LET THERE BE LIGHT

A massive skylight was step one in a dramatic transformation that turned an imposing 1870s brownstone into a sun-filled sanctuary

- DEB SCHWARTZ

The brownstone was big and beautiful, but there was a darkness at its core. Not an existential darkness, not a spiritual darkness, but a literal one. Like almost all town houses, the 1873 Italianate structure in Brooklyn had windows just in the front and the rear, so light never penetrated to its center, and the lower floors were particularly gloomy. When R.A. McBride and her partner lived only in the top three floors while renting out the bottom two, this wasn't much of a concern the upper levels were bright enough. But by the time their third child arrived and they were resorting to dividing rooms with curtains in order to give everyone their own space, the couple realized it was time for a change. Time to take over all five floors and, finally, confront the shadows.

Living in a murky town house was particularly unappealing for McBride's partner, who had grown up in one in Manhattan. Her family had occupied the parlor, garden, and cellar levels, a twilit existence she found depressing and had no wish to return to. Meanwhile, McBride didn't want to have to climb four flights of stairs in order to remind a child to grab their backpack or come to dinner.