162 10th Street

Designed and fully renovated by an architect for her family, this 1600 SF (including full basement) home is understated but sophisticated, textured and narrative-rich. Everywhere you look, you find something strangely beautiful with a fascinating backstory: The front facade is clad with charred hemlock, with an ancient Japanese wood treatment called shou sugi ban. The floors are forest-salvaged butternut from Vermont. The rear facade is clad with reclaimed corrugated steel from an old barn. A 100 year-old muscat grape vine grows in the backyard.

In contrast to the reclaimed materials, however, the electrical and plumbing are brand new, as is the zoned heating and cooling. The kitchen is outfitted with marble counters, custom cabinets and open baltic birch shelving. In the living room sits a classic Danish wood-burning stove.

The top floor has two bedrooms, each spacious and bright. An open space lit by a skylight serves as an office or nursery. The slate floor in the bathroom is warmed by radiant heat. The basement is outfitted with a washer/dryer, plenty of storage space, a second bathroom with shower, and room for a workshop or crafts studio. There are many beautiful built-ins and closets to store your things.

Convenient to all that both Gowanus and South Park Slope have to offer: Nearby restaurants include Alma Negra, Bombolona Bakehouse, The Common Park Slope, Luo’s Burgers, Dirty Precious, SweetTalk, and Four and Twenty Blackbirds, famous for pie. Whole Foods is within easy walking distance, as are the F, G and R trains. Don’t miss this house. When architects design for themselves the renovation is often done to exacting standards and the result is exceptional. This house is definitely exceptional!