At this historic townhouse in Brooklyn Heights, the front and rear gardens seamlessly extend the house’s modern renovation from inside to outside.

Faced with a generously sized rear yard, RKLA separated the garden into three areas, using the mature existing trees and shrubs to frame the spaces. A lower patio sits adjacent to the house, where a custom grill-cabinet and porcelain paving mirror the kitchen’s cabinets and flooring. New bluestone steps lead to the upper level garden with a wood fence, salvaged bluestone paving, custom fountains and a colorful, botanical sculpture created by one of the clients, an artist. The linear stone fountains break down this central area into two smaller spaces, but more importantly they mask the sounds of the city such as the hum of air conditioners. Intimacy is most pronounced at the rear of the garden, where a raised wood deck floats amongst the moss and woodland plantings.

The front of the house, which consisted of restoring the stoop’s wrought iron railings, recreating a basket urn with pineapple finial to create a matched pair, and restoring the bluestone sidewalk, required approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Architect:
SPG Architects

Photos:
Francine Fleischer