The Insider: Boerum Hill Garden Floor Feels Like an English Country House

“Sweet and homey” were the watchwords when interior designer Keren Richter tackled the garden floor of a 19th century single-family townhouse. The downstairs rooms, part and parcel of a top-to-bottom renovation of the building, were conceived as a self-contained unit for the homeowners’ visiting parents, also used from time to time as extra family space.

Upstairs, the high-ceilinged parlor floor is furnished with a sophisticated mix of contemporary and vintage pieces. The garden level “speaks a different language,” said Richter, founder and principal designer of Brooklyn-based White Arrow, which masterminded the architectural and interior design of the entire townhouse. “I felt that, if the parlor upstairs is grand and about making a stately impression, the in-law apartment, by contrast, is about casual living and less formality. An English country house feel hit the right note of traditional comfort.”

The comfy living room (top photo) looks out onto the garden through new glass and steel French doors. The bedroom, at the front of the building, is centered on an old-fashioned four-poster bed. The cabinetry in the custom kitchen, “feels freestanding and reads more like furniture,” Richter said. A vintage trestle table doubles as a work island.

As upstairs, all moldings and details are artful insertions intended to bring back a sense of history where it had been stripped away. Bead board ceilings “weren’t needed, but added nice texture,” Richter said. “I love using ceiling medallions, crown molding and wall paneling. Plain sheetrock often feels like a missed opportunity.”

Beneath, the cellar was excavated and reimagined as atmospheric multi-functional space. There’s a bar, wine cellar, gym, large television, and extra storage.

In the kitchen, White Arrow furthered a feeling of antiquity with inset Shaker panes on the cabinetry, swan neck pulls, and unlacquered knobs. The oven was placed in an alcove, the backsplash is unusually tall, and Richter accessorized with antique paintings and even pushbutton electrical switches.

A full wall of closets hides appliances, a coat closet, and a pantry.

There’s more custom millwork in the living room. “We wanted storage for toys and decorative items, and to make the TV less of a focal point,” the designer said.

Pattern defines the bedroom decor, from pillows and bedding to Indian block-printed window treatments and lampshades. “It’s a low-light space, but it feels collected and cozy,” Richter said.

The dusty pink and aubergine bathroom features a glass shower framed in brass, a vanity from Jean Stoffer, floral wall covering from Schumacher, and a mosaic stone tile floor with a star motif.

“The cellar is entirely new and a feat of problem-solving and creative solutions,” Richter said. Excavation provided a few extra inches of ceiling height, enough for gym equipment within a sunken “conversation pit.” Mirrors bounce light around the windowless space.

One side houses a wine cellar and a bar with vintage wrought iron and rattan stools. “We wanted the gym and bar to be visually separate, yet maintain a sense of openness,” Richter said. “The arches seemed a perfect way to achieve this.” Existing stone walls were preserved. “The client was inspired by cozy French wine bars where the historic foundation is visible.”

[Photos by Thomas Richter]

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The Insider is Brownstoner’s weekly in-depth look at a notable interior design/renovation project, by design journalist Cara Greenberg. Find it here every Thursday morning.

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