MHLI
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B075
BOREUM HILL
BROOKLYN, NY
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Like a bespoke
garment that
accentuates
every curve
Channeling the punctuated palette and lush textures of a 1910 Henri Rousseau painting
hanging in MoMA just a short walk away, a 47th-story Manhattan pied-à-terre flaunts its own collection of captivating art in an eclectic setting with enviable views.
The grand proportions and perhaps
intentionally exhibitionist-scaled windows
of this six-story, new construction townhouse
extended an invitation to theater and to
the curiosity of voyeuristic passersby.
The grand proportions and perhaps
intentionally exhibitionist-scaled windows
of this six-story, new construction townhouse
extended an invitation to theater and to
the curiosity of voyeuristic passersby.
The grand proportions
and perhaps intentionally exhibitionist-scaled windows of this six-story townhouse offered an invitation to theater — and the curiosity of voyeuristic passersby.
PROJECT DETAILS
• Finishes and built-ins to enhance the developer designed property
• Furnishings to complement existing art collection
• Statement and architectural lighting to establish desired moods
• A comfortable media room with beer taps for movie and football watching, board gaming and kid's activities
For this top-down renovation, we were inspired by the jewel-toned palazzos along Venice's Grand Canal and sought to choreograph a poised, modern production for lavish living with materials and finishes sympathetic to the shifting moods of natural light and the client's desire for a chic, contemporary urban escape for their young family.
When we presented the living room fireplace stone sample, the client loved it, but surface imperfections in the available slabs disqualified them from use. With critical installations pending and time running short before the client’s return, we launched a 100 mile search for replacement. After four failed attempts, a new vendor — our Hail Mary — arrived with two slabs tethered to the bed of his pickup, enabling timely approval and fabrication.
Once the primary bedroom's wardrobes were completed, the client's brightly colored shirts became a conspicuous eyesore through the wire mesh faces. We resolved this disruption to visual cohesion by installing smoked acrylic panels to subtly increase opacity without compromising the design intent.
Our client originally envisioned the large-scale artwork now showcased in the living room for the top-floor office. However, its 10-foot width made access through the entryway and up four flights of stairs impossible. To preserve the piece, the frame was custom-assembled on site, allowing us to install it on the parlour level where its scale and presence proved more impactful.
Design: 12 weeks
Implementation & Construction: 16 months
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Instead of fighting the existing conditions of the windowless media room which doubles as a playspace, we capitalized on its subterranean mood.
The client's request for ideal viewing conditions for movie nights and football games informed the room's color selection: monochromatic dark chocolate walls, millwork, and sofas. A commissioned bronze shelving unit hangs just below the ceiling plane to provide library storage and humanize the soaring scale of the space. Resin-encased quartz pebbles used on playgrounds provide a cushionlike surface for the children, while new taps installed at the dry bar keep beers chilled on draught for the adults.
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The children's level was conceived as an immersive sensory experience for the trio of toddlers who occupy the floor.
Flanked by bedrooms wrapped in wallcoverings of shapeshifting technicolor and gilded gridding, the play nook's life-size boulder cushions, plush 'grass' carpet and suspended clouds conjure a grassy knoll to escape bordeom on homebound snow days.
FEATURED PRESS
"Marc Houston Designed This Brooklyn Townhouse with a Focus on Art, Color and Whimsy"
"8 Moody Bedrooms from AD Pro Directory Designers"
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In the office on the top floor, an immense mixed media assemblage by Frieda Toranzo Jaegar hangs in the stairwell, the perfect backdrop for Zoom power meetings.
The workstation is designed with discreetly integrated charging ports and a bronze mirrored backsplash to visually expand the space and amplify natural light from dual roof terraces and a skylight. A leather and walnut daybed facilitates recharging naps in the afternoon sun.
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MHLI is a full-service, Black-owned boutique specialized in luxury residential renovations, new builds and comprehensive furnishing projects. Read more
Harmonic hues in rich materiality of silk, straw marquetry and slubbed linen wrap the surfaces of the primary suite.
The neon coil chandelier floats in effervescent counterpoint to the restrained formality of the space and playfully captures the client's connection to the tech industry. Geometric, metallic tile surrounds the fireplace, creating a focal point on a wall of custom wardrobes faced in smoked acrylic and wire mesh.
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The spirit of monumental cathedrals and medieval monasteries informed the contemplative mood of the dining room.
Stuart Haygarth's celestially evocative, illuminated orb composed of individually strung elements washed ashore from the ocean recalls the ethereal, atmospheric quality of intricate stained-glass windows. Below, a dual pedestal table of our own design stands like an altar in the shifting shadows of dappled light filtered through wool sablé woven sheers.
A new palette of luxurious materials warms the living room's minimalist architecture.
We designed soaring, wall-to-wall millwork with Mondrian-inspired brass shelving and heavily veined Golden Spider to augment the living room's soaring proportions. Part lounge and part gallery, it houses the client's museum-worthy collection of art where works by Michaela Eichwald, Kaari Upson and Goshka Macuga hold court.
