Clinton Hill Apartment by Masterson Architecture & Interiors
A light-filled, soothing sanctuary, Clinton Hill Apartment by Masterson Architecture & Interiors injects some coastal Sydney vibes into the heart of Brooklyn.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson I Photography: Kyle Knodell
‘The minimalist decor makes the home feel like a soothing sanctuary,’ says Brett Masterson. Photo: Kyle Knodell
‘It was important for [my client] to have a place for everything to avoid clutter,’ says Brett Masterson. Photo: Kyle Knodell
‘The custom daybed in the living room serves as the centerpiece of the home. It’s large enough to fit the client and her daughter and cat, and then some. It’s where they play, watch, read, and wind down to watch the sunset,’ says Brett Masterson. Photo: Kyle Knodell
With only 650-square-foot to work with, Brett Masterson of Masterson Architecture & Interiors transforms a one-bedroom apartment in NYC’s Clinton Hill into a light-filled two-bedroom home for a mother and daughter.
As a result, Masterson Architecture & Interiors altered the orientation of the bedroom entrances by adding a small hallway along the living room wall. This compact space is framed by a large arched opening leading to the bedrooms; a floor-to-ceiling mirror lending light and depth to the small area.
The former dreary and dark space was closed in and dated. And so, Brett worked with the client to capture sunshine through the windows and the colour and material palette — the architect inspired by his days living in Mosman on Sydney’s North Shore.
Similarly, the local vernacular of the apartment’s Brooklyn surroundings feed into the design. ‘We aimed to respect the modernist building —a 1950's post-war coop– with its clean lines and large ribbon windows, and always thought about ways to bring the western light deep into the apartment,’ says Brett.
‘Big west-facing windows ensure plenty of natural light, while the material palette has a light-as-air quality,’ says Brett. ‘We sourced textiles, art, and lighting fixtures that would bring warmth, texture, and colour to offset the architectural palette.’
The client was recently divorced and had sold a two-bedroom apartment in the block after living in Brooklyn for over 17 years. The new home is a clean slate. ‘I was keen on carving out two separate bedrooms so that my daughter and I would each have our own space,’ the client shares. ‘Also, because I was starting a new chapter in my life, I wanted the space to very much to feel like a reflection of me, my interests, and my personal style.’
Simplicity and a soothing palette is echoed in all the space including the kitchen. Photo: Kyle Knodell
For the kitchen, an L-shaped Carrara marble counter is complemented by Delft tiles (in five different shades of white) backsplash. Photo: Kyle Knodell
“We turned a one bedroom into a two, which doesn’t happen often in my clients’ requests.”
In the bathroom, luxury reins with a walk-in shower and a custom marble sink set into a curved shelf/mirror. Photo: Kyle Knodell
Textiles, art, and lighting fixtures that bring warmth, texture, and colour to offset the architectural palette were sourced for the spaces. Photo: Kyle Knodell
Brett embraces this ideology to create a ‘soothing sanctuary.’ The floors are a bleached white oak and the walls wear a Vintage Taupe by Benjamin Moore, with vintage pieces bringing warmth throughout like the Moroccan rug in the living room, the rattan pendant above the antique dining table, and Maralunga chairs reupholstered in a chunky bouclé from Pierre Frey.
For the kitchen, a floor-to-ceiling pantry unit covers one wall with a panel-ready fridge and pull-out vertical cabinet on another; an L-shaped Carrara marble counter complemented by Delft tiles (in five different shades of white) backsplash. In the bathroom, luxury reins with a walk-in shower, a custom marble sink set into a curved shelf/mirror, more of those fresh Delft tiles, and natural brass fixtures.
Built-in furniture becomes the hero of the smaller apartment; a custom floating console hides away shoes in the hallway and offers a perch for the ceramic sculpture, Jawscape, crafted by the client’s friend Krista Louise Smith.
But Brett’s favourite feature is the custom daybed —perfectly sized for the client and her daughter and cat— adorned with a dusky rose Pierre Frey Freddo fabric, surrounded by warm timber shelves bathed in the light from the oversize window. With views from the seventeenth floor, facing downtown Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, the architect concludes, ‘it’s where they play, watch, read, and wind down to watch the sunset.’