Inside an Artist’s Incredible NYC Townhouse

Photographer and art collector Clara Aich opens the doors to her extraordinary New York City townhouse.

In 1978, Clara fell in love with this crumbling, snow-filled 19th-century building—skylights collapsed, plaster sculptures scattered, roof half-fallen—and refused to be deterred by the buildings derelict state.

What followed was a lifetime of restoration, collecting, and curation. African artifacts, antique carpets, rescued architectural plasters, graffiti photography, and paintings gifted by close friends fill every wall, nook, and cranny—each piece carrying a memory, a journey, or a story that spans continents.

Yet what makes this home truly singular is its spirit. From a lion relief left by the building’s previous owners, Rochette & Parzini, to a portrait of her grandfather, a World War I hussar, and a mirror from her family in Vienna, Clara’s collections hold a lifetime of memories.

The result is a home that feels at once like a living museum, a creative salon, and a deeply personal universe.