If you saw the post about my favourite interiors over on the House & Home website a few weeks back then you’ll now that I’m drawn to homes that skillfully mix historical elements with contemporary furnishings. There is something about the juxtaposition of an ornate fireplace with a cleanlined coffee table, for example, that makes you look at both objects in a new light.
It’s really no surprise that I’m drawn to these kinds of interiors. My own home, a 1905 Victorian with many of the original features intact, requires the same balancing act between archival and current. I think we’re all drawn to homes similar to our own. I imagine if I lived in a Post and Beam house in Vancouver this blog would be very different!
Luckily for me, there are a few epicenters around the world where housing stock similar to my own were built: London, England, Sydney Australia, and New York, particularly Brooklyn. Each has its own special characteristics (for example, I absolutely adore the marble fireplace mantles you see in Brooklyn brownstones something we don’t see much of up here) but the floor plans and details are often quite comparable.
I’m always on the lookout for renovations of these types of homes and I was happy to see this article and the photos below on this Brooklyn brownstone on Dwell’s website. The owner, an architect by the name Jeff Sherman decided early on that his renovation policy was “if it’s okay than we keep it”. This meant that things like pressed tin on the walls and exposed subfloor all stayed. The result is a very interesting juxtaposition of old and new. For the full article (including some great renovation tips like building closets into your kitchen instead of adding costly cabinets) and more photos, check out the story on Dwell.
Image credits: Single images: Dustin Aksland Double images: Catherine Tighe
