FROM THE PAGES OF BROWNSTONER.COM Now on
COURIER L 26 IFE, JUNE 7–13, 2019 PS
BY STEPHEN ZACKS
We know not which gent
originally rode his buggy
into this late 19th century
carriage house or exactly
when it was built, but its
magnificent arched entrance
and windows recall features
of Romanesque Revival architecture,
and old maps
show a stable at the property
by 1880.
Converted into a one-bedroom
residence by the 1970s,
4 Hunts Lane was renovated
a second time in 1998 by the
highly decorated architect
Leslie Gill — a graduate of
Cooper Union and longtime
professor at Columbia University
— who took the reins
to transform it into a contemporary
three-bedroom
loft-style home.
True to the tradition of
those schools, the description
on her site weaves a
narrative that references
the 19th century landscape
painting technique of Luminism
to argue for the use
of light in the renovation to
create an illusion of depth
and what is described as an
interior terrain.
On the ground level, the
function of housing and servicing
steeds is recalled in
an enclosed parking spot for
a car beside a powder room
and office, the latter lit by
an existing window facing
the mews block. To the rear,
a patio, windows and glass
doors surround and brighten
the open plan kitchen and
dining room, installed with
mid-century modern-style
wood shelving and cabinets,
and wood and soapstone
counters.
The converted hayloft on
the second floor is the showstopper.
Given the landmark
status of the facade, adding
skylights was key to bring
additional daylight into the
building. The result is a
grand street-facing doubleheight
living room with exposed
beams, which is approached
by a long straight
staircase with a custom railing,
lined at the top with
custom built-in shelves and
cabinets. The bathrooms are
outfitted with what are described
as rustic terra-cotta
tiles.
To the rear on the second
floor, a pass-through to the
master bedroom and bathroom
accommodates five
closets. The staircase continues
to a lofted third floor
facing the rear with two bedrooms
and a shared bath.
The cellar has west-facing
double doors and windows
looking into a small breezeway.
The cellar contains
a studio space as well as a
laundry room.
In the hands of the same
family since 1992, 4 Hunts
Lane sold in August 2018 for
$5.35 million. Deborah Rieders
and Sarah Shuken of
Corcoran are handling the
listing (in a co-exclusive
with Nick Gavin and Josh
Doyle of Compass), which is
asking $6.5 million.
It’s unclear what, if anything,
the current seller did
to the property, beyond the
appealing staging with modern
furniture — presumably
not included with the sale
— but if it sells for ask, he
stands to gross more than a
million. What’s your bet?
Carriage house for sale
Brooklyn Heights landmark asks $6.5M
4 Hunts Ln. was renovated in 1998, transforming into a contemporary
three-bedroom loft-style home. DDReps
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