Houzz Tour: Dated ’80s Style Makes Way for a Modern-Vintage Mix
A design-build firm helps Brooklyn clients make their duplex a home that suits them
Becky Harris
September 20, 2022
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
This couple had a penchant for midcentury modern furniture and contemporary architecture. Although they’d found a wonderful duplex apartment with high ceilings and lots of space in Brooklyn, New York, the interiors reflected the year it was built. “This house was fresh out of 1987 and had all the dated style of that decade,” says Jonathan Eklund, the creative director of design-build firm Ecostruct.
The scope of the project was extensive. It included cosmetic changes to the entire apartment, a refresh of the kitchen and full renovations of the three bathrooms. It also involved removing a wall to open up the living room and removing odd architectural elements such as a large platform on the floor of one bedroom. Eklund also helped his clients find the right furnishings to fill the house. The result is a light, bright space that melds contemporary and midcentury modern styles.
The scope of the project was extensive. It included cosmetic changes to the entire apartment, a refresh of the kitchen and full renovations of the three bathrooms. It also involved removing a wall to open up the living room and removing odd architectural elements such as a large platform on the floor of one bedroom. Eklund also helped his clients find the right furnishings to fill the house. The result is a light, bright space that melds contemporary and midcentury modern styles.
Photos by Shera Nuss
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: 1,100 square feet (102 square meters); three bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Designer and builder: Jonathan Eklund of Ecostruct
The home has unusually high ceilings for a postwar building. On one side, seen here in the living room, they’re 10 feet high. But odd partitions and a wall between this room and a secondary sitting area blocked the light. Eklund removed those elements to share the light between spaces. “The height of the ceilings in here allowed all that light to spread to the back of the apartment where the ceilings are lower,” he says. The home also has extensive balconies off the front and back of both floors.
To get a sense of his clients’ style, the designer spoke with them at length and shared Houzz ideabooks. He also checked out their existing furniture and artwork. “The homeowners had about half the amount of furniture they needed and I procured the other half,” he says. “They were really flexible on furniture placement. The one thing they wanted me to incorporate in the living room was the ladder-like shelving,” he says. This was an easy task as it fit right in with the living room’s style. Barcelona chairs and a Platner coffee table nod to the midcentury era.
Find a local design-build firm on Houzz
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: 1,100 square feet (102 square meters); three bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Designer and builder: Jonathan Eklund of Ecostruct
The home has unusually high ceilings for a postwar building. On one side, seen here in the living room, they’re 10 feet high. But odd partitions and a wall between this room and a secondary sitting area blocked the light. Eklund removed those elements to share the light between spaces. “The height of the ceilings in here allowed all that light to spread to the back of the apartment where the ceilings are lower,” he says. The home also has extensive balconies off the front and back of both floors.
To get a sense of his clients’ style, the designer spoke with them at length and shared Houzz ideabooks. He also checked out their existing furniture and artwork. “The homeowners had about half the amount of furniture they needed and I procured the other half,” he says. “They were really flexible on furniture placement. The one thing they wanted me to incorporate in the living room was the ladder-like shelving,” he says. This was an easy task as it fit right in with the living room’s style. Barcelona chairs and a Platner coffee table nod to the midcentury era.
Find a local design-build firm on Houzz
This cozier area previously was cut off by a wall, which made it dark. Now it serves as a media area within the opened-up space. In addition to ripping down the wall, Eklund replaced the dated yellowish floors with bleached white oak, replaced the baseboards with clean-lined profiles, added new floor vents and painted the walls.
The homeowners brought their own artwork to the project. “They have incredible taste so it was easy to work their art into the design,” Eklund says.
Browse sofas in the Houzz Shop
The homeowners brought their own artwork to the project. “They have incredible taste so it was easy to work their art into the design,” Eklund says.
Browse sofas in the Houzz Shop
“This area was already sort of a nook that felt separate from the main living room area,” Eklund says. He saw it was a good spot for the work area the clients requested on this floor.
They also wanted the option of making it big enough for the two of them to work here at once. Eklund measured a vintage table they’d been using as a desk and custom built this desk at the same height. “If they want to expand the work space, they can put that table right next to this desk,” he says. The desk is positioned as a sofa table, which helps it blend into the living room space.
They also wanted the option of making it big enough for the two of them to work here at once. Eklund measured a vintage table they’d been using as a desk and custom built this desk at the same height. “If they want to expand the work space, they can put that table right next to this desk,” he says. The desk is positioned as a sofa table, which helps it blend into the living room space.
The stairs lead to the home’s three bedrooms and two full baths. Eklund replaced the treads with new bleached white oak to match the floors, painted the spindles and bleached the existing railing. The slim door opens to a coat closet and the kitchen is located past the powder room.
One must-have on the homeowners’ wish list was Martinique wallpaper, otherwise known as The Iconic Beverly Hills Banana Leaf Wallpaper. It was originally designed for the Beverly Hills Hotel in the 1940s by CW Stockwell, a Los Angeles fabric and wallcovering company.
To play off the wallpaper, Eklund found a vintage cabinet and refashioned it into a vanity. The tropical mirror frame complements the vanity’s rich wood and the banana leaves. Brass accents recall the midcentury era.
“There’s a lot of flexibility to invest in a powder room. They are so small that it won’t blow your overall budget,” Eklund says. “And it was worth it. This room is always a welcoming surprise to everyone who opens the door because it’s such a departure from the rest of the house.”
To play off the wallpaper, Eklund found a vintage cabinet and refashioned it into a vanity. The tropical mirror frame complements the vanity’s rich wood and the banana leaves. Brass accents recall the midcentury era.
“There’s a lot of flexibility to invest in a powder room. They are so small that it won’t blow your overall budget,” Eklund says. “And it was worth it. This room is always a welcoming surprise to everyone who opens the door because it’s such a departure from the rest of the house.”
The kitchen had a functional layout and the cabinets were in good shape. Eklund kept the lower cabinets and painted them a blue shade the homeowners chose. He had the panels removed and took them offsite for the sprayed finish. The kitchen island was painted to match.
The homeowners wanted lots of lighting in the upper cabinets, so those are new. They have LED tape lighting underneath them to light the countertops. They also have lighting inside. Choosing white kept the kitchen feeling open and bright in the two-tone scheme. “The unlacquered brass hardware marries the upper and lower cabinets really well,” Eklund says.
His clients selected the glass globe pendant lights, which contribute to the midcentury vibe of the home. So do the Cesca counter stools. And along with the window treatments, the caned backs and seats of the stools bring in natural woven textures.
Find the right counter stools for your kitchen
The homeowners wanted lots of lighting in the upper cabinets, so those are new. They have LED tape lighting underneath them to light the countertops. They also have lighting inside. Choosing white kept the kitchen feeling open and bright in the two-tone scheme. “The unlacquered brass hardware marries the upper and lower cabinets really well,” Eklund says.
His clients selected the glass globe pendant lights, which contribute to the midcentury vibe of the home. So do the Cesca counter stools. And along with the window treatments, the caned backs and seats of the stools bring in natural woven textures.
Find the right counter stools for your kitchen
The appliances had already been replaced since 1987 and were in good working order. The polished granite countertops and marble backsplash are new. So are the window treatments and faucet.
Upstairs, Eklund sourced a vintage bed online for the homeowners’ bedroom. An antique Oriental rug, indigo blanket and dark matching drapes pull the space together. Accents in deep reds and yellows warm the room.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
This bedroom didn’t require much construction except for the custom shelves and new floors. The mostly cosmetic makeover included new paint, lighting, furniture and accessories.
Brass double-cone sconces eliminate the need for table lamps next to the bed, providing a cleaner look.
Hire a local carpenter
Brass double-cone sconces eliminate the need for table lamps next to the bed, providing a cleaner look.
Hire a local carpenter
In one of the two full bathrooms, Eklund repurposed another midcentury piece into a vanity. “This was an old record player media console,” he says. “The height was just at the minimum of what I’d usually choose for a vanity — 28 inches. If I hadn’t been able to add a vessel sink, it would have been too low.”
A wall-mounted faucet made space for a sink with a pleasingly large scale. Eklund extended the subway tile backsplash around the room as wainscoting, using the bottom of the mirrored medicine cabinets to determine the right height.
Tip: If you fall in love with a vintage piece but it’s a little too short to be repurposed as a vanity, there are a few tricks you can try. In addition to using a vessel sink, you can play around with taller legs or the thickness of the countertop to get the height right.
A wall-mounted faucet made space for a sink with a pleasingly large scale. Eklund extended the subway tile backsplash around the room as wainscoting, using the bottom of the mirrored medicine cabinets to determine the right height.
Tip: If you fall in love with a vintage piece but it’s a little too short to be repurposed as a vanity, there are a few tricks you can try. In addition to using a vessel sink, you can play around with taller legs or the thickness of the countertop to get the height right.
The second bedroom took a good amount of demolition and construction to get right. “There was an odd platform that took up a lot of the floor space; it made no sense,” Eklund says. “You could barely open the balcony door before.” That had to be ripped out, and the adjacent walls required repair.
At 12 feet, the room has the highest ceilings in the house. “This was designed with in-laws staying as their guests in mind. They wanted to keep the design very simple,” Eklund says. They also wanted to float a large Japanese lantern from the ceiling. This helps bring that soaring ceiling down to human scale.
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At 12 feet, the room has the highest ceilings in the house. “This was designed with in-laws staying as their guests in mind. They wanted to keep the design very simple,” Eklund says. They also wanted to float a large Japanese lantern from the ceiling. This helps bring that soaring ceiling down to human scale.
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This is a lovely home!
It's not my style, but it 's very comfortable.
The rooms flow from one to another really nice.
Can you give the brand & colors used for the walls & ceilings for the main floor & bedrooms?
I'd love it if they included floorplans with the stories.
How were they able to squeeze 3 bedrooms & 2.5 baths into 1100sqft?
Wow! There's a lot to love with this beautiful home. The tall ceilings, amazing windows and updated palette are truly beautiful. The designer and his clients made this place so warm, welcoming and relaxed while keeping things visually interesting. The pops of color in the homeowner's bedroom, the vintage Oriental rug (my favorite) and the bed were absolutely perfect. So much thoughtfulness and heart in this design! Well done! :)