Expressive Boldness – South Slope Residence by Crystal Sinclair Designs and Appel Architects

As a contemporary interpretation of midcentury stylings, South Slope Residence is endowed a new chapter through moments of deliberate contrast and boldness. Crystal Sinclair Designs and Appel Architects combine to restore and recalibrate the storied home to ensure a heightening of everyday moments.

Defined by its brownstone frontage, South Slope Residence sits within Brooklyn among similar row-style residences. The narrowness of the floor plan comes with its own complexities, which disallows natural light and is restrictive of expansion. Wanting to overlay a love of the midcentury movement and a modern colour palette within the richly historical house, the owners worked closely with interior designer Crystal Sinclair Designs and Appel Architects to ensure their home captured who they are and what they value.

Wanting to overlay a love of the midcentury movement and a modern colour palette within the richly historical house, the owners worked closely with interior designer Crystal Sinclair Designs and Appel Architects to ensure their home captured who they are and what they value.

To ensure the dwelling felt welcoming and fit for the needs of a growing family, a careful combination of colour and warmth needed to be integrated throughout. Similar to the embrace of two people meeting, the owners wanted to make sure that their home had a warming atmosphere. Marrying the old and new, a meticulous attention to detail combines restorative efforts with the selection of new elements, following the narrative of the home and its past iterations. Whilst many contemporary houses are focused on openness and bringing as much natural light inward as possible, this one, however, wanted to control the light. Mechanisms are put in place that focus on colour and the passivity of a space to achieve optimal lighting.

Designed to embrace the limited light, the colour palette weaves subtle and tonal moments to embed a richness to each of the internal spaces. From the dark, inky blue to the pale celadon, chalky blush and deeper burgundy used in other spaces, each hue complements each other and the foundational finishes within. Together with stripped oak, walnut and cedar wood finishes, the colour and detailing of custom joinery and crafted pieces further animate the home. Hand-woven blinds, hand-knotted rugs, marbles, clay tiles and textured artworks then also add their own depth and dimensionality, transforming the interior into an experience that engages and excites the senses.

From the dark, inky blue to the pale celadon, chalky blush and deeper burgundy used in other spaces, each hue complements each other and the foundational finishes within.

Through a delicate balancing act, cooler and warmer moments sit alongside each other with ease within South Slope Residence. In a celebration of the brownstone typology, Crystal Sinclair Designs and Appel Architects focus on the intimate moments and feelings of comfort to frame the experience from within.