Atelier Chroma

09/02/2026

Another restoration project in historic Flatbush, Brooklyn.

The homes on this street were designed between 1916 and 1920 by the prominent Brooklyn architectural firm Slee & Bryson. We’ve had the opportunity to restore many of the original historic windows here over the years, but this project presented a different challenge.

The entry portico was showing several signs that the deterioration might extend well beyond the surface. We began by selectively removing coatings and deteriorated material to determine what could be saved. Once opened up, we discovered extensive rot throughout much of the exterior woodwork as well as the underlying structural framing.

Fortunately, the roof had been well maintained and could be preserved. Much of the remaining portico, however, required reconstruction.

We carefully removed the deteriorated exterior, rebuilt the underlying structure with new pressure-treated framing, and reconstructed the exterior woodwork using 5/4" Accoya. The new components were fabricated to maintain the proportions and architectural character of the original portico before being primed and painted for a seamless finished appearance.

Sometimes restoration means preserving as much original material as possible. Other times, deterioration has progressed to the point where careful reconstruction is the best way to preserve the original design.

Always a pleasure working on these unique historic Brooklyn homes and helping keep their architectural details intact for the future.

08/27/2026

Entry door restoration near Gramercy, Manhattan.

Years of accumulated paint had left these doors with a very heavy, uneven texture, obscuring much of the original moulding detail. But the problems went beyond appearance—the weight of the doors and deterioration of the jamb had caused the assembly to shift, leaving the doors scraping against the floor every time they opened. The original weather stripping had also failed long ago.

We completely stripped the accumulated paint coatings from the doors and frames, bringing the original profiles back to a clean surface. Deteriorated areas of the jamb and supporting woodwork were repaired with traditional Dutchman repairs, restoring the structure needed to properly support the heavy doors.

The doors were then carefully adjusted for proper operation, new weather stripping was installed throughout, and the existing metalwork and hardware were cleaned and restored.

The result is an entryway that once again functions as it should—doors that open and close smoothly, a properly weather-sealed opening, and crisp moulding profiles that can finally be seen as they were originally intended.

A good restoration isn’t just about making something old look new. It’s about restoring the details, materials, and function that made it work in the first place.

07/22/2026

Recent entry door restoration project in Brooklyn.

It's not every day that I get to dust off my old sign-painting skills. The original beveled glass was badly scratched and damaged, so replacing it meant carefully recreating and transferring this unique dragonfly and house number design onto the new glass.

I used to do this type of work regularly back when I was a full-time scenic artist, so it was a lot of fun to revisit those skills on this project. It's always rewarding when traditional craftsmanship and restoration come together to preserve the character of a historic home.

05/16/2026

04/09/2026

A full interior woodwork restoration in a 3-story Brooklyn brownstone—completed over the winter.

This project included original wall paneling, newel posts, spindles, doors, and staircase woodwork that had endured decades of heavy use as rental and office space. The level of wear was extreme—deep dents, failed finishes, and extensive surface damage throughout.

Rather than replace these historic elements, we focused on preservation and repair—both to maintain the character of the building and to work within the client’s budget.

Damaged areas were carefully rebuilt using high-quality wood epoxy, while select sections required full stripping to remove heavy, failing layers of shellac. From there, we reintroduced depth and warmth through layered stain work and a hand-applied finish designed to replicate the richness of traditional shellac—with a durable satin sheen.

This kind of work takes time. But when done properly, it allows original materials to be retained, honored, and brought back to life.

03/04/2026

One of our standard services!

This wood entrance door at a six-story residential building in Park Slope, Brooklyn was carefully stripped back to bare wood,fresh stain applied to bring out the natural grain, and finished with a breathable natural oil for long-term protection after a quick turnaround.

We also cleaned, polished, and detailed the original brass hardware and kick plates—small details that make a big difference at the front door.

Thoughtful restoration beats replacement every time.

02/19/2026

Hunterfly Road Houses Restoration at Weeksville Heritage Center Continued.
The porch at Building 1698 was re-imagined by CTA Architects NYC as part of a sensitive historic restoration. Working from their design, we produced detailed 3D renderings and shop drawings to fully resolve the construction prior to fabrication.

The porch structure was framed in pressure-treated lumber, while all visible architectural elements were fabricated in Accoya wood for durability and long-term performance. This included custom-made spindles, handrails, posts, brackets, and steps—each fabricated specifically for the project and installed to align with the historic character of the building.

02/06/2026

At first glance, this reads as a simple before-and-after of a window re-paint. It wasn't.
During restoration of the Hunterfly road houses at the Weeksville Heritage Center, we encountered widespread deterioration concealed beneath decades of piecemeal repairs. Many window sills and assemblies had lost structural integrity entirely—failed fillers, trapped moisture, and incompatible past interventions meant that once exposed, original fabric often disintegrated.

In coordination with XBR Inc., new subsills and waterproofing membranes were installed, and nearly every window opening was selectively disassembled, repaired, and rebuilt. Replacement components were fabricated in Accoya wood, chosen for dimensional stability, durability, and long-term performance in a preservation context.

The work prioritized minimal intervention where possible, full reconstruction where necessary, and efficiency where required to respect project budget—while maintaining fidelity to the historic assemblies.

The following images document the process behind the final appearance.

01/29/2026

Black History Month — Building 1700, Hunterfly Road.

As part of our work at the historic Weeksville Heritage Center, and in partnership with XBR Inc., we restored all doors and windows across four historic buildings at the Hunterfly Road Houses.

Building 1700 was, without question, the most deteriorated of the four—and also the one with the greatest amount of original woodwork still intact.

Before restoration, the shutters were failing, window frames and lower sashes were heavily rotted, and nearly all window sills had deteriorated beyond serviceability. In many areas, the wood would crumble and disintegrate at the touch.

We went deep.

All shutters were repaired, all sashes restored, casings rebuilt, and new window sills fabricated. All new repair wood was milled in Accoya, selected for its durability, stability, and environmental performance. We also restored the building’s doors and fabricated a new hatch door for the cellar.

These before-and-after images only begin to tell the story. We’ll share more in an upcoming post that shows just how extensive the work behind the scenes truly was.