Bespoke Only Weaves Shanghai Craft Tradition in Brooklyn Duplex

"The challenge of creating coherence within a 1,260-square-foot duplex carved from an 1848 Neo-Grec brownstone lies not in preservation alone, but in discovering parallel frameworks across disparate architectural traditions. Bespoke Only approached this Clinton Hill Duplex by identifying a shared language between Brooklyn's late 19th-century architectural details and the domestic interiors of Shanghai during the same period - an era when both cities were grappling with modernity while maintaining ties to craft traditions."

"This cross-cultural investigation manifests most compellingly in the bedroom, where traditional carved timber doors fitted with glass panels function as both spatial divider and cultural artifact. The piece bridges practical needs with decorative complexity, its fretwork casting patterned shadows that shift throughout the day. Rather than treating heritage as museum display, the studio uses these elements as functional components that actively shape how residents move through and experience the space. The carved panels create visual permeability without sacrificing privacy."

"The reconfigured layout addresses the particular constraints of brownstone condo conversion, where original floor plans rarely align with contemporary living patterns. Bespoke Only expanded the primary suite to include dedicated dressing and bathing areas, a move that transforms the upper level into a self-contained retreat. This mirrors the boutique hotel typology the clients requested, where privacy and luxury depend on carefully orchestrated sequences rather than sheer square footage."

Bespoke Only creates coherence in a 1,260-square-foot Clinton Hill duplex by finding parallels between Brooklyn Neo-Grec details and contemporaneous Shanghai domestic interiors. Traditional carved timber doors with glass panels serve as spatial dividers and cultural artifacts, offering decorative complexity, patterned light, and visual permeability without sacrificing privacy. The layout is reconfigured to suit modern living, expanding the primary suite with dedicated dressing and bathing areas to form a self-contained retreat that follows a boutique hotel sequence of privacy and luxury. Period furniture and historic storage pieces bridge eras while reinforcing architectural continuity. A work by Brooklyn artist Sean Pressley is included.

Read at Design Milk