Before & After: A Dark Studio Gets a Smart New Layout & A lot More Light

Felicity’s Brooklyn Heights home went through a complete shift in identity: from a dark, 1960s-style apartment with a sleeping loft to a modern-yet-historically-respectful and bright two-level studio.

Felicity was particularly inspired by the work of Carlo Scarpa, an Italian architect. Just prior to closing on the apartment, a trip to Italy with her aunt provided many in-person experiences of Scarpa’s projects, including Castelvecchio and the Brion Sanctuary. From Felicity:

“His use of clean lines and minimalist style within historic buildings such as Castelvecchio helped to clarify my vision for the apartment.”

Moving the lofted area from in front of the windows to the back of the studio makes a huge difference in the flow of space and light throughout the apartment. It really looks like a totally different place!

This is the back wall of the apartment, with kitchen area, before:

And this is the back area of the apartment, with mezzanine level added, after:

One of the largest parts of the entire project was moving the floor-to-ceiling mirror from one end of the apartment to the other. The effect is dramatic, and in the process, Felicity discovered she had a fireplace, which she turned into her television nook.

This is the front corner of the apartment, with sleeping loft, before:

And this is the same corner, without sleeping loft, and with the moved mirror afterwards:

Thank you, Felicity!

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