Room of the Day: Character and Comfort in a Brownstone’s Master Suite
A Brooklyn, New York, designer retools her and her husband’s sanctuary while retaining its vintage charm
Jennifer Christgau-Aquino
June 16, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Craftsman bungalow fan turned Eichler enthusiast, vinyl record collector and die hard home renovator who loves to turn antiques modern (a piano yellow, an iron bed hot pink….)
Houzz Contributor. Craftsman bungalow fan turned Eichler enthusiast, vinyl record... More
Character can be hard to come by when you’re looking for a house, but Maya and Trace Sheehan found it in a 113-year-old brownstone in Brooklyn, New York. The next task: giving the master suite a needed update while preserving its charm.
All the best parts of the brownstone’s top-floor master suite were covered in paint or plaster and chopped up into tiny rooms. The Sheehans wanted something open and bright, but they didn’t want to lose the home’s historic feel. The result is a master suite that has a simple, industrial design but keeps the charm of early-20th-century architecture.
All the best parts of the brownstone’s top-floor master suite were covered in paint or plaster and chopped up into tiny rooms. The Sheehans wanted something open and bright, but they didn’t want to lose the home’s historic feel. The result is a master suite that has a simple, industrial design but keeps the charm of early-20th-century architecture.
Photos by Tim Williams Photography except where noted
Master Suite at a Glance
Who lives here: Trace and Maya Sheehan of Maison Maya and their two children
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 700 square feet (65 square meters)
Cost: $120,000
Master Suite at a Glance
Who lives here: Trace and Maya Sheehan of Maison Maya and their two children
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 700 square feet (65 square meters)
Cost: $120,000
The Sheehans found the three-story brownstone four years ago and slowly began remodeling it, starting with the kitchen, shown here, and living room.
When it came time to address the third-floor master suite, which consisted of four rooms and six awkward closets, Maya, a designer and the owner of Maison Maya, drafted plans to open up the space to create a one-bedroom master with a large walk-in closet and bathroom, shown in this basic plan. She wanted to replicate the modern-meets-vintage-brownstone aesthetic downstairs.
Maya kept the bathroom where it was to avoid the cost of moving plumbing. That meant she was challenged with making the master bathroom adjoin the bedroom, even though they were on opposite sides of the floor.
She also had to work with the location of two nonworking fireplaces, which would have been costly to move.
Maya kept the bathroom where it was to avoid the cost of moving plumbing. That meant she was challenged with making the master bathroom adjoin the bedroom, even though they were on opposite sides of the floor.
She also had to work with the location of two nonworking fireplaces, which would have been costly to move.
The solution was creating a walk-through closet between the new master bedroom and bath. The 120-square-foot dream closet is outfitted with 10-foot-high frosted glass sliding doors that let in the light while providing privacy.
Maya likes that when you enter the master bedroom, the first thing you see is the original fireplace surround and mantelpiece, which was stripped of the many layers of paint and refinished. She chose a mosaic marble tile to replace the existing orange surround but kept the original mirror, which has some wear and tear.
“The beauty of having an older home is that you have some of these imperfections,” she says.
“The beauty of having an older home is that you have some of these imperfections,” she says.
Photo by Nick Glimenakis Photography
The light fixture is another original piece that Maya refurbished, using new glass and wiring.
The Sheetrock above the bed was removed to expose the brick wall. In doing so, the team discovered old gas lines, which meant they had to either fill the skinny vertical space with new bricks, which wouldn’t match, or patch it with concrete. To keep as much of the historic character as they could, “we decided to embrace it and fill it with cement,” Maya says.
The light fixture is another original piece that Maya refurbished, using new glass and wiring.
The Sheetrock above the bed was removed to expose the brick wall. In doing so, the team discovered old gas lines, which meant they had to either fill the skinny vertical space with new bricks, which wouldn’t match, or patch it with concrete. To keep as much of the historic character as they could, “we decided to embrace it and fill it with cement,” Maya says.
Set in an alcove across from the bed, a midcentury-inspired bookshelf holds a television and books.
Photo by Nick Glimenakis Photography
Maya kept the design simple in the master bedroom, choosing subtle colors to allow the woodwork and brick wall to stand out. She did hang a graphic artwork above the bed. The piece depicts Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Maya’s homeland.
Maya kept the design simple in the master bedroom, choosing subtle colors to allow the woodwork and brick wall to stand out. She did hang a graphic artwork above the bed. The piece depicts Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Maya’s homeland.
The bathroom can be accessed through the closet or from a hallway off the landing.
Maya wanted to restore the hardwood floors in the master suite, but they were too damaged to salvage for flooring, and she worried that moisture in the bathroom would make them deteriorate further.
They took the salvageable planks to Recycled Brooklyn, a custom furniture shop, and had them sanded down with a Verithane finish added. They were then hung vertically behind the vanity to create an accent wall. The planks were also used to construct the vanity, which has a poured concrete top and metal doors.
Maya wanted to restore the hardwood floors in the master suite, but they were too damaged to salvage for flooring, and she worried that moisture in the bathroom would make them deteriorate further.
They took the salvageable planks to Recycled Brooklyn, a custom furniture shop, and had them sanded down with a Verithane finish added. They were then hung vertically behind the vanity to create an accent wall. The planks were also used to construct the vanity, which has a poured concrete top and metal doors.
They replaced the flooring with wide-plank cement tiles.
The fireplace in here was also stripped and stained, and acts as a focal point adjacent to the new tub. Neither fireplace is operable because the flues are only 4 inches wide and code now requires them to be 8 inches. The redesign would have been expensive and meant ripping out the Sheetrock all the way to the roofline.
The fireplace in here was also stripped and stained, and acts as a focal point adjacent to the new tub. Neither fireplace is operable because the flues are only 4 inches wide and code now requires them to be 8 inches. The redesign would have been expensive and meant ripping out the Sheetrock all the way to the roofline.
Photo by Nick Glimenakis Photography
BEFORE: Another thing Maya couldn’t change for financial reasons was the location of the toilet. She wanted the shower to be against the window, but that would have meant moving the plumbing, which would have been too costly.
AFTER: Instead, she had a frosted glass partition, shown here, erected between the shower and the toilet. It allows for light but blocks the toilet.
Photo by Nick Glimenakis Photography
Maya chose an oversized Carrara marble subway tile for the shower. Before, there was only a tub in the bathroom.
The finished bathroom is a welcome retreat for the couple. Maya says she learned a lot from the process, especially when things don’t go as planned. “There will always be some bumps in the road. The key to overcoming these bumps is to be flexible and find creative solutions in the most cost-effective way possible,” she says.
“The biggest advice I can give is that for large-scale renovations such as these, there is nothing more important than hiring an experienced and knowledgable contractor,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to ask for references and go and see their work in person. You can always find creative ways to save on materials, but making sure you hire someone that is going to do things the right way will save you time and money in the end.”
Contractor: Kennedy Construction Services
Browse more Rooms of the Day
Maya chose an oversized Carrara marble subway tile for the shower. Before, there was only a tub in the bathroom.
The finished bathroom is a welcome retreat for the couple. Maya says she learned a lot from the process, especially when things don’t go as planned. “There will always be some bumps in the road. The key to overcoming these bumps is to be flexible and find creative solutions in the most cost-effective way possible,” she says.
“The biggest advice I can give is that for large-scale renovations such as these, there is nothing more important than hiring an experienced and knowledgable contractor,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to ask for references and go and see their work in person. You can always find creative ways to save on materials, but making sure you hire someone that is going to do things the right way will save you time and money in the end.”
Contractor: Kennedy Construction Services
Browse more Rooms of the Day
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Original wood and brick, more great use of wood...very warm feeling
Just gorgeous!