Custom sizes available Click here to inquire/purchase[photo by emily gilbert] we’ve all been drooling over this brownstone from the folks at the brooklyn home company – the details are just amazing! the sculpture over the fireplace, the dining table crafted from a fallen beech tree, and the hand-carved four poster bed – all made by fitzhugh karol, a woodworker and sculptor, and lyndsay caleo, a jewelry designer and goldsmith. they certainly are one majorly talented couple! the pair met at risd grad. in addition to their individual work, they collaborate on the interior planning and architectural design for the brooklyn home company (and fitzhugh create a sculpture for each project!) i now know whom to call when i get that brooklyn brownstone of my dreams (of course, i’ll just might need a fairy godmother first!) {thanks fitzhugh and lyndsay!} {and thanks to emily gilbert for the amazing photographs!} [Moving to New York was a big jump for both of us, having grown up in the country.
The main goal for our living space in NY was to create a departure from the city. We looked at many brownstones but there were very few buildings on the market that fit our model. We needed lots natural light, outdoor space, room for plenty of guests, a bathroom for two, storage, a great kitchen, personal workspace, and 3 rental apartments to help with the mortgage. (In a 55′ x 20′ brownstone we had to be creative.) We approached the project like a puzzle and it was just a matter of figuring out how it would all fit together.] [photo by emily gilbert] [photo above: We discovered the structural beams during demolition. Fitzhugh made the white, wood sculpture above the fireplace, the built-in bookcases, coffee table as well as the bar stools. Lyndsay found the Indian daybed at a salvage yard.] [photo above: The library ladder leads to one of the “guest-rooms.” The large cage lights above the kitchen island were salvaged off of a freighter ship from India. Lyndsay and Fitzhugh made the dining table together from a fallen beech tree.
The bookshelves house various collections which are constantly growing and being rearranged.] [photo above: Another angle of the dining table. The turned wood mirror was made by Lyndsay’s father. The large ceramic form is by Toshiko Takaezu, for whom Fitzhugh was apprentice.] CLICK HERE for the rest of The Brooklyn Home Company peek! (and all the images on one page! [photo above: Lyndsay searched ebay for weeks for a barn door to lead into the bathroom, and ended up finding one in the sheep run of Fitzhugh’s family’s farm in NH. After giving it some major TLC it found a new purpose.] [photo above: Natural light floods the bathroom through a floor to ceiling panel of sandblasted glass. After looking at every bathroom light on earth, Lyndsay found 2 picture lights that were perfect.] [photo above: We put a 9 foot extension on the garden and parlor floor and relocated the kitchen to the back of the house. The wall of double hung windows was sourced from a storefront window manufacturer.
The vintage American Standard farm sink came from Northampton MA via Ebay. Fitzhugh made the Sapele island countertop with a slit for kitchen knives – an idea that Lyndsay got from a photograph of Terence Conran’s kitchen. Olive the Norfolk Terrier is not usually allowed on the counter.] [photo above: We were lucky to have our property lined with trees including Magnolia, Dogwood and a huge Cherry tree. The reclaimed shelving came from a mill in Canandaigua, NY.] [photo above: Lyndsay originally had her studio on the garden level, but soon outgrew the space. We turned the parlor floor coat closet into the stairway and added a bathroom, a guest bedroom, storage, personal workspaces and a family room on the garden level. Fitzhugh made the Sapele stair treads. Above is a reclaimed beam that Fitzhugh sculpted into a Christmas present for Lyndsay.] [photo above: In the foyer is Lyndsay’s carved wood and concrete table. The leather chairs are from American Leather.
The opening to the right of the front door is where the parlor coat closet used to be and is now the stairway to the garden level. The floorboards were painted with a hard wearing floor paint.] [photo above: Fitzhugh carved the four poster bed from a Beech tree. The tall carved mirror is from the Wendell Castle Collection. The fireplace is original.] [photo above: Lyndsay got inspiration for the new guest-room from the inside of a ship’s cabin. Fitzhugh made the built-in storage beneath the bed and the small side table. The new full guest bathroom is in the background. For bathroom fixtures, great deals can be found on floor models.] [photo above: The windows look out to the back garden. We made the couch platform from reclaimed brownstone beams and twin mattresses to accommodate for more guests. Linen mattress covers can be removed and cleaned easily. The “Cloud” chair is from the Wendell Castle Collection. The wood sculptures and tables were made by Fitzhugh.
Olive strikes a pose.]When was the last time you took a really close look at the doors in your house? Most of us tend to think only about the functionality of doors, and while it does take precedence, there is also an aesthetic aspect that is often overlooked. From colorful front doors to lovely French doors that create dreamy dining spaces and lead into stunning backyards, the last few years have seen doors making plenty of noise in the decorating world. Today we take a look at the latest entrant in this lineup – the sliding barn door.You don’t have to embrace rustic or farmhouse styles completely to add a barn door to your interior, and often the bathroom is the ideal place to embrace these sliding doors. While some prefer the classic barn door in aged wood, others have turned to contemporary adaptations that use sleeker and shinier materials. No matter what you like, the summer of 2015 is definitely the time to get on the ‘barn door bandwagon’!Classic Woodsy CharmThe traditional barn door was deemed a complete misfit in the urbane city setting where it not only felt out of place, but also less than useful.
In the case of the bathroom, there is the added annoyance of the sliding barn door leaving out a gap or two that many of us find jarringly uncomfortable. But soon interior designers decided to turn this perception on its head by adding those heavy wooden sliding barn doors to modern homes. Bringing an entirely new texture to a space dominated by stone and concrete, the woodsy barn door offers a breath of unmitigated freshness.Splash of ModernityAs we alluded to earlier, you need not completely switch over to a more rustic style if you want to use a barn door for your bathroom. In fact, a contemporary backdrop lets the country life-inspired addition become an instant focal point that gets loads of attention. But for those still uncomfortable with large barn doors in reclaimed wood, modern alternatives in lighter tones of wood get the job done with a more refined panache. You can even paint the door white if you want it to seamlessly disappear into the neutral backdrop. Another vivacious option is to use bright accent hues for the barn door, which surely promises to enliven that old, drab bathroom.