This townhouse in Brooklyn was renovated by New York studio Kalos Eidos to include designated floors for "extroverted" and "introverted" activities.
Levels were overhauled into separated public and private portions at the Extro-Intro Residence – a two-storey home in the New York City borough's Boerum Hill neighbourhood.
Based in the city, Kalos Eidos redesigned the original layout to suit what the studio described as extroverted sections on the top floor, and introverted rooms on the lower level.
"The project was a gut renovation of the lower half of a Brooklyn brownstone, for a woman who shares the house with her sister's family, who lives in the unit above," said Ryan Brooke Thomas, principal at Kalos Eidos.
"The goal was to maximise the modest 1,200-square-foot (111-square-metre) interior space to allow for a very extroverted take on living, working, and entertaining on the parlour floor, while accommodating a series of nested, more introverted living spaces at the lower level," said Thomas.
On the upper floor are an entryway and living room, as well as a powder room, dining room and kitchen. Original marble fireplaces can be found in both the lounge and kitchen.
Kalos Eidos mapped out spaces commonly associated with socialising on this level, to host actions like "welcome", "entertain", and "eat".
"These zones in the residence centre around more extroverted and structured activities, coexisting across an open plan," said a project description from Kalos Eidos.
Dark wood floors and white walls add a high level of contrast throughout, paired with moments of light wood for built-in cabinetry and furniture.
A new patio off the kitchen is elevated on pillars, with an outdoor spiral staircase leading to the lower level. Another set of stairs is separated from the residence's main living areas, in a hallway off the foyer.
Two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms are located on the lower level, or basement, and have ample built-in storage and worktops. Both also have private entrances and can be isolated from the rest of the house for guests or tenants.
The two bedrooms are accessed through a dark grey sitting room, or "nest", which features a curved upholstered wall and built-in seating system with a stowaway bed. A creamy felt partition can conceal the area, alongside light wood cabinets.
These lower areas are designated for "retreat", "focus" and "privatise/isolate". In contrast with the open-plan upstairs, the lower spaces are divided with curtains, pocket doors, and convertible furniture.
"These zones serve more introverted and loosely defined activities, each necessitating a degree of insulation or seclusion," said Kalos Eidos.
Other renovated townhouses in Brooklyn are one in Fort Greene by GRT Architects, Rafael de Cárdenas's own house in Clinton Hill, and one in South Slope by Office of Architecture.
Photography is by Lauren Coleman.