starting from a 19th century grand mansion in the historic neighborhood of clinton hill, brooklyn, new york, arnold studio transformed the mansion?s interiors into a modern residence. the space occupied two floors at the top of the building and within the roofline, and underwent a gut renovation that included major structural interventions. the designers removed internal walls previously used to separate traditional living spaces, and created open plan living areas that bring amplitude and light to the home.

 
 
arnold studio converted the lower floor into a single, open living area surrounded by storage and functional elements that integrate seamlessly into the perimeter. white oak wood floors and exposed blackened ceiling joists counter one another to highlight the perimeter wall surfaces, which contain both original historical casement details and distinctly modern cabinetry elements. a single monolithic black soapstone counter with an integrated sink is the sole architectural element set within this boundary framework. 
 
 
on the upper floor, the two bedrooms and bathroom are reached through a staircase that has been rebuilt using the same white oak wood in a seamless continuation of the lower level. in the bedrooms, the roofline geometry is embraced as the primary architectural element in otherwise minimal open rooms with built-in closets. the bathrooms? material palette consists of handcrafted cement tiles and large format porcelain tiles which are used to fo...