Brownstoner is Brooklyn's most read
website about real estate, renovation
and neighborhood news. Read More»
The Insider: Apartment into Loft in Brooklyn Heights
Welcome to The Insider, Brownstoner’s weekly in-depth look at interior design and renovation in the borough of Brooklyn. It’s written and produced by Cara Greenberg, a design journalist who blogs at casaCARA: Old Houses for Fun & Profit. Find it here every Thursday at 11:30AM.
IN THE MID-’80s, a developer chopped up a former YMCA building in Brooklyn Heights, creating condominium apartments with dropped ceilings and sorry little galley kitchens. When a couple in the arts — she’s a fashion editor, he’s a screenwriter — bought a 1,344-square-foot duplex in the building a few years ago, they called on Brooklyn-based designer Elizabeth Roberts to help them realize the potential they knew was there.
Roberts removed walls, raised ceilings and doorways, and re-thought the uninspired staircase to the upper level, where three bedrooms were converted to a master bedroom and a home office (there’s a powder room on the lower level, a bath-and-a-half upstairs). Most strikingly, the kitchen area was opened up to bring in light and make the space more conducive to entertaining.
Fred Taverna of New York Interior Construction (212/251-0790) saw the project through. Total cost: approximately $300,000.
“When they purchased it, it was an apartment,” says Roberts. “Now it’s a loft.”
Photos: Sean Slattery
More, including ‘befores’ and construction shots, after the jump. (more…)
02/09/2012 11:30 AM
Comment
67 Adelphi Sells Low, Preps for Renovation
We noticed interior work happening at 67 Adelphi Street, the rundown Fort Greene home that was a House of the Day back in June. At the time the asking price was $750,000, which seemed pretty high for a house in this condition, regardless of the presence of some original detail. Turns out our instincts were right: The home recently sold for less than half off–$350,000 to be precise, according to public records. No permits have been filed with the DOB yet, but it looked like the building was getting cleared out. Wonder if the new owners will redo the facade… GMAP
HOTD: 67 Adelphi Street [Brownstoner]
02/09/2012 11:00 AM
Comment
The Insider: Green Agenda in Carroll Gardens
The Insider is Brownstoner’s weekly look at the state of interior design and renovation in the borough of Brooklyn. It’s written by Cara Greenberg, a design journalist who blogs at casaCARA: Old Houses for Fun & Profit. Find The Insider here every Thursday at 11:30AM.
This c.1900 row house is about as green as you can get without being Leed-certified. “Our clients had a very strong green agenda, but a normal budget,” says Jeff Sherman of the DUMBO architecture firm Delson or Sherman, which took on the job of converting a three-unit house that had had the same owner for 50 years into a single-family residence for a couple with two kids.
“Leed certification winds up being a surprisingly expensive process,” Sherman explains, citing the paperwork involved in documenting sources and the required follow-up inspections. Instead, Sherman and his partner Perla Delson, who are accredited to do Leed projects, strove for maximum impact at minimum cost. The result is a project that still has “strong green credentials,” as Sherman puts it. The contractor was the Brooklyn-based Square Indigo.
The 20′x44′ four-story building is chock full of sustainable strategies, including radiant heat flooring, solar water heating, spray foam insulation, a high-efficiency boiler, and a whole-house fan (a rainwater collection system and photovoltaic panels are yet to be implemented). Daylight is maximized by enormous skylights, as well as the replacement of one-third of the back wall with expanses of glass. Materials were re-purposed whenever possible, even the little ‘Juliet’ balconies at the rear of the house, which are segments of the original fire escape.
Now sleek and utterly modern, the house had some old doors, mantels, pressed tin, and bathroom fixtures, all of which were salvaged, though not for use in this project. “The owners worked Craigslist and Build It Green to make sure any possible thing that could be used by somebody, was,” Sherman says. “The house was picked clean by the time we started.”
Photos: Seong Kwon
Much more after the jump.
02/02/2012 11:30 AM
Comment
Park Slope Library Under Construction Until Fall
According to Community Board 6, work goes on (and on) at the Park Slope Library Branch at Sixth Avenue and Ninth Street, which first closed for renovations way back in 2009. The Brooklyn Public Library reported that the support structures on the main floor were more deteriorated than expected, so the scope of the work has expanded. The “moat” walls at the perimeter of the building were also restored to ensure that the secondary means of egress was in good repair. The work also includes HVAC upgrades, new lighting, floors, furniture and finishes, and a new public service model with self checking. The renovation should wrap in late spring or summer, and a re-opening is anticipated in the fall.
Park Slope Library to Close in the Fall [Brownstoner] GMAP
Photo by ZippyTheChimp
02/02/2012 10:00 AM
Comment
Bringing a New Eatery to Life in Old Abistro Space
The folks who are opening a restaurant called Lulu & Po in the old Abistro space on Carlton Avenue are blogging about their renovation. Some neat details from the work done so far: “At this stage Gerrett and I have most of all of the inside gutted. We took the sheet rock off the walls and brought the place back to the 1990′s. It was a little socal club from what we are told. There are some calendars and postings on the walls made out of cardboard and old newspapers all in Spanish. The names and dates on the calendar are either birthdays or deaths. We think both.” The small restaurant will feature local ingredients but focus on European rather than American fare, according to reports.
Lulu & Po Renovation Blog [Official Site]
Original Abistro Location Now Up for Rent [Brownstoner] GMAP
02/01/2012 2:00 PM
Comment
Slope Park Looking Spiffy
The amount of work that’s been completed at Park Slope’s J.J. Byrne Playground is starting to impress. Work began over last spring on the playground’s renovation, which involves setting up distinct play areas for kids of different ages and new, adult-themed spaces like a seating area with a cafe table. Since then a ton of new play equipment has been installed. Work is scheduled to finish this summer. Click through for a couple more shots.
Slope Park Overhaul in Progress [Brownstoner]
J.J. Byrne Playground Revamp Starts This Week [Brownstoner]
J.J. Byrne Reno To Start Next Month [Brownstoner]
Plans for J.J. Byrne Park Revealed [Brownstoner] GMAP (more…)
01/26/2012 12:00 PM
Comment
Conversion Coming to 72 Poplar Street in the Heights
Plans to convert the old precinct building at 72 Poplar Street have been presented to Community Board 2 and will be considered by the Landmarks Preservation Commission next week. Last week CB2 heard plans to convert 72 Poplar into a 13-unit residential build – no word whether condo or rental, but our guess is condo. Exterior renovations include extending the existing fourth floor; constructing a new fifth-floor addition; setting back the rear wall by five feet to achieve legal light and air requirements; installing a new rear façade; building a new accessible ramp at Popular Street entrance; carving out new window and door openings on the east and west facades; and building a one-story rooftop addition on an adjacent garage. The building will keep the police inscription. CB2 and Brooklyn suggested it would be good to move the added second story on the garage forward so it’s more aligned with the street, but CB2 ultimately approved the proposal. Next up is LPC; the plans are on the agenda for the February 7th meeting.
Former Heights Precinct House Sells for $7.5M [Brownstoner]
Poplar Police Building Back on the Market [Brownstoner]
72 Poplar Whiplash: Residential Again? [Brownstoner]
League Treatment Center To Take Poplar Police Building [Brownstoner]
Heights Residents Want Precinct Housing After All? [Brownstoner] GMAP
Former Heights Precinct Will Not Go Condo [Brownstoner]
01/26/2012 10:00 AM
Comment
Voorhees Hall Getting Glassy
Last week we posted renderings for 186 Jay Street, CUNY’s Voorhees Hall, and here’s a shot of the in-progress exterior transformation of the building. Work on the facade is part of a larger, $30 million renovation that also covers classroom enhancements, a new lobby and other building upgrades. You can see more renderings of the building, which used to sport a brick facade, here.
Exterior Transformation Underway at CUNY Building [Brownstoner]
01/20/2012 2:42 PM
Comment
The Insider: Built-Ins for Brownstones
The Insider, Brownstoner’s weekly in-depth look at interior design and renovation in Brooklyn, is written and produced by Cara Greenberg. Find it here every Thursday at 11:30.
BROOKLYN HOUSES are often woefully short on closets, so creating storage is high on many people’s to-do lists. But where to go for built-in cabinetry that is well-designed, well-built, good value, in keeping with existing architecture, and capacious enough to accommodate all the spoils of our material culture?
Enter Nastasi Vail, a Brooklyn-based design team who’ve made a specialty of custom built-ins. Their unique cabinetwork is designed to meld with a 19th century home’s character, while providing ample storage space for books, dishes, wine, and what-have-you, along with all the media, electronics, and other toys the Victorians never had.
In this post, there are three examples of Nastasi Vail’s clutter-banishing built-ins, all in Cobble Hill and all constructed by Alex Luchynskyi of A Royal Builder (201/694-8907, aroyalbuilder@yahoo.com).
- A pair of dining room cabinets on the parlor floor of a brownstone, with striking red interiors, above
- A wall in the entry foyer of a prewar apartment, with drop-down desk fronts and yellow interior
- A dining room piece in a one-family row house, with furniture-like details
David Nastasi’s and Kate Vail’s design fee is $135/hour; construction costs run $1,100-1,500 per linear foot (assuming an 8-9’ ceiling), depending on the level of complexity. Their built-ins are made of solid hardwood and MDF (medium-density fibreboard), with wood moldings.
See it all after the jump.
Photos: Ken Hild
01/19/2012 11:30 AM
Comment
72-Hour Reno Begins at Paul Robeson Theater Tonight
This is cool: the community group 500 Men Making a Difference begins a 72 hour work project tonight at the Paul Robeson Theater in Fort Greene. Today at 11pm, “We are asking all men to come on down and help with the removal of debris, fixing, installing and painting that needs to be done to bring this treasure into full use.” Work continues non-stop through Martin Luther King Day. The building was recently landmarked but there’s been lots of concern about its structural shape. Great news to hear it’s getting some TLC.
01/13/2012 2:40 PM
Comment
Dilapidated Slope Building Facing Foreclosure
Rachel Nash, the daughter of the owner of the notoriously rundown Park Slope building at 187 7th Avenue, made an appearance at the open forum portion of this week’s Community Board 6 meeting. She initially asked the community for ideas in financing the art gallery being run on the ground floor of the building and talked about how she plans to renovate the upper floors of the townhouse into housing for artists. But the conversation quickly turned to the building’s upkeep. Members from CB6 asked about the building being under foreclosure pressure. According to Nash, the family is trying to appeal the foreclosure actions that have been taken. Nash also described an ongoing battle to remove the sidewalk shed around the building. She claimed the old contractor who originally erected it is unavailable to take it down, and other contractors have refused to do it. The building recently received attention from politicians who said they wanted to work with the owner to make the building safer. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Paper has more details about Nash’s plans for the ground floor—assuming the family retains control of the building—which includes renovating the former Landmark Pub in the space “into a cafe with ‘poetry nights.’”
Hope for Notorious Slope Building? [Brownstoner]
Will Infamous Slope Ruin be Reborn? [Brownstoner]
Doings at the Dilapidated 7th Ave & 2nd St Building? [Brownstoner] GMAP
01/13/2012 9:00 AM
Comment
The Insider: 12-Footer in Lower Slope
The Insider is our weekly, in-depth look at what’s happening on Brooklyn’s interior design and renovation front, written and produced by journalist/blogger Cara Greenberg. Find it here every Thursday at 11:30AM.
TWELVE FEET SIX INCHES, to be exact. The narrow townhouse on the fringe of Park Slope stands alone, sole survivor of an original pair. “They were probably built in the 1880s or ‘90s by a developer who wanted to maximize income on a 25-foot lot,” says Manhattan-based architect Tim Rasic, who bought the skinny singleton in 2005 and made it work for himself, his wife Lisa, and the two little ones who arrived soon after.
It was a full-on interior and exterior renovation. “There had been only two owners before us, each of whom had the house for about fifty years,” Rasic says. “And they hadn’t done any work in the last fifty.” The big job included a new brownstone façade, all-new electric (the existing wiring was the very old braided type), removal of an outside toilet in a lean-to off the back wall, and chipping away concrete in the backyard to reveal old bluestone.
The serene, sun-filled interior plays off opposites — traditional and modern, rough and refined. Furnishings are a down-to-earth mix of passed-down family pieces, locally sourced vintage items, modern Italian lighting, and good old IKEA.
Photos: House/Alick Crossley Garden/Elizabeth Dooley
Much more, including the lush garden and a complete list of contractors, after the jump.
01/12/2012 11:30 AM
Comment
Exterior Transformation Underway at CUNY Building
CUNY’s Voorhees Hall, at 186 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn, has been under renovation for a couple of years now, but recently signs went up announcing that the facade is being re-clad. The building, which used to be clad in brick, will soon be much glassier. The architect on the project, Der Scutt Architects, notes the following about 186 Jay’s new look: “The distinctive architectural curtainwall incorporates low-E energy-efficient glazing, and shadow boxes to add shade and visual interest in a grid that emphasizes the technology of the curtain wall. Window openings, which had been blocked off in a prior renovation, are to be re-opened to bring natural light to classrooms, offices, and laboratories. A trellis screen following the curtainwall motif unifies the uneven penthouse elevations and will be lighted at night.” The $30 million renovation also covers classroom enhancements, a new lobby and other building upgrades. Construction began way in the spring of 2010, and work is supposed to wrap this spring. Click through for more renderings! (more…)
01/11/2012 10:00 AM
Comment
228 Washington’s Owners Documenting House’s Facelift
It turns out that the owners of 228 Washington Avenue have started a website about the exterior renovation they’re undertaking. According to the site, the cornice on the Clinton Hill brownstone will be replaced on all three exposures, the bay window will be rebuilt, the attic will be converted into loft spaces and a roof garden will be installed. The renovation will meet Passive House standards. It all looks pretty exciting.
228 Washington Renovation [228 Washington]
Restoration of Clinton Hill Brownstone Underway [Brownstoner] GMAP
01/10/2012 11:00 AM
Comment
The Insider: Over-the-Top Mansion in Clinton Hill
The Insider is Brownstoner’s in-depth look at what’s happening in interior design and renovation in Brooklyn. Written and produced by design journalist/blogger Cara Greenberg, you can find it here every Thursday at 11:30AM.
YES, BROWNSTONER READERS, you may well have seen (and discussed) this exceptional house before. Known as the Pfizer mansion, it was a House of the Day here as far back as February 2006. It sold in 2007 to Jessica and Doug Warren, who lived there with their two teenagers through the three-year renovation that followed. At one point, says Jessica Warren, “We were camping on the top floor and cooking in an electric frying pan.”
The scary befores have been published, as have photos of the work in progress, and even turn-of-the-century documents unearthed during the reno. You may even have been in the house when it was on the Clinton Hill House Tour last spring. So what’s left for The Insider to bring to the table? New interior photos, showing previously unpublished areas and details; specifics of the mostly contemporary furnishings; floor plans, sections, and elevations by Neuhaus Design Architecture (NDA), including the new kitchen addition at the rear of the parlor floor, inspired by a long-gone, apse-shaped, glass-and-steel Victorian conservatory.
To re-cap, the 25-foot-wide, 10,000-square-foot Queen Anne mansion was built in 1887 as a private residence and later used by the Brooklyn Public Library, a Catholic girls’ school, and eventually a recording studio of sorts, with rooms rented out to Pratt students. “The roof leaked, the skylights were tar-papered over, and downspouts were shooting water to nowhere, but the grander spaces were intact,” recalls architect Kimberly Neuhaus of NDA, which brought the forlorn building back to its elegant origins, figuring out how to install all new mechanicals without interfering with the existing detail. NDA also designed the spectacular new kitchen addition, new bathrooms, and a new curving staircase. The construction manager/contractor was Brooklyn-based Interior Alterations, Inc.
The furnishings, a mostly modern mix ranging from thrift-shop finds to pedigreed auction material, are the work of homeowner Jessica Warren, who launched an interior design business, JP Warren Interiors, six months ago (she’s also an inveterate eBay shopper). “The tension between old and new benefits both of them,” she says, “and the simplicity of the modern furniture allows you to see how ornate the house really is.” One reason modern furniture is surprisingly sympathetic in a 19th century house with a 105-foot-long parlor floor may be, as Warren points out, “The long sight lines are like modern spaces.”
Above: The elaborate floor borders in the front parlor are “a re-creation of what was originally there,” says Neuhaus. “The field is original, but the ornate scroll work was too thin to be salvaged.”
Photos: Peter Margonelli / Carl Bellavia
Drawings Courtesy Neuhaus Design Architecture
More after the jump. (more…)
01/05/2012 11:30 AM
Comment
Restoration of Clinton Hill Brownstone Underway
A reader sent word of the exterior renovation that’s taking place at 228 Washington Avenue, at Willoughby. The home, a HOTD in 2008, has fallen victim to “moldering plywood” for the past 30 years, according to our tipster, who also says the owner is putting a cornice back on the building which is “completely improbable and beyond awesome.” There’s a picture after the jump of construction workers also restoring the deep window shelves on the bottom floor. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this one…. GMAP (more…)
01/03/2012 2:40 PM
Comment
The Insider: Kitchen Extension in Brooklyn Heights
The Insider, Brownstoner’s weekly look at renovation and interior design in Brooklyn, is written and produced by Cara Greenberg. Find it here every Thursday at 11:30.
THE IMPRESSIVE DUTCH REVIVAL row house in Brooklyn Heights, with its stepped gable and bronze plaque reading c.1820, was once home to the prolific Brooklyn architect William Tubby (1858-1944). Renowned in particular for his Clinton Hill mansions, Tubby purchased the house as his private residence and lived there for decades, adding stained glass panels and other interior detail along the way.
Above: Sliding pocket doors between the dining room and new kitchen extension were designed to complement original leaded glass elsewhere in the house.
By the 21st century, parts of the house drastically needed improvement. “There was a small extension out the back with a tiny galley kitchen,” says Gitta Robinson of Robinson + Grisaru Architecture, the husband-and-wife team hired to create a much larger kitchen and turn part of the basement into usable space for a family of four. Working with contractor Robert Taffera, R+G demolished the existing addition and put a new two-story extension across the 25-foot width of the rear wall. “It’s in a landmark district and visible from a side street,” Robinson says. “We had to go through a lengthy review process. The community board rejected it as too modern, but Landmarks liked the design and approved it.”
The new design makes use of a steel window system with thin metal sections. Some of the windows are fixed. Others are awning-style, pivoting out for ventilation. The rear half of the basement was excavated to gain more ceiling height (there’s a guest room at the front of the building and mechanicals in the center), and the backyard dug out about six feet from the rear wall to create a well.
Photos: Melanie Acevedo
Lots more after the jump.
12/29/2011 11:30 AM
Comment
The Insider: Converted Schoolhouse in Cobble Hill
The Insider, Brownstoner’s weekly in-depth look at interior design and renovation, is written and produced by Cara Greenberg, a design journalist who blogs at casaCARA: Old Houses for Fun & Profit. Find it here every Thursday at 11:30AM.
IF YOU’RE COUNTING cubic feet, the size of this two-bedroom duplex in a turn-of-the-century public school building is impressive. “It has 14-foot ceilings,” says David Nastasi, half the Brooklyn-based designing duo Nastasi Vail, “but the footprint is small.” With only 1,200 square feet in total — 700 on the lower level — it was vital to maximize use of the space.
The young couple who bought the co-op apartment in 2009 called Nastasi and his partner, Kate Vail, to help them deal with the challenge. Nastasi Vail offers an array of services, from full-scale interior design and upholstery to beautifully crafted custom cabinetry that puts away storage problems once and for all (you may know their storefront on Pacific Street near Henry in Cobble Hill, open by appointment).
They exploited those soaring ceilings with a wall of architectural built-ins to accommodate books, wine, media, and more, which required reconfiguring an existing staircase and balcony. The other major undertaking: re-designing a dated, claustrophobic kitchen. It’s now brand new and suited to the needs of a professional chef.
Photos: Ken Hild
More, including ‘Before’ photos, after the jump. (more…)
12/15/2011 11:30 AM
Comment
Labor Department Building Looking Spiffy
The Labor Department building on Schermerhorn and Bond Street is now sporting a shiny new facade. It’s been under renovation since summer and should be reoccupied by the end of this year.
Downtown Labor Dept Building Getting Gutted [Brownstoner] GMAP
12/12/2011 2:40 PM
Comment
Reno Wrapping at Park Slope Corner Mansion
A reader noticed that scaffolding came down at 49 8th Avenue, the grand corner mansion at 49 8th Avenue. As our reader says, “The home has been undergoing a massive renovation for the past year and looks to be coming to an end soon. The scaffolding was removed last week, pointing of the brick and brownstone have been happening for the past couple weeks.” The home – previously owned by rock photographer David Gahr – was asking $3.2 million in 2009. It sold for $2,691,000 last year. Permits were approved for remedial repairs and reconfiguring the building. The work was done by Elizabeth Roberts Design.
House of the Day: 49 8th Avenue
12/09/2011 11:30 AM
Comment
Feb 06, 2012 | 12:32 PM