For an Alabama native who built her career in New York for decades before returning to Birmingham years ago to start her own business, the recent prospect of downsizing from a house to an apartment was both exciting and challenging. Perched on Red Mountain with sweeping views of the city, this apartment needed a few strategic interventions to help capture more light, improve daily circulation, and convey that familiar feeling of an old New York City pre-war apartment. Walls between the Living and Dining rooms were removed, a new connection through the Study was added, and a classic checkered marble entry floor was installed at the Entry Hall.