Brownstone Renos: A Contrast In Styles
The House & Home today section compares the renovation approaches of one couple who went for a bold modern approach to renovating part of their brownstone overlooking Fort Greene Park with that of hardcore preservationists and Clinton Hill old-timers Jim and Sharon Barnes. Here’s what we had to say about the modern reno after seeing…
The House & Home today section compares the renovation approaches of one couple who went for a bold modern approach to renovating part of their brownstone overlooking Fort Greene Park with that of hardcore preservationists and Clinton Hill old-timers Jim and Sharon Barnes. Here’s what we had to say about the modern reno after seeing it last May on the Fort Greene House Tour:
Clearly the boldest departure from brownstone tradition on the Fort Greene House Tour was the parlor floor renovation at 203 Washington Park which featured poured and buffed concrete floors as well as an open-plan loft-style kitchen/dining/living area. We thought the modern approach was largely successful but agree with an earlier commenter that the juxtaposition to the shlubby traditional hallway was a little jarring. Perhaps the coolest part of the design, though, was the giant wall of windows overlooking the garden.
Interestingly, modern and spare does not mean cheap: The Phillips spent $400,000 renovating the bottom two floors.
By contrast, the Barnes have painstakingly restored their Clinton Avenue house over the past twenty years, along with seven other rental properties in the neighborhood. Preservation, to the Barnes, is a kind of calling. Every one of the people who I met over the years who’d bid on this house were going to tear it to smithereens,” says Ms. Barnes. “What is unique about this house is that it is intact.
A Flood of Foreclosures, but Should You Invest? [NY Times]
FGHT: Modern on the Park [Brownstoner]
Photos by John Lei for The New York Times
Lord knows I love period restoration (though not necessarily period decorating)- sometimes you can’t save the detail. And some people just hate it. But if you have an old house with great detail I think it is just totally disrespectful to tear it out. But I do have great respect for those who can do the modern thing and make it work with an old house. After all, they have to live there and it’s more important that the house is loved and maintained rather than be torn down. A bit of straddling the fence there I guess- but eclectic can be really fab.
Eh. I know it’s not fair but once I hear that she’s an attorney and he’s an investment banker, I kinda tune out. And the other couple owns 7 buildings or something. Okay, whatever. (altho I’m luvin’ that she saves cats!)
BUT turn the page and read about the couple who fled New Haven and bought that sea captain’s house in Nowhere, Maine? And she write mysteries about a renovator/sleuth? AND she repairs window frames her own damn self? I am SO there. Loved that article.
Crown Heights Proud asked me to post this -computer took a sick day 🙂 :
I’m with Mr. B. all the way on this. Modern can be great, but don’t destroy a house with detail to get it. There are plenty that have been stripped of detail, and they often cost less for it.
In answer to “maybe there’s hope” – it is quite possible to recreate the detailing through salvage. It just takes a great deal of time and money. There are plenty of people selling all kinds of salvage, but it certainly ain’t cheap. If you were to go that route, be prepared to do it a little at a time, as what you may need for a certain room may not be available right away. Personally, I’d do as much of my salvage shopping as far away from the city as possible. The prices here are absurd. I buy little bits here and there, whenever possible, and love incorporating it into my home.
There is a wonderful, over the top book about people decorating with salvage. It’s called Extraordinary Interiors by Brian Coleman and Dan Mayers. Coleman is an editor at large for Old House Journal Interiors, and is a consumate salvager. His apartment in the Village is in the book. My favorite spread is a house in SoHo almost entirely done in first class salvage elements. All very inspiring, and very, very expensive. But, like a good house museum, it’s fun to look and get ideas.
While I would not want to live in a period perfect museum (my cats would certainly not allow it anyway), I admire those who are comfortable doing so. I think that is a lifestyle choice, and has as much value as someone who lives in an empty looking room with modernistic square furniture and all their personal belongings hidden. In my opinion, as much of a museum look, just a different museum.
Well yeah, modern architecture will remind you of office buildings. Because often it’s the big corporations that hire the most cutting edge architects to design their buildings. From the very beginning, with the first modern skyscrapers built by Bauhaus architects. No big revelation there. It’s a matter of taste, as in all things. Someone who can’t stand dark Victorian interiors might say “It would remind me of a dusty antique shop.” I think the most interesting thing about modern interiors vs. old interiors is how it affects attitude or even personality. A friend of mine grew up in a very modern glass house designed by a major architect, and she believes those houses make the people in them more disciplined. She certainly is one of the most disciplined people I’ve ever known. But then maybe old houses with dusty crusty interiors contribute something else positive to the people who live in them. Like maybe old-house people are more accepting, and less picky? Because they have to be, that is.
I bought a house that had some detail interspersed with decades of really bad patchwork alterations, I guess like many brownstoners. I am not a big fan of dark interiors and I hate a lot of Victoriana but I think I kept a lot of cool things, like the decorative plaster molding, shutters, I reproduced the original floors and camped out at Eddie’s, finding light fixtures, marble mantlepieces and other bits and pieces so that it is a mixture which works for me, but much closer to the place on the right.. I rebel against people who think it is a mortal sin to paint dark wood or to rip out details which have deteriorated badly. Sometimes old is just old. Figuring out what to save and what to change is the cool part.
11:55 again — also let me say I did enjoy House&Home for once. How many mornings have I looked forward to that section only to find features on landscaping in desert environments on some such. It’s the least NY-centric section of the paper!
I love modern but my fear would be it doesn’t hold it’s value. With a few notable exceptions, do you really see all that many “modern” renovations you see and love from 10-15-20 years ago?
If I had a lot of money to throw around, or I knew I was going to sell in less than 3 years, or I knew I was going to die in the house, I’d be tempted. But I know there’s a good chance I want to sell in next 10 years and this kind of renovation makes that risky.
The classic restoration on the other hand will always retain it’s value.
Odd how homes that have modern design interiors always end up looking like some sort of swanky corporate office. Or rather, maybe it’s not that odd. That “corporate look” is always based on tenets of modern design.
“Interestingly, modern and spare does not mean cheap”
I was kind of surprised by this statement, bstoner. You seem to pay enough lip service to liking modern design when it’s good that I would have thought you’d know that quality materials and design cost $$, whether it’s minimalist or baroque in approach.