Originally built in 1843, this home in the Cobble Hill Historic District presented the quintessential Brooklyn townhouse facade but multiple renovations over many years had left few historic details remaining on the interior. The restoration project involved an extensive gut renovation of the building including repairs to the original structure, replacement of all mechanicals, and restoring th exterior. We worked closely with the Landmarks Preservation Commission on alterations to maintain the historic character of the exterior while allowing for crisply detailed, minimalist interiors.

In the organization of the home, we maintained the spirit and proportions of the townhouse typology but reorganized the home in a way that better suited the owners’ modern lifestyle of the owners. The particularly wide lot allowed for generously scaled rooms that could feel airy and light-filled. At the rear of the parlor level, a family room occupies the entire width of the house allowing for an open, loft-like space not often found in historic homes. The front parlor offers a formal sitting room anchored by a fireplace detailed with tapered slabs of Pelle Grigio stone. Throughout the house, large oversized pocket doors (some up to 10'-0" tall, and others 8'–0" wide) create the effect of movable walls that allow the spaces to be continuously open to each other or closed off for greater privacy. The project includes multiple types of outdoor living spaces — a garden level rear yard with a basketball hoop, a parlor level dining deck, and a top floor terrace off the master suite.