Actress Sela Ward is selling her SoHo pied-à-terre, a sprawling pre-war loft on a quiet cobblestone street that she bought more than four years ago and converted into a comfortable and chic urban retreat.
The approximately 2,400 square meter apartment is located on the second floor at 16 Crosby Street between Howard Street and Grand Street in the historic SoHo-Cast Iron district. The five-story former factory from 1877 has 12 cooperative units.
Recognition…Amanda Edwards / Getty Images
Ms. Ward, a two-time Emmy Award winner, and her husband, entrepreneur Howard Sherman, who have their primary residence in Meridian, Miss., List the loft for $ 5.795 million. Monthly maintenance is $ 900.
The couple paid $ 4.2 million for the unit in late summer 2016 after a long house search. "We kept going into buildings with four or five cabin rooms," Ms. Ward said. “I felt so claustrophobic. I didn't feel like I could breathe. "
But when she saw the downtown loft, it was love at first sight. "I went into the room and saw the 14-foot ceilings and all the light pouring in from the windows and I said, 'I think I'm home," she recalled.
Before the couple settled down, they began a major renovation of the place that lasted over a year. They kept some of the original industrial elements, including the ornate sheet metal ceiling, stately cast iron columns, and exposed bricks, and added various custom details: an open marble kitchen with breakfast bar, separate banquet seats, French steel and glass doors, oak floors, and numerous built-ins. The couple also created a glazed mezzanine floor with additional storage space.
"The size of this loft and the design are really great – there is a real wow factor when you open the door," said Mark Schoenfeld, a Corcoran Group agent who lists the property with colleague Joseph Pullen. "It's not your typical SoHo loft. It's sexy and sophisticated."
Ms. Ward, who is also an artist and whose bold paintings hang in the apartment, said she had help with the design with Ann Carter, a Mississippi designer, and Warren Freyer of Freyer Collaborative Architects in the financial district.
"We just created different rooms that weren't there," said Ms. Ward. "It's like an art project for me." With each new home she added, "I have a canvas."
The space consists of two bedrooms and a media room with a Murphy bed and automated curtains that turn it into a third bedroom. There are also two bathrooms, a half bathroom and a laundry room.
The entrance is through a 28 by 27 foot room lined with 10 foot east windows. The great room has areas for relaxing and dining, as well as the media room.
Next to a gallery near the dining area is the master bedroom suite, which contains a dressing room, walk-in closet and a large, spalike bathroom with a separate bathtub. A second bedroom and bathroom are at the south end of the apartment, along with the laundry room and guest toilet. The unit also has a 340 square meter storage room in the basement of the building. It includes cabinets and two refrigerators, one for wine.
Contemporary furniture can be found throughout the house, along with a little whimsy in the form of a wooden ping-pong table that converts into a dining table for dinner parties.
Ms. Ward has appeared in numerous television shows and films over the years. She received Emmys for her roles in the drama series "Once and Again" and "Sisters". More recently she worked on the TV drama show "FBI" and was able to spend time in the SoHo apartment while filming in New York.
Her favorite place in the attic: a window seat overlooking Crosby Street. "I would have coffee there and see people go by on the street," she said.
While she and Mr. Sherman enjoyed being in SoHo, they are looking for a bigger apartment in Manhattan, perhaps closer to Central Park, to better accommodate their two grown children. "When my children are around, especially with their significant other, we are all on top of each other," she said across the attic.
The idea of redesigning from scratch appeals to Ms. Ward, who also owned homes in California and Florida. In 2016 she sold her property in Bel Air, California to Jennifer Lopez.
"I love creating spaces," she said, "and I'll create another that is different and fun at the same time."
Sign up here for weekly email updates on residential property news. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.
