Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Brooklyn Apartment Opens Up
A choppy layout opens up to modernism, sunlight and a newly appreciated view of New York City
Before Jonathan Eklund’s clients overhauled their prewar Brooklyn co-op, their view of Manhattan could be seen only from a small, dark dining room. Then interior walls came down one by one, filling the home with light, and revealing views of the skyline and Freedom Tower. A multifunctional island and a media center — both built with Ikea cabinets — help organize the apartment’s new open floor plan.
BEFORE: Five non-load-bearing walls came down, creating one large dining room, living room and kitchen. This happened in steps since the builders removed one wall at a time to make sure that the homeowners liked the result. Eklund was fine with this approach. As one wall would come down, “we’d make an on-the-spot call and continue,” he says.
AFTER: Eklund left one structural column between the kitchen and the windowed alcove off the kitchen.
To create a focal point in the great room, Eklund built an 8-foot island, starting with six sets of Ikea cabinets placed back to back.
Eklund built a base to raise the cabinets to counter height. He used a waterfall edge on the Caesarstone countertops to mask the seam where the cabinets meet.
The kitchen side of the island houses a wine fridge and drawers for storage. The other side functions as home office storage.
The kitchen side of the island houses a wine fridge and drawers for storage. The other side functions as home office storage.
Eklund dropped the ceiling in the kitchen to add recessed lighting and define the space. The clients accented the kitchen further by choosing a fluted rectangular tile backsplash that matches their midcentury modern aesthetic.
Tile: Ann Sacks; cabinetry: Ikea
Tile: Ann Sacks; cabinetry: Ikea
The original windows near the kitchen are a main source of light but weren’t viewable from the front sitting room because of a wall. Once the space was open, the clients were able to fully appreciate their view of the city skyline.
Blond engineered oak flooring replaced the old dark parquet throughout, which also brightened up the apartment.
Blond engineered oak flooring replaced the old dark parquet throughout, which also brightened up the apartment.
In the living room, Eklund again used Ikea cabinets to build an entertainment unit that provides storage.
The clients owned much of the furnishings before the remodel and kept the color scheme simple: orange, red and white. A red-and-white wallpaper turns the entry into a focal point.
The clients owned much of the furnishings before the remodel and kept the color scheme simple: orange, red and white. A red-and-white wallpaper turns the entry into a focal point.
The bedroom got a new coat of paint and built-in bookcases.
Two small closets became one large one with the removal of a partition and the installation of a closet organizing system.
The bathroom got a simple and modern makeover. Out went the tub and in came a walk-in shower. The vanity and toilet are new but remain in the same locations.
Tile: Ann Sacks; Sierra light bar: Access Lighting
More
Your Guide to a Smooth-Running Construction Project
Open Plan Not Your Thing? Try ‘Broken Plan’
Tile: Ann Sacks; Sierra light bar: Access Lighting
More
Your Guide to a Smooth-Running Construction Project
Open Plan Not Your Thing? Try ‘Broken Plan’
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Who lives here: A playwright and a marketing professional
Size: About 800 square feet (74.3 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Budget: $120,000 to remodel a bathroom, kitchen, living room and master bedroom
Designer: Jonathan Eklund of design-build firm Ecostruct
The homeowners originally sought to remodel just the bathroom and kitchen, but they realized that the rest of the house would seem antiquated in comparison. So they hired Eklund to help them reimagine the home.