18 Chester Court

4 Full floors of living space. 3 Bedrooms, 3 Full Baths: Kitchen and Baths Fully Renovated, Great Work/Office Spaces

When noted Brooklyn architect Peter J Collins visited England, he was enchanted by the Tudor style homes he saw with their Flemish Bond brickwork, their timber & stucco siding, and their ease of maintenance design. He decided his next project would be done in this style. The city of inspiration: Chester England. The result: Chester Court.

18 Chester Court is a prime example of Collins' vision. The exquisite design and stylings of the early 20th Century are preserved here and combined with modern conveniences and updated mechanicals to create a turn-key home. The renovations by the current owners were carefully thought out and executed: two bathrooms - one with classic Subway tiles and pedestal sink, the other in a fine retelling of Mid Century style - were chosen to pay homage to the history while Moroccan tile accents and modern kitchen make it truly unique.

Entering through the original arched doorway, the parlor floor opens up to your left, revealing the plaster Corbel Cove molding. Carved oak pediments frame two large South facing windows allowing sunlight and air to waft in. Passing through the anti-parlor with period mantel and refinished parquet flooring, you enter the formal dining room. And it is something to behold: a soaring coffered ceiling, raised paneled walls, and a corner cabinet with leaded glass door is tucked neatly in the corner for your aperitifs. Large enough for most any gathering, there are two oversized windows for natural light and outdoor views.

Next is the kitchen, and it's everything you need: Stainless steel appliances (Liebherr double door refrigerator with two freezer drawers, a Thermador 4 burner/1 grill range with matching range hood, and a Thermador dishwasher) provide the tools you need to create meals for family and friends, and the beautiful grey Caesar stone counters atop maple cabinets give you the space needed. Rounding out this floor is the kitchen extension with pantry: your manicured blue stone garden and Apricot tree can be seen through three windows brightening the room, making it perfect for a home office/workspace.

The living quarters are upstairs, the Master Suite on the top floor. The current owners put a lot of thought into this to make it a personal sanctuary: it shows. They incorporated a Tudor style Dormer window into the space, adding a large closet and modern en suite bath. The bathroom is beautiful: bathed in sunlight from a skylight, it features a large glass tiled shower with dual shower heads for two and mosaic wall tiles. Down a sky-lit hall is a private roof deck area, perfect for viewing the stars and enjoying the night air. Down one flight, two huge bedrooms bracket the mid-century bathroom. Both will fit any sized bedroom set and have ample room left for the occupant to create their own private space. The rear bedroom has an added bonus: another sunlit room makes for a perfect music room, playroom, home office ? whatever the imagination can conjure up.

All this is supported by a finished basement created with an artist's touch. Moroccan tile leads the way into the workout area, past the subway tiled bathroom, and unfolds into a large, multi-functional room. The current owner works from home here, the privacy allowing him to focus on the task at hand. There's also a sleeping area for the "pop-in" relatives, along with a screening area for family movie night.

Chester Court is located near to everything the residents of this historic block crave: Pels Pies, Midwood Flats, Ix Latin Food, PLG Coffee, Silver Rice and Bay Leaf are but a few of the world class eateries within five blocks. For naturalists, the newly reopened Southern Gate to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is right there as is Prospect Park. Commuting is a snap: the B, Q, S, 2 & 5 trains are all close by.

A beautifully remodeled piece