Crafting the Classic Brooklyn Home: Phased Renovations

Completing a renovation in phases can allow a family to grow into their houses over time. It also provides other benefits, like lowering upfront costs and providing an opportunity for families to remain in the home during construction.

In this Carroll Gardens Townhouse, Phase One involved converting the upper three floors of the home from three through-floor apartments into one home, while simply giving the existing garden-level apartment a facelift.

We were able to achieve a triple parlor via a new rear addition on this floor. The floor now includes separate living and dining rooms, a kitchen, and a powder room tucked under the staircase.

The spaces are connected through large openings, allowing traditional, quintessentially Brooklyn features to communicate with each other. This series of openings create interesting visual relationships throughout the floor, allowing interesting architectural elements to be viewed from all corners of the floor.

Classic, timeless Brooklyn style carries throughout the upper levels of the home. We treated the second floor as a full primary suite, with a bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom, and "adult living room." This living space, swathed in a soothing blue color, doubles as a cozy TV room and a guest bedroom. A roof deck atop the rear extension is accessible through this space, allowing for indoor-outdoor connections.

A classic blue tone carries throughout the owners' unit, from the living room couch to the kitchen island to millwork in the family room and barn doors leading to a playroom, creating cohesion across levels.

The top floor contains two bedrooms, a playroom, a full bathroom, and an office. The playroom and children's rooms can be closed off from the rest of the house, creating a kids' zone all their own. At the front of the floor sits a bathroom for the kids and guests, and at the rear, a home office with a calming wallpapered ceiling makes the most of the space.

Want to see the rest of the house?

View the project page here: Carroll Gardens Townhouse