The brief included converting a small 19th century brick building into a single-family home and converting the basement into usable space.
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A house fire and subsequent water damage emboldened the owners of this 19th-century brick carriage house to finally undertake much-needed renovations. Located in a coveted neighborhood, the residence was long divided into two rental apartments, each of which moved in once construction was completed.
South Slope-based Ben Herzog Associates took on the task of converting the 20-by-35-foot building into a single-family home for the homeowner and their two children. From the front, the house looks like a two-story building. Three from the back. “Technically it's a two-story building with a basement,” said project architect Sarah Rose. “You go into the ground floor, but you don't have to go up from there. A trolley was needed to pull it directly into the building. That's why the building is flush with the street.”
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The entire interior is new and custom, with a rebuilt staircase and new window openings in the rear. The ground floor is open plan with living room to the front, kitchen/dining to the rear and a new powder room under the stairs. “The upper floor was very small, but we were able to fit three bedrooms and two full bathrooms there,” Rose said.
There is yet another full bath in the basement, currently used as a family room and guest space, with direct access to the backyard. “We excavated to increase the ceiling height by about 6 inches,” Rose said. “Their water has to travel long distances, and their waste lines have to travel long distances through backyards and back to back streets.” That was the limiting factor.'' Still, the architects managed to achieve nearly eight-foot ceilings.
All openings in the front facade are original, with a series of windows replacing the original vehicle doors at street level.
The architects tucked a coat closet into the small entrance hall, whose floor is covered in fire clay tiles in a Kasbat trellis pattern.
The kitchen's five horizontal casement windows (pictured above) face south and provide abundant light to the ground floor.
Slate blue fire clay tiles in a star and cross pattern add warmth and interest. Custom cabinets are shop-sprayed wood with white Caesarstone countertops.
The sconces were sourced from Allied Maker pendant lights Cedar and Moss.
Bright wallpaper from House of Hackney and Cedar and Moss sconces decorate the small ground floor powder room.
The existing straight staircase was rebuilt with a winder to accommodate three bedrooms on the second floor.
Original arched openings, a Juliet balcony and two slotted windows give the master bedroom an unusual character.
The private bathroom has a shower only and features a walnut vanity and patterned tile flooring from Cement Tile Shop.
The children's bathroom features cement floor tiles from Kure. The pattern is Peaks and the color is Federal Blue.
New stairs traverse all three levels. It opens onto a rooftop deck and is accessed through the Dayliter rooftop door, a huge operable skylight.
Downstairs, the family room has a wet bar and walnut desk under the stairs. The statement wallpaper is Jungle Dream by Amy Wilder.
Two sets of sliding French doors on the basement level connect the family room to the bluestone-paved backyard. The backyard has been redesigned with new bluestone stairs and new wood fencing.
Only the window openings on the top floor remain intact.
[Photos by Brett Beyer]
insider A weekly in-depth look at Brownstoner's notable interior design/renovation projects by design journalists. carla greenberg. Find it here every Thursday morning.
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