For the past few years, gallery owner Leo Koenig has been busy creating his own art from his West Village home.
The sprawling duplex at 259 West Fourth Street, which he shares with his partner Jennifer Liu, a top executive at fashion brand Kate Spade, has been painstakingly pieced together since 2018. It consists of three apartments, some of which were previously built. Combined. The last unit was purchased in his 2021.
“It was a labor of love,” said Koenig, who deals in contemporary art and runs a gallery on the Upper East Side. He paid about $3.5 million for the apartment. “After that, we will need at least another million renovations,” he said. “I got to the point where I stopped counting.”
Extensive renovations combined the three spaces, including new tiled bathrooms and updated kitchens, as well as adding a four-zone HVAC system and soundproofing. All of these changes and upgrades were recently completed.
And now, you guessed it, it’s time for him to sell. “Our lives are increasingly shifting uptown,” said Koenig, who also owns a farming complex in Andes, New York. “Jen works on Park Avenue and I’m at Madison and 75th Street. Her kids go to school on the Upper West Side. And our friends are moving north, too.”
One of the couple’s criteria for their next home: “We’re looking at an apartment that needs renovation,” he said. “I love the project.”
The duplex on the corner of Perry Street is currently on the market for $5.5 million, with monthly payments of $5.5 million, according to Corcoran Group agent Cain Manera, who is listing the property with colleague Hilary Landis. It will cost $5,130 to maintain.
The approximately 2,300-square-foot apartment is located on the third and fourth floors of a six-story walk-up co-op building. It currently consists of two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, an office, and a library/sitting room. “It could be converted into additional bedrooms,” Manera said.
The main entrance is on the upper floor. The foyer opens into a large living room, from which an office and library are enfilade-style. On the other side of the apartment is a second living room with a laundry room, full bathroom, guest bedroom, and main bedroom with its own bathroom.
“It’s winding and keeps going,” Koenig said of the layout.
The downstairs features an open kitchen with granite countertops and backsplash, maple cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances. Nearby is a restroom and an oversized dining room, where a variety of Hopi kachina dolls are on display.
“My special place is the dining room,” Koenig said. “I sit at the table every morning, work, and drink coffee.”
There are whitewashed oak floors, 9-foot ceilings, and large windows throughout the home. And there are also contemporary art pieces, such as bold paintings of Anselm Rail and Peter His Soul, contemporary sculptures by Donald Judd, and furniture by designers such as Wendel His Castle and Jean Royère.
We also sell artwork and furniture. “When you have someone who loves art as much as they love home, there needs to be more conversations,” Koenig said.
Mr. Koenig, who grew up in Germany, started working with art when he was just 21 years old, setting up a makeshift gallery in an industrial garage in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He is currently one of New York City’s top art dealers.
Koenig said he enjoys living downtown. “I’m going to miss the vibrancy and tranquility of the neighborhood,” he said. “You have both.”
“This is the first block that everyone wants to be in,” Manera added.
