Park Slope Townhouse

Located half a block from Prospect Park, this 1910 British Regency home underwent a complete gut renovation to create a more open and flowing plan, overcoming the narrow feel of the typical Brooklyn townhouse. The historic limestone facade with center entry, a break from the traditional brownstones in the neighborhood, was preserved.

The clients, art collectors with a very diverse collection of emerging artists, wanted the house to have the same youthful and creative energy as their pieces. As architects, builders, and interior designers, we were able to work closely with skilled craftsmen to create bespoke places for art. In addition, select wall space was left empty to allow new art to be installed in a flexible gallery style. One-of-a-kind fabrics and rugs were created to be art pieces in their own right, complementing work by artists including Takashi Murakami, Tracey Emin, Danielle Orchard, Hyegyeong G. Choi, Derek Fordjour, Sanford Biggers, Kehinde Wiley, and Summer Wheat.

The ground floor serves as the main family zone, with a large kitchen for clients that love to cook and bake at the center. The informal dining and family room open directly to the garden, with the landscape stone extending into the family room to create a seamless indoor/outdoor transition. The piano nobile above serves as the formal entertainment space with a custom library to accommodate a large collection of books. Simple wire-brushed oak punctuates the informal spaces of the house, while smooth fumed oak elevates the more formal spaces.

By removing floor area in the rear of building, two nearly double-height levels were fashioned, resulting in spaces that are larger in scale and take full advantage of garden views. Planters and green roofs terrace up the rear facade, creating the sense of living in the garden at every floor. The shifted floor plates also make for an unexpected navigation path through the residence, designed in part to showcase a vast and eclectic art collection. The focal point is a sculptural stair that spirals up through shifting the axis of the space, acting as a transition zone and culminating in a new rooftop addition.