Inside a Brooklyn Brownstone Designed for Three Generations

By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar

Photography by Nicole Franzen

A Brooklyn brownstone is distinct from other such homes, as architects Christopher Lee and Minyoung Song of New York–based Model Practice will avouch. When Lee, Song, and designers Amanda Jesse and Whitney Parris-Lamb of interior design studio Jesse Parris-Lamb were tasked with reviving a circa 1890 townhouse in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, their maiden discovery was an incomplete Victorian-age ceramic speaking tube that served as confirmation of this theory. The tube itself wasn’t significant, but it did hold a mirror to the home’s past, and unbeknownst to them at the time, served as a foreshadowing of its future.

A series of back-to-back events—including the birth of their first child, the onset of the pandemic, and subsequently, a lack of space in their 1.5-bedroom apartment—led the homeowners, a couple in their 40s, to move into the property earlier than anticipated. “It was actually great because it taught us a lot of things we needed to know, and we got to experience the character and spirit of the house as it was, and that informed the design process,” says one half of the couple, a graphic designer. Given that the previous homeowner hadn’t updated the space in decades, there was a lot of work to be done, including replacing the roof and fixing a plethora of leaks of unknown origin. At some point, an offending addition was introduced in the back, which now desperately needed an update.

The couple saw the misfortunes as an opportunity to start afresh, and organize the townhouse in a way that would suit their modern lifestyle. For example, they were keen that the home feature a senior-friendly guest suite for their parents, who would previously stay in hotels when visiting. And so, Lee and Song arranged the spaces across the section of the building, designating one floor for each generation. The parents’ floor, created at the garden level, was particularly significant because it afforded ease of access and age-in-place interventions. The second floor was conceived as a sanctuary for the couple, while the third was outfitted with bedrooms, a playroom, and a reading nook for their kids (they welcomed another child while the project was in progress). Meanwhile, the kitchen, living, and dining areas were carved out on the parlor floor.

It was one thing to introduce modern overlays, but quite another to try and simultaneously preserve the bones of the Brooklyn brownstone. “We sought to play with the tension between old and new, rough and refined, minimal and extravagant,” says Lee of the eclectic aesthetic. An example Parris-Lamb cites is of the 48-inch 1940s crystal chandelier left behind by the previous owners: “The couple surprised us by asking us to consider keeping and restoring this piece.” One unexpected decision led to another, and then another, until, as Song puts it: “The interior architecture, though restrained and simple, was brimming with weird moments.” Chief among them were skylights in the bathrooms and a drooping ceiling in the powder room.

The homeowners’ appreciation for handicraft served as the lodestar for the design. “They came to us with Japanese sashiko and Sardinian weaving as inspiration. It was a dream design brief for our team,” recalls Jesse. Still, because she and Parris-Lamb were hired during lockdown, and the first few conversations happened via Zoom, designers and clients erred on the side of creative caution—at least at first. But as time passed, and the design of the home evolved, the clients began moving toward bolder, more daring decisions. “We started our work on the parlor level and worked our way up,” Parris-Lamb explains. “I think you can actually see this evolution in the color palette and furniture shapes on each floor. Things get wilder as you ascend!” True to her words, the home dials up the color with each successive floor, starting as an earthy, muted space on the parlor level and culminating upstairs in a smorgasbord of exuberant hues and patterns.

Sustainable methods and natural materials were a priority for the homeowners, so Lee and Song kept the shell clean and pared-back, opting for white oak flooring with a walnut border that recalls the knotted detailing of the original floor. The sensitivity of the architecture set the stage for the design. Jesse and Parris-Lamb prioritized reuse and restoration of some of the existing architectural details, as well as hardware and lighting, while limiting new additions. As they recall, the biggest design challenge was balancing the formality and historic grandeur of the architecture with their clients’ desire to have a comfortable and relaxed home. “We focused on introducing materials with a natural patina and an earthiness that could help ground the design and keep it from feeling overly formal or stuffy. These materials also wear well over time and can withstand the active life of a young family with kids,” explains Jesse.

As for the broken ceramic speaking tube that came with the home? It got a second lease of life. The owners worked with Julianne Ahn of Object and Totem to recreate the missing half, and had the ends installed in the kitchen and family room. “Our older daughter loves calling on it. When she gets home from preschool, she sometimes runs over to the back and yells ‘Hello Papa!’ through the tube to her dad, who might be cooking in the kitchen. But really, you mostly just hear her through the stairwell, so then you know to go over to the tube and talk back to her,” the couple explains, with a laugh. Gone are the days when they would need to worry about a prior hotel reservation for their parents, or extra space for their kids. In this home, there’s finally room for everybody.

The original brownstone façade was refurbished to match the historic design. The front door wears a coat of Farrow and Ball’s Railings No. 31, cutting a sharp contrast to the muted exterior.

The living room, situated on the parlor floor, was designed to retain the brownstone’s Italianate character, with refurbished elements including the chandelier, a 1940s crystal design, and the window shutters. In the spirit of gathering, this floor was organized as a series of open chambers, demarcated by framed enfilade openings. “These frames are large enough to offer the benefits of an open plan while still providing an architectural structure to create more intimate zones,” says Song. A Turkish sofa by George Smith, upholstered in Maharam Mohair’s Supreme fabric, and a Pinch Boyd Sofa wearing a Bohemian skin by Lauren Hwang New York, compose the seating area. A Frits Henningson FH419 Heritage Chair, sourced via Carl Hansen & Søn, flanks the window. The wavy wooden mirror above the fireplace, the Italian-origin floor lamp, and the teak-and-cane chairs are all vintage finds. The cabinet is the Emil design by Pinch. A horsehair weave by Alexandra Kohl elevates the wall.

The original ceiling medallion in the living room was removed and restored in collaboration with John Coburn, an artist and sculptor with expertise in historic preservation, who previously worked on the restoration of the New York Public Library. A coffee table in walnut by Michael Robbins and another by Ettore Sottsass take pride of place atop a Nani Marquina area rug. By the window, a brass wall sconce by Lumfardo serves as a dazzling sun catcher by day.

“As with any historic renovation, the challenge was to marry the old with the new and to set up a dialogue between the two without historicizing the latter,” says Lee. He and Song introduced modern architectural interventions in the kitchen to serve as an antithesis to the deep ornate molding profiles and plaster filigree of the nearby living room.

By Katherine McLaughlin

The kitchen millwork is characterized by a triangular tambour profile that adds depth, shadow, and texture to the otherwise monolithic shell. Dinnerware by East Fork Pottery and a wooden pedestal bowl by Nickey Kehoe sit on the sable island. “We love to eat, so gathering people around the kitchen felt really important,” say the homeowners of the decision to bring in Windham bar stools by Brian Persico for extra seating. The pendant is the 2x4 design by AlexAllen Studio.

The dining room is backdropped by a permanently slid-open French window. A Russell dining table by Egg Collective takes center stage, surrounded by vintage Guillerme et Chambron oak chairs upholstered in Maharam’s Mohair Extreme. A sequence of ceramic pendant lights by Anna Karlin overarches the setting. The rug is a vintage novelty. “Our favorite detail about the dining room is the oculus skylight. Our baby actually sits at the head of the table and is enchanted when it rains. She loves looking up and watching the raindrops pool together,” the homeowners share.

The parlor-floor powder room is a calming oasis that revels in darkness. The chocolate walls are punctuated by a vintage Swedish functionalist sconce. An old-world rug acts as a dramatic overlay to the marble floor.

By Katherine McLaughlin

The lower level, designed as a pied-à-terre for the homeowners’ parents, is outfitted with a charming lounge, complete with a sectional sofa upholstered in Rogers and Goffigon’s Cubist fabric, a pair of vintage chairs in Dualoy leather, and custom white oak footstools by Jesse Parris-Lamb, upholstered in an antique Japanese boro textile. An Anni Albers–designed Study 1926 rug by Christopher Farr underpins the seating area, punctuated by a tambour walnut coffee table by Lawson-Fenning. The walnut and ebonized oak wall shelf is by Pacama, while the Akari floor lamp is an Isamu Noguchi design. Rosemary Hallgarten’s Beam was the fabric of choice for the drapery.

Cocooned by cork walls composed of tiles by Nova, the second-floor office is a quiet escape. “The wife is a graphic designer and avid crafter and wanted a creative studio space for her work, but she also planned to use it as a late night nursing room for her young child,” says Jesse. Parris-Lamb adds, “We proposed the cork wall tiles to create a tranquil space by night, and a pin-up space for projects and sketches by day.” A desk by &New plays host to a vintage lamp. The Saarinen chair, the homeowners’ own, was refreshed in a Flanelle fabric by Élitis. The stool and white oak shelf in the room beyond are by Egg Collective and Richard Watson respectively.

The primary bedroom basks in natural light, thanks to its sweeping picture windows. A kaleidoscope of tones and patterns conjures a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The sheer drapes are Loro Piana’s Kathakali Vanilla design, while the floral curtains are the Pearl Grey No. 4 by Muriel Brandolini.

By Katherine McLaughlin

The cozy nook in the primary bedroom is ideal for curling up with a book or winding down with a coffee. A charcoal black Fielding armoire by Pinch stands to one side, while a vintage Guillerme et Chambron dressing table, flanked by a woven dining stool by MARCH and Oja Design, occupies the other. At the heart of the room, a pair of vintage rosewood chairs upholstered in Maharam’s Alpaca velvet, sit on either side of a Wu table by Egg Collective. The area rug and pendant are the Egyptian and Calyx designs by Armadillo and Co. and RW Guild respectively.

A view of the primary bathroom, enhanced by Park I wall sconces by Workstead and a River Weave floor mat by Armadillo and Co.

Brownstones and other row house typologies are often limited in their ability to access natural light. By way of a one-story cylindrical skylight shaft, Lee and Song sought to draw the light downward, casting a luminous halo over the clawfoot tub. “It creates an element of surprise and calm,” says Lee. A small stool completes the setting.

By Katherine McLaughlin

The kids’ bedroom is a warm and whimsical wonderland with vintage teak bunk beds, sconces by In Common With, a cork stool by Jasper Morrison for Vitra, and Jammy Check drapery by Kufri. Farrow and Ball’s Dutch Pink enlivens the walls. The rug is the homeowners’ own.

The third floor, tailor-made for the couple’s young kids, is outfitted with a reading nook for stories before bedtime. A Petunia rug by Armadillo and Co., accompanied by a vintage Swedish wood stool, anchors the space. The daybed is a custom design by Jesse Parris-Lamb, upholstered in a Christopher Farr fabric. The Swedish functionalist flush mount ceiling light and brass and rattan wall sconce are both vintage.

The kids’ playroom, located on the third floor, features custom furnishings designed to accommodate the family’s programmatic and aesthetic needs. The layered mattress daybed, which primarily serves as a cozy reading surface for the kids, unstacks to create a king-size bed for overnight guests. Of the custom floor mat, Jesse notes, “The clients wanted a beautiful floor covering but needed something fully wipeable as their kids do messy art projects in this room. We created a pattern based on the linear motif we found on the original stone threshold of the entry vestibule and had it hand-painted and sealed onto canvas for a waterproof finish.”

By Katherine McLaughlin

A reading nook in the bulkhead, crowned by an oculus skylight, offers the perfect perch for stargazing.

With an outdoor dining table by Dedon and weather-proof chairs by Drucker, the rear garden is equally ideal for large gatherings and intimate soirees.

The monolithic quality of the rear addition is softened by a subtle shift in texture. The brick pattern changes across the height of the building, with bricks projecting outward at the bottom and gradually receding towards the top.

By Katherine McLaughlin

“We sought to balance aesthetics with building performance. We used a thermally broken brick rain screen assembly to increase the thermal performance of the wall,” says Song. She and Lee applied a Passive House approach (a set of principles pointed at reducing a building’s ecological footprint) and specified triple glazing for the windows to enhance the energy efficiency of the home. Unusual for a Brooklyn townhouse, the rear has its very own stoop, accessible via a series of sliding doors that disappear into a pocket for the complete indoor-outdoor experience.

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