PHOTOGRAPHER

@maxb.photo

BROOKLYN NY

2023

This Park Slope apartment in Brooklyn, New York, marks Studio 8 Architect’s second—and far more extensive—renovation for one of the firm’s earliest New York City clients. In their first collaboration, a light refresh completed over a decade ago, the clients sought a “grown-up” apartment but were working within a modest budget. The new design narrative, however, offered an opportunity to reimagine the home more holistically. Initial budget constraints gave way to a comprehensive vision of minimalist living enriched by an unwavering commitment to material authenticity and craftsmanship.

From the original renovation, only the glazed white-brick fireplace and custom shelving remained. The 2012 design had embraced the burgeoning Brooklyn maker movement, featuring collaborations with then-emerging talents such as Workstead for lighting and a bespoke desk blending Cabezian Design’s metalwork with Fort Standard’s woodworking. These pieces captured the spirit of a moment when local craft was redefining contemporary interiors.

A decade later, S8A returned to the apartment with a deeper brief and a clearer sense of the clients’ needs, taking the space down to its framing to rebuild it from within. The studio maintained its ethos of sourcing from independent, up-and-coming makers rather than defaulting to more established brands. The selection of Hudson Company’s Kent flooring—with its deliberately expressive grain—demonstrates how natural materials can introduce warmth and dimension to minimalist spaces without disrupting their serenity. Reform cabinetry in Saw Cut Natural Oak contributes similarly: its tactile surface provides depth while ensuring generous, streamlined storage.

Technical refinements are discreet yet impactful. Full-height pivot doors with integrated pulls—crafted by Premier Millwork, known for their work on the Hudson Woods development—elevate everyday rituals, transforming simple moments of opening a closet into quietly satisfying experiences. Raising the ceiling heights throughout the apartment created a sense of expansiveness that belies its 950-square-foot footprint, while a unified ceiling plane brings calm and coherence to what had previously been a visually fragmented interior.

Perhaps the most emblematic design choice lies in the selection of Concrete Collaborative’s terrazzo tiles. By opting for a bold pattern expressed through a timeless material, the clients achieved a rare balance: introducing visual interest without compromising the home’s disciplined sense of tranquility. That interplay of expression and restraint carries through the entire project—from the preserved brick fireplace to the meticulously planned storage that allows the clients’ everyday objects to coexist without overwhelming the space.

The result is a home that feels both contemporary and enduring. Cohesive ceiling heights and a cohesive material palette create a sense of quiet monumentality—an understated gravitas achieved not through ornament, but through meticulous attention to proportion, texture, and craft. This renovation offers a window into a broader evolution within American residential design, where the early exuberance of the maker movement has matured into a more nuanced dialogue between craftsmanship, spatial clarity, and the rituals of daily life

Creating a space to retreat and relax is a priority for S8A