A 1940s Social Club Transforms Into a Thoughtfully Designed Apartment Sanctuary
A 1940s two-storey building in Southold, once a social club, now houses a unique rental apartment on its top floor. Designer Michael Yarinsky has spent six years transforming the space into a personal sanctuary filled with meaningful objects and thoughtful design choices.
The building’s history includes a ground-floor event hall with a stage, while the upstairs required extensive work. Yarinsky began renovations by opening up the small, enclosed kitchen. He then created an interior window connecting the kitchen and living room, improving flow and light.
The centrepiece of the redesign is a plywood dining table from Office of Tangible Space. It doubles as a desk and bridges the two rooms, reinforcing the open layout. Yarinsky’s approach avoids purely decorative items, favouring pieces that add ‘friction’ to daily life. His second home reflects personal connections and creative influences. Among the furnishings are brooms collected globally and a burial urn commissioned for an exhibition he curated. Each object carries significance beyond mere aesthetics.
The apartment now stands as a carefully curated space where history and personal expression meet. Yarinsky’s renovations and choice of furnishings have turned the former social club’s top floor into a functional yet deeply individual home. The design choices ensure the space remains both practical and rich with meaning.
