In the Forest Hills Gardens neighborhood of Queens, a century-old Tudor-style house has been meticulously restored by Kate Orff, a landscape architect, and her husband, civil engineer Oded Horodniceanu. The home, built in 1912 and situated on a corner lot within the historic garden community designed by architect Grosvenor Atterbury and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., had fallen into disrepair when the couple purchased it in early 2020.
The property, which was originally part of a planned urban green enclave, showed extensive signs of age and neglect, including a damaged clay-tile roof, boarded-up leaded-glass doors, and bowed windows with separated glass and metalwork. Inside, remnants of outdated décor and structural challenges remained. Despite these conditions, the couple, who were searching for a larger home with more space for their growing family, were drawn to the house’s distinctive architectural features and historical significance. The house once belonged to the Hof family, a prominent local family reputed to have hosted Teddy and Edith Roosevelt.
After acquiring the house for $2.43 million, Orff and Horodniceanu committed to a comprehensive renovation, investing approximately $1 million to update the property. Horodniceanu began with structural repairs, tackling the roof, brick walls, and windows, while also adding insulation to improve energy efficiency and soundproofing against urban noise. Orff focused on landscape restoration, removing invasive plants and revitalizing the yard, which spans nearly a third of an acre—unusual for an urban setting.
The renovation process unfolded gradually, with the family initially living in the unrenovated home. Their two children, Adi and Matias, occupied the third-floor rooms. After a year, they enlisted architect Sonya Lee to assist with mechanical upgrades and interior reconfiguration. The original layout, designed for formal living and household staff circulation, featured two entrances and two staircases, which created compartmentalized and disconnected spaces. Renovations included opening up the kitchen into the dining area to establish a more modern, social hub, refurbishing bathrooms, and converting an old storage shed into a garden-facing sitting room decorated with animal-themed wallpaper inspired by Atterbury’s original nature motifs.
Outdoors, the couple restored an old fountain, including its central angel figure, and repaired a pergola, although some exterior elements like shutters remain to be reinstalled. The garden combines formal and natural elements, featuring cottage garden-style borders and native plants such as elderberry and shadbush intended to support local birdlife. Orff emphasized sustainability in both the landscape and the building’s design. She highlighted how the home’s stained glass and metalwork act as visual deterrents to protect birds from collisions, echoing her previous work with the New York City Bird Alliance on bird-safe building guidelines.
The home’s thick walls, strategic orientation, and added insulation contribute to energy efficiency, keeping interiors warm in winter and cool in summer without excessive reliance on mechanical systems. Orff expressed a deepening appreciation for the house over time, describing it as a “never-ending project” that continues to evolve while embodying both historical character and modern ecological awareness.