My House: This Bookish Brooklyn Dad Built a New Room for His Son Behind a Secret Door
Writer Augustine Sedgewick commissions Le Whit to revise his 800-square-foot apartment with a fresh kitchen and a trick bookshelf that opens to an additional bedroom.
Writer Augustine Sedgewick commissions Le Whit to revise his 800-square-foot apartment with a fresh kitchen and a trick bookshelf that opens to an additional bedroom.
For Brooklynite Augustine Sedgewick, life as a writer and a single dad often converge in his one-bedroom Clinton Hill co-op apartment. The building was originally constructed in the early 1940s as housing for workers in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and while Augustine appreciated his home’s generous living areas, he knew at some point adjustments would need to be made for his growing son, who lives with him half time.
"The minute I moved here, I had an idea that I wanted to use bookshelves to carve out a room for my son, Arthur," says Augustine.
Architect Corey Kingston of the design firm Le Whit helped Augustine Sedgewick create a new room for his son in his 800-square-foot Brooklyn apartment. "There’s a lot that can happen in this one space," says Kingston. "That’s the point of design: to have everything work in tandem."
Photo by Benjamin Heath
While using freestanding Ikea bookshelves to create a makeshift second bedroom worked for a while, by the time Arthur turned five, Augustine knew they needed a more permanent solution. Add to this his growing research for his new book, Fatherhood, which will be released in May, and Augustine felt the call to elevate his single-dad lifestyle.
"Some designers didn’t have the vision for what I was talking about, but Corey did," says Augustine of his decision to work with architect Corey Kingston of New York and San Francisco–based firm Le Whit. After talking with Augustine, Kingston quickly realized it was about more than just building a second bedroom in the flat. "Having a workspace and a child’s bedroom became really important," says the architect. "He also just needed a lot more storage."
A new kitchen island provides more seating, which is especially useful when Augustine is working at the dining table. New porcelain kitchen tiles by Ragno in a terra-cotta color help ground the space and bring an organic feel. The stools are by Design Within Reach.
Photo by Benjamin Heath
Adding new built-ins off the kitchen helped demarcate a proper bedroom space for Augustine’s son, Arthur, while also doubling as coat storage and a bar. The green paint color is Greenwich Village by Benjamin Moore.
Photo by Benjamin Heath
See the full story on Dwell.com: My House: This Bookish Brooklyn Dad Built a New Room for His Son Behind a Secret Door
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