A full reimagining of this 1840s Brooklyn townhouse created a clean, disciplined framework for the new owners’ whimsical “Tim Burton–Pee-wee–Fred Astaire” style and their extraordinary folk art and Americana collection.
As featured in Architectural Digest and The Wall Street Journal, the two-year renovation began with structural essentials under the guidance of architects Elizabeth Roberts and Elliot Meier: reframing floors and raising ceilings to create generous volume. The redesigned wooden staircase, with a custom railing, new bulkhead, and skylight, became a throughline for all five levels.
Each floor was reshaped to fit this creative family’s life and enhanced with new flooring, doors, and woodwork. Bathrooms were transformed into showpieces through statement tilework. Playful surprises, such as a secret passageway, butler’s tube, phone booth, DJ booth, and slide to the yard, were thoughtfully integrated, allowing the restrained architecture to act as a refined showcase for the owners’ vivid world.
