Japanese-inspired gut renovation of a historic Brooklyn brownstone.
Warren Street Townhouse
This 1880 brownstone in tony Cobble Hill has excellent bones but had been chopped up and disfigured over the years. Previous renovations had stripped historical details and cobbled together rooms, making a contemporary gut renovation a must. Studio Vural worked with interior designer Claire Hung to create a minimalist, Japanese-inspired home, seamlessly harmonious in form and finishes.
As a young couple, our European clients visited Japan and stayed in an authentic Japanese house. It was a memorable experience which became the driving force behind our design. Japanese architecture is more about absence than presence. Statements are made by harmony of simple parts coming together in a fluctuating rhythm. Unlike Western architecture, formal relationships are asymmetrical and atonal, if you will. This is the essence of our design.
We used a hand-selected veneer sheets of European Oak, mix-matched to our clients liking to create the undulating pattern. Beige travertine stone slabs blend with marble tiles and hand-poured concrete slabs on the kitchen counters. Glass floor openings bring natural light from the roof and an all-glass primary bathroom maximizes the depth in the bedroom and adds a little romance to the ambiance.
Warren Street Townhouse is a special project for us, we poured our hearts and minds into it, survived a pandemic and came-through transformed, more experienced architects. We thank everyone who worked collaboratively for a common goal, harder than it sounds yet a healing process.
Principal Architect
Selim Vural, AIA
Project team
Rima Askin
Angela Tsaveska
Year
2022
Phase
Complete
General Contractor
David Nahm, Orion Development
Art Director & Ceramics
Kerry Robertson
Mill work
Quarter Sawn Group
Victor Manuel Calixto
Interior Designer
Claire Hung
Photography
Kate Glicksberg