48 Willow Place

If you have looked at every brownstone on the market, but your heart is devoted to authentic Mid-Century architecture AND having your very own PARKING SPACE, then look no further. 48 Willow Place is a true original and a Brooklyn trophy property. Designed, built, and inhabited by the world-renowned and locally beloved architects and preservationists, Joseph and Mary Merz in 1965, it is now being offered for sale for the first time ever so the next owner can take it into the 21st century. Situated on an unprecedented 37Â’ wide corner lot in Brooklyn Heights, and offering a covered carport, 6 bedrooms, 3 home offices, 7 bathrooms, and a stunning and fully realized Japanese garden. This home is the opportunity of a lifetime for a design aficionado looking to move into an authentic Mid-Century modern home that is just as relevant today, if not more, than when it was originally built in the 60Â’s. One of only three Landmark-Approved Modern townhouses in Brooklyn Heights built from the ground-up, 48 Willow offers a distinctive exterior that promises the owner privacy from the street side and brilliant light and garden views from the back. The corner orientation affords windows on three sides, and would also give the next buyer the unique opportunity to build a backyard pool should the desire strike. Symmetry and minimalism are the trademark of this special property and you see it throughout in both its natural palette and organic materiality. Redwood, maple, stone and glass are repeated throughout the approx. 5000 SF, 4-story home to stunning and loft-like effect. Perfectly preserved and well-tended over the years, this home needs kitchen and bathroom upgrades, but the custom millwork, structure, garden and mechanicals (including central AC) have all been well-maintained. Enter on the main level into a double height atrium with oversized windows and a mud room, and then turn the corner into a great room of epic proportions. Spanning 37Â’ wide with a wall of glass facing West, this loft-like main floor is one of the earliest examples of the open kitchen and living spaces we have all come to cherish. Oriented around the huge garden with a floor to ceiling wall of glass and sliding doors on the West side, an oversized woodburning fireplace on the East side, and a kitchen spanning the South side with South-facing windows. Dine, live and entertain in this oversized space, and embrace the original tenet of Modern design; bringing the natural world indoors. There is even a spacious library off the kitchen area, the perfect home office or breakfast nook with walls of custom bookshelves. Head up the distinctive oak and steel staircase to two floors of bedrooms that can easily be customized to your needs. Floating walls have accommodated different configurations over the years, and this flexibility is another unique trait that separates this home out from the typical brownstone. Currently both the second and third floors are each arranged with three large bedrooms and two full baths, for a total of six bedrooms all together. Should you choose to customize the size of your primary bedroom, or to expand the scale of any of the bathrooms, you have the open space and three walls of windows to make changes. Both floors offer floor-to-ceiling windows with skyline views and incredible sunsets. The unique positioning of this home guarantees complete privacy for every bedroom and an intriguing play of light as the sun travels from East to West throughout the day. An unexpected English basement offers three additional home office spaces with light and air, a full bathroom, and lots of closets for great storage. Well considered storage and custom millwork, including bookshelves, display shelving and cabinetry, has been artfully constructed of fine maple and built in to every room. High ceilings and earthen hues as evinced in the original wood and stone floors and fine oak detailing throughout, act as the perfect backdrop for your art collection. An exquisitely serene and well-maintained Japanese garden with wandering stone paths reveals a handsome pergola perfect for outdoor dining and quiet contemplation. Beneath the garden is your very own carport perfect not just for your car, but also bikes, a motorcycle, gardening tools and sports equipment, and the utmost of privacy. Own a piece of history and a one-of-a-kind trophy Mid-Century home designed to allow its occupants to live an easy and comfortable life with large and light filled open spaces and nature as the perfect backdrop. Situated on a quiet and tucked-away block in Brooklyn Heights with easy access to Brooklyn Bridge Park and the waterfront, the ferry, every subway line, numerous public and private schools, incredible artisanal restaurants and shops on Atlantic Avenue including Sahadis, Trader Joes, Colonie, Dellapietras, and Elsa, to name a few. Shown by appointment only.