A Look Inside The William & Lulu Norwood House

If you’ve ever wanted  a look inside the castle-like house at the south end of Buckingham Road, you’re not alone–after seeing what neighbors Frank Hechenberger, Kathy Libraty, and Elisa Lovelie put out at their garage sale last year, we can’t deny an interest what belongings they don’t want to get rid of.

We profiled Elisa back in 2012, but Brooklyn Magazine recently stopped by the house as well to talk to the whole family and get a good long look at the home’s incredible details, Kathy’s vintage doll collection, and various other antiques. As it turns out, the family’s opulent, maximalist decor stems from a desire not to let things go to waste. Says the article:

Libraty and Hechenberger entered the antique doll business in the mid-80s after a chance encounter with a dumpster full of dolls. The contents of an old house were being rather unceremoniously disposed of and Libraty and Hechenberger rescued some of the dolls, setting off on a professional journey that has spanned almost 30 years…

How often, in this era of rampant development, do we find a family so utterly engaged with not only the history of their home and neighborhood but also its future? Libraty and Hechenberger say they want to give the house to their daughter one day, but Lovelie demurs, insisting that she couldn’t imagine leaving the neighborhood but also doesn’t want to take her parents’ house.

We have little doubt that the family will work out the details when necessary, and we have just as little doubt that the home will stay in the family, where it will remain as beautifully preserved and lovingly cared for as it has been for the last eight years. The one thing we know for sure is that nothing from this house will ever end up in a dumpster.

You can check out the full post, ogle the home’s interior, and learn more about how the Libraty-Lovelie-Hechenbergers ended up where they are today at Brooklyn Magazine.