermann Women’s Cloud 91 Clutch\"Freja<\/a>Z Gallerie Freja Fringe PillowCredit: Z Gallerie\"Farley<\/a>Uniquity Farley Throw Blanket\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Annie Goldsmith is the senior editor and digital lead at ELLE Decor, where she covers design, culture, style, and trends. She previously held positions at The Information, covering technology and culture, and Town & Country, writing about news, entertainment, and fashion. Her work has also appeared in Vogue, Rolling Stone, and the SF Standard.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"4 min read Above: The parlor room features the modular Mah Jong sofa by Roche Bobois with custom…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":944663,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[32],"tags":[648,1032,374334,2392,380372,1033,1201,171,3181,311952,2875,288037,380371,365830,248410,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-944662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-collection-elle-decor-premium","tag-content-type-feature","tag-contentid-bf0589d5-4ac5-41e4-89b7-23fda255df64","tag-design","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-us","tag-read_time-6","tag-shorttitle-this-townhouse-features-japanese-influence","tag-sponsored-false","tag-subsection-house-tours","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116944586781332019","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/944662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=944662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/944662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/944663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=944662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=944662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=944662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}