Spring Garden Carriage House

"We created the built-in ipe dining banquette with an elongated seat to run the length of the pool for added seating and to give it a more social feel,

The three townhomes were craned onto the foundation over two days, joined together at the seams, and then finished with siding and utility connections.

The Sanctuary floor plan

Walnut and Formica cabinetry, Neolith basalt counters, and concrete floors make up the kitchen’s minimal palette; a large clerestory ushers in natural light.

Though the front of this 1880s home in Adelaide, Australia, maintains a traditional facade due to strict heritage laws, the rear is modern eye candy at its best. See more of the home.

Sinks and a toilet from Laufen’s Il Bagno Alessi line add a sculptural presence to the master bathroom.

Bathed in Light To help disperse light in the newly opened-up interior, the designers clad the roof over the guest bathroom with Danpalon, a translucent polycarbonate that brings in lots of softened natural light. The walls and door are frosted glass. Says Kyprianou: “You can’t see much through the glass—just silhouettes—so our guests don’t mind!” danpalon.com.au Hung Up With the budget running out toward the end of the project, Kyprianou wanted to avoid forking out for a custom-designed walk-in closet in the master bedroom. So he conceived of a simple and cheap storage solution: drilling holes through the wooden roof trusses and feeding inexpensive aluminum closet rods through. junolightinggroup.com

Floor plan of Maison de Brébeuf by La Shed Architecture

A new kitchen now occupies the parlor floor, thanks to the two-story addition.

The view from the courtyard at the Casita, added in 2020.

The kitchen has Ikea cabinets with Colonial Bronze hardware that “elevates” them, topped with honed Carrara marble counters. Holly is familiar with using a high-low mix for clients. The stools are by PNW maker Phloem Studios and the ceiling lights were sourced from OneFortyThree.

Glass folding doors from Panoramic Doors reach nine-and-a-half feet high to open the kitchen to the courtyard. “It's such a unique feature, especially in Brooklyn,” says Slocum. “You rarely ever see that type of thing.”

An LGM wall bed from Resource Furniture is a convenient work-from-home spot. After the pandemic, the Paulas wanted to incorporate plenty of work stations in their home, as before the carriage house, “We had four of us all sitting at the dining table working,” remembers René. “It was super loud, like a trading floor at an investment bank, because all four of us would be talking at the same time.” With desks in the kids’ rooms and two offices, every family member can work in quiet.

The studio is kept simple to give creativity room to flow. "We often come up here after dinner and play a game in the corner nook," Emily says. Eric says that light from sunrises makes the space feel magical in the morning.

Part of the new addition, the second-floor studio has desks for Eric and Emily, and the family often does crafts or plays games here in the evening.