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Space is at a premium in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The neighborhood, like nearby Clinton Hill and Park Slope, is predominantly composed of much sought after historic brownstones, many of which are included within New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission-designated districts. In 2018, one such brownstone was purchased by a young family with two children, who, in 2020, commissioned New York architecture practice In Studio—the firm also designed the family’s vacation property on Shelter Island—to transform what was a dilapidated structure into a flexible home, with special consideration given to its living areas. The project, completed last year, methodically restored the building exterior, while inserting refined contemporary design within the gutted interior.

Oak cabinetry and sintered stone countertops are found in the kitchen. Photo © Frank Oudeman

The 3,800 square-foot, midblock townhouse, designed in the Second Empire style and built in 1867, predates the Italianate and Neo-Grecian residences to its immediate north and south. Those different stages of development created something of an anomaly on the property: a 30-inch gap between the structure and the lot line of its neighbor. The design team took advantage of this unused space to insert a roughly 2-foot-wide, 13-foot-long glazed extension, or sidecar, to the brownstone’s south elevation.

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The sidecar is inhabited by a reading nook on the first floor (1); the dining room includes a custom table and banquette, located next to the stairwell (2). Photos © Frank Oudeman

A sidecar was appended to add daylight and square footage. Photo © Frank Oudeman

“Working in a historic district doesn’t necessarily mean mimicking historic conditions, but rather understanding them clearly and responding thoughtfully,” says In Studio founder Martin Finio. “In our case, a sliver of contemporary addition in a historic context creates a contrast between the old and the new, elevating both. It’s not about blending in but engaging in a dialogue that creates a meaningful exchange between past and present.”

The primary entrance is located on the west elevation, and though the home can also be accessed from the garden level, the bulk of that floor has been converted into a rental apartment. Typically, a brownstone’s internal stairwell is located immediately ahead of its entryway. As part of the renovation, it was placed closer to the building’s center to make room for a substantial foyer and to allow for seamless access to the living room, which is fitted with white oak paneling and shelving (white oak flooring is used throughout the home). Notably, the sidecar, inhabited by a reading nook, offers additional daylight to this space, from what would otherwise be a windowless wall.

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A study on the second floor leads to the primary bedroom (3); the primary bathroom is illuminated by the glazed sidecar (4). Photos © Frank Oudeman

The open kitchen and dining area is at the rear half of the first floor, and it, like the living room, makes use of oak for cabinet facing, with sintered stone stepping in for the countertops. A rectangular dining table, custom-fabricated and slightly asymmetrical, is framed by a casual banquette; this space looks out on to a lushly planted back yard to the east. In an adroit division of space, the design team placed monumentally scaled swinging doors, over 11 feet tall, between the living and dining rooms.

The primary bedroom is located on the second floor and includes a private study, that, like the living and dining room, can be cordoned off by a 9-and-a-half-foot tall swinging door. Its bathroom is placed at the floor’s center, and there, the sidecar’s frosted glass panes, oriented to the east and west, and a two-story skylight above, flood the ceramic-tiled room with sunlight. The children’s bedrooms are found on the third floor, one to the east, and the other to the west, and are conjoined by a Jack-and-Jill bathroom.

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The primary bedroom is located at the townhouse rear (5); the children share a jack-and-jill bathroom (6). Photos © Frank Oudeman

In Studio’s interventions are refined and practical, and successfully breathe new life—and ample daylight—into a formerly neglected brownstone.