"The first sign that this 19th-century residence is not your standard Pinterest archetype of a Brooklyn town house appears on the front door-a bespoke bronze knob that looks strangely like Globey from Pee-wee's Playhouse. The hardware's promise of weirdness and delight is fulfilled immediately upon entry, where, instead of a predictable Victorian hall tree or pier mirror, one encounters a polychromatic panel from an antique carousel, a kaleidoscopic arrangement of advertising signs and ephemera, and a cutout of Mr. ZIP, the cartoon character introduced by the US Post Office Department in the 1960s to coax reluctant mailers aboard the zip code train. Welcome to the mad, mad, mad, mad world of Melia Marden, Frank Sisti Jr., and their two children, Alfred and Daphne."
"Built in the 1840s, the house, as reimagined by the homeowners and their enthusiastic designer/enablers, is a testament to the power of outré connoisseurial vision. Much like the vintage fun-house mirrors installed on one of its upper-floor landings, the eccentric five-story abode defamiliarizes the familiar, reflecting a delightfully off-kilter vision of ourselves and the spaces we inhabit. Nothing is what it seems or what you'd expect, but everything is somehow funnier, more colorful, more intriguing."
"'We wanted to be in Brooklyn because it's quieter and prettier,' says Marden, a chef and cookbook author, describing the family's decision to decamp from the East Village. 'This house had an extra floor with a mansard roof, which gave it an Edward Scissorhands, haunted-house vibe,' adds Sisti, a freewheeling artist, video producer, and DJ. The couple engaged the AD100 firm Elizabeth Roberts Architects (ERA) to handle the renovation, a project originally limited to the parlor level and second floor."
The front door of the 19th-century Brooklyn townhouse features a bespoke bronze knob resembling Globey from Pee-wee's Playhouse. Inside, an antique carousel panel, a kaleidoscopic arrangement of advertising signs and ephemera, and a Mr. ZIP cutout create a playful, pop-culture collage. The five-story house layers outré connoisseurial vision with vintage fun-house mirrors that defamiliarize the familiar, producing an off-kilter, colorful interior. The homeowners moved from the East Village for a quieter Brooklyn setting and appreciated the mansard roof and extra floor that suggested an Edward Scissorhands, haunted-house vibe. The couple engaged Elizabeth Roberts Architects to handle a renovation initially focused on the parlor and second floor.
Read at Architectural Digest
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