This brownstone remodel is spectacular! Your vision for each space is revealed in beautiful creative comfortable rooms. I particularly love the kitchen floor. Well done!
2
Gorgeous remodel!
Living close to the freeway reminds me of French film "Home" with Isabelle Huppert.
Would have been nice to have an outside photo (or at least a widow view) to showing the location, proximity to the highway, etc.
5
I guess I’m the only commenter who found the renovations and fixture additions to this “shockingly” intact brownstone absolutely ghastly. Note to architects, renovators and decorators: Please honor these architectural gems by not destroying their original aesthetic by trying to “modernize” or “update” the look.
1
I like what they did but was surprised at how much they spent on lights. At least 2 of the light fixtures cost over $1000.
2
It feels like a hostel to me, a nice one, or one of those new shared work spaces.
6
What an incredible home. The right owner found it! The clean furnishings let the original details shine - the owner did it justice. I found the original listing on zillow- it’s worth a look!! I would have loved to know their story.
14
An interesting read. I suspect that money saved on many of the expensive "accessories" would have made the project even more attractive...
7
This was a fun article to read. However, most of us will never be able to spend this kind of money on a home, and I’m not clear on the square footage or number of bedrooms? The decor seems like IKEA and pretty much leaves me cold.
13
I love this combination of great modern design and maintaining the original character of the house. Makes the house supremely livable. To those of you who don’t like bare and bright decor (“looks like a hostel - IKEA”) don’t confuse restrained modern design sensibility with soulless mass production. Nothing here is from ikea and I’ve never seen a hostel that was this tastefully appointed.
4
The kitchen floor makes me dizzy. Would have loved to see classic furniture.
12
When I clicked on to the slide show, the photos appeared. The caption lasted half a second, then was replaced by ads for Sothebys, obliterating the captions. I have had similar experiences looking at homes for sale. Is this an editorial tech glitch, and is there a way around it?
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@Joseph Hanania
Yes; use an ad-blocker. You never see the ads; just sometimes an empty space.
7
@Joseph Hanania - Glitch? Its a constant battle for us subscribers. Pages don't load. Videos don't play. And the slide shows and captions get covered by ads. Your best work around for the slideshow issue is to switch browsers and start using an ad blocker. I keep reporting tech issues to them, but fixes are few and far between.
8
@Joseph Hanania Happens on fashion pages too. I think it is not a glitch. But at least on this article I discovered that if I went BACKWARD the ads did not cover the text.
How refreshing: A renovation that left the walls intact and cost less than $301,000. So often in Brooklyn people talk as if all renovations have to cost $1 million and up. (Meanwhile, flippers are tearing out the walls, wood work and plaster in these old houses and making them look like modern condos.) The modern touches are whimsical and fun, and no one would mistake them for original.
31
The sofa not having its legs on the rug will haunt me for years.
13
I couldn't get over the headline, having read over the years the health risks associated with living within 1/4 mile of a heavily trafficked highway. Lung disease, heart disease, dementia, etc. Sorry to poop the party.
20
Agree with Phil - health risks of living near freeway are well known. Especially for infants. I would never spend this much $$ on a place by the freeway let alone renovate a place like it.
6
How is this house 'not for everyone' ?! Seems like anyone would love to live here.
13
Aren't the spiky sputnik light fixtures over yet?
34
Gorgeous and tasteful. And what bones the place has! -- staircase, bathroom door frame, bathroom floor, and more.
One question, though: where are the bookshelves?
24
Oh dear!
The mid-century paneling details are incongruous, if not hideous.
Mr. Mailaender, on the other hand, simply gorgeous!
Delightful backyard too!
12
The enteral impression I got was the property was in mid-renovation. There was a curiously unfinished sense to the whole place.
9
I meant the general impression.
2
of all the ways to light a room, they hang fluorescent looking fixtures that cost more than all of the lights in my house combined? not for me, I hope they enjoy it. the beams are nice, worth a fortune on their own. the tile has too many lines in it, made me dizzy. I guess I'll never live in Brooklyn.
12
This is the best old house renovation featured in The Times in a long time! Kudos to the owners for such sensitive updating. Love it!
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@Leslie
I don't usually like modern touches in old houses. This one is an exception. I really love it. The outdoor space is simple and perfect. Their children will be happy there, I think.
8
@Leslie Yeah, and a different writer too. Seems a bit less hoity toity. But the other guy sure knew about coasters, side tables and things like that.
2
"I really wanted to retain the original layout."
Hurrah! So many people would have ripped this up. I'm glad it found a good owner.
The renovations are very thoughtful - modern, yet in keeping with the original house. Again, something rare these days.
I do have a quibble about the kitchen floor. I think it would drive me nuts!
63
@JoanP I agree, I love this as well, but I think I would fall down in the kitchen.
Wait. They waited too long to buy and all they could afford was a house for nearly $2 million? Now that's what I call "poor" in America.
51
@PABD No, they are merely upper middle class (by New York City standards).
7
Beautiful! The yellow accents are so fresh and unexpected.
8
Beautiful, not overdone.
24
Just as a cultural aside, this corner is where for a couple of decades a giant billboard featured a little girl whose pursed mouth said, "Oooh! Bugs!," an advertisement for an exterminating company. My father and I, cruising along the newly built Prospect Expressway, would race to see who spied the sign first and then get out "Oooh! Bugs!" the fastest.
That's the problem with Brooklyn: Memories everywhere.
Keeps you busy, remembering does.
Good luck with the house. Someday the Prospect will be covered over with a grassy hill; that'll be nice. I remember when it was built.
31
Ok so he spent 1.48 million on a house that he put in 300,000$. And he was his own architect. Sorry I'm not that impressed.
26
What about soundproofing, must be extremely noisy, ...
6
@Thérèsenyc1
New windows were added, foam was inject4ed.
5
Time to flip it...?
Beautifully done! Their respect for the original architecture is what makes it so interesting. That light fixture in the ceiling medallion is so smart. And the pops of yellow throughout the house - bright and unexpected!
28
Oh, this house is perfect! So many homes are now sanitized and opened up beyond recognition of any time period. This one is a perfect blend of size, age, respect for the original combined with contemporary whimsy. Just love it.
66
Thank you so much, Mr. Mailaender, for respecting the original layout of the house and for not succumbing to the open plan. Well done! I wish you lived in SLC and could design a house for me.
67
Gorgeous renovation and furnishings! Really enjoyed seeing the details it’s a great mashup of historic and more modern sensabilities.
37
Curious what he spent the 300k on. These improvements don't sound that expensive.
5
@Crissie "But much of the budget went toward things no one can see, like work on the foundation, concealing new plumbing inside cleverly designed soffits, and installing modern heating and cooling systems. Mr. Mailaender also replaced the old windows with heavily laminated, double-paned ones, to dampen sound from the highway"
68
Absolutely gorgeous renovation and interior design.
40
I would be concerned about the air quality--I hope the heating system uses hepa filters, etc....
20
Nicely done albeit still a huge amount of money for purchase and renovation.
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