Interiors: Modernizing a Row House in the Slope
[nggallery id=”26489″ template=galleryview] The folks from Coburn Architecture, based in Dumbo, have taken on the task of updating, and adding to, a row house in Park Slope. If you have interior projects large or small, amateur or professional you’d like to share, please contact us. This mid 19th century row house on a quiet street…
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The folks from Coburn Architecture, based in Dumbo, have taken on the task of updating, and adding to, a row house in Park Slope. If you have interior projects large or small, amateur or professional you’d like to share, please contact us.
This mid 19th century row house on a quiet street in Park Slope was in relatively poor condition when purchased by the client. The house next door had burned down many years before, leaving the lot vacant and overgrown, and the new owners wanted to build a structure in its place that would connect to the existing house.
The client’s ambitious program for the new structure required a new master suite with a spacious bath and dressing room, a dining room, a garage with a driveway (a luxury for city dwellers), and some outdoor living space. To avoid having to move to temporary quarters, the client elected to complete the project in two architectural phases, followed by an interior design phase.
UPDATE: Brendan Coburn just dropped us a note to clear up a couple of things: 1) The house is only a combined 3,400 square feet, as the addition is just two stories high; 2) The construction and renovation took place in four phases over eight years.
Like I said…why are the kitchen and the dining room so at odds with one another?! Can one of you design genius’ explain it to dumb old me?
respectfully, brg, this “style” seems to me something that the owners did not choose but let someone choose for them. i don’t have anything against interior design or paid professionals, but in this instance i just don’t think it jells.
“Interior Design is defining individuality. It’s the way you choose to live. You need to be comfortable in your home.” Yes, which is why it’s odd that turning your house over to a stranger to furnish can never make it “yours” unless they’re your twin.
Of course, I don’t know these people used an interior decorator, and I don’t know the lingo, so maybe not tacky, but: WEIRD mirrors; a doll that could be Lisa’s stoop-sitter’s buddy; PINKPINK!; just-so-furnishings giving the feeling that they were chosen for the brand etc…
Style me eclectic cheapskate.
I am also surprised by the negative comments. It’s fair to say this home is not decorated to everyone’s taste but tacky? Lacking style?
There is an ease to homes decorated by the gradual acquisition of items (an occasional purchase here and there, other furniture passed down) but all well decorated homes, including those decorated with hand-me-downs and Ikea, have balance, proper proportion, and visual appeal. I this home possesses all three. These photos are highly staged and pretty sterile (no family photos, the ‘casually strewn’ shoe, for example), but the house is a good example of the art of interior design done well. The warmth will come with the family bringing their own things and natural clutter.
Stunning place wether you like the interior decoration or not. This must have cost a small fortune to complete but looks to be money well spent.
Maybe the interior designer was sitting there when they wrote that!!!!
I think the renovation looks great but the interior design leaves something to be desired. I’d agree with traditionalmod that it isn’t tacky but a bit “trying too hard.” Also, a room like the kitchen looks fabulous, but why is the architect commenting on the “custom pouf” in the living room???????
I think individual pieces are very nice. Something in the combinations doesn’t work for me. Seems forced, even the shoe on the floor. They went shopping over the weekend and got it all done by Sunday night.
I love those fireplaces amd ceilings!
Shillstoner is way off. This house is not “tacky” or trying-too-hard to impress. We’ve all seen those interiors and this isn’t it. Those trying-too-hard interiors these days are usually ultra modern hipster with immediately identifiable Name designer pieces, where the owner wants you to know how much they paid for something by using furniture that’s so designer.
This is simply conservative and not very daring or highly designed. It’s more decorative than artistic. That’s how I’d describe it. But it’s not “tacky”.