Dressed to Impress: A Touch of Class at the Butterfield House
Where curb appeal is concerned, first impressions are key. And what stronger first impression to potential buyers in a co-op or condo can there be than the doorman and the uniform he wears?
Uniforms — or lack of them — were a big issue at the Butterfield House, a Greenwich Village co-op on 12th Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues. When the roughly 100-unit property was the victim of a water main break in 2014, the building's lobby and basement were flooded, and the doormen's work clothing destroyed. The door staff was without uniforms, so making the most out of a bad situation, the board considered an unusual idea: ditching the traditional look and going with classy suits.
"We looked at standard uniforms and even maybe less standard uniforms for buildings of all types and we just were not satisfied with the quality of the sort of vibe that would be in keeping with the building's history," explains Martin Atkin, the board president. "It never felt appropriate to have uniforms with braiding on them in a mid-century building. So we determined that a different approach would be to simply buy very nice business suits for our door staff."
The board did not feel its choice was that daring: tailored navy blue suits and shirt and tie, with an overcoat and a sweater for each, all matching the color schemes of the lobby. And there was a side benefit: substantial cost savings. For traditional uniforms, co-ops and condos can expect to pay from $300 up to $1,000 per doorman, and that figure needs to be doubled to account for backup uniforms. Figure that you might employ from two to four doormen, and suddenly your cost is close to $4,000.
"We went to Men's Warehouse and [took advantage of] a two-for-one sale, and got two suits for the same price as one uniform," says Brenda Ballison, the managing agent for the property and a vice president with Douglas Elliman. "It's not the basic outfit given to and provided by the uniform companies. I think some of the buildings now want different looks for their staff and these suits are very special. They make the guys feel really good."
"We did do a cost analysis," says Atkin. "It certainly didn't cost us more, and our managing agent is a great shopper. She found a deal. They actually threw in the sweaters for free, and they look very appropriate behind the jacket."
He adds: "A doorman comes in all shapes and sizes, and the nice thing about this is that each one of them could go to the store and get a fitting. It has worked out well. The staff now all has an air of elegance. They look smart and the building looks smart; very high-end."
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