Amity Street Apartment

Amity Street is a design-led development project by Selma Akkari in collaboration with Rawan Muqaddas. Located in the historic Cobble Hill district, the Brooklyn apartment sits on the 4th floor of a stone building built in 1910, overlooking a lush tree line on a quiet cobblestone street at the corner of Amity and Clinton. The charming apartment hadn’t been touched since the ‘60s, maintaining a sense of character that the duo decided to build on.

Architectural designer, Selma Akkari collaborated with Rawan Muqaddas after a developer approached them with a unique vision in mind for a complete gut renovation of the unit. The plan was to enhance the value of the property through a sustainable design lens that maintained a high-end aesthetic. The New York City market being quite competitive, meant the space needed to cater to a new wave of Cobble Hill buyers looking for homes - smart and innovative planning was crucial.

An escape from the busy Brooklyn streets, the heart of the home was carefully curated. Keeping the kitchen airy and open, it was conceived as part of the living space with emphasis on the long marble shelf in place of upper cabinets. The shelf, topped by two sconces, serves as a backdrop showcasing the honed purple-green veined marble. The layout then allows the fridge to be tucked away from the dining room, leaving it unseen. The bedrooms were perceived as a moment of serenity with integrated open shelves and an ensuite walk-in closet and bathroom. An operable skylight was introduced in the second bedroom, allowing even more light to flood through the 16-window corner apartment. With adaptability in mind, an alternative floor plan was conceived, allowing the addition of a 3rd bedroom with minimal construction. The living space then remains open, boasting the two historic bay windows overlooking Amity Street.

The designers saw potential centered around the building’s legacy. A dialogue of opposites was the main theme behind the creation: minimal but warm, understated yet rich. This idea was materialized through the pairing of an aluminum-clad kitchen against a traditional rounded arch and hand-made ceramic tiles against soft contemporary lighting. A warm color palette was deployed to unify the spaces by way of gentle oak floors, cream-hued walls that contrasted with dark stone, and stained wood inset bookshelves. 

‘ A dialogue of opposites was the main theme behind the creation; minimal but warm, understated yet rich.‘_ Akkari & Muqaddas

In order to bring the space to its full life, the duo called in Somerset House for a staging collaboration. With an innate connection aesthetically and energetically, their vision of bringing together a culmination of different cultures and eras from Italian and Danish Modern mixed with a sprinkling of Baroque and Primitive influences quickly transformed the space. On a back-drop of refined details and a mixture of materials, Somerset introduced warmer textures, tones, and patina to the space in a modern yet warm and unique space that feels design-centric but also intimate and inviting.

‘Selma’s extreme attention to detail and mix of materials really attracted us - it was apparent there was an immediate synergy between the both of us. The arched entryways, and an open, airy layout, immediately felt would pair beautifully with our curated offerings which brought in some warmer textures, tones, and patina to the space.’  - Eckstein

‘With Selma, the partnership was completely collaborative, which is something we value and allows for the project to evolve in an organic way.’ - Eckstein

Lead Architects: Rawan Muqaddas, Selma Akkari