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Content Coordinator, Houzz.com
Finding design inspiration online is commonplace by today?s standards, but discovering your future house through an image search is a whole other animal, especially when the home is a 5-story brownstone in serious need of a renovation.As a longtime friend of the homeowners, architect Kimberly Neuhaus was brought on to head this ambitious project in Brooklyn?s Clinton Hill neighborhood. At the time the home was used as a rooming house for students, a musician?s recording studio, and the occasional basement nightclub. It was only after Neuhaus visited the site did she realize that something special had been unearthed.
Built in 1887 by a co-founder of Pfizer for his daughter and her family, the home had seen an diverse assortment of owners throughout the years and had suffered the neglect that often comes with the charge of maintaining a 12,000-square-foot house more than 100 years old.
Through a clear and consistent design vision and a team of remodeling experts, the home was restored beyond its original glory to become the perfect home for a family of four ? and even the community at large.
Neuhaus and her team were presented with the challenge and responsibility of the renovation and preservation of an important neighborhood landmark.
With historic architecture renovations, maintaining complete period authenticity presents itself as an obvious solution. But that often feels quite dated, and perhaps too thematic. Instead, Neuhaus created a hybrid solution fusing contemporary and period design that blends the architectural heritage of the brownstone with its inhabitants' modern perspective and lifestyle.
The house exterior and architecture was treated as a metaphorical envelope and would retain its period integrity. Interior features like the cabinetry, bathrooms, furnishings, light fixtures, staircase, etc. were seen as the contents of the envelope and therefore could serve as contemporary insertions into the space.
Wood floors in the house represent a convergence of the two. While the wood itself is not original to the home, parquet borders discovered under layers of asbestos tile and carpeting inspired the new flooring design. ?CAD drawings and a CNC machine were used to recreate sections of what some craftsman had originally done by hand,? says Neuhaus.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.The client worked closely with Neuhaus and the rest of the crew and acted as the interior designer ? and has subsequently founded an interior design company. Since the majority of the furnishings were already owned by the client, a great deal of inspiration and collaboration stemmed from her collection.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.With the exception of the kitchen addition, the majority of the work on the parlor level was restorative work ? from the original trim and molding to the ornate leaded windows seen here.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.With the original kitchen gutted, a contemporary redesign was able to come into fruition while still paying homage to architecture of the conservatory that once stood in that space.
The success of this complicated design of contradictions stems substantially from Neuhaus's vision, and she is quick to credit her team for its flawless execution. ?The skill with which that was done really speaks to the beauty of working with a construction manager and subcontractors who have great respect for, and experience with, old houses.?
Neuhaus designed and created this kitchen storage unit to display the family?s ceramic collection. Like many items now prominently displayed throughout the house, these too had previously been in storage. The client wanted very visible and accessible storage for these pieces.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.From the exterior, the original curved brick foundation of the conservatory becomes much more apparent. The newly added copper roof takes its inspiration from the original shape of the structure.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.While historical integrity was key when it came to many of the structural decisions, color played a major role in determining the decor and materials that would be used throughout the house's interior. The client originally envisioned that the entire house would be done in a variation of "camouflage" colors. Neuhaus took this inspiration and translated it into a palette she defines as "neutrals with color." Dominated by muted blues, grays, and tans, and accented with dark and heavy woodwork or metallic accents, an overriding and cohesive theme is created throughout the entire home.
"We sealed those original colors in a bag together, and it was amazing how consistently we were able to use them, with slight variations depending on the light in the space, throughout the entire project. That bag of colors served as a sort of touchstone as we moved forward through the house."
Even the individual colors in the banding of the stone gray onyx in the wet bar is consistent with the color scheme. The boldness of this spectacular slab is almost downplayed by the fact that it is so in line with the colors used throughout the house.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.While the carefully curated color palette and material selection is an obvious contributor to an overall sense of lightness that abounds the house, the house itself plays a primary role for this effect. The brownstone extends the entire length of the block, and because of this three walls receive natural light ? very unusual for New York City. Intricate woodwork and darker accents still maintain an airy quality due to the lack of artificial light.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.Bringing natural light to the basement level proved to be more of a challenge. The staircase from the parlor level to the basement is built in a masonry shaft beneath a copper skylight that had been previously roofed over.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.By daylighting the skylight and allowing as much natural light to penetrate through the staircase as possible, the previously dark and barren basement now invites sunlight into the home's deepest depths.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.Reminders of previous dwellers were constant throughout the renovation ? some more obvious than others. Before being replaced, the windows of this bathing room were dominated with religious iconography ? remnants of the Roman Catholic Diocese that owned and occupied this house and its twin next door from the 1930s until 1989. The stained glass had to to go.
"However we have to laugh as a cross reappears in that room at a certain time each day," Neuhaus says, "when the light from outside hits the tub faucet at a certain angle and projects a perfect crucifix across the room.?
Original details were restored and maintained when possible. ?We set two major goals for the project: The first was to develop a dialogue between the house and the objects and interventions within it," Neuhaus says. "The second was not to lose the sense of this being an old house. We didn?t want to renovate the life out of it.?
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.Continuing with the envelope metaphor, exterior window materials and styles remained faithful to the age of the house. While the shelving and hardware of this closet are contemporary, its tie to the exterior remains architecturally historical.
?We really enjoy seeing the dialogue between the old and the new. The items we chose to remove were mainly things that obscured the true beauty of the house.?
While the house itself boasts a staggering four stories and a basement level, rooms, like this bathroom, were designed to be comfortable and inviting. First and foremost, this space was envisioned as a family home.
by Neuhaus Design Architecture, P.C.For that reason, there is a clear demarcation between public and private spaces in the home ? with the bedrooms residing in the upper stories of the house while the open living areas remain on the entry level for hosting intimate cultural events and fundraisers.
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" + "" + "" + "" + ""; } html += ""; document.getElementById("partnerRSSFeeds").innerHTML = html;Wow, Wow, Wow! Can't decide what I'm most envious of - the knotted chair, the collection of light fixtures, that onyx wall, that coffee table. Amazing home!
Its very lovely! the texture & harmony of colors gives a new flair on such
a historical property, the moldings, flooring & accents are fantastic, its a modern Art Nuveau style, having lived seasonally nearby & walkby some of these
gems, the gentrification is just awesome, there is a unique store nearby
Modular-art.com in Boerum Hill Alantic Ave, a popup store! would compliment some unique additional items possibly within!
Source: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/577454/list/Houzz-Tour--A-Brooklyn-Landmark-Returns-to-Glory/
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