Brooklyn townhouses provide a blank canvas for creative renovations. US reporter Bridget Cogley selects eight diverse designs that include boldly coloured cabinets, pathways for cats and a huge slanted window.
The New York City borough stretches over 70 square miles (183 square kilometres) with neighbourhoods including upscale Brooklyn Heights and Williamsburg to more upcoming areas of Gowanus and Bedford?Stuyvesant.
A number of Brooklyn townhouses have been given new life in recent years, ranging from delicate upgrades that make the most of existing features to much more drastic overhauls. Read on for the full section:

Switchback House by L/AND/A in Bedford?Stuyvesant
Shane Neufeld of Light and Air Architecture (L/AND/A) overhauled a three-storey row house to create himself a home. A new structural stairwell and steel beams were added to the structure, linking together the whole interior with the addition of painted white brick walls, wood volumes and pale wood floors. A skylight was added at the top level, while a kitchen overlooks a rear garden with a large window and a sliding glass door. A central wooden unit separates the kitchen from a living room at the front while bedrooms are located upstairs.
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Prospect Lefferts Garden Townhouse by GRT Architects in Prospect Lefferts Garden
Once a cramped and dark home, this townhouse was revitalised when GRT Architects opened up walls and reorganised the internal flow of rooms. Spanning f...