Cobble Hill
Anglo-Italianate

Built in 1850 in the Anglo-Italianate style, this five-story brownstone, located in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill Historic District, was meticulously restored through a collaboration between The Brooklyn Studio and the interior design firm Studio Solenne. The design blends 19th-century charm with modern functionality, to reflect the clients’ personal taste while accommodating contemporary living.

A major component of the project involved reconstructing the rear façade, which, after 130 years, was no longer structurally sound. We rebuilt the three-wythe brick wall and introduced a new three-story masonry opening fitted with a tripartite wood window system spanning nearly the full width of the building. This architectural intervention connects the home’s primary gathering spaces directly to the garden.

Cobble Hill Anglo-Italianate rear facade

Cobble Hill Anglo-Italianate Garden Bedroom

The first floor was reorganized in response to the client’s passion for cooking and entertaining. The kitchen and dining room were integrated into one continuous space, lined with oak cabinetry and marble counters. A sculptural brass hood and brightly painted cabinet interiors help to offset the more traditional details in the house. The sitting room, separated from the kitchen through a quiet pantry pass-through, celebrates some of the original architectural features, including an arched window opening and painted tin ceiling.

Cobble Hill Anglo-Italianate sitting room

The second-floor "Piano Nobile" retained its historic elegance with an ornate central stair hall that separates two entertainment spaces. The decorative plaster crown moldings were carefully restored to maintain the home’s original character.

Cobble Hill Anglo-Italianate piano noble

Cobble Hill Anglo-Italianate living room

The stairs leading from the 4th floor to the attic were reconfigured to create a more open floorplan that facilitates the addition of a home office. An existing laylight at the 4th floor was reimagined as a lightwell that brings natural light from the new, larger skylight in the attic above.

The primary bedroom was relocated to the rear of the house, with views of lush greenery in the rear garden. The motif of white oak reappears throughout this floor, connecting the primary closet to the primary bedroom, bathroom, and study.

Cobble Hill Anglo-Italianate primary closet

Cobble Hill Anglo-Italianate primary bathroom

The top-floor attic was renovated into a sun-drenched office suite, complete with a newly built outdoor terrace and fireplace.

This collaborative effort between The Brooklyn Studio and Studio Solenne celebrates the harmony of historic preservation and modern creativity, resulting in a warm and dynamic home perfect for family life and entertaining.