Along a lovely, tree-lined street lined with handsome brownstones in Brooklyn’s historic Clinton Hill neighborhood, the restored façade of a 19th-century carriage house recently listed for $7.5 million conceals a modern residence that masterfully combines recycled and repurposed materials, cutting-edge building technologies and expert (and often locally sourced) craftsmanship. 

The 21-foot-wide structure, less than a mile from Barclays Centre and a few streets from Fort Greene Park was acquired for $2.75 million almost six years ago and later turned into a pleasant residence for Manhattan architect Aaron Schiller of Schiller Projects. 

The interior spaces were dismantled and reconfigured, and the façade was restored to its original design. The architect employed mass timber construction technology, a low-carbon alternative to steel and concrete, and the flooring was milled using the recycled hardwood from the building’s original structural beams. Throughout the home, the dark cabinetry utilizes wood veneer salvaged from another of Schiller’s projects.

The custom wood windows were made by a local fabricator in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard, and, below a large skylight, the bespoke three-story Douglas Fir stairwell not only serves as the central traffic hub but also filters natural light down into the center of the home thanks to its slatted wood treads. At the base of the stairs, a mechanical pit was filled with dirt and turned into a planter that brings a bit of the outdoors into the heart of the home.

The three-floor home measures just over 3,000 square feet and makes the most of its relatively modest proportions. The combined kitchen and dining spaces are on the ground floor, while the living room is upstairs, on the second floor, along with a pair of guest bedrooms and a couple of bathrooms. The third floor is devoted to the primary suite, which is complete with a walk-in closet and a spacious bath.

Other highlights include a private garage just big enough to park a Model 3 Tesla, a 36-foot-deep backyard, and, outside the top-floor primary bedroom’s sunken sitting area, a private roof terrace with an ecclesiastical, up-close view of the Gothic Revival Queen of All Saints cathedral.