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Before & After: Gothic Revival Townhouse

Design • Sustainability

This dramatic parlor floor transformation in a recently completed Brooklyn Heights project centered around opening the parlor floorplan. Traditionally, townhouses were segmented into two to three separate rooms on the parlor floor: a formal dining room, a living room, and sometimes a kitchen. Opening up these spaces provides opportunities for modern living spaces, where flow from one to another is seamless.

After Kitchen and dining area with marble backsplash and a grey island
Before
Relocating the kitchen to the center allowed easy circulation through the space, making living, cooking, and dining more comfortable.
After Dining area at the rear of a Brooklyn Heights townhouse with glass doors, large windows, a skylight, and checkered floors.
Before Kitchen at the rear of a Brooklyn Heights townhouse before our renovation
Reconfiguring the rear parlor floor gave us space for a dining area, providing easy outdoor access to both the roof deck above the garage and the rear yard.

At the front of the parlor floor, our clients wanted something unique to increase drama in the formal living room at the front of the floor. We combined casual and formal living spaces through a unique steel and glass system that lets light flood the house but keeps the casual TV room upstairs at bay.

After Glass wall system separating a double-height living room from a second-floor seating area
Before
The second floor family room looks down into the parlor living room and the vast two-story bookcases will soon be filled with a personal collection.

Passive measures allowed us to eliminate radiators and lower mechanical load, making temperatures in the double height space at the front of the house easier to regulate. Ultimately, the house provides a contemporary, unique take on the historic functionality of the townhouse.

Finish photography: Adam Kane Macchia

In collaboration with BIA Interiors.

Before & After Journal

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