Behind this brownstone’s staid poker face, the interior plays a duet with the outdoors. Our Park Slope addition boasts two extensions: i.e., one at the rear yard and one at the rooftop. But these in turn generate a half dozen outdoor spaces. Walls of glass divided by Mondrian mullions provide broad views out to the green spaces. And both extensions are clad in black metal panels.
First, we split the backyard into two levels–a low court for grilling and a raised garden for meditation. Passing through the rear wall, the soapstone wet bar morphs into an outdoor kitchen and, as the garden steps up, continues as a stone bench. Next, up the rear stair, you climb to a deck off the kitchen with a perf metal floor and a glass railing. Above that, a ledge outside a bedroom offers another perch for greenery. And lastly, the roof tops out with two more decks–a large one for entertaining and, up a high stone stair, a small one for skyline views.
Indoors, a wall of white lacquered panels hides the pantry, coat closet, and a verdant powder room. Opposite this, we relocated the main stair to a new opening in the middle of the first floor. These floating wood treads emerge from a wall draped in grooved bamboo down to polished concrete floors. For the railings upstairs, we used a piano-key pattern inspired by our musician clients. Here, solid oak stair treads cantilever from the wall, then turn up 90° to form a balustrade. We put a soundproof music room in the cellar for drum practice at full volume.
