Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Details Shine in Updated Brooklyn Brownstone
Modern furnishings complement the vintage character of this urban dwelling
First-Floor Dining Room
Before: In a previous renovation, all of the original fireplaces in the home had been removed and replaced with 1970s-era bathroom tiling. “A whole series of ad hoc interventions took place, leaving an incongruous, dilapidated fireplace,” Lee says. “The tiles installed were completely the wrong scale, oversize and poorly installed. The original woodwork was unfortunately replaced with an uneven, painted plywood sheet, leaving no sense of a mantel or relation to the adjacent wainscot.”
Before: In a previous renovation, all of the original fireplaces in the home had been removed and replaced with 1970s-era bathroom tiling. “A whole series of ad hoc interventions took place, leaving an incongruous, dilapidated fireplace,” Lee says. “The tiles installed were completely the wrong scale, oversize and poorly installed. The original woodwork was unfortunately replaced with an uneven, painted plywood sheet, leaving no sense of a mantel or relation to the adjacent wainscot.”
After: To restore the dining room to its original look, Lee searched on eBay for a mantel from the same year the brownstone was constructed. Remarkably, she found a perfect match. “We knew from other neighbors who had retained fireplaces that this was definitely something similar to the original fireplace here,” Lee says. “So we brought that in, and then we added our own green glazed tile to create a clean and modern look.”
In addition, millworkers created wood paneling to match the adjacent wainscot and create a seamless appearance.
Chandelier: Waterloo, Park Studio; stairway paint: Kendall Charcoal, Benjamin Moore; stairway woodwork paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore
In addition, millworkers created wood paneling to match the adjacent wainscot and create a seamless appearance.
Chandelier: Waterloo, Park Studio; stairway paint: Kendall Charcoal, Benjamin Moore; stairway woodwork paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore
Kitchen
Before: The kitchen had undergone a renovation in the early 2000s that unfortunately chopped up the room, leaving a large, unused area. At that time, a mudroom addition was added, but it had structural issues and blocked natural light from entering the kitchen.
Before: The kitchen had undergone a renovation in the early 2000s that unfortunately chopped up the room, leaving a large, unused area. At that time, a mudroom addition was added, but it had structural issues and blocked natural light from entering the kitchen.
After: Lee and her team completely reoriented the kitchen, allowing the island to face the outdoors. Part of that transformation included removing the mudroom addition and adding glass doors for a more fluid connection to the backyard.
“We wanted to reconfigure the kitchen so it would allow an ease in use, maximize the amount of natural daylight and provide informal seating in a much-used kitchen,” Lee says.
With natural light and a much more open space, the kitchen is now a nice entertaining area for the homeowners.
Windows and door: Eagle E-Series, Andersen; countertop: cloud white, Zodiaq, Dupont; cabinets: white oak; dishwasher: Smeg with custom white oak panel; lighting: matte black pendants, Caravaggio; browse similar pendant lights
“We wanted to reconfigure the kitchen so it would allow an ease in use, maximize the amount of natural daylight and provide informal seating in a much-used kitchen,” Lee says.
With natural light and a much more open space, the kitchen is now a nice entertaining area for the homeowners.
Windows and door: Eagle E-Series, Andersen; countertop: cloud white, Zodiaq, Dupont; cabinets: white oak; dishwasher: Smeg with custom white oak panel; lighting: matte black pendants, Caravaggio; browse similar pendant lights
Kitchen island: This corner of the kitchen is one of the homeowners’ favorite aspects of the home. “The small bench directly adjacent to the window is a great spot where you can nestle with a warm cup of coffee and just soak in the morning sun,” Lee says.
Desk nook: Another great feature of the updated kitchen is the desk nook that’s built into the pantry cabinets. Designed with the family’s young children in mind, the space includes a craft station and play area that’s easy to keep organized and out of sight.
Cabinets: custom white oak with Pivot Pocket doors for concealed desk, Häfele
8 Kitchen Desk and Nook Designs to Keep Your Family Organized
Cabinets: custom white oak with Pivot Pocket doors for concealed desk, Häfele
8 Kitchen Desk and Nook Designs to Keep Your Family Organized
Second-Floor Staircase
Before: In the stairway, as in other areas of the home, Lee and the owners realized they had great structural bones to work with. Yet, unfortunate design decisions from the past meant that many of the historical details had been neglected or covered up. At the top of the list of priorities was removing the dingy, moldy red carpet.
Before: In the stairway, as in other areas of the home, Lee and the owners realized they had great structural bones to work with. Yet, unfortunate design decisions from the past meant that many of the historical details had been neglected or covered up. At the top of the list of priorities was removing the dingy, moldy red carpet.
After: Along with removing the carpet, Lee also selected materials that lighten the space and allowed historical details to shine.
During the remodel, Lee discovered that the stairs were actually composed of various kinds of wood. “We didn’t want to bring out something that felt like a cacophony of different types of wood, so on the stair, we ended up painting the treads and risers,” Lee says. She wanted to accentuate the ornate work in the stair railing instead and had it painted white.
During the remodel, Lee discovered that the stairs were actually composed of various kinds of wood. “We didn’t want to bring out something that felt like a cacophony of different types of wood, so on the stair, we ended up painting the treads and risers,” Lee says. She wanted to accentuate the ornate work in the stair railing instead and had it painted white.
Living Room
Just off of the stairwell on the second floor, Lee and the homeowners created a bright and comfortable living area. Here, the historic character of the woodwork complements the modern furniture and lighting. The woodwork had been covered in layers of dark, oppressive paint. The paint was stripped, and the original mahogany doors with ornate detailing were restored. Original hardware was cleaned or replaced to match.
Wainscot paint: Rodeo, Benjamin Moore; railing paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore; stair treads/risers paint: Kendall Charcoal, Benjamin Moore; lighting: Akari Light Sculptures, Isamu Noguchi
Just off of the stairwell on the second floor, Lee and the homeowners created a bright and comfortable living area. Here, the historic character of the woodwork complements the modern furniture and lighting. The woodwork had been covered in layers of dark, oppressive paint. The paint was stripped, and the original mahogany doors with ornate detailing were restored. Original hardware was cleaned or replaced to match.
Wainscot paint: Rodeo, Benjamin Moore; railing paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore; stair treads/risers paint: Kendall Charcoal, Benjamin Moore; lighting: Akari Light Sculptures, Isamu Noguchi
Study
Before: In the study, the red carpet, color palette and mismatched materials contributed to the room’s dark look. Additionally, the wood floor beneath the carpet had been subjected to substantial water damage.
Before: In the study, the red carpet, color palette and mismatched materials contributed to the room’s dark look. Additionally, the wood floor beneath the carpet had been subjected to substantial water damage.
After: Lee had custom wood flooring cut to replace the damaged areas so it would match the existing parquet floor. “We worked with a really good flooring contractor to weave in the ‘new’ material to appear as seamless as possible,” she says. “We added an amberizer to the white oak parquet sealer. It’s a process that slightly darkens the white oak so it would appear aged and look contiguous with the rest of the wood flooring.”
Lighting: Akari Light Sculptures, Isamu Noguchi; wood flooring: Elegant Interiors
Lighting: Akari Light Sculptures, Isamu Noguchi; wood flooring: Elegant Interiors
Third-Floor Bathroom
After: The upper-floor baths had been renovated in the late 80s/early 90s and were chopped-up, narrow rooms without flow. For example, the sinks were in a separate room from the toilet and small tub, and you had to pass through a hallway and a master bedroom into the closet to get to the sinks. Lee’s renovation gutted the separated spaces to create more comfortable bathrooms, like the one above. Handmade, encaustic cement tile was selected for the floor tile to provide a bold graphic pattern and add a little whimsy to the clean, modern space.
Shower tap: Grohe Atrio; shower tile: 4-by-8-inch cement tile, Clé Tile; sink: Vero, Duravit; vanity: teak, custom; floor tile: blue, Diamond Twist cement tile, Clé Tile; find cement tiles
After: The upper-floor baths had been renovated in the late 80s/early 90s and were chopped-up, narrow rooms without flow. For example, the sinks were in a separate room from the toilet and small tub, and you had to pass through a hallway and a master bedroom into the closet to get to the sinks. Lee’s renovation gutted the separated spaces to create more comfortable bathrooms, like the one above. Handmade, encaustic cement tile was selected for the floor tile to provide a bold graphic pattern and add a little whimsy to the clean, modern space.
Shower tap: Grohe Atrio; shower tile: 4-by-8-inch cement tile, Clé Tile; sink: Vero, Duravit; vanity: teak, custom; floor tile: blue, Diamond Twist cement tile, Clé Tile; find cement tiles
Child’s Bedroom
After: Playful decor and brightly colored decals bring a cheerful feel to a child’s bedroom on the upper level.
Fabric decals: Pop and Lolli; bed linen: ABC, Design Letters; lighting: Bamboo M3 pendant, AY Illuminate
After: Playful decor and brightly colored decals bring a cheerful feel to a child’s bedroom on the upper level.
Fabric decals: Pop and Lolli; bed linen: ABC, Design Letters; lighting: Bamboo M3 pendant, AY Illuminate
Bedroom
After: The blending of historic and modern details continues throughout this third-floor bedroom.
“Often, people don’t think modern design can be complementary to the historic, but it can be when thoughtfully designed and detailed well,” Lee says. “I think that was something we were really invested in here — being sensitive [to] and enhancing the historic details while providing the modern comforts needed in today’s life.”
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After: The blending of historic and modern details continues throughout this third-floor bedroom.
“Often, people don’t think modern design can be complementary to the historic, but it can be when thoughtfully designed and detailed well,” Lee says. “I think that was something we were really invested in here — being sensitive [to] and enhancing the historic details while providing the modern comforts needed in today’s life.”
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with two young children
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 2,400 square feet (222 square meters)
Designer: Sonya Lee of Sonya Lee Architect
The backstory: Well over a century ago, in 1899, the original builders constructed this Brooklyn brownstone with durable materials, sophisticated woodwork, elegant fireplaces and an inviting floor plan. Decades later, following several ad hoc renovations, water damage and general wear and tear, the brownstone had lost much of its initial luster. However, its outlook changed when a new, young family from Australia purchased the home and began working with architect Sonya Lee to repurpose and reimagine this historic property for a new era.