A House United: Reimagining a Brooklyn Brownstone - Remodelista
Photography by Ty Cole for Lang Architecture. The 1899 Italianate house came with a familiar set of Brooklyn brownstone challenges: a mere 14 feet wide, inside it was cave-like, wall-to-wall carpeted, and much worse for wear. The new heart of the house is the kitchen and its window wall on the parlor floor. “When spaces and primary elements within spaces, such as our window wall, are well proportioned, you feel comfortable, calm, and grounded, and can move your eyes with ease within the space.” The steel-framed French doors and balcony are the work of A&S Windows of Brooklyn. The balcony has a stair (shown below) that connects the parlor level to the garden. The kitchen has two banks of bespoke cabinets, each with an integrated sink and counters and a backsplash of pietra cardosa, a deep-blue-gray sandstone sourced from Stone Source. Lang says the goal was to create a space that works within the historic context but also has something... ...of an edge He tips his hat to his general contractor Creo Projects and cabinetmaker Brendan Mckeever for the results There are two sinks, the smaller shown here alongside a Wolf cooktop, has a Watermark faucet and is intended for vegetable washing and food prep. The second counter has the larger sink with an Adjustable Arm Faucet a Remodelista favorite from Chicago Faucets and a concealed dishwasher The... ...cabinets are brush painted in a custom paint by Fine Paints of Europe in a warm gray that matches Farrow Ball s Mizzle The entry parlor is situated on the other end of the floor. The original marble fireplace surrounds are all in place and newly restored. The wood floor is newly installed rift- and quarter-sawn reclaimed white oak supplied by the Hudson Company. The stairs are original and restored, layers of paint removed from the handrail and treads. A view from the top, where the stairs are lit by a skylight updated with a flush panel known as a laylight. The master bedroom has restored pine floors and walls painted Farrow & Ball’s Borrowed Light. At the clients’ request, a vintage claw-foot tub was purchased, restored, and painted blue for the master bath. Go to The Indoor-Outdoor Rug Evolves for a roundup of similar striped rugs. The bathroom has a custom glass-doored shower tiled with one-by-four-inch variegated Herringbone Calacatta Marble sourced from Urban Archaeology. The kids’ bathroom has a wall-mounted double sink, the three-foot-long Brockway from Kohler, and Kohler Cannock faucets in a chrome finish. The facade of the house (center) was fully restored. In dramatic contrast to the classic brownstone front, the masonry back of the house now features two stories of windows. Revealing glimpses of the building in its apartment house days. Lang Architecture is a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.