The Insider: Boerum Hill Carriage House Reno Handily Maximizes Tiny Space

The few 19th century carriage houses that remain in Brooklyn’s brownstone belt have long been coveted for their charm as dwellings, though they’re often tight on living space.

When O tackled the renovation of a two-story carriage house, transforming its 1,000 square feet into a two-bedroom, 2.5-bath home, the work drew the attention of local residents. “People loved that carriage house and wanted to make sure a tower wasn’t going up,” said architect Margot Otten, co-founder with Douglas Segulja of the Brooklyn- and Hoboken-based firm.

Though someone had recently lived there, “The whole facade was sagging and rotting,” Otten recalled, and the interior was dire as well. “Inside, there was a thick brick wall with an opening, possibly for a carriage on one side and a horse on the other.” There was no cellar, just a concrete slab foundation. OSSO Architecture took down that interior brick wall, as well as a low stoop that projected onto the sidewalk.

The front facade was reconstructed, with new steel structure to support the cantilevered bay on the upper floor, and a new sheetmetal cornice. The windows on the lower level resemble carriage house doors, with lots of insulated glass to admit maximum light. Their panes are fixed, the lower ones made of reeded glass for privacy on a street with considerable foot traffic.

In another major move, OSSO Architecture opened up the rear facade and inserted big sliding glass doors. The house is all electric, with forced air heat and air conditioning.

The single large room on ground level is living room, kitchen, and dining room in one. The architects moved the internal staircase to one end of the space, giving it winder steps on the bottom and at the top to make it more compact. “We made the cabinetry look more formal and hid appliances behind panels, so you don’t feel you’re in a kitchen,” Otten said. Upstairs, they demolished everything and built new support structure for two bedrooms, each with an en suite bath.

From a circa 1940 tax photo, the architects determined the building’s round porthole windows are not original. Though the carriage house is not in a landmark district, Otten said, “We’ve worked with Landmarks on about half our projects, so we followed a similar design process and did what we felt was historically appropriate.”

The existing wood trim was quite deep and attracted roosting pigeons. “The building had pigeon spikes all over it,” Otten recalled. “We called several pigeon control companies and asked for advice. We wanted the facade to still have some depth to it.” They ended up using trim under 1.5 inches deep, which effectively discourages the birds.

Custom wood cabinetry painted soft bone white, along with pale gray Carrara marble for countertops and backsplash, are a suitably understated kitchen palette.

Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry along one wall discreetly hides a fridge, a pull-out pantry, and a stacked washer/dryer. “With space so tight, we wanted to maximize every inch,” Otten said. A downdraft stove hood behind the oven pulls air down and through a duct that goes out to the backyard.

Furnishings were selected by New Jersey-based designer Kristen Teutonico. They were sourced largely from CB2, with a modern pendant from Muuto.

NYC-based Hannah Edmunds Gardens devised hardscaping and plantings for the 500-square-foot outdoor space, which is self irrigating and planted for year-round interest with pollinator-supporting native species.

A new powder room is tucked under the stair, along with an on-demand hot water heater.

Red oak was used for floors and stairs, including the railing and slatted screen.

A red oak window seat emphasizes the special fenestration in the primary bedroom. The Knit-Wit pendant light came from Danish brand Made by Hand.

In the primary bath, above a custom oak vanity, a floating mirror over reeded glass allows light to enter from the front windows while maintaining the integrity of the facade.

OSSO Architecture enlarged an existing window in the guest bath, which faces the rear yard. A wall-mounted sink and toilet free up floor space.

[Photos by Erik Bernstein]

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

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