Bathrooms include millwork. Photo © Brett Beyer, click to enlarge.

The existing oddly arranged kitchen was partially occupied by a small bathroom, with a shower, accessed via a stair landing adjacent to the kitchen; it had a stove hooked up at an oblique angle, and an abundance of faux-granite countertops—all now completely ripped out. On the same site, the design team recentered the room on a custom-fabricated oak kitchen island, with the stove placed squarely on the south wall, where it is backed by handmade glazed white tiles. Cabinetry, painted a smoky blue and fitted with unlacquered brass knobs, encircles the space, and white quartzite surfacing has replaced the ersatz stone. The newfound openness of the kitchen provided the design team space for a small powder room to the south and an informal dining banquette tucked against the north wall, where the family enjoys casual meals, with access to a deck overlooking the rear yard.

Cabinetry is painted a smokey blue. Photo © Brett Beyer

Bathrooms feature tile mosaics. Photo © Brett Beyer

The bathrooms on the second and third floors were designed, according to BHA, to feel as if they had always been there. That effect is achieved with custom mosaic floor tiling, polished chrome and retro hardware—like a clawfoot tub in the primary bathroom—and additional wood cabinetry and paneling. Removing the full bathroom in the kitchen afforded space for a secondary stairwell, hidden behind a mirror door, that leads to a sunroom like a tree house on the second floor.

The renovation was largely completed over a year ago, but the clients are planning additional projects for the years ahead, including overhauling the garage in the backyard and restoring the building exterior. In the meantime, the home will offer the young family room to grow, and their own slice of quasi-suburban living in the center of Brooklyn.

Click graphic to enlarge