Shapeless Studio's Sensitive Modernization of a Brooklyn Brownstone

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Architects Jess Hinshaw and Andrew Fisk specialize in sensitive modernizations of old New York City structures: see, for instance, The Sentimental Minimalist, a tour of Jess’s own Brooklyn townhouse, and Andrea’s own Late-19th Century Quarters in Pinks, Greens, and Grays. The two run Shapeless Studio and one of the many designs of theirs that we’ve featured is A Kitchen that Celebrates Life’s Daily Details.

Set in an 1867 Italianate brownstone in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill, the project belongs to a young family of three who opted to remodel their two floors in stages: upstairs, containing the living quarters, was tackled first, followed a few years later by the bedrooms on the garden level. The couple—he works in the food business; she’s a landscape architect—wanted to gently update their rooms while, in her words, “creating a real connection to the outdoors, so that even when the house is closed, you never feel cooped up.”

Now that both floors are finished, we’re returning to take a full tour (scroll to the end for some Before shots). Note that this is a rare renovation that began and ended as a love fest: the owners found Shapeless Studio by admiring their work on Remodelista. And though they themselves prefer to remain anonymous, the owners asked that we pass on their praises for all involved, including contractor Pini Lipman and his team at Sunshine Renovations Management: “We could go on and on about the ways they showed up and went above and beyond, but we will just say that they are consummate professionals and really good people.” Adds Andrea, “In addition to being talented, honest, and kind, they was amazing at working within the irregularity of old townhouses.”

Photography by Hagan Hinshaw, courtesy of Shapeless Studio (@shapelessstudio).

The Parlor Floor

the architects sanded and refinished the house&#8\2\17;s original parquet f 17 — Above: The architects sanded and refinished the house’s original parquet floors and preserved the plasterwork. Built-in custom cabinets line one wall. The Mags Soft Sofa and ottoman are by Hay and the pendant light is the Herman Miller Nelson Apple Bubble Pendant.

the shapeless studio team kept the existing flow of rooms but widened the passa 18 — Above: The Shapeless Studio team kept the existing flow of rooms but widened the passageways and introduced flush thresholds to integrate the spaces.

the kitchen is set in a \2007 extension built by the previous owner that provid 19 — Above: The kitchen is set in a 2007 extension built by the previous owner that provided space but lacked inspiration. “The cabinets were awkwardly placed in small sections, which made the room feel chaotic and chopped up. We re-organized the setup to maximize storage and help it feel bright and calm,” says Andrea. It’s now anchored by a white oak island with dark cabinets and soapstone counters designed to “recede into the background.”

The cabinets are painted in Midnight and the walls are Classic Gray (“an ultra-light gray that can also function as an off-white”), from Benjamin Moore. The Afteroom stools with seats of painted ash are from Audo and the ceiling light, one of many contemporary fixtures introduced throughout, is Audo’s TR Bulb Linear Suspension. For more details, see Steal This Look. brooklyn brownstone kitchen breakfast nook by shapeless studio. hagan hinshaw p 20 Above: The breakfast nook is set in a niche that echoes an archway at the entry. The trestle table is a Shapeless Studio design made by Armada and the light is the Eave Pendant by In Common With. The custom white oak storage bench and other built-ins are the work of ABC Kitchen, now a division of Sunshine Renovations, and another team the owners and architects highly recommend.

Note the floor: it’s tiled in Thin Dust Bejmat Zellige from Tiles of Ezra in a basketweave pattern inspired by the original parquet floor. “While soft and neutral in color, the tiles are rich in texture and pattern,” notes Andrea. “Our sensibility is generally more modern, but we also wanted to honor the building’s historic details,” add the owners. “The tiles, arch, and soapstone are all thoughtful ways Shapeless integrated the kitchen into the rest of the parlor floor.”

a deck serves as the outdoor gathering spot and leads to the garden. the archit 21 — Above: A deck serves as the outdoor gathering spot and leads to the garden. The architects raised the height of the doors to match the third window and fill the room with natural light.

Downstairs: The Garden Level

the main bedroom opens to the garden, which, says jess, helped supply the palet 22 — Above: The main bedroom opens to the garden, which, says Jess, helped supply the palette of earthy, moody tones.

The remodel was done by the same team in two stages: upstairs during Covid lockdown and downstairs after the family had fully assessed their needs—and saved up. During the height of both construction periods, they lived elsewhere.