When Steven Holley found his 1834 Greek Revival townhouse in Brooklyn Heights, it seemed almost like divine intervention.
“It had been owned by the Roman Catholic Church for about a hundred years, and the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor had been living there since 1969,” said Mr. Holley, 63, a partner at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell.
Beaten up, stripped of many period details and cut into a warren of tiny rooms, the townhouse was ready for a complete overhaul — exactly the kind of project he wanted.
“I went with my friend Sharon to look at the place one Saturday morning, after the nuns had moved back to Rome,” he said. “There was a dreamcatcher on a door and a rock carved with the word ‘hope,’ and she said, ‘Oh my God, the nuns’ hopes and dreams are still here.’”
The Queen Anne-style home provides privacy and a respite from the bustle of Washington that is not available at the White House, which is “lovely and beautiful, but you kind...
Steven Holley renovated a townhouse in Brooklyn Heights, with help from Deborah Berke Partners. The interior, an updated take on Greek Revival style, integrates modern pieces like the MUC7 ceramic...
Every range hood vacuums up steam, smoke and odors from the kitchen. But when it comes to style, designs vary widely: Some are kitchen-defining statement pieces, while others almost disappear.“Oftentimes,...
An overstuffed closet is a daily frustration: sweaters falling off shelves, shoes that seem to disappear into a black hole, closets rods cluttered with so many hangers that squeezing even...
