The guiding principle for this remodel emerged from the very first conversation between designer and client. “One of the first things that [the client] said about herself, and how she would describe herself to other people, is that she’s an extroverted introvert,” says Ryan Brooke Thomas, principal of Brooklyn firm Kalos Eidos.

During the planning process, Thomas further learned that the client needed her 1,500-square-foot Brooklyn apartment to accommodate all sorts of moods, such as “spaces where she can socialize and frequently have out of town visitors and entertain,” says Thomas. “But then at the same time, have an array of spaces to be able to feel more isolated or to nest.”

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

This lower level apartment is in a duplex in a Brooklyn townhouse, and the client’s sister resides upstairs. This unit has two floors, with the main living spaces above and bedrooms below at the garden level. For the remodel, called the Extro/Intro Residence, Thomas kept this basic skeleton of public areas above the private areas, then carefully zoned spaces to host a range of activities.

Upstairs, the remodel opened up the plan for easy circulation between the main living areas. “The upper level was more about opening it up as much as we could. And being able to accommodate different areas for working and sitting and dining,” says Thomas. “It was about creating fluidity.”

A consistent material palette and custom cabinetry, composed of either whitened maple or an ebony-stained charcoal oak, unifies the different zones, while giving each a “distinct identity,” says Thomas.

Before: Dining Room and Kitchen

After: Dining Room and Kitchen

Off of the kitchen/dining room, the project team also added a polygonal deck – so shaped to preserve existing trees – that not only fashions an outdoor eating area, but also creates a protected outdoor room below it. The deck has a cast concrete floor with custom cast concrete benches around the perimeter, inset from black steel framing and a custom railing lining the outer edge of the deck, says Thomas. There's also an outdoor prep counter with cabinetry topped with Pietra Cardosa stone.

Previously, the lower level had two bedrooms and one bathroom, but the client needed to squeeze more function out of the available space. The home “was divided up into a lot of corridor spaces, especially on the lower level,” says Thomas. “This is relatively small square footage, and a lot of that ended up getting lost to non-functional spaces.”

The first aim for the lower level was to give the front, street-facing bedroom its own bathroom, and an exterior entry. This way, the set-up could function as a self-sufficient guest suite or rental studio.

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Before: Guest suite

After: Guest Suite

For the master suite, the foremost goal was to open up the bedroom to the backyard via a large picture window and glass door. The firm then fit a semi-private outdoor patio underneath the new deck, off the bedroom. A curtain made of mosquito netting can enclose the outdoor space and provide privacy when needed.

By reducing the size of the bedrooms and creating better storage options, Thomas also carved out space for a “nest room,” sandwiched between the two bedrooms. The nest room is multi-functional – not only does it accommodate clothing storage and a cozy spot for movie nights, it can also be cordoned off with a curtain and used as another sleeping spot, thanks to a concealed fold-out bed.

Before: Master Suite

After: Master Suite and Nest Room

Before: Rear Facade

After: Rear Facade

Related Reading: 10 Unbeatable Brownstone Renovations in Brooklyn

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Palette Architecture

Builder: Amaro Construction

Structural Engineer: KCE Consulting Engineering

Interior and Architectural Design: Kalos Eidos (@kalos.eidos.nyc)

Cabinetry Design: Kalos Eidos

Millwork Fabrication: WC Woodworking

Custom fabric partitions and curtains: Elodie Blanchard

Photography: Lauren Coleman Photography