An Interior Designer’s Picture-Perfect Brooklyn Apartment Lists for $2.5M
When Brooklyn-based interior designer Maureen Cohen of Makawe Interiors and her husband moved into this three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom apartment in Park Slope a little over five years ago, she was pregnant with her first child. "The building was brand new and rather cold and ‘new construction-y’," she says. So Cohen set out, with the help of her brother-in-law and some of her trade connections, to turn the 1,659-square-foot space from a drab apartment into a home for her family.
The light-filled open-plan living space is configured with a breakfast bar and a dedicated dining area.
First, she gutted the kitchen, transforming it into something that would serve as a more functional space—adding a breakfast bar and inserting storage into every corner. "The kitchen and living room now have lots of concealed storage—there is baseboard storage under all cabinets, a pull-out pantry, and even the floor-to-ceiling bookcase has secret extra-deep storage tucked behind it for all the family's art supplies," she shares.
Unsurprisingly, there are many kid-focused elements added throughout.
In the children's room, Cohen added a bunk bed and installed ceiling-high bookshelves with the lowest shelf installed at desk height. The system is a perfect solution for organizing books and toys as well as providing extra storage space and it also adds a dedicated spot for her children to do school work or make art. Another favorite kid hang-out spot is the reading nook at the top of the stairs leading to the rooftop deck.
The kitchen looks out on the living-dining room.
Cohen has framed and hung her children's artwork gallery wall-style. The large blue floor-to-ceiling bookshelf on the left has secret extra-deep storage tucked behind to house everyone's art supplies.
An additional highlight of the home is that it has three outdoor spaces—a coveted commodity in New York City and something that the family appreciates and uses almost daily. "On the roof, we have created an edible garden with strawberries, rosemary, mint, basil, lemongrass, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, and two nine-foot birch trees that a neighbor was giving away," Cohen shares. Now, this family-friendly Brooklyn home is on the market for $2.5M. Scroll ahead for a look inside.
The open-plan kitchen was fully gutted and renovated with breakfast bar and high-end appliances. It also features concealed baseboard storage under all cabinets, and a pull-out pantry. The custom cabinetry was designed by Makawe Interiors, Cohen's design firm, and built by Wadaly Design, her brother-in-law's business.
Beyond the kitchen, a hallway leads to the master bedroom.
The spacious master bedroom has a sunny southern exposure. The solid maple four-poster canopy bed is a custom design from Makawe Interiors that was built by Wadaly Design. The headboard is upholstered with outdoor fabric from Holly Hunt.
The master closet has been built out with an excellent shelving system from Rakks.
The marble master bathroom has its own window as well as a glass-enclosed shower and tub and Isenberg rain-shower heads.
Cohen added floor-to-ceiling shelving from Rakks including a low shelf which works perfectly as a double desk for her children and that is also a very efficient use of space.
The den also serves as a home office and provides additional hangout space. The room could also easily be converted to a fourth bedroom with its own private terrace.
There is full-height shelving in the den. Photos by Isabel Parra
Cohen ordered the playhouse cube online from Amazon and customized it by painting the interiors with vines and velcro "critter" stickers. The reading nook sits at the top of the stairs leading to the roof deck. "In the winter, all the plants go on top of it and then we move everything outside in the summer. It really is a magical green space for my kids to be cozy and read in the winter," shares Cohen.
The ipe wood private roof deck has 360-degree views and the family's edible garden. There is also enough space to fit a large dining table.
708A DeGraw Street, Apartment 3 is currently listed for $2,495,00 by Steven and June Gottlieb of Warburg Realty.
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