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OLD TOWNHOUSES usually come with big ‘buts,’ points out Ingrid Abramovitch in the intro to her new book, Restoring a House in the City: A Comprehensive Owner’s Guide to Renovating Town Houses, Brownstones and Row Houses With Great Style (Artisan). They may have “charmingly anachronistic grace notes, from imposing classical entrances to parlors straight out of Edith Wharton novels,” she writes, BUT, less charmingly, they also tend to have roof leaks, slanty floors, and ominous cracks in the wall.
Never mind. IMO, as readers of this blog know, those are mere annoyances, no contest at all compared to the many pluses of living in a house built in the 19th century, when houses really were built. This book offers abundant proof that antique houses are worth the effort.
Below: Parlor, Fort Greene
It features 21 exceptional dwellings, from a Boston Brahmin to a double-wide brownstone in Troy, N.Y., a Greek Revival in Charleston, and a San Francisco Edwardian that survived the 1906 earthquake. The projects closest to my heart, of course, are those in Brooklyn, which is well-represented with six envy-inducing houses.
Below: Mantel, Fort Greene
Some are restored, some extensively remodeled. Some are furnished with antiques, others done up in a modern mix. There’s nothing cookie-cutter about any of them. A couple are a bit over-the-top for my taste: too much clutter, too much color. But most ooze warmth and livability.
It’s no surprise that the book’s interiors are impeccably styled and photographed. The author, a resident of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, is a veteran design journalist and former editor at House & Garden and Martha Stewart Living.
Below: Parlor, Park Slope
Luscious as it is, Restoring a House is not just a look book. Along with the inspiration, there’s a hearty dose of practical information on such topics as wood floors, brickwork and ornamental plaster. How can an old-house lover resist?
Below: Entry Hall, Brooklyn Heights
All photos from RESTORING A HOUSE IN THE CITY by Ingrid Abramovitch (Artisan).
Copyright 2009. Brian Park photographer.
WHO CAN GUESS where these very old houses are? City, neighborhood, intersection?
I’m not sayin’. At the end of this weekend, everything will be illuminated.
ANSWER: Accolades to Julie, who is the closest. These are the last two buildings on Vanderbilt Avenue at the corner of Park Ave, just east of the BQE. That’s a fascinating, eclectic block (Vanderbilt between Park and Myrtle, on the boundary between Fort Greene and Clinton Hill), with numerous architectural styles in evidence, and a few real gems. I almost bought a house on that block in March 2000 – fifth or sixth in from the corner of Park. It was equally old and unimproved, but larger, and was on the market for 330K. The timing wasn’t great for me and there was several feet of water in the cellar, which was daunting. But what an investment that would have been! Add it my long list of Real Estate Regrets.
THIS IS the big BKLYN DESIGNS weekend, spread over three venues in DUMBO, when Brooklyn shows the world it’s an epicenter of furniture-making talent. In seven years, the show has grown from 30 to over 70 exhibitors, drawing on the boom (even in bust times) in Brooklyn home improvement, whether restored brownstones, raw lofts, or luxury condos.
Part of this year’s festivities is a house tour curated by Dwell magazine on Saturday May 9 from 11-5 (full details below). It’s a self-guided tour of five cutting-edge contemporary homes that “exemplify an aesthetic in home design that is modern, idea-driven, and sensitive to social and physical surroundings.
To me as an old-house fanatic, the most intriguing is the Slot House, so called because homeowners Margarita McGrath and Scott Oliver of noroof Architects cut a “slot” into the façade to make an existing 60-foot-tall maple tree in the front yard a visual part of the interior.
Inside the Slot House, one of 5 stops on tomorrow’s house tour curated by Dwell magazine
Talk about radical transformation. The 1,000 square foot house, located outside Fort Greene’s landmark district on a block of many brick and vinyl-clad homes, may be 200 years old, but little of the original remains except for its general size and shape. “The block is less formal than the brownstone streets to the south,” says Oliver. “This afforded us the freedom to do what we did.”
BEFORE
Oliver and McGrath did an extensive gut renovation, resulting in open, vertical, loft-like space that reveals the archaeology of the original structure, carefully stripped to bare bones.
First they boldly cut the slot in the facade to allow the tree to be seen from inside. This revealed a cedar frame infilled with handmade brick underneath the sheetrock and vinyl siding. They replaced sections of the wood flooring with slotted metal grills, allowing light to filter down to the floors below.
AFTER
Much like a boat, the homeowner/architects edited the space to capitalize on the limited square footage. A sleeping space is stowed in the kitchen, accessible by a sliding grill that acts as both a ladder and a window grate. The dining table, made of hollow core doors, is vertically mounted along a wall and folds out as needed.
The 200 square foot roof deck is a quick escape if things ever start to feel cramped inside.
Color photos: Chuck Choi
[+] More Images of the Slot House
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When: Saturday May 9, 2009 from 11am – 5pm
Where: Tour starts at the BKLYN DESIGNS ticket office of St. Ann’s Warehouse, 38 Water Street
How Much: Tickets are $40 each purchased in advance online and $50 at the door. For more information or to purchase online go here. Includes admission to BKLYN DESIGNS and the Friday Night Launch Party presented by Dwell.
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