This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

Catherine Tighe
Mid-sized trendy formal light wood floor living room photo in New York with gray walls, a two-sided fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Please see this Award Winning project in the October 2014 issue of New York Cottages & Gardens Magazine: NYC&G http://www.cottages-gardens.com/New-York-Cottages-Gardens/October-2014/NYCG-Innovation-in-Design-Winners-Kitchen-Design/ It was also featured in a Houzz Tour: Houzz Tour: Loving the Old and New in an 1880s Brooklyn Row House http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/29691278/list/houzz-tour-loving-the-old-and-new-in-an-1880s-brooklyn-row-house Photo Credit: Hulya Kolabas

The Embassy Row kitchen from Wood-Mode Custom Cabinetry adds a beautiful transitional look to your kitchen.
Example of a large transitional u-shaped ceramic tile eat-in kitchen design in Houston with a single-bowl sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Cynthia Lynn Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary ceramic tile closet remodel in Chicago with open cabinets and white cabinets

Photo: Michaela Dodd © 2015 Houzz
Example of a transitional living room design in DC Metro

Small minimalist gray tile and stone tile limestone floor powder room photo in Boston with a wall-mount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet and gray walls

Michael J Lee Photography
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized traditional medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Boston with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, marble countertops, gray backsplash, stone tile backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Inspiration for a large transitional open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in DC Metro with gray walls

Inspiration for a timeless patio remodel in Chicago

Trendy formal living room photo in Chicago with gray walls

Photo by Gordon Beall Interior Design by Tracy Morris Design
Inspiration for a transitional master white tile and stone tile marble floor freestanding bathtub remodel in DC Metro with gray walls

Anthony Crisafulli photographer Christopher Hall architect
Kitchen - coastal l-shaped kitchen idea in Providence with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored backsplash, matchstick tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Kitchen - coastal u-shaped kitchen idea in Charleston with an undermount sink, open cabinets, white cabinets and an island

Bedroom - transitional bedroom idea

Trendy master freestanding bathtub photo in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, an integrated sink and a hinged shower door

Photo Credit: Matthew Williams
Powder room - contemporary powder room idea in New York with multicolored walls and an integrated sink

Photo: Michaela Dodd © 2015 Houzz
Elegant bathroom photo in DC Metro

Inspiration for a modern bathroom remodel in Minneapolis