Photos courtesy of Will Ellis
The 11,670-square-foot home at 323 West 80th Street is a head-turning masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance Revival style, as well as being a true city mansion with an underground private garage, a gym, and a roof terrace. Built in 1897, the 43-foot-wide landmarked brick and limestone townhouse, asking $6,999,000, has been thoroughly renovated by a family with a theatrical legacy and a creative eye.
When creative couple Bill and Donna DeSeta bought the home for $170,000 in the 1970s, they were attracted to its eclectic old-world charm, though it had fallen into disrepair, divided into small apartments occupied by squatters.
Inspired by his theatrical career, Bill, who was a noted Broadway producer, production designer, rock club owner, and all-around New York City cultural fixture, undertook a renovation with a creative eye.
With six stories (all served by an elevator) and 31 rooms (plus a full basement), the home offers the kind of living space often seen in sprawling country estates. Currently, an owner’s duplex is anchored by a dramatic double-height salon…