Van Vorst JC Brownstone — Case Study

Walls used to be in high demand. However, the trend of the last 20 years has been to remove walls to open up spaces for less separation and more integration. Even the sacred Brownstone isn’t immune to the trends. The architect designed the first floor to have a kitchen and a powder room, which more accurately reflect the behaviors of urban dwellers in this century. The removal of the wall adjacent the stairway and the wall that separated the living room from the dining room, future kitchen, allow for free movement and involvement of the people doing the cooking with the guest.

I’m a preservationist by nature, but I had to admit that although the brownstone looked amazing walking into the building, the hallway felt narrow and the living room was restricted. I could seen the need to remove the wall separating the two.

Removing that load bearing wall meant that the supports for the 900 lb header would have to go from the first floor, the ground floor to concrete piers build in the cellar. .

The second floor pretty much remained the same with the exception of a closet redesign. The third floor was redesigned to create a master bedroom suite and a redesign of an existing full bathroom.

The shower was built with 2’x4’ large format tiles to give the walls and floors a seamless look without the time constraints such specialties demand.