It’s a tale as old as time: A young family moves into a 19th-century Brooklyn rowhouse and the place is full of charm and idiosyncrasies. Its joists are mangled, floors are slanted, brick walls are crumbled, but it’s still vibrant. Design-savvy homeowners Kwame Taylor-Hayford and Tamara Tribula had tried their hands at renovating the place before, but it soon became apparent more surgical work was necessary. That’s when Office of Architecture (OA), a Brooklyn studio founded by Aniket Shahane in 2012, came along.

Before hiring OA, Taylor-Hayford and Tribula had bought materials, lighting fixtures, and furniture for the DIY home renovation, like handmade moss green Heath tiles, and items from Pinch, Hem, In Common With, and HAY. These previously purchased goods went into the renovation by OA, which helped meet the client’s eclectic and aesthetic goals. The wide majority of the interiors were washed in white, amplifying the beautiful high-end domestic elements. OA principal Aniket Shahane led the design team of Parker Elliott and Mia Voevodsky.

Taylor-Hayford and Tribula often work from home, and the couple has a young child, so the space was reorganized accordingly. Artworks the homeowners amassed likewise went into the design. A handmade fibre chandelier, an oak dining table, an armoire, and other features were also incorporated. Handmade moss green Heath tiles were applied to the bathroom walls. The sculpted ceiling in the parlor responds to the oak dining table and armoire, while simultaneously concealing plumbing and mechanical lines.

A sculptural stair connects all of the house’s levels, topped by an oculus. This helps drench the circulation core in natural light. The garden level connects to an “urban mudroom” and a guest bedroom, accompanied by a guest bathroom and rec room. The top floor has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a home office. All of these features and design decisions make for elegant architecture, and comfortable space for modern life to play out in a historic abode.

“Much of our work is grounded in the belief that existing buildings hold inherent value—not just with regard to the architectural forms and materials they offer for potential reuse, but in their ability to enrich the history of our blocks, our neighborhoods, and our cities,” Shahane told AN Interior. “In that sense, Quincy House is a quintessential project for us. Not only did it involve reconfiguring an existing row house, but doing so by reusing existing materials, light fixtures, furniture, and other objects that were important to the clients in a more meaningful way.”