Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy, the distinguished acting duo, are bidding adieu to the West Village sanctuary they’ve inhabited for more than a decade.
Nestled on the serene and slender stretch of Downing Street, this prized property emerged on the market on Wednesday, bearing a price tag of $9.75 million, curated by Tamer Howard of Corcoran. Property ledgers indicate that the couple became the townhouse’s custodians in November 2012, at a figure of $6.88 million.
The Greek Revival abode boasts an extensive metamorphosis, courtesy of the couple’s vision and the architectural acumen of Joan Krevlin, BKSK Architects’ co-founder. Under Krevlin’s creative compass—who has a longstanding professional synergy with Danes—the 1880s domicile has been reimagined. It now greets visitors with an entryway that doubles as a practical mudroom, features a freshly minted powder room on the ground floor, and a secluded home office, delineated from the living quarters by towering, sliding doors.
A cavernous living room unfurls onto a charming terrace, inviting sunlight and skyline alike into the heart of the home.
Danes, a native of the city’s loft culture, impressed upon the redesign the essence of her loft-imbued upbringing. “Claire was brought up amongst lofts, and her heart remained tethered to that open-plan spirit,” Krevlin conveyed to The New York Times in their debut reveal of the listing. This influence translated into a repositioned kitchen, which now cascades into the connected social havens of the residence.
Additional natural illumination permeates the interiors, notably with the kitchen’s above-glass-block ceiling, illuminating from the terrace floor above—part of the triumvirate of outdoor spaces which the townhouse proudly presents.
“The dwelling represents a bespoke fusion of contemporary lifestyle and the endearing allure of West Village history,” shared Howard with Mansion Global. When extolling the rooftop terrace, Howard revels in its design, “crafted for supreme alfresco living and gatherings, encompassing areas for repose, culinary affairs powered by an outdoor kitchen—complete with cold storage, ice maker, and an Ooni Koda pizza oven—all set within the embrace of a verdant roof garden, framing the quintessential West Village panorama.”
Ascend from the principal living space and one is met with a succession of floors dedicated to slumber and retreat, complemented with a snug den that converses directly with the overhead terrace. Along this vertical journey are comfortably appointed bedrooms, each boasting individualized bathroom sanctuaries. The climax of this residential journey is a primary suite, cradling a substantial walk-in closet and an expansive en suite bath, complete with a standalone tub and fireplace—culminating to five across the entire residence.
Descending to the foundations reveals a functional laundry enclave, a temperature-controlled wine sanctuary, and a cedar refuge for cherished attire.
Howard elaborates that Danes and Dancy, renowned for their portrayals of a CIA operative and an FBI profiler, respectively, are pursuing pastures anew to accommodate the growth of their young brood and to welcome visiting kin, with plans to stay woven into the downtown tapestry.
