The structure of Nineteenth-century Shanghai was a research in eclecticism, a mix of conventional Chinese language design and Western classical types that was a direct reflection of town’s overseas concessions on the time. That is the interval from which designer Melissa Lee, principal and founding father of Brooklyn-based Bespoke Solely, drew inspiration when she was tapped to overtake a Clinton Hill duplex a few years in the past.
Referencing a design interval that occurred midway around the globe greater than a century in the past could appear uncommon, however Melissa noticed a connection between Shanghai then and Brooklyn now: “We discovered a compelling resonance between Clinton Hill’s layered, eclectic structure [where Victorian, Beaux-Arts, Queen Anne, and Neo-Greek styles coexist] and the ornamental traditions of Nineteenth-century Shanghai—each born of cultural intersection.” To not point out, her shoppers, a younger couple with three canine, wished to include their Chinese language heritage within the redesign of their residence.
Mentioned residence is 2 flooring inside a stately 1878 brownstone, designed by architect John Mumford, that had been transformed into condos. “The condominium had good bones, together with a number of unique fireplaces, however a lot of its historic detailing had been misplaced to a succession of renovations over time,” says Melissa. “The millwork had been stripped, and the sense of architectural hierarchy that when outlined the brownstone had all however disappeared. What remained felt extra like a generic rental than an area rooted within the identification of a historic residence.”
Melissa and her crew began by rethinking the stream within the residence. Downstairs, they repositioned the kitchen in order that it grew to become “the central social middle of the house.” Upstairs, they reconfigured the ground to incorporate two bedrooms and two loos. “These modifications introduced a way of hierarchy and rhythm again to the house whereas aligning it with the couple’s day-to-day wants,” she says.
Then, they “folded in references to the house owners’ Chinese language heritage—not as overt gestures, however by means of materiality, construction, and element,” shares Melissa. “Parts like wormy classic rooster wire glass, lattice woodwork, and timber-framed elements converse to conventional architectural language, whereas small decorative touches—fringe, picket beads, printed textiles—add a layer of private and cultural texture.”
Under, she offers us a tour of the reimagined house, now an alluring intersection of East and West, outdated and new.
Images by William Jess Laird, courtesy of Bespoke Solely.
