Before & After: Upgrades for a Grown-Up Household

October 29, 2020

Design • BIA Interiors

This stunning townhouse in Brooklyn Heights challenged us to update the family's 1980s renovation by reorganizing the layout and upgrading the finishes to fit the family as their children grew up.

Front façade of a brick townhouse with brownstone lintels and details after our renovation — A full restoration of the front façade, including updated cornice and lintels, brought the exterior back to life.

Front façade of a brick townhouse with brownstone lintels and details before our renovation — A full restoration of the front façade, including updated cornice and lintels, brought the exterior back to life.

Living room with preserved historic details, white walls, and eclectic modern furnishings. — Our design started by organizing the spatial relationships of the family's daily routines. We balanced a new layout with the preservation of existing architectural details, such as the original plaster moldings.

Living room with wood floors and grey painted walls before our renovation — Our design started by organizing the spatial relationships of the family's daily routines. We balanced a new layout with the preservation of existing architectural details, such as the original plaster moldings.

Primary bedroom with a tan settee, red velvet bed, and light-colored grass cloth wallpaper. — Some of the existing rooms lacked functionality, creating leftover spaces.

Primary bedroom before renovation with red trim around the windows and floors and white walls. — Some of the existing rooms lacked functionality, creating leftover spaces.

We combined spaces where possible while preserving details. What was previously an office space became a sitting area in the primary bedroom.

Kitchen with natural wood cabinetry, a white island and marble backsplash, restored historic crown molding, and three pink barstools at the island. — The kitchen redesign was a major part of the renovation – just by giving it a facelift.

All white kitchen with shaker-style millwork on the cabinets, walls, and island. — The kitchen redesign was a major part of the renovation – just by giving it a facelift.

With new updated appliances, decorative lighting, light oak stained cabinets, marble, and quartz, the new kitchen is bright and playful. These materials combined create a bold contrast to the previous all-white kitchen.