Gayle Forman, a prolific Brooklyn-based author of young-adult titles such as If I Stay and Where She Went , and Nick Tucker, her musician-librarian husband, approached BFDO with a request to overhaul the living spaces of their semi-attached wood-framed rowhouse.  The couple’s love of books and music inspired the open layout of the house.  Instead of completely eliminating intermediate supports for the 20′ span of the first floor, the columns were incorporated into open bookshelves between the stairs and the living space, reminiscent of stacks that you might find in the recesses of a library.  In the living room on the opposite wall, a gas fireplace is flanked by deep shelves proportioned specifically to house Nick’s vinyl record collection.

The kitchen occupies the L-shaped back of the house and provides ample space for food prep and cooking with the couple’s two children.  Full height glazing  and corner-wrapping windows allow ample south-facing light into the space.  Semihandmade cabinet doors of reclaimed pine match the reclaimed floorboards in the dining and living space.  Full-height flush mounted doors conceal the extensive storage capacity of the pantry.  The island is positioned in direct view of the living spaces and provides the visual and functional focal point for food prep.  Color accents of blue and orange backsplash tile, entry hall wallpaper and light fixtures  tie the living spaces together.

The basement is divided into private spaces.  Gayle’s candy-striped writing studio and Nick’s blue-hued music studio are located at the bottom of the stairs.  In the back, the bright green family room doubles as guest quarters and has direct access to the rear yard.