The Insider: Modern Design Language Emerges From Major Reno in Fort Greene

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Architects are problem solvers, especially in vintage row house renovations where, despite a generally similar archetype, no two are ever exactly the same. In the case of this four-story brownstone, purchased in dire shape by a couple with two young children, Alex Barker of Gowanus-based Barker Associates Architecture Office (BAAO) found herself confronted with more than one opportunity for creative problem-solving.

For one thing, in a reversal of the norm, the parlor floor ceiling was less high than that on the floor above. To accommodate the most desirable arrangement for that main level — living room in front, dining room in the middle, kitchen in back — and make the space feel overall brighter and more open, BAAO raised ceiling joists at the rear of the building, where the new kitchen is located, and made corresponding changes to the floor above.

In another puzzler, a front-parlor window was not far enough from the party wall to allow for shelves and storage on either side of the fireplace. Barker came up with the idea of curving the walls surrounding the fireplace outward (top photo) to make deep-enough shelves possible, which led to the use of curved or arched motifs in other places throughout the house.

BAAO also had to rebuild the whole rear wall, which was bulging, as well as replace the existing staircase. “The original staircase was dangerous, falling apart, and patched together,” Barker said. “You couldn’t really even climb the stairs.” It all added up to a full-blown, down-to-the-studs gut.

Instead of replicating vintage details, BAAO created a modern design language, with a materials palette that includes tambour millwork, reeded glass, textured plaster, and terrazzo. “There’s no crown molding,” Barker said. “We kept it clean and sculptural.”

Except for the children’s bedrooms, all interior design is the work of BAAO, with a strictly controlled color scheme. “White oak, yellow, and blue — that’s it,” Barker said. The dynamic painting over the mantel in the living room, by New York-based Australian artist Fran O’Neill, says it all. Other pieces in the room include a Jalis Sofa from COR Sitzmobel, a German brand, and a terrazzo-topped oak coffee table, one of many BAAO-designed furniture pieces and built-ins throughout the house.

The entry vestibule, with a custom millwork bench and closet, is boldly clad in blue and white tile and sized to accommodate strollers.

The parlor floor layout was intentionally kept open to make it easier to keep an eye on the homeowners’ young children. A custom wall-hung sideboard clad in popular tambour paneling — slatted wood pieces attached to a flexible fabric backing — fits into an arched alcove. “The client wanted both a dining room and a breakfast nook,” Barker said. “We had to negotiate that while keeping the space open.”

The kitchen ceiling was raised and Portella steel doors inserted in the rebuilt back wall, flooding the space with light and making the garden more accessible.

Yellow plaster walls serve as backdrop for white oak cabinetry, countertops of arabescato antico marble, an arched oak cabinet with reeded glass doors, and a built-in banquette and terrazzo table for casual meals.

The new parlor floor powder room features a terrazzo backsplash and a fluted yellow sink from Kast.

The all new staircase and railing split the difference between traditional and modern.

The second floor was configured as the primary suite, with a steel window in the bedroom opening onto a private terrace. The tambour corner desk is one of BAAO’s custom furniture designs.

A working fireplace distinguishes the plaster-finished primary bath, which has an arched steam shower, a freestanding tub from Concretti and Watermark fittings.

A sculptural Beaubien double shade sconce from Lambert et Fils illuminates the skylit top floor hall by night.

Ceilings surfaced with light-hearted wallpaper from Hygge & West and trim painted to match enliven the top floor children’s rooms.

[Photos by Gieves Anderson]

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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