Our team collaborated with photographer Winnie Au and her husband to renovate their newly purchased historic brownstone in Crown Heights. While the home was rich with original millwork and period detailing—elements the owners were eager to preserve—the design focused on creating a brighter, lighter interior that would serve as a flexible backdrop for daily life and creative work.
The Canvas House
Photography © Winnie Au
The Plan
The home retains its original two-unit configuration, organized as an owner’s triplex above a garden-level rental. At the parlor level, the kitchen was completely reimagined with custom millwork and Carrara marble countertops, while the removal of a former dumbwaiter made room for a new pantry and improved circulation. Bathrooms on the upper floors were refreshed, and a third bathroom was carefully introduced on the second level to better support contemporary family life.
Throughout the owner’s residence, a restrained palette of whites and soft neutrals establishes a bright, calm interior that allows the home’s historic millwork to remain visually present without overwhelming the spaces. This quiet backdrop is intentionally animated by the homeowners’ selection of colorful, modern furnishings, creating a balanced dialogue between old and new and reinforcing the house’s role as both a family home and a living canvas.
Sustainability
Energy performance was significantly improved through the replacement of existing windows with new high-performance units, along with added insulation at the roof and exterior walls to reduce heat loss through the building envelope. All lighting was upgraded to energy-efficient LED fixtures, and a high-efficiency HVAC system was introduced throughout the home, contributing to reduced energy consumption and improved comfort year-round.
“ The house had museum-like features, but I didn’t want it to feel like a museum - I wanted it to feel like a home where everyone was comfortable and nothing was so precious “
Winnie Au, Owner
