South Williamsburg Townhouse part 2: The first floor functions as the social heart of the home, where kitchen, living, and dining spaces flow seamlessly together. Private and flexible living areas are distributed above, culminating in a sound-isolated studio on the fourth floor and a hot tub terrace, reinforcing the home’s adaptability to work, leisure, and retreat.
Mesarch Studio was engaged as both architect and interior designer, allowing for complete control over the home’s architectural and experiential coherence. This dual role ensured that every element—from custom millwork and hardware to furniture, lighting, and wallcoverings—was selected as part of a unified design language. At times the interiors are intentionally minimal while other times whimsical. The result is a home that balances warmth and comfort with personality and playfulness, demonstrating how careful design can transform a historic structure into a richly layered contemporary residence
Photos by @mega_pickles
Finally getting around to sharing the photos of this gut renovation of a townhouse that my office @mesarch.studio worked on in South Williamsburg. This was such a fun project! Photos by @mega_pickles …………………………
Located just north of the Williamsburg Bridge and one block from the historic Domino Sugar Factory, this historic South Williamsburg Townhouse stands as a thoughtful reimagining of an 1860s three-family residence. What was once a compartmentalized structure has been fully transformed into a cohesive two-family home through a comprehensive gut renovation that honors the building’s past while decisively adapting it for contemporary living.
The scope of the project was ambitious and structural in nature. The foundation was underpinned to extend the cellar two feet deeper, unlocking valuable living space below grade. The rear elevation was entirely removed and rebuilt, and a fourth floor was added, introducing vertical continuity through the installation of an elevator connects all levels of the owners unit. These interventions were not merely technical upgrades; they fundamentally restructured how the house is experienced, allowing light, spatial hierarchy, and circulation to defime the interior. The lower level houses a self-contained grandfather’s bachelor pad, a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment that opens directly onto a rear terrace, offering both privacy and connection to the outdoors. Above, the owner’s unit unfolds across the cellar and first through fourth floors, unified by elevator access and multiple outdoor spaces, including a backyard, rear deck, and a rooftop terrace with a hot tub.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a current photo of Fernando Valenzuela. I’m just scared that someone will try to steal him because he’s killing it so hard and I’ll have to go full Liam Neeson minus the racist stuff. #socialteesnyc
