West Village and Greenwich Village
Interiors for renovation and new construction
Samantha Liistro Design is a residential interior design studio based in the West Village. The studio designs the interiors of full renovations and new construction in the West Village and Greenwich Village, in apartments and townhouses.
Samantha joins a project early, alongside the architect and the builder, so the plan, millwork, finishes, lighting and furnishings are designed together and drawn before work begins. Drawings are made in-house and coordinated with the architect of record. She stays involved through construction and installation.
Building in the Village
Much of the West Village and Greenwich Village lies within the Greenwich Village Historic District, designated in 1969 and extended in 2006 and 2010. That shapes a project from the first drawing.
Exterior changes, front and rear, need approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Interior work needs its approval when the work also requires a Department of Buildings permit, or affects the outside of the building, such as windows or vents.
Most approvals are issued by Commission staff. Work outside the published rules goes to a public hearing, and that process takes about 3 months from application to permit.
In a co-op or condominium, the building reviews the plans under its own alteration agreement.
The studio plans the design and its drawings around these reviews with the project's architect. Every address is different, and the Commission's map shows whether a building is landmarked.
Questions
When should an interior designer join a renovation or a new build?
At the start, with the architect, before the layout is fixed.
Does the studio work with our architect and contractor?
Yes. The studio works directly with homeowners, architects, contractors and owners' representatives.
Where does the studio work?
In the West Village, Greenwich Village, Tribeca, SoHo, NoHo, Chelsea and the Upper East Side, and in Fairfield County, Connecticut.