Through a cast iron gate and behind a forest green door is an anomaly: the Penthouse and Cottage at 72 East 1st Street. This gut renovated duplex is infused with the sensibility of an English country house, commanding attention through its unobstructed southern and eastern exposures, its obsessive attention to detail, and most notably through its crown: the rooftop’s Cape Cod-style shingled cottage and terrace. Offering four bedrooms, an open farmhouse kitchen, a double-height living room, and the cottage – which can function as a standalone studio – the home is both contemporary and timeless. It’s a lodestar to a type of elevated, elegant, and sophisticated living rarely seen in the East Village.

The crown of the penthouse is the Cape Cod-style roof cottage and private landscaped terrace, one of New York City’s most delectable hidden gems. With ceilings up to 12’, exposures on three sides, an open view to the south, and a level of finish equal to the rest of the house, the cottage is a transportative oasis. As a standalone studio, it can function as a guest suite or a private home office. A banquette with bay windows overlooks the planted terrace, with shrubbery, an apple tree, and multiple seating and lounging areas. Barely visible from the street, the cottage serves as a beacon for those in the know, beckoning them to this refined East Village residence.

The heart of the home is the open kitchen, dining area, and living room on the lower floor. The living room ceilings soar over 18 feet high, letting light from the southern-facing windows spill in over two levels. There is a rear-facing northern exposure here, as well, leaving the space bright all day. Already, the level of detail is apparent. The floor in the living room is made of large parquet tiles, salvaged from a theater in London. The rest of the house features chevron-pattern white oak. The walls throughout the home have a specialty paint finish by Mark Chamberlain. Each of the windows, furnished by Historical Windows, is double-paned, contains UV filtration, light control shades, wood shutters and trim, and is astoundingly quiet. Finally, a gas-burning limestone fireplace anchors the room.

A grand staircase connects the lower living room and the upper level library and overlook, creating in essence a marvelous two-level living room. The stairs and railing were custom built for the house. The library, with its built-in shelving, is a quiet corner in this grand room.

Just off the living room, the windowed kitchen is built for a chef. With plenty of counter space, open shelving, and oak cabinets, it’s well designed for cooking for many, or for few. High-end furnishings include a Lacanche range, a North Star fridge, custom overhead and hanging lighting by Olampia, and a copper-topped kitchen island. The walls are lined with encaustic tiles from Mosaic House. The adjacent dining area, also with south-facing exposures, comfortably seats twelve. A powder room rounds out the public spaces.

The lower level also includes the principal suite. This corner oasis includes four closets, a wood-burning marble fireplace, a double vanity, and a soaking tub. Exposures from the east and the south illuminate the gold-finished Waterworks fixtures and the encaustic tile. The spacious bedroom is nonetheless made cozy by the fireplace, the built-in bedside lamps, and the rustic aesthetic. Finally, a proper dressing room abuts the closets, each of which is custom-built for plenty of storage.

Three additional bedrooms are upstairs, including a junior suite. The corner suite includes another marble wood-burning fireplace, an en-suite bathroom with Waterworks fixtures and a stall shower with blue floor-to-ceiling tiling from Mosaic House. The other two additional bedrooms, each with custom built-out closets, share a full bathroom also with Waterworks fixtures, mosaic tile, and a soaking tub. Completing the level is a full laundry room and a den or lounge area.

With only two other units in the building, the Penthouse and Cottage at 72 East 1st Street offers the feeling of townhouse living. Tucked onto 1st Street, the building is on a quiet stretch of what is otherwise a lively and bustling neighborhood with many of the city's cultural touchstones, culinary experiences, shopping and conveniences just minutes away.