Search

An 11-Foot-Wide Row House in Brooklyn by Office of Architecture

06.15.18 | By
An 11-Foot-Wide Row House in Brooklyn by Office of Architecture

Little House. Big City. is a renovation project by Office of Architecture that’s located in Brooklyn, New York, for a young couple – an architect and jewelry designer – and their two children. The row house spans a mere 11-feet-wide and after eight years of living with it the way it was, the owners decided to renovate and expand it so they could stay in the neighborhood they’ve grown to love. The original home, a two-story, 1,000-square-foot residence, was gutted to make way for the new four-story, which now includes a bedroom suite on the top floor and an urban mudroom in the freshly dug out basement.

The home’s narrow footprint meant creative uses of space to ensure every inch was used and that every bit of it was as functional as possible. Every wall, window, and door was thoughtfully positioned to maximize each floor’s layout.

The new basement level became the entryway, storage, laundry, and mechanical area; the first floor is an open living space with the living rom, dining room, kitchen, and library opening up to the outside at the front and back; the second floor features two bedrooms for the children with a bathroom; and lastly, the top floor houses the master bedroom with bathroom, a balcony, and a terrace.

They chose modest materials throughout, like unfinished steel and character-grade walnut, and paired it with clean, refined materials, such as honed Carrara marble and matte ceramic hex tiles.

Photography by Matthew Williams (Interiors) and Rafael Gamo (Exteriors).

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.