BAAO Architects is an award-winning multidisciplinary practice based in New York. Their latest residential project, Arch House, is a triplex in Brooklyn for a young couple who travel extensively for business. The couple's brief for BAAO, who provided furnishings throughout the house, was to create the feeling of a quiet sanctuary. The existing building, a relatively compact Anglo-Italianate townhouse circa 1860, with a three-story extension added to expand the living space, features a signature arched doorway and front window. These beautiful, original features provided inspiration for much of the detailing for the renovated spaces.
Arched openings connect the dining space to the foyer as well as to the kitchen through a butler’s pantry. Generous in size, the kitchen is designed for socialising while cooking and spans the entire width of the house. A large central marble island and countertop in Olympian White Dandy from ABC Stone injects the all-white space with warmth and texture. Brass tapware and wall sconces add further contrast.
The living room features striking steel doors and an incredible fluted plaster fireplace by Kamp Studios. Many of the home’s original architectural elements have been carefully restored, including wall mouldings and the wood stair and handrail. The skylight above was replaced in the shape of an oval to match the geometry of the stairwell.
The expansive master suite occupies the second floor, with a plaster and marble master bath sequestered through more arched openings via a raised passageway toward the rear. The use of marble provides a sense of cohesion throughout the home, with the bathroom featuring Calacatta Bettogli sourced through European Marble and Granite. Steel doors carry through to this floor and open out onto a balcony, while the office and library overlook the street below. The original fireplaces have also been restored.
Interior Decorator: Jae Joo Designs
Photograhy: Francis Dzikowski / OTTO
Images courtesy of BAAO / v2com