“This is one of the grand dames of the Eastern Parkway,” says Frederick Tang of Brooklyn’s Turner Towers building. The architect recently wrapped a remodel of a 2,600-square-foot unit on the thirteenth floor of the 1926 Art Deco–style building. While the apartment had retained much of the charm of the old building—including herringbone oak floors, generous ceiling heights, and views of both the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden—there were some relics of the past that had to be abandoned.

Take the entry: “You came in directly on a wall, and then you had to go around into the gallery, and then turn right to get to the dining room, which was really, really large,” says Tang. Like many pre-war buildings, there was also a service area that consisted of a small galley kitchen at the end of the hall, with a maid’s quarters-turned-laundry room in between. The zig-zagging hallway wasted too much space and the kitchen was too far away from the action.

Before: Entry and Dining Room

Tang reorganized the apartment’s floor plan, merging the kitchen and dining room while converting the former service section into a new guest suite with dedicated areas for laundry and an office.

After: Gallery and Dining Room

The dining room at the heart of the apartment had such generous proportions that it could hold the relocated kitchen. The wall hemming in the entry was removed, so there’s now a gracious connection between the front door, gallery hall, and kitchen/dining area.

Three generous windows fill the interior with daylight, whereas before, the entry had no access to natural light. “The city comes inside,” says Tang. “The apartment’s pretty high up, and there’s not a lot of tall buildings in the way, so you have really panoramic views.”

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

The kitchen and dining areas are deftly separated by a peninsula that runs the length of the room while still maintaining a visual connection. Custom cherry cabinetry, a white encaustic tile backsplash, and rich soapstone counters outfit the kitchen for display in a complete reversal of its formerly hidden life.

Having freed up so much space at one end of the unit, Tang went on to install a new guest suite to the apartment plan, as well as a dedicated laundry and office space. The new suite can be closed off for privacy when the family has out-of-town visitors, or if the owners need to work from home.

Before: Service Corridor

After: Guest Suite

The kid’s bathroom and principal bedroom also received a makeover. In the kid’s bath, dimensional tile and colorful tapware from Vola provide a playful touch, while in the principal bedroom, a wall of custom walnut cabinetry adds sleek storage.

Vintage lighting finds from Tang’s team—as well as the owners’ personal art, book, and furniture collection—complete the overall scheme and give the home a lived-in feel that skews personal rather than precious. “They have great pieces that have a lot of personality,” says Tang. “And they're settling in really nicely.”

After: Kid’s Bath

After: Principal Bedroom

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Frederick Tang Architecture / @fredericktangarchitecture

Builder: Jason Hammond

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Before & After: A Remodel Connects an Isolated Kitchen to the Rest of a Pre-War Brooklyn Apartment