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New Homes with Old Bones

If a building appears to be on its last leg, think twice before tearing it down. Preserving old fragments in a modern home can result in an eclectic mix of old and new.

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A George Nelson daybed takes center stage at gallery level. Part of the couple's collection of American mid-century design, it harmonizes with the newer Dutch pieces and with the apartment's 17th-century architecture.
A George Nelson daybed takes center stage at gallery level. Part of the couple's collection of American mid-century design, it harmonizes with the newer Dutch pieces and with the apartment's 17th-century architecture.
Layer by layer, a crumbling 18th-century flat in the middle of Barcelona finds new life at the hands of architect Benedetta Tagliabue. Photo by Gunnar Knechtel.
Layer by layer, a crumbling 18th-century flat in the middle of Barcelona finds new life at the hands of architect Benedetta Tagliabue. Photo by Gunnar Knechtel.
Subverting the traditional, conservatively cozy British barn conversion, Carl Turner created a getaway in rural Norfolk for himself and his friends to visit, repose, and consider the beauty of agrarian minimalism. Turner reclaimed most of the timber used for the flooring as he renovated buildings in London. He thought his stockpile was big enough for the Ochre Barn, but the scale of the place defeated him. The solution, surprisingly, was eBay, turning up an old mill’s worth of boards.
Subverting the traditional, conservatively cozy British barn conversion, Carl Turner created a getaway in rural Norfolk for himself and his friends to visit, repose, and consider the beauty of agrarian minimalism. Turner reclaimed most of the timber used for the flooring as he renovated buildings in London. He thought his stockpile was big enough for the Ochre Barn, but the scale of the place defeated him. The solution, surprisingly, was eBay, turning up an old mill’s worth of boards.
Beneath a recycled-wood ceiling and centered by a Bokhara rug, the living area contains furniture of their own design.
Beneath a recycled-wood ceiling and centered by a Bokhara rug, the living area contains furniture of their own design.
The main living area functions as an easygoing lounge, ideal for entertaining, with a vintage billiards table and low-slung sofas from Ikea. The concrete flooring is durable and easy to clean—a rebuttal to precious French parquet.
The main living area functions as an easygoing lounge, ideal for entertaining, with a vintage billiards table and low-slung sofas from Ikea. The concrete flooring is durable and easy to clean—a rebuttal to precious French parquet.
The kitchen of this Brooklyn brownstone features a brick backsplash with a metal panel connecting the Bluestar range to the Viking chimney wall hood. The mashup of materials preserves the personality of brick with the ease of cleaning stainless steel. The island and cabinets are fashioned from remilled Douglas fir beams salvaged from Upstate New York.
The kitchen of this Brooklyn brownstone features a brick backsplash with a metal panel connecting the Bluestar range to the Viking chimney wall hood. The mashup of materials preserves the personality of brick with the ease of cleaning stainless steel. The island and cabinets are fashioned from remilled Douglas fir beams salvaged from Upstate New York.