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Before & After: Brooklyn Heights Anglo-Italianate

Design • BIA Interiors

Our clients came to us after purchasing the upper unit of a Brooklyn Heights duplex in which they lived. Their goal was to combine the two units to create a home with plenty of space for their family.

After
Before
While the house was configured as a two-family home, a unique two-story triangular deck with a spiral staircase dominated the rear façade. We removed this structure, installing a new parlor-level deck with a staircase to directly connect the kitchen and rear yard.

A new bay breaks down the grid of windows from the upper floors, creating visual interest on the rear façade and allowing for helpful storage space in the kitchen. This change in scale is carried down to the garden floor, where the enlarged window opening helps maximize the natural light in the family room.

After
Before
The original kitchen was too small and fragmented for the family to comfortably use. Appliances were in two separate spaces, divided by the structural bearing wall.

By modifying the structure, we were able to remove the bearing wall and utilize the full width of the townhouse. Adding a bay to the rear of the floor gave us the space necessary to install cabinetry and a sink along the rear wall, increasing functionality and storage. Curved millwork houses a coffee zone and wet bar, gracefully leading out to the new rear deck. The increase in size of the kitchen allowed us to consider the island as if it were a piece of furniture, free of major appliances, with graceful legs and sleek details.

After
Before
The parlor-level living room previously served as both formal and informal living space. We moved the family's informal hangout space to the garden level, restoring the formality of the parlor and celebrating the beautiful historic details.

BIA Interiors selected a bright mix of colors, mixing traditional and contemporary elements. Larger, grounded objects like the marble coffee table and blue sofa are balanced by lighter chairs and tables with delicate legs.

After
Before
The rear of the garden floor previously contained a bedroom with a large, decommissioned chimney breast.

Removing the chimney breast, we were able to reimagine this space as an entertainment zone for the family, housing their impressive book collection with built-in bookshelves and keeping the space polished with a framed TV. A large sofa ensures the family has ample space for everyone to gather.

After
Before
The clients loved the details of the historic staircase, but the existing stairs were in such poor condition that a full replacement was necessary. To preserve the historic look we removed the rails, spindles, and newel posts, restored them, and reinstalled them onto the new staircase.

Alongside Kleen Construction, we opted for white oak treads on the new staircase, rather than the original pine, to match the flooring throughout the house and increase longevity of the new staircase.

After
Before
Another element the clients loved on the existing top floor was the round skylight atop the staircase. However, its location, hovering significantly below the roof at the attic level, made the third floor feel dark and cramped.

Reducing the size of the attic for a mechanical loft that now only lives over a bathroom, laundry room, and closets at the center of the building, we were able to greatly open up the floor, increasing ceiling height at the hallway and three bedrooms. We maintained the proportions of the historic skylight, splaying the edges to maximize natural light pouring into the space, transforming the overall feeling and increasing light that pours down the staircase.

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