LY Townhouse

NY, USA

2022

On a tree-lined street in Park Slope, this narrow brownstone sat in quiet decline. Long-abandoned upper floors, disconnected gas sconces, and squeaking inlaid parquet floors told the story of a home once loved, then left behind. Despite years of neglect, the house held undeniable charm—fragile, atmospheric, and richly textured.

The design approach was minimal and deliberate. Elements with character were preserved or gently restored; missing details were carefully replicated. The goal was not to erase its past, but to modernize it—quietly—for a family of three and their dog. Everything new was hidden behind old walls, in a process that was slow, intentional, and often painstaking.

The layout was reworked to support everyday life. The kitchen moved to the parlor floor, anchored by a sculptural island beneath a preserved arch. Open shelving wraps the original flue, filled with collected pieces. Limewashed walls capture shifting daylight; upstairs, frameless doors dissolve into the architecture.

Nothing feels over-designed. The result is a home that holds its history close while quietly adapting to the present—imperfect, generous, and full of presence.