A
stunning Upper West Side townhouse where jazz legend Billie Holiday once lived has sold for $10.5 million. The Renaissance Revival brownstone, built in 1881 at 26 W. 87th St., was Holiday's home until her death in 1959 and is also where she recorded one of her most famous albums, "Lady in Satin," in 1958.
The townhouse boasts a spacious layout with six bedrooms, six bathrooms, two powder rooms, and nine fireplaces across its 6,300 square feet. The interior features herringbone floors, large windows, and ornate millwork, including a stunning 12-foot carved plaster ceiling in the great room. A skylight above the stairs adds natural light to the space.
The sellers, Emilio Masci and Kristine Bell, purchased the property for $9.47 million in 2017 and invested two years and $4.5 million into a gut renovation, completed in 2019 by Amie Sachs of Annabelle Selldorf Architects. The buyers are Lorne Somerville, managing partner at CVC, and custom luxury furniture maker Amy Somerville.
The townhouse's design showcases art and features a wine cellar, screening room with full kitchen and bar, and a formal dining room with dome ceiling and ornate millwork. The main bedroom takes up the entire third floor, including a "picturesque" window, fireplace, large dressing room, and spa-like bath with heated floors.
The property's exterior boasts a stoop and large mahogany doors, while its 640 square feet of outdoor space offers ample opportunity for entertaining.
