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"   VIEW MORE PHOTOS&amp;amp;gt; New York | New York For years, interior designer Amie Weitzman would return home from decorating some of New York City&amp;#039;s smartest residences to the cramped two-bedroom apartment she shared with her husband, David Adler, and children Jonah and Maya, now 10 and 8. By the fall of 2004, after making the dining room into a third bedroom, the family had clearly outgrown the flat, and were considering leaving the convenience of the city behind in exchange for more space in the suburbs.    Then Adler found a 1905 whitewashed brownstone on Manhattan&amp;#039;s Upper West Side that had been reconfigured by the previous owner from multiple apartments to a four-bedroom, single-family dwelling. Despite her own modern design sensibility, Weitzman fell in love with the historic structure, particularly an original carved-wood staircase in the front hall. Adler was taken with the home&amp;#039;s expansive 3,900-square-foot area and four-level layout, which included a kitchen and guest room on the ground floor, living and dining rooms on the main floor, a master suite and one bedroom on the second, and a family room and another bedroom at the top. &amp;quot;It felt so big,&amp;quot; he says. &amp;quot;In the apartment, my personal space was a desk between the kitchen table, the washer-dryer, and the bathroom. Here, I thought, &amp;#039;I can have an office\u2014and a door.&amp;#039;&amp;quot;  In order to afford the town house, the family sold their city apartment as well as a country cottage. Now the new home, with its small backyard and patio, functions as both, providing a relaxed lifestyle within an urban setting. &amp;quot;I wanted the decor to be light and simple,&amp;quot; says Weitzman, &amp;quot;nothing heavy, nothing fancy.&amp;quot; She also wanted her kids to be free to kick back in every room, so she specified low-maintenance materials such as vinyl, Ultrasuede, and denim whenever possible. &amp;quot;I don&amp;#039;t buy things I have to worry about,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;Nothing is too precious.&amp;quot;  Before moving in, the couple set to work brightening and modernizing the brownstone&amp;#039;s formal interiors. First to go were dark-stained oak floors, which were original to the house, and faux-mahogany wall panels, window casings, and door casings, which were not. They replaced the floors with Douglas fir\u2014chosen for its pale tone\u2014custom cut in wide planks to evoke a rustic feel. Then they swapped the ornate casings for cleaner versions, which they painted white. The plasterboard walls also got a fresh coat. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m into gray right now,&amp;quot; says Weitzman of her paint picks. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a great neutral, and really makes the white moldings pop.&amp;quot;  Ornate light fixtures, including crystal chandeliers in the living and dining rooms, were removed to make way for the designer&amp;#039;s signature combination of recessed halogens and contemporary stretched-fabric pendants. &amp;quot;The halogens are for brightness,&amp;quot; says Weitzman, who pays careful attention to light levels and believes abundant illumination is a must, &amp;quot;while the hanging lamps add a soft glow and modern style.&amp;quot;  Although the couple made no changes to the home&amp;#039;s footprint, they eventually gutted all of the outmoded bathrooms and updated them with spa-like fittings and finishes. The master bath was reorganized to include a closet and built-in dresser for Adler, since Weitzman commandeered both of the closets in their bedroom. &amp;quot;One problem with these brownstones is a general lack of storage,&amp;quot; she says, &amp;quot;You have to squeeze it in wherever you can.&amp;quot; To that end she specified cabinets on either side of the bathtub, which, though impractical for daily access, provide much needed warehousing for linens. In April of 2005, the house was ready for occupants\u2014and furniture to feather the new nest. Weitzman&amp;#039;s affinity for midcentury modern design guided most purchases, which were made quickly and instinctively. &amp;quot;My choices tend to be much more labored for my clients,&amp;quot; she says, &amp;quot;but for myself it was like, &amp;#039;OK, dining table. I want the square-legged model in walnut. Done.&amp;#039;&amp;quot; Such decisiveness comes from having picked out 25 tables in the past two years. As in most of the homes she decorates, Weitzman favored solid-colored fabrics and rugs, with just a handful of patterns appearing on accent pieces. &amp;quot;I tire of prints easily,&amp;quot; she explains, &amp;quot;so instead I use textures to add visual interest.&amp;quot; As examples, she points to a sculptural, burnt orange wool rug in the living room, the dining room&amp;#039;s pleated cream silk lampshades, and numerous throw pillows with nubby fabric covers that adorn the sofas in both the living and family rooms. These days, Weitzman comes home at night to a roomy and relaxed abode where intentionally &amp;quot;underdecorated&amp;quot; spaces offer her a break from the thoughts of design that dominate her days. &amp;quot;Someone might see my dining room and think it needs a rug, or more art, or more furniture and accessories, but to me, it&amp;#039;s finished,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;There is something very soothing about a clean, uncomplicated room.&amp;quot;  style to go: benches  Boudoir Maple in walnut stain; Kravet Novasuede upholstery. 24&amp;quot; high x 48&amp;quot; or 60&amp;quot; wide x 18&amp;quot; deep. $1,600 or $1,900. Lost City Arts; 212-375-0500, lostcityarts.com.  Shanghai Pine in dark finish; cotton-acrylic upholstery in gray. 20&amp;quot; high x 56&amp;quot; wide x 20&amp;quot; deep. $300. Pier 1 Imports; 800-245-4595, pier1.com.  Bergman Maple in espresso finish; microfiber upholstery in mocha. 23&amp;quot; high x 53&amp;quot; wide x 20&amp;quot; deep. $999 as shown. Jonathan Adler, jonathanadlerfurniture.com. SEE RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION. floor plans 1. The previous owner added an office and a powder room to the main floor living spaces. The kitchen and guest room are tucked into a lower level (not shown).    VIEW MORE PHOTOS&amp;amp;gt; 2. The master suite, which includes a windowed sunroom where Weitzman retreats to escape her brood, and a child&amp;#039;s bedroom and bath are located on the second floor.    VIEW MORE PHOTOS&amp;amp;gt; 3. On the top floor, a kid&amp;#039;s bedroom adjoins the 600-square-foot family room, made up of a living area and a work space. The family can be there together while doing independent activities.    VIEW MORE PHOTOS&amp;amp;gt; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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