This remodel was always going to be a family affair. “We wanted a place that was close to the grandkids in Brooklyn,” says homeowner Frank, who lives with his wife, Pam, in southern California—2,884 miles away from the NYC borough.

They decided to set up a home base a bit closer to family, and this particular apartment appealed—not only because the subway ride would be a lot shorter than a cross-country flight, but for the view out the living room windows, which felt quintessentially New York to the couple. “The view just struck us—it was like everything we loved about the city,” says Frank. “It’s a sculptural view,” adds Pam.

The loft is located in an 1880 building that once held offices before it was converted into apartments sometime in the 1980s—and Pam and Frank’s unit had all of the polish from that decade. The floor plan was rather compartmentalized for its 2,000 square feet, with curving drywall partitions that wasted space, and glass block walls limited the amount of sunlight that could pass between rooms.

The existing finishes “didn't thrill us,” says Frank, “but you could see that you could do almost anything with it.” Frank and Pam tapped their son-in-law, architect Shane Neufeld of Light and Air Architecture, alongside Jacky Hoang, to tailor the home to their needs—and above all, bring in more sun.

Fortunately, this unit had window walls on opposite sides (in the main bedroom and the living room), but that also meant the center of the plan remained dark. “These lofts are very deep spaces, like 60 feet deep, with windows that bookend either side,” says Neufeld. “So, most of the middle of the space was dark and cut off from the natural light on either end.”

Neufeld’s solution was to first create a band of custom white oak millwork that runs throughout the entire home with alternating sections of white-painted drywall. “The wood houses the kitchen and utilitarian spaces, like closets and bathrooms, while the white volumes, like the media room or bedroom, are more dynamic,” says Neufeld. “The interplay between multiple materials gives more variation and character to the overall space.”

In certain sections, the cabinetry is limited to eight feet high to make room for interior clerestory windows. “They allow natural light to permeate across,” says Neufeld, while maintaining acoustic and visual privacy between rooms.

The cabinetry does triple duty. First, it designates zones—from the display niche at the entry, to hallway storage, to the kitchen, where it wraps two walls. Next, it acts as a through line that guides occupants from one space to the next. Its bleached finish bounces natural light and fosters a sense of material warmth, especially when juxtaposed against the loft’s exposed elements, which Neufeld kept uncovered—including a brick wall in the living room and steel support columns. Last, the cabinetry keeps clutter at bay, which was just the thing for Frank and Pam, since the home is a retreat for them.

In the main living spaces, Neufeld created an open plan, freeing the dark-and-narrow galley kitchen and uniting it with the other rooms. Pam and Frank didn’t need “a formal space for entertaining, but rather something open and connected for family members and small groups of people they’re close to,” says Neufeld.

The room off of the main living areas is a flex space, acting as a media room and/or guest bedroom, defined by a folding wall that can be opened or closed for the desired amount of separation. “We can close the room up, and sometimes we do, because the grandkids are really young and they get crazy,” says Frank with a laugh. “They just love this place.”

Related Reading:

Before & After: A Narrow Row House in Brooklyn Stretches for the Sun

7 Next-Level Lofts in New York City

Project Credits:

Architecture: Light and Air Architecture / @landa_arch

Builder: Sho Interior Creates, Inc

Cabinetry: Harry Gaveras