PRACTICAL ELEGANCE
A MODERN BROOKLYN BROWNSTONE KITCHEN WITH PLATT DANA ARCHITECTS
What do Henrybuilt and an 1880s Brooklyn brownstone have in common? A penchant for practical elegance, not just in how things look but in how they work, wear, and feel every day for years to come.
The life path of this Carroll Gardens brownstone wasn’t atypical. What began in the late 1800s as one in a row of four houses built for an extended family was cut up into three separate apartments. Most of the original detail had been eliminated, leaving the interior void of character.
Platt Dana Architects, with their signature mix of classic and modern design, were brought on board to reimagine what the home was in its glory years. “The challenge was the play between authentic restoration and modern living,” architect Hope Dana explained.
The design partnership with Henrybuilt became the solution for the kitchen: a space that respects the home’s historic character while introducing a highly refined product system designed to adapt to the way people live—today and for generations to come.
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Architecture by: Platt Dana Architects
Contractor: Sage Builders
The life path of this Carroll Gardens brownstone wasn’t atypical. What began in the late 1800s as one in a row of four houses built for an extended family was cut up into three separate apartments. Most of the original detail had been eliminated, leaving the interior void of character.
Platt Dana Architects, with their signature mix of classic and modern design, were brought on board to reimagine what the home was in its glory years. “The challenge was the play between authentic restoration and modern living,” architect Hope Dana explained.
The design partnership with Henrybuilt became the solution for the kitchen: a space that respects the home’s historic character while introducing a highly refined product system designed to adapt to the way people live—today and for generations to come.
Architecture by: Platt Dana Architects
Contractor: Sage Builders
Like many Brooklyn brownstones that were “modernized” in the 1920s, the exterior of the 16' 9" wide house had also been stripped of ornament. Platt Dana Architects meticulously restored the exterior to its original condition, informed by the houses on either side.
The wood-stair balusters were the only original details intact. The plaster mouldings, wood floors, and doors are all new.
TThe living room, dining room, and kitchen mingle on the parlor floor, making the kitchen’s seamless integration into the architecture all the more important. It was an old-and-new remix made possible by the highly custom fit and configuration of the Henrybuilt system.
When it came to the kitchen, the clients had two different priorities. One was focused on the aesthetics and feel. The other was engaged in the importance of performance and functionality while completing daily tasks.
The Henrybuilt system was able to address both priorities, while also ensuring a level of craft quality that is guaranteed by warranty to last a lifetime.
The Henrybuilt system was able to address both priorities, while also ensuring a level of craft quality that is guaranteed by warranty to last a lifetime.
Materials were carefully chosen for their warmth and softness. Flat fronts bring a sense of quiet elegance, avoiding the trap of frame-and-panel fronts as the only choice for speaking a traditional language. Visual dimension comes through the thoughtful layering of wood, marble, and brass.
Quality
THenrybuilt’s luxury-level quality starts on the inside, extends to the outside, and ends with the way it works. Our approach to both design and manufacturing is a holistic one that deeply influences how it feels to live in your home.
The design was informed by the clients’ modernist 1950s brass-and-walnut etagere by Paul McCobb.
Composed of honest materials that bring warmth and presence, the piece is marked by purpose. It has a purity of form and a traditional line and scale.
The island serves as a transition piece between kitchen and living spaces—functional performance on one side; a crafted furniture piece on the other.
Open shelves provide easy access to frequently used ingredients and glassware, while creating visual openness and a sense of breathing room.
The live finish of Henrybuilt’s solid-brass pulls patinas over time, adding an old-world quality that fits the home’s character. Honest materials, intentionally selected to age gracefully, develop a richer presence with time.
The kitchen’s deep bottom drawers pair generous storage capacity with movable divider rails, creating a flexible organizational system that adapts to the clients’ needs.
Flexible Drawer System
Henrybuilt’s interior components are designed to give you a unique experience of artful order, bringing a simple elegance to cooking and socializing in the kitchen.
Stools nest neatly out of the way beneath the counter.
Here, gone, and back again. Not a recreation of history, but a thoughtful evolution of it. A delicate balance.
