In Brooklyn Heights, architect Sarah Zames of firm General Assembly turned a dated 800-square-foot apartment into an “airy, welcoming home” for a pair of peripatetic creatives.
“Our clients wanted to achieve a lot in a pretty small space,” said Zames. She opted to leave the layout largely unchanged while “making some subtle moves that allowed us to maximize the space”?including built-ins everywhere, storage tucked under high ceilings, even a secret cat corridor.
To achieve a modern feel, Zames capitalized on the apartment’s ample natural light and further brightened the space with white walls, white oak millwork, and light gray concrete countertops, anchored by touches of blackened steel, dark blue paint, and a charcoal gray fireplace. The owners?Remodelista readers?were involved in the selection of every detail, from light switches to cushions to cabinet pulls. Photography by Joe Fletcher, courtesy of General Assembly.

Above: The walls are painted in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove and the original pine wood floors were refinished.

Above: A pair of Trapeze sconces from Apparatus are controlled via a light switch from House of Antique Hardware.

Above: Zames replaced the existing fireplace with a dramatic, trowel-finished concrete unit complete with built-in firewood storage. To maximize every inch of space in the small apartment, the architects tucked a projection screen into the ceiling above the piano.

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