A Cabin in the Middle of St. Marks Place

Charles FitzGerald and Kathy Cerick transformed a seven-bedroom SRO loft by hand-with a nonstop supply of reclaimed wood.

- WENDY GOODMAN

The Kitchen The couple exposed the loft's beams. The 12-foot island was crafted from a single piece of English oak, and Charles FitzGerald made the cabinetry for it himself. The hanging lamps are a personal passion: "I always loved green shades. I went after them every chance I could."

CHARLES FITZGERALD landed on St. Marks by chance in 1959. After being kicked out of an apartment he had fixed up on Minetta Lane, someone told him to call a guy who could help move his furniture and, it turned out, would also rent him a room at 11 St. Marks Place for $5 a month.