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Brooklyn-based Barker Architecture Office renovated a four-story, landmarked 19th-century brownstone in Clinton Hill for an empty-nester couple moving from Tribeca. The design combines surviving historic features with vivid color, custom materials, contemporary furniture and the owners’ art collection; the home’s former use as short-term rentals had removed much of its original ornamentation.
Brooklyn-based Barker Architecture Office has renovated a four-story, landmarked 19th-century brownstone in Clinton Hill for a couple relocating from Tribeca, combining preserved architectural features with saturated color and contemporary materials. The project turns a house previously divided into short-term rentals into a family residence shaped around the owners’ midcentury furniture and contemporary art collection, according to Design Milk’s report.
The owners, described in the report as an empty-nester couple, asked the architects to do more than update an old building. Their brief was to make room for their collection and establish a warmer, more spirited palette while respecting the brownstone’s historic character. Design Milk reports that the building’s earlier use as short-term rentals had stripped away much of its original ornamentation. BAAO preserved the few surviving architectural details and set them against modern additions.
Color establishes a sequence through the house from the entrance onward: deep olive doors open onto a terracotta vestibule, while the central staircase is painted yellow and edged by a red runner. On the parlor floor, diagonal white-oak boards reference historic parquet patterns. The living room retains its original plaster crown molding and fireplace, which has been reclad in textured porcelain tile. A Richard Tuttle chandelier hangs from a restored plaster rosette.
The kitchen wraps around the room’s perimeter, with custom white-oak cabinets, honed soapstone counters and a veined lilac-marble backsplash. Rather than a conventional island, the architects placed a dining table beneath vintage French aluminum pendant lights. A staircase lit by hand-blown-glass pendants leads to a garden level divided between a bright family room opening onto the garden and a dark-paneled library. Upstairs, the primary suite uses russet, ochre and moss green; the top floor groups three bedrooms around a skylit lounge for the couple’s adult children.
A Historic Shell, Reworked for Family Life
The renovation shows how a historic home can be adapted for a specific household without relying on a full return to period styling. Here, the architects paired surviving plasterwork and historic references with clean additions, new finishes and a layout intended to support everyday use. The result, as documented in the report, is not simply a restored facade or a collection of decorative rooms: it is a four-level home organized around gathering, private retreats and the owners’ art and furniture.
For readers interested in renovation, the project also illustrates how design choices can carry through a house without making each floor identical. The entry’s strong color cues give way to a quieter primary suite and a more graphic top-floor lounge. The kitchen’s central table favors conversation over a standard island, while the garden level sets a family room beside a secluded library. Those choices reflect the owners’ stated brief, rather than a general prescription for brownstone design.
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From Short-Term Rentals to a Home
The project sits within a familiar New York residential shift: the couple left a Tribeca townhouse for a Brooklyn brownstone, according to Design Milk. The report describes the change as offering more room and privacy, but does not provide property sizes, costs or other details that would quantify the difference. It identifies the Clinton Hill house as landmarked and dating to the 19th century.
Before the renovation, the building had been divided into short-term rentals. Design Milk says that arrangement removed much of the original ornamentation, leaving only a few architectural elements for BAAO to preserve. The firm’s approach, as described in the report, was to retain those remnants and introduce modern work with a restrained spatial framework and a more expressive palette. BAAO also worked with the homeowners on furniture choices and the placement of their art across the house.
“The couple’s core ambition was not merely to update a period house but to create a home that could gracefully balance an extensive collection of midcentury furniture and contemporary art with a warmer, more spirited material palette.”
— Design Milk, reporting on the homeowners’ brief
Project Costs and Timeline Not Reported
Design Milk’s report does not state what the renovation cost, when work began or ended, or whether the project required particular changes to meet landmark-preservation requirements. It also does not provide the homeowners’ names or their own direct comments. Details about construction methods, approvals and the extent of the building’s original fabric beyond the features described are not included, so they cannot be independently inferred from the design account.
No Further Project Milestones Listed
The source presents the renovation as a completed residential project but gives no upcoming milestone, such as a later construction phase or public opening. It is not clear whether BAAO or the homeowners plan to share additional project details. For now, the report documents the finished design and the choices made to adapt the brownstone to the couple’s daily life and collection.
Key Questions
Who designed the Clinton Hill brownstone renovation?
Barker Architecture Office (BAAO), a Brooklyn-based practice, designed the renovation, according to Design Milk.
What was the home used for before the renovation?
The brownstone had been divided into short-term rentals. Design Milk reports that the arrangement removed much of the home’s original ornamentation.
Which historic features were retained?
The report mentions surviving architectural elements, including the living room’s plaster crown molding and a plaster rosette that was restored. It does not provide a full inventory of preserved details.
What stands out about the kitchen design?
Instead of a conventional island, BAAO placed a dining table at the center of the kitchen. Custom white-oak cabinetry, soapstone counters and a lilac-marble backsplash complete the reported scheme.
How many bedrooms are on the top floor?
The top floor has three bedrooms for the couple’s adult children, arranged around a skylit central lounge, according to Design Milk.
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