My Houzz: A Modern NYC Loft With Traditional Touches
A renovation transforms this 3-bedroom unit in a historic Brooklyn building into a cozy hub for family and friends
Just two months shy of the birth of their son, Hannah and Greg Goldstein moved their growing family from a one-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom loft in the historic Bell Telephone Building of Brooklyn, New York. The loft offered the family more space, but the layout was far from ideal. With a cramped kitchen and living area, a single wall of kitchen cabinets and only one kitchen drawer, a much-needed renovation was in order. The Goldsteins turned to a team of contractors at FG Interior Renovation Corp. and a pair of interior designers, Amanda Cline of Cross Hatch and Annie Mistak of Brontosaurus, to help transform their home into a family space.
Hannah says she hasn’t done much childproofing, wanting the spaces to still feel adult amidst the presence of curious little fingers. Three-year-old Reid is “old enough now that he knows the things he can touch and play with,” she says.
Wall paint: custom blend, Benjamin Moore; light fixture in foreground: Random Light, YLighting
Wall paint: custom blend, Benjamin Moore; light fixture in foreground: Random Light, YLighting
The kitchen, eating and living areas blend into one another. The contractors “spent countless hours with me discussing floor plans, mapping out the space and coming up with new ideas,” Hannah says.
With a penchant for mixing high and low, she used a mixture of Ikea and custom-built cabinets, and splurged on cabinet pulls.
Cabinets: Bodbyn from Ikea and custom by F&G Home Remodeling; cabinet pulls: Top Knobs, Build.com
With a penchant for mixing high and low, she used a mixture of Ikea and custom-built cabinets, and splurged on cabinet pulls.
Cabinets: Bodbyn from Ikea and custom by F&G Home Remodeling; cabinet pulls: Top Knobs, Build.com
The banquette area is a family hot spot. “We love the banquette areas, because we can squeeze tons of kids in the seating area while the adults mingle around the island,” Hannah says.
Orb chandelier: Ballard Designs; Tea Brown round extension table: Crate & Barrel; Klein side chair: Society Social; pillow fabric: P Kaufmann indoor-outdoor Snow Leopard in Cornflower, Fabric.com; seat cushion fabric: Premier Prints Cameron Slub Premier in navy, Fabric.com; Gallery frames in black: West Elm; vases: Jonathan Adler
Orb chandelier: Ballard Designs; Tea Brown round extension table: Crate & Barrel; Klein side chair: Society Social; pillow fabric: P Kaufmann indoor-outdoor Snow Leopard in Cornflower, Fabric.com; seat cushion fabric: Premier Prints Cameron Slub Premier in navy, Fabric.com; Gallery frames in black: West Elm; vases: Jonathan Adler
With the sectional set against the wall, the family and guests can mingle and still have a full view of all that’s going on. “I love the positioning of the couches, because my friends and I can be enjoying a glass of wine relaxing on the couch while we can still have an eye on the kids.”
Artwork: Minted
Artwork: Minted
The bar cart is a girls’-night favorite. “I love to host wine nights. My girlfriends and I have a wine club where we rotate houses. I cook dinner and the girls bring the wine,” Hannah says. And just like her mother, grandmother and aunts, Hannah has a love of blue-and-white and chinoiserie-style furnishings. Her blue-and-white ginger jar collection is from her mother.
Bar cart: Stenstorp, Ikea
Bar cart: Stenstorp, Ikea
The collection of blue glass jars seen here was passed down from Hannah’s grandmother.
Spin swivel backless bar stool: Crate & Barrel; pendants: Progress Lighting, Lighting Direct
Spin swivel backless bar stool: Crate & Barrel; pendants: Progress Lighting, Lighting Direct
The gallery-like hallway, adorned with an array of family photos, feels both minimalist and inviting.
Double X-bench in Ibiza Sea: Jonathan Adler
Double X-bench in Ibiza Sea: Jonathan Adler
The long hallway also doubles as an indoor playground. “There’s always a lot of energy with my son and his friends here. The kids build train tracks in the hallway, ride their scooters up and down, and chase each other around the whole apartment,” Hannah says.
The space is a mix of old and new, as Hannah finds ways to repurpose old items. Just before she was about to give these benches away, Hannah felt they would perk up the entryway and decided to keep them.
Console, lamps, green benches: Target; Skyline storage bench in Santa Maria Desert Flower: Casa.com
Console, lamps, green benches: Target; Skyline storage bench in Santa Maria Desert Flower: Casa.com
The family treasures aren’t limited to those from Hannah’s family; these pictures belonged to Greg’s grandmother and give this spare, modern nook a sense of history.
Bench: Dorchester, Ballard Designs
Bench: Dorchester, Ballard Designs
In the master bedroom, Hannah spruced up an old bed with luxurious elephant-print bedding. The tailored, monogrammed pillow adds a personalized touch.
Bedding: Pottery Barn; pictures: Etsy
Bedding: Pottery Barn; pictures: Etsy
Reid’s room is Hannah’s favorite, and understandably was the first room she decorated when she moved in. The light paint colors and upholstery give the space an airy feel.
Rug: PBteen; valance and curtains: handmade; Giraffe lamp: Jonathan Adler
Rug: PBteen; valance and curtains: handmade; Giraffe lamp: Jonathan Adler
These silhouettes of Hannah and Greg as children were hand-painted by Hannah’s mother.
Joy baby crib in distressed white: Bratt Decor
Joy baby crib in distressed white: Bratt Decor
The framed baby outfits are what Hannah and Greg wore home from the hospital as babies.
Babyletto Modo 3-drawer changer: Buy Buy Baby; bookshelf: Housing Works
Babyletto Modo 3-drawer changer: Buy Buy Baby; bookshelf: Housing Works
The 1929 Bell Telephone Building was converted to the BellTel Lofts nine years ago and has maintained all of its original Art Deco architectural details.
Hannah, Greg and son Reid are pictured here relaxing in their living room.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Hannah and Greg Goldstein and their 3-year-old son, Reid
Location: BellTel Lofts in downtown Brooklyn, New York
Size: 1,300 square feet (120.7 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Hannah was born and raised in North Carolina, and her interior style reflects her Southern lifestyle more than an affinity for a specific style. “With exposed beams and pipes, I wanted it to feel cozy, homey and super welcoming,” Hannah says. The result is a little bit traditional and a little bit preppy, with touches of modern in each room. Asked what influenced her decor, she says, “It’s just everything I like.”
She also created a space that is functional and comfortable for entertaining. “We love to have friends over, and our house is always full of children,” she says.
Sofa: Cobble Hill, ABC Carpet & Home; Jasmine Coffee Table: Wayfair; woven basket on wall: Target; pillows: Eskayel and Beatrice Upholstery