Design studio White Arrow turned a Ridgewood townhouse into a modern two-family home

January 24, 2018

The plan to turn an early 1900s Ridgewood townhouse into a two-family home was also an opportunity for the Manhattan design firm White Arrow to design bold, modern interiors throughout. The two-story townhouse is now configured with an upper-level owner’s level, and a rental unit on the ground floor. More importantly, the spaces are finished with modern furniture, bursts of color, and a playfulness that makes it hard not to want to move right in.

The main staircase provides access to both apartments. Originally, according to Dezeen, the wood-paneled staircase had blue carpeting. White Arrow transformed the narrow space, staining the steps white and painting the railings and balustrades black.

The renovation meant a huge overhaul for the entire home, which had been lined with floral wallpaper, linoleum floors and drop ceiling tiles.

The owner’s apartment was gutted to make room for a new open-plan kitchen, living room and dining area. The layout was designed to maximize the space for entertaining. Two bedrooms were placed toward the back of the apartment.

Sparse, modern furniture and decor complements each room, like the glass-topped dining table and black chairs by the Finnish modernist designer Ilmari Tapiovaara. At the same time, White Arrow added millwork and antique salvage doors as a nod to the home’s historical features.

The existing kitchen cabinetry was ripped out, replaced with custom-made and mostly freestanding storage. The cabinets were painted dark blue and topped with white marble counters. Copper pendants overhead contrast the pop of blue.

The dark blue finish was continued in the renovated bathroom.

African textiles were used for bold decoration, like the pillows in the master bedroom.

“To keep the historic home feeling artful and modern, we picked a mix of contemporary and vintage furnishings,” White Arrow says at its website. The firm calls the finished product “a very cool home,” and we wholeheartedly agree.

[Via Dezeen]

[Ridgewood Rowhouse by White Arrow]

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Images courtesy of the White Arrow