When they got married back in 2001, Ben and Hillary Macklowe’s first New York home was a fully renovated duplex on East 83rd Street. Soon after, the Macklowe Gallery owners sold that place and grabbed a rental across from Lincoln Center, spending their time traveling, working, and enjoying a wonderfully free, untethered life.

However, everything changed when the couple decided to adopt a son. They moved into a bigger apartment in the building. Then, just eight months after their adopted son arrived, Hillary found out she was pregnant with their second boy. “Suddenly, we weren’t solving for freedom anymore,” she told Robb Report. “We were solving for family.”

Around the same time, their gallery specializing in 20th-century decorative arts moved from Madison and 61^st over to Park Avenue and 57th Street, where both Ben and Hillary were working. They wanted a spot where work and family could easily blend. So, they literally drew a circle around the new gallery on a map and decided to look anywhere within an easy walking distance.

“We wanted to be close enough that the boys could come over during the day just because they wanted to see us,” she said. “We didn’t want work and family life to exist in two completely separate worlds.”

They ended up finding the perfect apartment at a prestigious white-glove cooperative in Sutton Place. Each boy had his own bedroom and bathroom. Plus, there was an extra bedroom for guests or a nanny, along with a dedicated playroom that turned into a homework space as the boys grew, with two nearby parks an added bonus.

Looking back, Hillary noted it was exactly what they needed: a home base that let them be deeply involved in their business while giving their kids a real neighborhood vibe right in the middle of the city.

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The couple, who have permanently relocated to suburban Westchester Country, are now putting their Sutton Place digs up for sale at just under $3.5 million, with Kim Shepard of Douglas Elliman holding the listing—but not before they reimagined it in collaboration with longtime friend and architect Edward Kozanlian. Together, they added considerably more light while keeping the bones of the apartment intact and introducing an eclectic collection of art to make the space more expressive and personal.

“Long before we had children, our work and our lives gave Ben and me the opportunity to travel quite a bit, and those trips invariably revolved around art and beautiful things,” said Hillary. “Over the years, we’ve been drawn to old and unusual textiles, fashion, gardens, handmade things and objects that are slightly imperfect and show evidence of the person who made them. Inevitably, all of that found its way into our home.”

Standing out in the four-bedroom, four-bathroom spread, which clocks in at roughly 3,000 square feet, is a living room sporting herringbone-patterned wood floors, a wood-burning stone fireplace, and soaring beamed ceilings. An open kitchen—the family’s favorite part of the home—features handcrafted emerald-hued cabinetry and an eat-in island. An adjoining dining area alongside a cozy fireplace was where the family reconnected during morning and evening meals.

Privately positioned beyond a library and a powder room, the primary suite comes with a king-sized bedroom, custom millwork, ample closet space, and a windowed bath spotlighted by a custom walk-in shower. A separate wing on the opposite side of the residence, meanwhile, holds three additional bedrooms, two full baths, a media room, an office, and a laundry room.

The $6,489 monthly common charge includes a full-time doorman, elevator operator, live-in resident manager, fitness center, landscaped garden, private storage, and bike room, all just minutes from Midtown and the East River Greenway.

Click here for more photos of the Sutton Place residence.

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  Wendy Bowman

  Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…

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