Before/After: A Remodelistas Refreshed Parlor Floor Flat in Brooklyn Heights, NY

When my husband, Josh, and I told friends we were moving to Brooklyn Heights from our hometown of 20 years, Mill Valley, CA, they were curious. Why would you move to gray, dreary NYC with its punishing winters and hot, humid summers? But with our two children (actually, young adults) in college on the East Coast, it made sense. And we were curious to experience NYC life after a long spell in CA.

We were lucky enough to find a parlor floor flat in Brooklyn Heights that hadnt been updated for a couple of decades, so it was a blank slate. (And bonus points: its four doors down from my Remodelista cofounder and childhood friend Francesca Connolly.) The floor plan was functional, so we didnt have to move walls or do any structural work. The main challenges: the kitchen and bathrooms were in need of attention, and a tiny room off the living room was going to have to serve asa guest room/study.

The first person we called was Francescas brother Malachi Connolly,a New York/Cape Cod-based architect, preservationist, and longtime board member of theCape Cod Modern House Trust.

The architecture was already therethe high ceilings, the molding, the gracious proportionsbut it was being dragged down by some of the decisions from the previous renovation. To right the wrongs, we squared off the cased openings between rooms to give some scale, and added new case moldings to provide visual support to the large window and crown molding that was original to the apartment. We also painted the entire apartmentwalls, trim, and caseworkin Benjamin Moores Atrium White to unify the spaces.

When it came to the 8-by-14-foot study, off the living room, it was like a puzzle, Malachi says. The space needed to serve several functions; it had to act as a guest room that could comfortably sleep two people with a full bathroom and also double as a study/TV room. I looked at a lot of Japanese architecture, including capsule hotels and Joe Colombo prefab modular living units, to see how small spaces could be successful maximized without feeling cramped. The end result is an overachieving space that features elements stacked together, included a loft bed, a slim couch and TV below, a small closet, a writers desk, and a full bathroom with a cat box closet.

Join us for a tour:

Photography by Matthew Williamswith styling by Alexa Hotz.

Above: TheCrosby Mirror is from UK/NY-based Ochre (bought off the floor during one of their NY sales). The totora reed basket is from Apiece Aparts NYC shop (they no longer carry the baskets, but you can find them online at Inti Earth). The planter perched on the midcentury stool is by NY Magazine editor and Renaissance man David Haskell. The pair of landscape paintings flanking the fireplace is by Truro, MA, artist Rob DuToit. Above: The blackened steel Winnisook Floor Lamp is from one of our all-time favorite makers, Rhinebeck, NY-based Sawkille (we first posted on them a decade ago). The Thonet midcentury modern bent plywood chairs are from eBay, and we found the Belgian white oak table at aSummerhouse warehouse sale in Mill Valley. Above: The vintage Lotte Boslund table lampsare from Modern Cabin in Brooklyn. The Cove Sofa for Cisco Brothers is from John Derian, and the oil painting that hangs above is another Rob DuToit work.The hand-dyed linen-backed Velvet Pillows are from UK textile artist Kirsten Hecktermann, who works out of her studio in Suffolk. Each length of fabric goes through up to 10 baths of different colors to achieve subtle variations, she says. I work outside, so Im reliant on the weather, though the most favorable time is actually a cold frosty overcast day as it is the best way to see the color develop. Above: The white oak and cold-rolled steelASR Wall-Mounted Shelving Systemis from Newburgh, NY, design and fabrication specialists Atlas Industries, one of the first companies we featured on Remodelista more than a decade ago. (I copied the idea from Francesca.) The handblown glass Cherub Lamp is from Ochre, and the framed photo above the Thonet chair is by Ilisa Katz Rissman. Above: Josh and I found our SubZero refrigerator on Craigslist (our ever-resourceful friend Marc Agger, Francescas husband, arranged transport to Brooklyn from the Upper West Side). I bought ourFrisbee Trash Bin, designed byFrench industrial designer Frdric Perigot, at ABC Home (its also available from Luminaire). The small oil painting of Rome rooftops is by the late Provincetown/NY painter Arthur Cohen. Above: My inspiration for the kitchen was English couturier Anna Valentines London apartment, which we featured on Remodelista a few years back (see Kitchen of the Week: A Culinary Space Inspired by a Painting). For similar, minimally detailed cabinets, we turned to Brooklyn-based Jeremy Pickett of Pickett Furniture (one of our earliest Remodelista advertisers, back in the late aughts). The countertops are Carrara marble and the wall-mounted Chicago Kitchen Faucet with articulated spout is a model weve used before; its well priced, American made, and incredibly durable. Above: My obsession: keeping paper towels off the countertop. We installed a dowel in the cabinet above the sink, which accommodates two rolls. Next to the sink, a small enamel tray from Japanese company Noda Horo holds a Riess Enamel Measuring Jug stocked with Iris Hantverk brushes and scrubbers. Above: I dithered on the kitchen pendant decision, so as a placeholder, we went with hardware store porcelain fixtures and decorative oversized Nostalgic Collection lightbulbs from Bulbrite, discovered at John Derians West Village shop. Above: We chose a BertazzoniPRO304GASX Range for its good looks and relatively slim profile (compared to a Wolf or a Viking). A flowerpot by Ben Wolff holds wooden spoons, and a pewter pitcher from Match holds metal utensils. Above: A stacked Bosch Washer/Dryeris concealed behind a full-length cabinet door. Above: The Thompson 6-Drawer California King Storage Bed is from Urban Green Furniture in Brooklyn; its draped in an oversize Rough LinenOrkney Linen Coverlet filled withpure wool. The glossy whiteJielde Signal Lampsare from Philadelphia-based Horne. TheTablo Tray Table by Design House Stockholm works well as a low-profile bedside table and is available from Olson & Baker. The oil still-life painting over the bed is another work by Rob DuToit. Above: The hand-dyed linen-backed Velvet Pillows are fromtextile artist Kirsten Hecktermann. I found the Paulistano Chair with white canvas cover at the DWR outlet in Brooklyn. The floor lamp is from David Weeks Studio. Above: The Paul Resika work on paper of the Provincetown pier was a wedding present from the artist, and the tall Paul McCobb dresser is from Symmetry Vintage, an excellent source for reconditioned pieces by the midcentury modern master. OwnerMatthew W. Herschel sources pieces from all over the country; see his offerings at Symmetry Vintage. Above: A pair of refurbished Paul McCobb dressers from Symmetry Vintageis topped with a Shaker-style peg rail fromPeg and Rail. The Hector Medium Table Lamps by Original BTC are from Horne. A trio of hanging baskets from Italian designer Daniela Gregis holds scarves, gloves, and other essentials. Above: The dressing room cabinets are original. The vintage Marimekko dress from the 1970s belonged to my mother, who wore it to many a cocktail party on the Outer Cape. The vintage handblown opal glass Wohlert pendant, designedby Danish architect Vilhelm Wohlert and sourced from Lanoba Design in Long Island City, previously hung in a Danish courthouse. Above: The Framed Medicine Cabinet in polished chrome is from Restoration Hardware, and the Jasper MorrisonGlo-Ball Zero Sconce for Flos is from DWR. The Vero Washbasin with Chrome Metal Console is from Duravit, and the Single-Lever Mixer in Chrome is from Dornbracht, both sourced from AF Supply in NYC. Above: The small room off the living room serves as an office, guest quarters, and TV-watching space. Working with architectJoseph Vidich of Kin & Company, Malachi designed a crisp blackened steel railing and handrail. The bedcover is from Erica Tanovand the Tolomeo Clip Spot reading lights are from DWR. Above: Malachi designed a small desk to fit discretely in a corner, illuminated by a bronzeJielde Signal Desk Lamp from Horne. The birch plywood peg board is from Kreisdesign. (See Remodelista contributing editor Justine Hands Easy-ish DIY: Oversize Plywood Pegboard with Shelves.) Above: In the guest bath, the Vero Washbasin with Chrome Metal Console is from Duravit, and the Single-Lever Mixer in Chrome is from Dornbracht, both sourced from AF Supply in NYC. The wall-hung toilet is from Geberit. Above: The shower fittings are from Dornbracht, via AF Supply. Above: The pice de rsistance: a built-in niche for the kitty litter box (you may recognize our cat, JoJo, from the cover of The Organized Home:Simple, Stylish Storage Ideas for All Over the House).

Before

Above: The living room was painted forest green. Photo by Mel Walbridge. Above: A view toward the main bedroom.Malachi squared off the opening toward the vestibule, which is more in keeping with the architecture of the apartment. Photo by Mel Walbridge. Above: The original kitchen.Photo by Mel Walbridge. Above: The master bedroom was painted a bluebell shade; note the low door frame, which Malachi raised.Photo by Mel Walbridge. Above: The small room off the living room was previously used as a childrens bedroom.Photo by Mel Walbridge. Above: One of two original bathrooms.Photo by Mel Walbridge.

For more Remodelista editors dwellings, see:

Before & After: Remodelista Contributing Editor Izabella Simmons Shares Her Scandi-Inspired Remodel

Rehab Diary: Sleuthing for Space in Christine Chang Hanways London House

Remodelista Contributing Editor Justine Hands Cape Cod Cottage

A Bedroom Refresh for a Remodelista Editor

Before & After: A Remodelista Editors Dated California Kitchen Gets a Refresh

Rehab Diaries: A Wellfleet Guest Cottage Revived on Cape Cod