Clinton Hill Townhouse
Clinton Hill Townhouse by Bangia Agostinho elegantly balances historic character with modern gestures, blurring the line between restoration and reinvention.
The 1863 brick Italianate in Brooklyn, New York, has been thoughtfully reimagined with a deep appreciation of art and nature.
The renovation was guided by the family’s affinity for rich materials and textiles, alongside a deep appreciation for indoor-outdoor living. William Agostinho and Anshu Bangia of Bangia Agostinho led the renovation, reworking the home around a decade after the family first made it their own.
The building’s 19th-century facade is punctuated by new glass openings that form a gateway, drawing the lush landscape designed by Julie Farris of XS Spaces into the interiors. The placement of these proportioned, consistent openings throughout the house provides seamless views to the garden’s reclaimed stone, native plantings and sustainable materials.
On the ground floor, the office, family room and home gym open onto the garden. Upstairs, the entry hall on the first floor frames the greenery beyond. Here, the kitchen deck acts as an aperture for natural light, while the private terrace on the upper level draws nature upwards. This culminates in a green roof, further blending the house with its landscape.
That same sense of ease is also evident in the layout of the 325-square-metre townhouse. The family room is where the kids do their homework; later, it fills with the aroma of hot popcorn and the hush of movie time. The office doubles as a guestroom, and the living and dining areas flow naturally into the kitchen – a new addition to the original layout. Tucked behind doors on the upper floor, the tea station is a favourite family feature, especially during television time.
The interior of the house is creatively layered with vintage-modern elements and the living room is a clear testament to that. Custom cabinetry, detailed mouldings and diagonal strip flooring feature alongside custom upholstered furniture in plush mohairs and textured linens, anchored by an antique oversized rug by Woven. Together, these all echo the home’s 19th-century Italianate architecture.
The neutral colour palette and warm timber tones form an elegant canvas for the dwelling’s immense art collection, including works by Louise Nevelson, Ary Stillman, Lee Friedlander and Suwon Lee. Yet this newly renovated house retains a touch of nostalgia, with a restored dining table long owned by the clients.
A new two-storey extension complements the primary use of the spaces while providing room to gather and socialise. Fluid in both form and function, each area flows into the next, allowing rooms to shift easily between family living and entertaining.
The key motivation behind the renovation of Clinton Hill Townhouse – preserving the habits of the family – is skilfully realised through Bangia Agostinho’s design. A careful balance of history and modernity emerges in the layered colours and textures and in the interplay between old and new elements throughout the home.
Architecture and interior design Bangia Agostinho Architecture
Build Showcase Construction
Landscape design XS Space
