My Houzz: Raw Meets Refined in an Open Brooklyn Loft

For six months James Botha carefully examined the raw, exposed materials and open layout in his Brooklyn loft before putting pen to paper to design any changes. “After things settled and I started to learn what was necessary, I took action and started drawing,” says Botha, an architect for Coach. He then sparingly added walls and walk-throughs to carve out a dining room, bedroom and living space. He worked with Arc Fabrication, a construction and carpentry company, and each room now highlights exposed air ducts, original brick walls and the loft's natural light and airflow.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: James Botha
Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: 1,200 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: The residential building was once a warehouse that housed the New York Trolley Museum.

The loft's original floor plan did not include the wall and bookcase. Botha's love for entertaining inspired him to keep the loft open and define the rooms with walk-throughs. “I blurred the lines between the public and private areas," he says. "The bedroom is usually an area people like to keep private, but I left it quite open to the dining space, with reclaimed wood beams framing the pass-through."

The new floor plan allows for the living room, dining room and bedroom to flow into one another.

Wall and trim paint: Super White, Benjamin Moore; dining room chairs: Hudson, Restoration Hardware


When Botha was growing up, the dining room was the most formal room in the house. He kept some of that formality in his own space with an alder wood trestle table and upholstered chairs. "The dining room has such a refined yet playful feel to it," he says. "It contains all my favorite elements of the apartment: the brick wall, the horizontal wood paneling, the wallpaper, the reclaimed wood, the chandelier and so on. It's sort of a greatest hits."

Botha’s parents gave him the ornate teak screen in the back corner. Thin strips of timber planks line the walk-through to the bedroom.

Chandelier: Tomorrow's Antiques; timber planks: Arc Fabrication


Botha converted this small, open niche in the dining room into a storage and display shelf using reclaimed wood.

Wallpaper: Trade Routes; artwork: Rebecca Posner (top), Jay Davis (bottom)


This mohair wall hanging is by Sotho artisans in South Africa, purchased by Botha's parents on a trip in the '70s. “I was born and spent a lot of time in Europe, and have traveled extensively through Asia and Africa," he says. "I'm in love with the regional aesthetics I've discovered in these places.”

Console table: reclaimed wood, Nightwood; floor lamp: Paul Pisanelli, from Brooklyn Flea


Exposed brick and a wall Botha built add texture to the bedroom. The horizontal support beams in the wall double as shelves.

Bedding: Fab India


Botha designed this custom storage wall to stop just below the ceiling, leaving space for air to flow into the next room.

Construction and carpentry: Arc Fabrication; closet paint: Gettysburg Gray, Benjamin Moore


The other side of the unit displays Botha's records and books.

Fan: Emerson


Arc Fabrication used plywood with a poplar face to build the bookcase. The bar is reclaimed yellow pine.


Botha brought back this handwoven wool Kashmir rug from a trip to India. His mom purchased the open-arm wing chair while the family lived in Scotland. He had it reupholstered by Rosini and Sons.

Couch: Ethan Allen; pillows: Andrew Martin; artwork: Re-POP


Lawyer's case: Luddite; floor Lamp: Paul Pisanelli, from Brooklyn Flea; stools: Toledo, Restoration Hardware


During the renovations Botha removed a small closet on the far side of the refrigerator. The countertops are from IceStone and are a mix of reclaimed glass with an aggregate of concrete.


Botha found these vintage industrial pendant lamps at the Brimfield Antique Show in Massachusetts. He bought the custom stainless steel kitchen island in Chinatown.


Recording equipment and instruments are stored in this extra office space. Botha soundproofed the far wall in consideration of his neighbors by doubling the Sheetrock and inserting Green Glue, a rigid foam between the layers.

Daybed: CB2; rug; ABC Carpet & Home; door and trim paint: Gettysburg Gray, Benjamin Moore


A floating shelf holds a few cherished collectibles above an old desk.

Wall and trim paint: Super White, Benjamin Moore


Wall paint: Carrington Beige, Benjamin Moore; shower curtain: Target


"Do all the design work on the front end to save yourself from unexpected change orders down the road," says Botha, shown here. "This will also help the contractors get you an accurate quote from the beginning so you, and they, can plan better. The more buttoned-up the design is, the shorter the construction work will take."

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