Bespoke Only Weaves Shanghai Craft Traditions in Clinton Hill Duplex

ByMyProperty Life 27/11/2025

The challenge of creating coherence within a 1,260-square-foot duplex carved from an 1848 Neo-Grec brownstone lies not in preservation alone, but in discovering parallel frameworks across disparate architectural traditions. Bespoke Only approached this Clinton Hill Duplex by identifying a shared language between Brooklyn’s late 19th-century architectural details and the domestic interiors of Shanghai during the same period – an era when both cities were grappling with modernity while maintaining ties to craft traditions.

Sunlit home office with a wall-mounted desk, computer, black chair, bookshelves, round dining table, wooden chairs, and two large windows with woven blinds.

This cross-cultural investigation manifests most compellingly in the bedroom, where traditional carved timber doors fitted with glass panels function as both spatial divider and cultural artifact. The piece bridges practical needs with decorative complexity, its fretwork casting patterned shadows that shift throughout the day. Rather than treating heritage as museum display, the studio uses these elements as functional components that actively shape how residents move through and experience the space. The carved panels create visual permeability without sacrificing privacy.

A round wooden dining table with three chairs sits in a minimalist kitchen with light wood floors, a pendant lamp, a mirror, and simple flower arrangements.

Modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances, light wood cabinets, a green island with a sink, and a wooden floor. Soft natural light enters through curtained windows.

Modern kitchen with matte cabinets, gas stove, island with sink, and a view into a living area with large window and sheer curtains.

The reconfigured layout addresses the particular constraints of brownstone condo conversion, where original floor plans rarely align with contemporary living patterns. Bespoke Only expanded the primary suite to include dedicated dressing and bathing areas, a move that transforms the upper level into a self-contained retreat. This mirrors the boutique hotel typology the clients requested, where privacy and luxury depend on carefully orchestrated sequences rather than sheer square footage.

Modern kitchen with light gray cabinets, a stove with a white pot, a wall-mounted light, and a small bowl of berries on the countertop.

A small, modern kitchenette with olive green cabinets, a coffee machine, and shelves tucked into a triangular alcove beside a beige couch and a black side table.

A living room with large windows, sheer curtains, a sofa, wooden chairs, a coffee table, and a rug. Natural light brightens the space.

The 1940s Kozelka and Kropácek low lounge chair reads as a period bridge – its mid-century form echoing earlier Anglo-Japanese aesthetic exchanges that also influenced Shanghai modernism. A 19th-century Canterbury magazine holder introduces vertical storage that feels architecturally coherent with the brownstone’s original built-ins. Brooklyn artist Sean Pressley’s painting in the dining area grounds the historical references in present-day creative practice, preventing the space from becoming nostalgic pastiche.

A small bedroom with a wooden bed, beige bedding, an armchair, floor-length curtains, a striped rug, and a ceiling light fixture.

Bedroom with a wooden bed, green bedding, a woven chair, and a dark wood partition with frosted glass panels separating the bed area from the adjacent space.

An upholstered armchair with a geometric pattern sits next to a small round side table by a window with long beige curtains and sheer drapes.

Minimalist bathroom with a walk-in shower, white tiled walls, bathtub, dark wood vanity with sink, and plaid-patterned tile floor.

A white tiled bathtub with a wooden tray, two bottles in a recessed wall niche, and green accent tiles on the ceiling and floor.

To learn more about the Clinton Hill Duplex by Bespoke Only, please visit bespokeonly.com.

Photography by William Jess Laird.

Leo Lei translates his passion for minimalism into his daily-updated blog Leibal. In addition, you can find uniquely designed minimalist objects and furniture at the Leibal Store.