The theme of this project is truly about revitalizing history: brushing up historic features of this Jersey City brownstone remodel and upgrading with modern elements to create a true transformation.

This theme is embodied in four elements of the renovation, which included a remodel of the entire first floor of the home.

The first is the modern layout. Our team worked with an architect to create a fully open floor plan, utilizing several creative solutions to make the necessary supportive structures appear invisible. The result is a wide-open space perfect for entertaining large crowds, which the couple enjoys.

The second element is the flooring. Our clients were set on refinishing the original heart pine flooring, but when our flooring experts got to work, they discovered that it wasn’t salvageable – it had been sanded down too many times to allow for another refinishing. When we ripped it out (with the intention of installing new flooring), we found the original subfloor was in near-perfect condition. Our flooring experts were able to refinish the subfloor to showcase a standout piece of history.

The homeowners asked us to save a piece of marble from the foyer floor. At first we were stumped: the marble was old and cracked, and we knew that if we moved it it would fall apart. We decided to move the marble in pieces, grout it together along the veins, and polish it like a countertop. We reinstalled it in front of the fireplace, where it now preserves the history of the home – in even better condition than when we found it!

Finally, we installed a brand-new modern HVAC system. Most contractors will tell you that adding ductwork to an old house is a pain in the you-know-what. We came up with some innovative solutions that brought heating and cooling throughout all three floors of the house with minimal disruption to the existing plaster walls or ceilings.

This project truly taught us what’s possible when modernizing a home while preserving and highlighting its historic elements: a transformation of the physical space and the lives lived inside it.

Photo Credit: Megan Maloy Photography