Fort Greene Brownstone
This brownstone in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood transformed what had been a building in considerable disrepair into a contemporary home for a young family. Though it is located on a quiet block a short walk from Fort Greene park, the brownstone had suffered from years of neglect, resulting in structural and mechanical issues that required careful attention. SJA undertook a comprehensive restoration of the building, reinforcing it and bringing it to full code compliance.
The design divided the four-story building into two units: a duplex for the owners and a duplex rental unit on the upper floors. At the entry corridor, SJA created a shared space with access to both units. Painted with a cool, blue shade and integrating storage options for outerwear, strollers, and bicycles, the space creates a welcoming environment for the residents and their guests. SJA also introduced a custom curved wall that connects to the rounded staircase and transforms an oftentimes overlooked ingress into a carefully crafted passageway.
In collaboration with the clients and interior design firm Bespoke Only, SJA developed a design strategy that captured her clients’ interest in creating a personalized and immersive interior environment filled with color and texture, reflecting the client’s taste in art, design, furniture, and color. Rather than completely gutting the interiors, however, SJA worked with the clients to preserve and restore certain design components, like the main staircase banister, skylights, and moldings in order to maintain the original integrity of this house while giving it new life.
For the new flooring, SJA turned to reclaimed wood from Sawkill Lumber, while extensive custom millwork in the kitchen and living areas provide ample storage for the clients’ sample collection of books and belongings. Tiles by Mosaic House in the kitchen and by Clé tile, Nemo, and Tile Bar in the bathrooms were chosen in collaboration with the clients, drawing from patterns that had captured their attention during travels. Burgundy, mustard, turkish blue, and pale pink paints from Farrow & Ball and Benjamin Moore and wallpaper from Kravet create different atmospheres throughout the house, giving rooms and areas distinct character.
Drawing from a wide range of personal interests, the architecture and interior design work in concert to transform this brownstone into a truly singular environment. Our clients, also avid collectors of art and objects, wanted to ensure the finished home created spaces to exhibit their collection in ways that felt intuitive. For instance, SJA created a custom nook to accommodate an antique desk that had been in their family for generations, framed by a custom built bookshelf to create a home office filled with character and personal significance.
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