Built as an early 20th century industrial building, this Brooklyn Loft boasts a magnificent steel and timber structure. Unfortunately, the beauty of this well proportion building was obscured by a haphazard mid-century residential retrofit that not only rendered the building cramped in its room arrangement, but also lead to roof and weather damage. The recent 2019 redesign restored the structural integrity of the building while reimaging its interior space in a way that emphasized the building’s raw material and structural beauty. Drywall ceilings were removed to reveal the original joist structure. The kitchen was then relocated to the tall lofted space that opens into the living room, enabling both to benefit from the 10-foot-wide skylight and 12-foot-high ceiling. The effect is comfortable and spacious, deceptive of the apartment’s 2,000 square feet. The butcher block kitchen bar melts into the oak floor and the woody gold is picked up in accent trims along the bookshelves and floating kitchen shelves.
The apartment was improved from a two-bedroom to legal three-bedroom apartment with two baths. The careful redesign of the rooms takes best advantage of fresh air and natural daylight from the many windows. A modern sound recording studio was also added while maintaining generous living spaces in the original building footprint. Close collaboration with Godwin Residential Construction brought the project to a successful completion in the spring of 2020.