Traditional Homes
Top Ideabooks
Houzz Tour: A Brooklyn Landmark Returns to Glory
Careful renovation turns heritage brownstone to modern family home and community hub
Finding design inspiration online is commonplace by today’s standards, but discovering your future house through an image search is a whole other animal, especially when the home is a 5-story brownstone in serious need of a renovation.
After completing a previous project for the homeowners, architect Kimberly Neuhaus was brought on to head this ambitious project in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood. At the time the home was used as a rooming house for students, a musician’s recording studio, and the occasional basement nightclub. It was only after Neuhaus visited the site did she realize that something special had been unearthed.
Built in 1887 by a co-founder of Pfizer for his daughter and her family, the home had seen a diverse assortment of owners throughout the years and had suffered the neglect that often comes with the charge of maintaining a 10,000-square-foot house more than 100 years old.
Through a clear and consistent design vision and a team of remodeling experts, the home was restored beyond its original glory to become the perfect home for a family of four — and even the community at large.
After completing a previous project for the homeowners, architect Kimberly Neuhaus was brought on to head this ambitious project in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood. At the time the home was used as a rooming house for students, a musician’s recording studio, and the occasional basement nightclub. It was only after Neuhaus visited the site did she realize that something special had been unearthed.
Built in 1887 by a co-founder of Pfizer for his daughter and her family, the home had seen a diverse assortment of owners throughout the years and had suffered the neglect that often comes with the charge of maintaining a 10,000-square-foot house more than 100 years old.
Through a clear and consistent design vision and a team of remodeling experts, the home was restored beyond its original glory to become the perfect home for a family of four — and even the community at large.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Neuhaus and her team were presented with the challenge and responsibility of the renovation and preservation of an important neighborhood landmark.
With historic architecture renovations, maintaining complete period authenticity presents itself as an obvious solution. But that often feels quite dated, and perhaps too thematic. Instead, Neuhaus created a hybrid solution fusing contemporary and period design that blends the architectural heritage of the brownstone with its inhabitants' modern perspective and lifestyle.
The house exterior and architecture was treated as a metaphorical envelope and would retain its period integrity. Interior features like the cabinetry, bathrooms, furnishings, light fixtures, staircase, etc. were seen as the contents of the envelope and therefore could serve as contemporary insertions into the space.
With historic architecture renovations, maintaining complete period authenticity presents itself as an obvious solution. But that often feels quite dated, and perhaps too thematic. Instead, Neuhaus created a hybrid solution fusing contemporary and period design that blends the architectural heritage of the brownstone with its inhabitants' modern perspective and lifestyle.
The house exterior and architecture was treated as a metaphorical envelope and would retain its period integrity. Interior features like the cabinetry, bathrooms, furnishings, light fixtures, staircase, etc. were seen as the contents of the envelope and therefore could serve as contemporary insertions into the space.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Wood floors in the house represent a convergence of the two. While the wood itself is not original to the home, parquet borders discovered under layers of asbestos tile and carpeting inspired the new flooring design. “CAD drawings and a CNC machine were used to recreate sections of what some craftsman had originally done by hand,” says Neuhaus.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Jessica Warren worked closely with Neuhaus and the rest of the crew and acted as the interior designer for her house — and has subsequently founded an interior design company. Since the majority of the furnishings were already owned by the client, a great deal of inspiration and collaboration stemmed from her collection.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The house reads as an unofficial gallery of priceless and one-of-a-kind collectibles, but it's the unpretentious and casual display of these art pieces that makes them so much more accessible.
Brutalist panels bought on eBay, which previously were displayed on the clients’ dining room walls, now serve as doors on this media console.
Brutalist panels bought on eBay, which previously were displayed on the clients’ dining room walls, now serve as doors on this media console.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The furniture reveals a lifetime of collection and curating — much of which had been in storage until the clients moved into a home large enough to use them.
The collection is a visual representation of the clients themselves and the lives they have lived thus far. An assortment of antiques, thrift-store finds and vintage treasures are paired side-by-side with custom and reissue pieces.
The collection is a visual representation of the clients themselves and the lives they have lived thus far. An assortment of antiques, thrift-store finds and vintage treasures are paired side-by-side with custom and reissue pieces.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
With the exception of the kitchen addition, the majority of the work on the parlor level was restorative work — from the original trim and molding to the ornate leaded windows seen here.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
With the original kitchen gutted, a contemporary redesign was able to come into fruition while still paying homage to the architecture of the conservatory that once stood in that space.
The success of this complicated design of contradictions stems substantially from Neuhaus's vision, and she is quick to credit her team for its flawless execution. “The skill with which that was done really speaks to the beauty of working with a construction manager and subcontractors who have great respect for, and experience with, old houses.”
The success of this complicated design of contradictions stems substantially from Neuhaus's vision, and she is quick to credit her team for its flawless execution. “The skill with which that was done really speaks to the beauty of working with a construction manager and subcontractors who have great respect for, and experience with, old houses.”
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Neuhaus designed and created this kitchen storage unit to display the family’s ceramic collection. Like many items now prominently displayed throughout the house, these too had previously been in storage. The client wanted very visible and accessible storage for these pieces.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The kitchen itself is a host of all things modern, while the curved weight-and-chain windows maintain a connection to the past. “Towards the end of the project we had winter meetings sitting at the kitchen table in the apse of the space, and when it snows it feels a bit like you are sitting inside a snow globe,” Neuhaus says.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
From the exterior, the original curved brick foundation of the conservatory becomes much more apparent. The newly added copper roof takes its inspiration from the original shape of the structure.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
While historical integrity was key when it came to many of the structural decisions, color played a major role in determining the decor and materials that would be used throughout the house's interior. Warren originally envisioned that the entire house would be done in a variation of "camouflage" colors. Neuhaus and Warren took this inspiration and translated it into a palette defined as "neutrals with color." Dominated by muted blues, grays, and tans, and accented with dark and heavy woodwork or metallic accents, an overriding and cohesive theme is created throughout the entire home.
"We sealed those original colors in a bag together, and it was amazing how consistently we were able to use them, with slight variations depending on the light in the space, throughout the entire project. That bag of colors served as a sort of touchstone as we moved forward through the house."
"We sealed those original colors in a bag together, and it was amazing how consistently we were able to use them, with slight variations depending on the light in the space, throughout the entire project. That bag of colors served as a sort of touchstone as we moved forward through the house."
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Even the individual colors in the banding of the stone gray onyx in the wet bar is consistent with the color scheme. The boldness of this spectacular slab is almost downplayed by the fact that it is so in line with the colors used throughout the house.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
While the carefully curated color palette and material selection is an obvious contributor to an overall sense of lightness that abounds the house, the house itself plays a primary role for this effect. The brownstone extends nearly the entire length of the block, and because of this three walls receive natural light — very unusual for New York City. Intricate woodwork and darker accents still maintain an airy quality due to the lack of artificial light.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Bringing natural light to the basement level proved to be more of a challenge. The staircase from the parlor level to the basement is built in a masonry shaft beneath a copper skylight that had been previously roofed over.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
After a series of vigorous back and forth discussions between Neuhaus, her father’s firm StudioRed Architects, the construction manager, and the fabricator, a perfected steel and wood open riser design was settled upon.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
By daylighting the skylight and allowing as much natural light to penetrate through the staircase as possible, the previously dark and barren basement now invites sunlight into the home's deepest depths.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Reminders of previous dwellers were constant throughout the renovation — some more obvious than others. Before being replaced, the windows of this bathing room were dominated with religious iconography — remnants of the Roman Catholic Diocese that owned and occupied this house and its twin next door from the 1930s until 1989. The stained glass had to to go.
"However we have to laugh as a cross reappears in that room at a certain time each day," Neuhaus says, "when the light from outside hits the tub faucet at a certain angle and projects a perfect crucifix across the room.”
"However we have to laugh as a cross reappears in that room at a certain time each day," Neuhaus says, "when the light from outside hits the tub faucet at a certain angle and projects a perfect crucifix across the room.”
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Original details were restored and maintained when possible. “We set two major goals for the project: The first was to develop a dialogue between the house and the objects and interventions within it," Neuhaus says. "The second was not to lose the sense of this being an old house. We didn’t want to renovate the life out of it.”
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Continuing with the envelope metaphor, exterior window materials and styles remained faithful to the age of the house. While the shelving and hardware of this closet are contemporary, its tie to the exterior remains architecturally historical.
“We really enjoy seeing the dialogue between the old and the new. The items we chose to remove were mainly things that obscured the true beauty of the house.”
“We really enjoy seeing the dialogue between the old and the new. The items we chose to remove were mainly things that obscured the true beauty of the house.”
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
While the house itself boasts a staggering four stories and a basement level, rooms, like this bathroom, were designed to be comfortable and inviting. First and foremost, this space was envisioned as a family home.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
For that reason, there is a clear demarcation between public and private spaces in the home — with the bedrooms residing in the upper stories of the house while the open living areas remain on the entry level for hosting intimate cultural events and fundraisers.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The clients' treasured art collection fills the walls throughout the public and private areas of the home. Originally a custom wall installation in the clients’ previous entryway, this piece by artist SWOON was archived between two pieces of glass to be displayed in the Clinton Hill home.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
In the guest bedroom, an original woodblock used for the posters of a traveling carnival is another reminder of the clients’ cultured travels and the importance attached to each and every product furnishing their home.
The open and accessible approach to art and home has led this house in Clinton Hill to become an unofficial salon and gathering space. Whether it be a neighborhood happy hour; a place for local art students to showcase their work; and talks of hosting an opera written for a residential setting, the Clinton Hill brownstone has retained its heritage as a historic home and a space for a community to come together.
More:
Houzz Tour: New Orleans Glamour
Houzz Tour: Edith Wharton's The Mount
Houzz Tour: Historic Home in Austin, Texas
The open and accessible approach to art and home has led this house in Clinton Hill to become an unofficial salon and gathering space. Whether it be a neighborhood happy hour; a place for local art students to showcase their work; and talks of hosting an opera written for a residential setting, the Clinton Hill brownstone has retained its heritage as a historic home and a space for a community to come together.
More:
Houzz Tour: New Orleans Glamour
Houzz Tour: Edith Wharton's The Mount
Houzz Tour: Historic Home in Austin, Texas
a historical property, the moldings, flooring & accents are fantastic, its a modern Art Nuveau style, having lived seasonally nearby & walkby some of these
gems, the gentrification is just awesome, there is a unique store nearby
Modular-art.com in Boerum Hill Alantic Ave, a popup store! would compliment some unique additional items possibly within!
I want this house! A very well done renovation.
My only quibble would be with the kitchen: I just do not care for historical homes in which the kitchen has been gutted and replaced with something completely out of character. To me, they feel like an add-on. Far more interesting to leave an element or two from the original kitchen, or at least recreate them using found pieces from the period like an old light or a vintage table. Oddly enough, in future years, these super-new spaces tend to look dated, whereas the more original sections of the home never will.
http://www.intaltinc.com/
Neuhaus is very eager to credit the amount of work and expertise that the crew from Interior Alterations added to the project.