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Brooklyn Architect’s Waterfront Penthouse on Columbia Street

The article details the transformation of a raw, top-floor condo into a personalized home for architect Eric Liftin, founding principal of Dumbo-based MESH Architectures, and his wife, Elizabeth Schmidt. Located in the Columbia Street Waterfront district, the seven-story building, which was under construction in 2012, attracted the couple primarily due to its panoramic harbor views. After selling their Manhattan apartment, Liftin and Schmidt discovered the building a few blocks south of Brooklyn Bridge Park, leading them to purchase the 1,650-square-foot penthouse in an unfinished state. The raw condition of the penthouse allowed for complete customization, as it was delivered with concrete floors, no ceiling, no partitions, and no fixtures or finishes. Liftin largely maintained the developer's intended layout, which included a central entry opening into a spacious living room, a kitchen at one end, two bedrooms for their teenage children beyond the kitchen, and a master suite positioned as a private wing on the opposite side of the main living area. The apartment also features a small terrace off the living room and a staircase leading to a 450-square-foot roof deck. The expansive windows, particularly those with western exposure, offer spectacular river views, which became the central focus of the interior design. To complement the dominant views, the furnishings were deliberately kept simple, with many pieces being repurposed from the couple's previous residences. A conscious decision was made to forego a television to avoid competing with the natural panorama; instead, a projection screen can be deployed in front of the window facing a large, felt-covered David Design sofa. Liftin's custom design elements include a G-shaped kitchen, which, similar to a U-shaped layout, incorporates an additional counter space. He integrated a unique lighting system using LED tape strips into the kitchen design. The open configuration of two kitchen walls ensures an unobstructed sightline towards the harbor and the Manhattan skyline. Another innovative solution implemented by Liftin was lining the roof bulkhead structure with bookshelves. This addressed the challenge of limited wall space for art and books due to the numerous windows, creating a functional and visually interesting ascent to the roof terrace. The rooftop terrace has become a favored spot for sunset viewing, offering a dynamic and ever-changing display. The article also highlights specific design choices, such as sculptural 'pipe lights' designed by MESH, made from plumbing pipes with incandescent tubular bulbs, and Moroccan encaustic tiles from Ann Sacks laid around a Malm freestanding fireplace from Design Within Reach. The kitchen features clean-lined fiberboard cabinetry with a white lacquer finish from Nobilia, a German kitchen manufacturer, utilizing finger notches instead of hardware. The countertop is Carrara marble, and the range is from NXR. LED lighting strips further enhance the kitchen's aesthetic and functionality. The master bedroom incorporates bookshelves and storage to delineate sleeping and home office zones. Glass sliders at the apartment's entrance lead to a small outdoor terrace. The stairwell to the roof terrace features whimsical bird wallpaper from Trove, and the balcony railing is an improvised design using climbing rope from REI, reinforcing the unique and personalized nature of the architect's home. #ArchitecturalDesign #PenthouseLiving #WaterfrontViews #BrooklynRealEstate #CustomInteriors #ModernKitchen #RooftopTerrace #SpaceSavingSolutions #LEDLighting #ArchitecturalDesign #PenthouseLiving #WaterfrontViews #BrooklynRealEstate #CustomInteriors #ModernKitchen #RooftopTerrace #SpaceSavingSolutions #LEDLighting
122 months ago
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