If the top-to-bottom remodel of this Windsor Terrace townhouse taught homeowners Brittany Stenerson and Alex Matjanec anything, it’s that they’re not afraid to sweat the small stuff. From selecting 26 new light fixtures (without actually seeing any in person) to envisioning the exact size of the panes in the new 16-foot-wide glazed wall at the rear of the main floor, they dove into nitty-gritty details with aplomb.

The Canadian couple had lived and worked in New York for 16 years when they picked up the keys to the three-story limestone home in February 2020. They contacted Daniel Kaplan of Bowerbird Architects “with all of this excitement to start our big renovation,” says Alex—only for the project to be paused at the start of the pandemic. In the ensuing months, they temporarily moved back to Ottawa—although by working closely with Kaplan, they were able to go remote with the design process.

“I can’t even tell you how weird it is, as an architect, to do a whole house with all the detail and planning—and the clients can’t be around to look at it,” says Kaplan. “They had to trust us a lot.”

Before: Entry Foyer

After: Entry Foyer

Brittany and Alex wanted to reunite the building into one residence while maintaining the historic details they liked, such as the original woodwork in the foyer and front rooms. “We always try to keep certain parts of the house if they’re in good shape, and then mix in a modern sensibility and functionality,” says Kaplan.

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

By November 2020, the city had opened back up. Brittany and Alex had returned from Canada, and the plans were ready for the builder to get started. Their first priority was to address the flow—and with it, the lack of natural light in the main floor living spaces.

“I tell everyone that my rule as an architect in New York City is that if I go to your house during the day, and you have the lights on, then I failed,” says Kaplan.

Before: Rear Wall

To address this, the team installed a 16-foot-wide steel-and-glass wall at the rear facade that includes two doors flanking a large window. They enlarged the kitchen and removed a chimney breast to make more space for dining room furniture. The exterior doors, at opposite ends of the steel-and-glass wall, promote easy flow when the party spills out onto a new exterior deck, and natural light now penetrates deeper into the plan—all the way to the living room.

After: Rear Wall

Before: Study

After: Lounge Area

The couple liked the historic woodwork throughout the home, so Kaplan advised what should be kept, and what should be removed. “We ask, ‘What are the important pieces of original woodwork here? And what is getting in the way of a really good plan?’” says Kaplan.

The team kept the front of the main floor largely intact (they only removed one wall) while preserving the patterned floors in the middle room and the dining area. “I really cared about buying a hundred-year-old house and having the feel of old New York represented,” says Alex. “And that floor does it best.”

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

By rejiggering the layout of the kitchen and nearby spaces, Kaplan was able to insert an entirely custom kitchen with plentiful storage, as well as a powder room in the hall, while restoring existing elements. “One thing about this job that I really loved was what we were able to preserve—the whole entry foyer was kind of dismal looking when we first got it,” Kaplan says. “We were able to brighten it up and create contrast with the modern intervention at the rear—as you move through the house, it gets brighter and newer.”

After moving in with their twin sons about a year ago, and getting to appreciate the home in person, the couple agrees. “The light that comes in now is amazing,” says Brittany.

Before: Pantry

After: Powder Room

Before: Primary Bathroom

After: Primary Suite

After: Upstairs Landing

More Before & After stories:

A Brooklyn Brownstone’s Dreary Basement Becomes an Urban Oasis

A Bland Brooklyn Loft Is Reborn With Savvy Millwork

14 Row Houses and Brownstones “Before & After” Their Makeovers

Project Credits:

Architecture: Bowerbird Architects / @bowerbirdarchitects

Builder: BMB Builder

Structural Engineer: Tom Gasbarro

Interior Design: Liddell Studio / @liddell.studio

Cabinetry: Markus Bartenschlager

Photographer: Matthew Williams

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Before & After: A Couple Fix Up a Dated Townhouse From 450 Miles Away