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The late nineteenth century brick constructing had been via quite a lot of modifications, from its origins as a warehouse to part of the Resort St. George, after which to condominium conversion within the Nineteen Seventies. Extra not too long ago, a pair with a younger daughter bought two adjoining sixth-floor models, a studio residence and a two-bedroom totaling 1,820 sq. toes, and known as on Brooklyn’s Shapeless Studio to mix and reimagine them.
What adopted was a thoroughgoing intestine. “We took out completely every little thing, right down to the subfloor,” mentioned Andrea Fisk, an architect and founding associate, with Jess Hinshaw, within the five-year-old Boerum Hill-based structure and interiors agency. “All the pieces you see is new.”
“We needed to create a big central space that every little thing pinwheels off of,” mentioned Fisk, with extra personal areas alongside the perimeters for TV watching and a house workplace. “Earlier than the renovation, the house felt darkish and cramped. Nearly all of the home windows are on one facet of the constructing, and the residence is far deeper than a typical New York residence, so the principle drivers for the venture had been ensuring sufficient gentle was in a position to penetrate deep into the house and determining use the darker areas. That drove the group for us.”
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Publish-reno, one enters to a lobby of moody navy blue, stepping from there into the brilliant, loft-like primary residing house. “That is our purchasers’ favourite second,” Fisk mentioned. There are a house workplace and powder room to the correct of the entry and a walk-in closet on the left, none of which have pure gentle. The first suite, with a bed room, pass-through closet and opulent although windowless bathtub, occupy house alongside one facet of the central residing house; the daughter’s room and a household room/TV lounge sit alongside the opposite, outlined by sliding glass and metal doorways paying homage to Shoji screens.
The open, clutter-free kitchen close to the residence’s entry is the soul of discretion, with home equipment rendered almost invisible. “We like designing kitchens that do not really feel like kitchens,” Fisk mentioned. “However we would like them to perform properly for a house cook dinner, so we’re at all times in search of intelligent methods to do this and to have all of the storage.” With this kitchen, “We made it slightly extra quiet, so the center of the room nonetheless looks as if a chic eating house.”
Fisk praises her purchasers as “gems,” appreciative of and keen to go all in on superbly crafted millwork by Brooklyn-based ArmadaNY and distinctive custom details, like the triangular plates behind the doorknobs.
The apartment’s overall aesthetic has a touch of industrial style suggested by elements of steel, glass and metal in the lobby and communal spaces of the building. Said Fisk: “We love designs that are really simple and have a tactile quality. That shares a lot with Japanese design.”
The entrance to the apartment is at the farthest point from the windows, Fisk said, “so we decided to embrace this darker area in a moodier way.” The foyer/mudroom is enveloped in dark blue paint, with a linoleum floor and one of the slatted benches found throughout the apartment.
The transition from the saturated entryway to the calm and light-filled main living space is dramatic.
The kitchen cabinetry is navy blue, like the entry, with a backsplash of lightly speckled plaster. A thin metal shelf holds mostly Heath ceramics from California. The round porcelain sconces glow at night.
The countertops are a sustainable material called Richlite, made from compressed paper. Along the back of the counter, closed cubbies house the most-used items, so although there are no upper cabinets, there is still plenty of discreet storage.
“We wanted the pantry and fridge to recede and become part of the architecture, so we used a lighter-colored cabinetry which blends with the wall color” along an adjacent wall, Fisk said.
Shapeless Studio created an oversized custom dining table with a wood base and stone top, lit by a minimalist wood and marble pendant light from Brooklyn-based Fort Standard. The leather dining chairs were sourced from Croft House.
A multi-purpose nook with one side window has a custom-built slatted bench and media cabinet with triangular detail and a soft Moroccan rug.
A curtain to cover the clear glass doors allows the space to double as an occasional guest room.
Playful triangular details, as on the sliding doors, are found throughout the space.
Furnishings were chosen by the homeowners, including the mustard yellow sofa that enhances the sunlight streaming in to the main living area from south-facing windows.
The main bedroom is part of a suite that also includes a walk-through closet and luxurious bath.
The double vanity’s top is made from the same stone slab as the dining table, flanked by slim surface mount sconces from Juniper. The shower walls were finished with Tadelakt, a waterproof plaster left its natural creamy white.
[Photos by Hagan Hinshaw]
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The Insider is Brownstoner’s weekly in-depth look at a notable renovation and/or interior design project by design journalist Cara Greenberg. Find it here every Thursday morning.
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