This week’s blog post for “Throwback Thursday” highlighted the property located at 2328 East 65th Street. This is a single-family home built in 1950. The owners retained us to build them a custom, one-family addition with remodeling. Located in Mill Basin, Brooklyn, the NY Times characterized Mill Basin as a suburban community with a nearly 360-degree shoreline. The neighborhood has evolved to include some of New York City’s most luxurious houses. Most of the housing stock was developed in the late 20th century. Prices of houses often range in the millions. As of 2017 an unrenovated house on a 40 x 100 lot had a price of $850k, the cheapest waterfront home was 1.6 million.
Scarano Architect, PLLC was hired to build a custom addition to this home, as well as renovate and remodel. At the time of the project, there was a spike in one-family homes that were being “upbuilt” into much larger, more ornate homes than were previously seen in the area. It was not uncommon to see a small, one-family home, on a small lot, be demolished and rebuilt into a three-story home, occupying every inch of the lot. The phrase being used to describe these homes was “mini-mansions.” Once rebuilt they were at least three stories high, very ornate on the inside and out. They had huge kitchens, family rooms, and bedrooms. Many started out under 1500 square feet and were bumped up to 5500 square feet and more!
The owners of 2328 East 65th Street were delighted with the renovation of their home. Their existing home was less than 900 square feet on a 50 x 100 lot. After the permits were filed with the Department of Buildings, the work began. The new house had a grand staircase leading to the entrance and a garage built under the house with a driveway. Parking in the area is at a premium so this was a necessity. The new total square footage of the home was 3500 square feet. The house was impressive and made a grand first impression. At the time of this project, it was one of the first homes in the neighborhood to be rebuilt to such a massive size.
The brickwork was the standout feature of this home. It was done by master bricklayers from Italy. The large columns and bay windows added to the elegance. Robert Scarano met with the owners, and he designed a home to suit their tastes and needs. They were more than satisfied. They could hardly believe that their tiny 900 square foot home was transformed into a stately 3500 square foot home, the biggest and most imposing in the area. With many more gigantic homes to be built, they knew they were beginning at the beginning of a growing trend in Mill Basin. This trend continues today although there are not many homes left that have not been rebuilt. Mill Basin is more desirable than ever to live in today.
Scarano Architect, PLLC was there at the very beginning of the great “build-up” of Mill Basin. As per usual, we don’t follow the trends, we are there when they start!