The House for Booklovers and Cats by BFDO Architects is a vibrant, carefully considered renovation of a classic Brooklyn row house. Reimagined for a couple who cherish books, modern art and feline company, the interior blends playful color, inventive storage and thoughtful circulation to create a relaxed yet highly functional home. Bright accents and custom details give this renovation a distinct Brooklyn personality while preserving and reusing historic elements from the original interior.
The main parlor level is the heart of the house. A ten-foot-high living area is anchored by a full-height custom bookshelf that serves both as storage and as an architectural feature. The shelf is cleverly extended into a continuous ledge and a sequence of small openings that form a dedicated circulation path for the household cats. These elevated routes and trap-door connections let the cats move between vantage points on the top two levels, integrating their movement into the home’s spatial story.
Programmatically, the house is organized across multiple levels to balance public and private functions. The lower level contains a guest suite and a home gym, offering privacy and separate access for visitors. At the top, the private zone includes the master bedroom and an especially serene home office and study. The office is arranged as an elevated platform beneath a skylight, creating a bright, quiet workspace that feels tucked away from the main living areas. A balcony and an interior stair connect the parlor level to a rear patio, extending the living sequence outdoors.
Color plays a central role in the house’s personality. Strategic pops of Benjamin Moore’s Melon Popsicle, fuchsia, pastel pinks and green enliven the shelves, niche walls and key rooms, providing contrast to warm wood tones and neutral backdrops. These accents highlight architectural moments and curated collections of artwork and objects, so each room reads as both a living space and a gallery of personal taste.
Sustainability and respect for the existing home informed material choices. Paneled wood doors, original doorknobs and hardware were retained and reused where possible, preserving character and reducing waste. Custom millwork integrates storage and display throughout the plan: bookshelves appear not only in the living room but also in the kitchen, tying the program together and maximizing usable surfaces in a narrow urban footprint.
Small but smart details help the home function well at human scale. Sconce lighting frees up nightstand surfaces in compact bedrooms, while bold tile choices enliven bathrooms — a gray powder room carries whimsical charm through patterned walls, and green tiles introduce a fresh accent to a predominantly white bath. The living and media room is grounded by a comfortable gray couch, a colorful rug and a large wooden bookshelf, forming a versatile space for relaxing and entertaining.
The result is a layered, joyful home that balances utility and personality. A clear plan, smart reuse of materials and a playful approach to color and circulation make the House for Booklovers and Cats an engaging example of contemporary renovation in an urban setting. Photography: Francis Dzikowski.
