6 Bed 7 Bath Single-family For Sale $6,950,000 5,000 sqft ($1,390 per sqft)
Broker: Deborah Rieders Corcoran
If you have looked at every brownstone on the market, but your heart is devoted to authentic Mid-Century design & architecture, then look no further.
...read moreIf you have looked at every brownstone on the market, but your heart is devoted to authentic Mid-Century design & architecture, then look no further. 48 Willow Place is a true original Brooklyn property. Designed, built & inhabited by the world-renowned & locally beloved architects & preservationists, Joseph & Mary Merz in 1965, it is now being offered for sale for the first time ever. Situated on an 37' wide corner lot in Brooklyn Heights & offering a carport, 6 bedrooms, 3 home offices, 7 bathrooms & a stunning Japanese garden. This home is the opportunity of a lifetime for a design aficionado.
One of only three Landmark-Approved Modern townhouses in Brooklyn Heights built from the ground-up, 48 Willow offers a distinctive exterior that promises the owner privacy from the street side and light & garden views from the back. The corner orientation affords windows on three sides and would also give the next buyer the unique opportunity to build a backyard pool should the desire strike. Symmetry & minimalism are the trademark of this property and you see it throughout in both its natural palette & organic materiality. Redwood, maple, stone & glass are repeated throughout the approx. 5000 SF, 4-story home. Perfectly preserved and well-tended over the years, this home needs kitchen & bathroom upgrades, but the custom millwork, structure, garden & mechanicals (including central AC) have all been well-maintained.
Enter on the main level into a double height atrium with oversized windows and a mud room, and then turn the corner into a great room of epic proportions. Spanning 37' wide with a wall of glass facing West, the main floor is one of the earliest examples of the open concept living styles we have all come to cherish. Oriented around the huge garden with a floor to ceiling wall of glass & sliding doors on the West side, a woodburning fireplace on the East side, and a kitchen spanning the South side with South-facing windows. Dine, live and entertain in this space & embrace the original tenet of Modern design; bringing the natural world indoors. There is even a spacious library off the kitchen area, the perfect home office or breakfast nook with custom bookshelves.
Head up the oak & steel staircase to two floors of bedrooms that can easily be customized to your needs. Floating walls have accommodated different configurations over the years, and this flexibility is another unique trait that separates this home from the typical brownstone. Currently both the second & third floors are each arranged with 3 large bedrooms and 2 full baths, for a total of six bedrooms all together. Should you choose to customize the size of your primary bedroom or expand the scale of any of the bathrooms, you have the open space and three walls of windows to make changes. Both floors offer floor-to-ceiling windows with skyline views & incredible sunsets. The unique positioning of this home guarantees complete privacy for every bedroom and an intriguing play of light as the sun travels from East to West throughout the day. An English basement offers three additional home office spaces with light and air, a full bathroom, & lots of closets.
Well considered storage & custom millwork, including bookshelves, display shelving & cabinetry, has been constructed of fine maple and built into every room. An exquisitely serene & well-maintained Japanese garden with wandering stone paths reveals a handsome pergola perfect for outdoor dining & quiet contemplation. Beneath the garden is your very own carport perfect for your car, bikes, motorcycle, tools & equipment.
Own a piece of history and a one-of-a-kind Mid-Century home designed to allow its occupants to live an easy and comfortable life. Situated on a quiet block in Brooklyn Heights with easy access to Brooklyn Bridge Park & the waterfront, the ferry, every subway line, numerous public & private schools, incredible restaurants & artisanal shops on Atlantic Avenue.
