When your outdoor space sits six stories above the bustling streets of New York City, design becomes a delicate balance of creativity, structure, and nature. For landscape designer Kat Aul Cervoni, founder of Staghorn NYC, transforming rooftops into lush, livable oases is practically second nature. But even with her deep experience—from Brooklyn penthouses to Chelsea gardens—her latest Tribeca project came with its fair share of unique challenges and unexpected solutions.
This particular rooftop, perched atop a circa-1899 building, came with the same headache most older New York buildings share: strict weight limits. That meant traditional hardscaping materials were off the table. “You have to be mindful,” Cervoni says. “Every element needs to be lightweight but still look and feel substantial.” Add to that a 20-degree slope in the floor, and the project became less about simply decorating a roof and more about engineering a multi-functional, livable extension of home—one that could withstand intense sun, high winds, and even a resident cat named Shadow.
Turning Slants into Strategy
If the idea of a sloped floor conjures images of wobbly furniture and awkward layouts, think again. Cervoni approached the incline as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. By subtly terracing the rooftop into four distinct zones, she was able to create a sense of levelness without flattening the entire surface. The result? A seamless flow between areas, each with its own identity, but all unified under a single vision: a breezy retreat in the sky.
The rooftop was imagined as more than a pretty place to lounge. The couple who owned the home wanted a versatile outdoor space where they could entertain friends, relax with each other, and let their cat roam safely. With that in mind, Cervoni collaborated with her in-house build team, Cedar & Stone, to install custom built-in seating, hidden storage compartments, and integrated planters that double as windbreaks and structural supports.
A Wind-Ready Garden Above It All
Designing for a rooftop isn’t as simple as planting a few shrubs and calling it a day. With constant wind exposure and blazing sun, the rooftop ecosystem demands hardy, adaptable greenery. To get it right, Cervoni partnered with Blue Plant NYC to select resilient species that could thrive in harsh conditions while still looking lush and inviting.
Take, for example, the lounge area. Framed by sleek, powder-coated aluminum planters (lighter than they look), it features a birch tree with a rounded canopy, providing shade without creating wind tunnels or blocking views. A Japanese maple and durable juniper add color and contrast, while Russian sage and ornamental grasses offer movement and texture without attracting too many bees—a must, since one of the homeowners is allergic.
A thoughtful selection of plants like Cerastium tomentosum, or snow-in-summer, spills softly over the sides of planters, blurring the line between structured design and natural growth. These delicate touches temper the rooftop’s hard angles and bring an organic softness to the geometric layout.
Design Details That Work Smarter
Every inch of the space was planned with intention. At the entrance, there’s no bulky gate or awkward door. Instead, a cantilevered staircase leads directly from the primary bedroom to a simple hatch that opens onto the rooftop—effortless and low-impact. A small door at the other end of the space opens onto a black locust privacy screen, giving just enough enclosure to feel cozy without boxing in the view.
The path that links the various sections of the rooftop is paved not with traditional stone, but with a featherweight gravel layer held in place by a honeycomb understructure—cleverly reducing weight while maintaining stability underfoot. A patch of turf nearby serves as a dedicated zone for Shadow the cat, who now enjoys the best view in the house.
A Rooftop That Does It All
The pièce de résistance is the raised dining deck at the far end of the rooftop. Here, function meets form in the most elegant way. A built-in bench wraps the space, serving as seating, storage, and planter—all in one streamlined design. “I wanted every element to work overtime,” Cervoni explains. “We really asked: how many functions can we pack into each feature?”
Above the dining area, a Tuuci umbrella anchors the space with both style and substance. Designed with marine-grade rigging, it can handle even the windiest of days, ensuring the couple can dine al fresco without worrying about runaway shade.
A crisp white table and minimalist chairs complete the picture: a city rooftop transformed into a serene, sky-high retreat.
Above It All, Yet Rooted in Intention
What makes this rooftop remarkable isn’t just its good looks—it’s the way it seamlessly marries design ingenuity with practical demands. From hidden storage to lightweight materials, from wind-resistant trees to privacy screens that feel more sculptural than structural, every detail was tailored to fit the lives and lifestyle of the people who use it.
Kat Aul Cervoni didn’t just create a garden in the sky. She built an environment—a thoughtfully layered space that feels miles away from the city, even as it overlooks it entirely. And in a place like New York, that’s more than luxury. That’s magic.
