Dream Home Status: 5 of the Most Beautiful Brownstones in NYC
No New York building type is more iconic than the brownstone, the distinguished townhome fronted in the namesake brown sandstone. And while their exteriors are certainly beautiful, transforming certain streets in the West Village and Brooklyn into a photographer’s dream, their insides can be just as intriguing, too. If you love tall ceilings and brightly lit rooms and intricate architectural details, let these five abodes take you back to a time when even the homes of everyday people had a touch of grandeur.
This Park Slope brownstone, a project of KiKi Dennis, has tall ceilings, gorgeous original moldings, and parquet floors to die for. A light wood finish for the door and window frames and baseboards is an unusual one—more often you see either a dark wood finish, or white—but here it works beautifully, emphasizing the space’s architectural character while maintaining a light, almost modern feel.
The intricate detailing of Jae and Devin’s Bed-Stuy brownstone creates the perfect backdrop to their eclectic collection of modern furnishings.
The interior of this Clinton Hill brownstone, spotted on Design*Sponge, lacks a lot of the flourishes of the previous two. This gives it a more minimal aspect, and focuses your attention on the home’s best features: its tall ceilings, elegant proportions, and beautiful light.
This Prospect Heights brownstone, spotted on the website of designer Louisa G. Roeder, offers something beautiful to look at in every corner. Every part of the home is meticulously detailed, from the elaborate ceiling design in the living room to the more delicate embossed tin ceiling in the master bedroom. Also, it has what might be the loveliest kitchen I’ve ever seen—and with a window seat, to boot.
This brownstone, on the Upper East Side, was lovingly transformed into a family home. The centerpiece of it is the wall of windows that faces the backyard, turning the kitchen (and the library above) into an extension of the outdoors. See the whole thing at Luxe Interiors + Design.