This mid 19th century rowhouse on a quiet street in Park Slope was in relatively poor condition when purchased by the client. The house next door had burned down many years before, leaving the lot vacant and overgrown, and the new owners wanted to build a structure in its place that would connect to the existing house.

The client’s ambitious program for the new structure required a new master suite with a spacious bath and dressing room, a dining room, a garage with a driveway (a luxury for city dwellers), and some outdoor living space. The spacious patio is surfaced in bluestone; the driveway in Belgian block. To avoid having to move to temporary quarters, the client elected to complete the project in two architectural phases, followed by an interior design phase.

The arched front entry casing served as a guide for re-building the doors from scratch to the specifications of the original configuration. This wall-mounted French console table-mirror features a marble top and and a gilded frame.

The double parlor was designed in one dominant theme to give it the feel of a single space. A 1930s tin ceiling was restored, and walls were painted in a warm yellow and finished with wax.

As a family of four, the client had a need for substantial storage space. Extensive millwork accommodates books, music and electronics.

Because the client opted to locate the master bedroom on the parlor floor, special care was given to the delineation of the space as private quarters. The vestibule library, with its extensive built-ins, serves as a threshold to the master suite.

The dining room was completed during the second architectural phase; it adjoins the kitchen. The mercury glass mirrored niche creates the illusion of a larger space and reflects the green of the garden. The mirror-fronted buffet enhances the effect. The silver chandelier is Spanish and the floors are oak with mahogany inlays.

Cabinetry was detailed to reflect the age of the original structure; it provides storage for china and silverware. Curlicue arms are the defining feature of this Regency chair.

A parlor floor bar features walnut millwork, Jerusalem Gold limestone countertops, and cabinet doors fashioned out of Lumicor acrylic panels with linen stitched in between. A grass cloth wall-covering by Donghia enhances the warmth and texture of the space.

A spacious and functional kitchen opens onto the patio garden. The backsplash is Oceanside Glasstile mosaic tile with an iridescent finish.

The house features three original marble mantles which were cleaned and re-installed. The pouf is custom; the graphite drawing is by Dean Brown.

On the garden level, the tv den features a sofa covered in blue linen velvet; Art Deco ceramic table lamps, brass wall sconces from Visual Comfort, and a rosewood mid-century coffee table by furniture designer Bertha Schaefer found at auction.