A couple takes a minimalist approach to their Brooklyn apartment, focusing on supple materials, subtle gradations of color, and custom finishes by local craftsmen. The Mandayam–Vohra family gathers under one of Workstead’s signature three-arm chandeliers, shown here in its horizontal configuration. Bartenschlager designed the white cabinets and is responsible for the walnut counters both on the kitchen island and near the stove.
A couple takes a minimalist approach to their Brooklyn apartment, focusing on supple materials, subtle gradations of color, and custom finishes by local craftsmen. Photo by Matthew Williams.
This living/dining space is the social center of the apartment. For that reason, the architect designed the cabinet walls as a unifying visual feature that anchors the two rooms and provides practical storage space.
A polished concrete floor was selected for its durability. Using a design move inspired by Japanese architecture, Bruzkus introduced a change in height to help separate the sleeping area from the living area.
The couple’s Murphy bed, Clei’s Penelope model, folds up into the wall.
Warm white oak flooring is used in the kids’ media room, a place for casual lounging. It is here that Kopel’s favorite architectural detail can be found: the full-height light slot between the lounge and the entrance vestibule to the apartment.
In the bathroom and throughout the apartment, Ryan kept lines as pure as possible by designing built-in storage alcoves. The cutout space in the white cabinet does double duty as a door pull and a cubby for frequently used items.
This Brooklyn kitchen pairs a stunning Borghini honed marble countertop and backsplash by Ann Sacks.
The house's plan.
Schmidt-Friedlander Residence Floor Plan A Entry B Bathroom C Kitchen D Living Area E Kids’ Room F Master Bedroom
All of the apartment’s fixtures are by Kohler, including the kitchen sink and faucet as well as the Tea-for-Two bathtub, Vox square sink, and Catalan mirror in the bathroom. The Thassos marble subway tile is by Ann Sacks.
In the new space, small-scale, 24-inch appliances from Fagor are incorporated into Ikea’s Applåd cabinetry.
Takeshi Nii’s Ny chair is paired with a Reese sofa and cherry Grove nightstand from Room & Board in the living room.
A Model 78 side chair by Niels Otto Møller tucks into a custom desk in the master bedroom, a home base from which Friedlander works remotely. The brass pendant light is by Allied Maker.
Painted by hand, then photographed, enlarged, and printed digitally, each of Calico’s designs are made to be custom-sized for a space. The result: a visually immersive environment that reads more as a mural, with an expansive, non-repeating pattern. While the Copes recommend carefully priming any surfaces for large-scale installations, a smaller swatch can add an equally impactful accent when framed and hung, as shown in their home office.
Like many apartments in early 20th-century row houses, architect Philip Ryan’s Brooklyn abode was the epitome of spatial inefficiency before reconfiguring the space. “If you put a lot of small things into a small space, it can feel twice as small,” Ryan says. “If you have an object with heft and mass, it makes everything feel larger. It seems contradictory, but it works.” This philosophy inspired space-saving techniques throughout the apartment, including the quirky window sill flowerpot recess.
Restricting storage to a monolithic bank of bookshelves and cabinets cuts down on furniture clutter. “If you put a lot of small things into a small space, it can feel twice as small,” Ryan says. “If you have an object with heft and mass, it makes everything feel larger. It seems contradictory, but it works.” He outfitted an Ikea Pax and Komplement closet system with custom doors and placed automotive felt over them to dampen sound from a nearby track of the Long Island Rail Road.
The kids room in fashion designer Addi's Brooklyn apartment.
Friedlander and Schmidt replaced the stock cabinetry in the kitchen as part of the renovation.
A seamless sliding door by CS For Doors—accented by Mockett hardware—separates the master bedroom from the living room and doubles as a backdrop for a projector.