Parkslope Historical Brownstone
Brooklyn, New York | 2025
Single-Family Residential Interior Renovation
Context
Built in 1901, this Neo-Grec townhouse is a landmarked structure within the Park Slope Historic District. While the building retains exquisite original details—particularly at the parlor level—it had undergone a series of fragmented renovations over its 100+ year lifespan.
Architectural upgrades and exterior additions were developed and approved through the Landmarks Preservation Commission by the project architect Leo Sguera.
The interior scope focused on reimagining the home for contemporary family living while preserving and respecting the historic architectural fabric. Original fireplaces, decorative moldings, and window proportions were retained on the first floor, forming a strong architectural counterpoint to the new interior interventions.
Scope of Work
- Interior architectural planning and spatial furniture coordination
- Furniture direction and procurement in collaboration with Roche Bobois
- Art curation
Living Room
Design Intent
The project was conceived as a calm, art-driven interior within a historic shell. The design establishes a dialogue between preservation and contemporary living—allowing the original architecture to remain legible while introducing a refined, modern interior language aligned with present-day family life.
Rather than competing with the historic structure, the interior architecture is restrained and precise. Spatial clarity, material continuity, and curated furnishings define the project, while art serves as a central organizing element—shaping atmosphere, scale, and identity throughout the home.
Living Room
The family room continues the project’s modern interior language, combining Roche Bobois furniture with curated mid-century modern accents. Designed for daily use, the space balances comfort and refinement through controlled color, integrated storage, and carefully scaled furnishings that align with the townhouse’s proportions.
A custom-designed Maremma book storage wall defines the long elevation. The system features movable grilled panels in solid walnut, an oak frame in matte lead finish, and interior paneling lined in dual-tone gray-blue vegan leather, allowing flexibility and depth.
Living Room
Kitchen & Dinning
The kitchen and dining areas were conceived as a contemporary intervention that remains visually subordinate to the parlor level. Interior architectural direction focused on spatial clarity, material restraint, and seamless integration with the historic structure, developed in close coordination with the project architect.
Minimal white and oak surfaces, refined junctions, and large-format porcelain tile establish a calm architectural backdrop. Expansive glazing and overhead skylights introduce daylight deep into the plan, reinforcing the connection between interior space and garden.
The dining area is articulated through furniture selection and art placement rather than ornament, maintaining continuity between historic and contemporary elements.
The dining area is anchored by the Hart dining table, carved from a single 12-foot slab of honed black granite, incorporating integrated wine storage and drawers designed by the studio. A custom-built-in bench (Arielle) by the window is upholstered in Josef Frank’s Anakreon textile (ca. 1938), reinforcing the dialogue between modern form and historical reference.
Kitchen & Dinning
Art Curation
Art curation was developed as an integral component of the interior architecture and in close collaboration with the client. The collection includes Cats by Andy Warhol and American Spirit by Roe Ethridge, both from the studio’s private collection, as well as select ceramic works by Jessica Capone. Art is positioned strategically to punctuate space, reinforce spatial rhythm, and establish moments of focus without overwhelming the historic framework.
Art Curation
Family Room
The family room continues the project’s modern interior language, combining Roche Bobois furniture with curated mid-century modern accents. Designed for daily use, the space balances comfort and refinement through controlled color, integrated storage, and carefully scaled furnishings that align with the townhouse’s proportions.
Night Zone
Primary Challenge
The principal challenge was to articulate a compact house layout into a legible, fluid sequence of spaces that balances openness with intimacy. This required careful zoning, integrated storage solutions, and custom-designed elements that support both functional clarity and aesthetic coherence.
Living Room
Methodology
The project was developed through an integrated interior-architectural process in which spatial planning, furniture selection, and art curation were conceived simultaneously.
Historic elements were preserved and framed, while contemporary interventions were designed to remain autonomous and subdued. Furniture and art were treated as architectural components—used to define zones, establish rhythm, and reinforce spatial clarity rather than as decorative layers. Close collaboration with the client and project architect ensured alignment between architectural upgrades and interior design intent.
Living Room
PROJECT TEAM
Design: Natasa Tuohy STUDIO
Architect: Leo Sguera, LOSAI
Installation & Organization: Janet Pena
Professional Photography: Angela Hau, Tina Boyadjieva
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