This townhouse project was guided by a palette that featured a neutral backdrop of white tones and white oak elements in shapes and textures punctuated by washes of yellow and touches of blue. Instead of moldings and traditional paneling, detail comes from tambour oak millwork, reeded glass, textured plaster, and terrazzo surfacing.

The clients, a family of four with two young children, purchased this four-story townhouse in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, knowing there was considerable work to be done. The stair was virtually unnavigable, and the existing rear wall had a noticeable bulge. As was frequent at the time the house was constructed, the second floor had higher ceilings than the first, and the clients wanted to redistribute the space between the floors. 

The entry was lined in blue and white patterned tile and sized to accommodate strollers with a custom bench and cabinet to provide storage. Inside, the parlor floor layout was deliberately kept open to make it easy to keep an eye on the children. Custom built in and freestanding millwork pieces provide visual and material continuity. The living room fireplaces is flanked by built-in shelves, and a custom sideboard abuts the dining table. The kitchen features higher ceilings thanks to the decision to raise the floor at the back of the house to maximize the space a light leading toward the garden. A reeded glass and oak cabinet and arabescato antico marble countertops built-in upholstered banquette and terrazzo table is defined by the backdrop of a yellow plastered wall and steel windows looking out into the garden.

The second floor was configured as the primary suite. There, the steel bedroom window wall opens out into a private terrace. A custom corner desk provides space to work from home. The bathroom is finished in plaster, with a working fireplace, freestanding tub, and arched steam shower.

On the top floor, the kids rooms feature ceilings surfaced with wallpaper featuring graphic birds and clouds and finished with painted trim to match. The skylit bathroom is wrapped in yellow and white patterned cement tile. The stair is lit by a sculptural sconce by Lambert et Fils.