Fort Greene Residence
WHAT: Brownstone renovation and reconfiguration
CHALLENGE: Creating a modern kitchen for avid cooks on the
parlor floor that plays well with the original layout and style
STRATEGY: The clients’ mid-century modernist furniture inspired the combination
of the clean lines and sumptuous finishes in the new kitchen, both contrasting and
referencing the elaborate millwork of the original.
The two-sided island activates the center of the room while allowing
for visual and physical flow to the rear dining area and garden patio.
CONSTRUCTION: STJ Contracting, Co. PHOTOGRAPHY: Ben Rahn, A-Frame Studio
Parlor & Top Floors
We set the new kitchen into the original arch and retained one closet for the pantry. The other was fitted with the fridge.
In order to foreground the original heavy wood and lattice work in the living room, the trim in the kitchen was painted out white. The opening now nicely frames a newly opened window into the garden.
Modern and traditional play well together throughout.
A seat on the far wall covers a radiator and makes for a cozy place to read or chat with the cook.
In the husband’s writing office in the front of the top floor, a lot-line window was added to expose the only views of the Manhattan skyline. A wall of shelves by Atlas Industries holds all his books.
In the rear of the top floor, the old kitchen and dining room were combined into a generous Master Suite (see last slide). Ceiling beams were exposed, but insulation added in-between.
The Master Bath continues the eclectic mix of styles found through-out.