Prospect Heights Brownstone
Parlor Living Room
Original sliding wood pocket doors open to reveal the grand living room. This sunny, showstopping room features a beautifully restored built-in mirror with ornate wood detailing as well as oversized bay windows which fill the room with sunlight. We designed a custom curved sofa with Lazzoni to maximize seating and created a bespoke, contemporary brass chandelier with a local artisan to draw your eye up to the over 10-foot ceiling featuring original plaster work. The space is grounded by a vintage, hand-knotted rug from JD Staron and showcases original artwork by Wyatt and Maximillien Pellet.
Entry Vestibule
This striking entry features a contemporary marble tiled floor and Zak + Fox papered walls above the original wood wainscoting.
Defining Details
Among many of the client’s cherished heirlooms was this mid-century armchair, which they loved but was in need of a refresh. Newly reupholstered in a cream and chocolate wool houndstooth fabric we breathed new life into the piece while preserving its original character.
Cocktail Lounge
Exiting the Living Room through an original cased opening, with peacock-motif frieze detailing, leads you to the next room in this traditional rowhouse - an informal cocktail lounge. This small room is full of character with a sleek, velvet sofa in 2025’s Pantone Color of the Year paired with an enameled teal and navy nesting coffee table sitting below a vibrant original artwork by Ben Tong. A vintage brass chandelier illuminates the beautifully designed dry bar featuring bold, teal-painted cabinetry, antique mirror, and open shelving where the homeowners display their favorite libations and glassware.
Kitchen & Dining
Adjacent to the cocktail lounge is the kitchen and dining room. Original parquet wood flooring, a restored fireplace, and oversized bay windows set the stage for a vibrant family-friendly dining and entertaining space. A contemporary teal-painted, shaker-paneled kitchen with vintage, scalloped porcelain pendants draws inspiration from one of the client’s requested design styles: English garden.
Powder Room
Just off of the kitchen is the jewel box powder room which features a bold floral wallcovering, a beautifully restored wood door with privacy glass, and a mixture of vintage-inspired fixtures as well as contemporary detailing. The powder room is the epitome of multiple design influences seamlessly blending together to bring the client’s vision to life.
“The client’s main with the restoration was to preserve and honor as much of the home’s original architecture, woodwork, and historic charm as possible, while making the home feel modern.
We used all the original doors and doorknobs, saved and restored as much of the woodwork and parquet floors as possible, kept all the fireplaces, and returned the painted exterior of the house to its original brownstone.”
Study
Descending to the Garden Level, all of the rooms boast rich color, depth and atmosphere.
The dark, moody study is distinctly masculine – the tone is set by the deep moss painted walls and ceiling which enhance the rich emerald-tiled fireplace. It serves as both an office and a vinyl record listening lounge/electric guitar jam room. Prized LPs and a record player are displayed on the built-in bookcase behind the bespoke, mid-century walnut desk while a custom-made hot-rolled steel coffee table fabricated locally allows the client and his friends to kick up their feet and sink into the sumptuous 1stDibs-sourced vintage 1960s cognac leather armchairs.
“I’ve been a longtime lover of William Morris’ patterns and was over the moon when the client was enthusiastic about my suggestion to dress their guest bedroom walls in one of Morris & Co’s enchanting floral wallpapers.”
Guest Bedroom
Given that this room is located on the Garden Level and has access to the backyard, the client wanted to play up the English country garden design aesthetic. Starting with a color palette of sage, peach, cream, and chocolate, we designed the room to feel like an indoor picnic, complete with wicker detailing.
Library
Down the hall from the study is the bold, color-drenched library. This small space packs a real punch and was conceived to meet the needs of the client, a sommelier, who said, “I have to have a Burgundy room!”
A custom burgundy lime plaster was created with plaster and limewash specialists, Color Atelier. Lacquered built-in bookshelves flank a stunning acrylic on canvas original artwork by notable artist, Robert Standish while a bespoke, aged brass semi-flush mount saucer light made with a local artisan shines a light on the beautiful movement in the textural ceiling.
Defining Details
To complete the monochromatic look, a burgundy chenille sectional sofa is paired with a hand-knotted wool area rug and color-coordinated accent pillows and throw blanket. A vintage mid-century modern floor lamp creates a perfect reading nook.
Collected Curiosities
The client’s curated collection of beloved novels, sculptural objects, and decorative mementos from their travels are proudly displayed.
“Color played a huge role in both dividing and harmonizing the spaces—such as the range from deep saturated jeweled hues to muted earth tones and diluted pastels.”
Primary Bedroom
The family’s intimate quarters, their bedrooms, occupy the top floor of the home. Upon entering the primary suite you are transported to a quiet corner room that you’d see in an old English estate. An ethereal, abstract watercolor painting by local Brooklyn artist, Peter Calvin, sets the tone of a romantic escape further enhanced by layers of opulent textiles. A mongolian fur throw sits atop a woven corded bench at the foot of the bed while an intricate floral quilt from Nickey + Kehoe is layered on top of a plush Belgian linen duvet and is accented with cotton block printed shams and an olive green linen lumbar pillow.
Designed for Relaxation
A reading and relaxing nook with an olive velvet chaise lounge nestles into a large bay window flanked by Morris & Co. drapery.
A Boutique Experience
A cast-iron, claw foot soaking tub sits off to the side of another restored fireplace elicits the feeling of staying in a luxurious boutique hotel.
Private Residence | Brooklyn, NY
By layering bold jewel tones, vintage elements, and romantic details, we created a home that feels deeply personal and timeless.
Brief
A historic brownstone in the iconic Brooklyn neighborhood of Prospect Heights had beautiful, original bones but needed a lot of love to restore the home to its full glory.
While the home itself features all of the classic turn-of-the-century era details of a traditional brownstone, the homeowners design aesthetic ranges widely from classic mid-century-modern, to the romanticism of an English country garden estate, to bold maximalist ideals.
The exciting challenge of the project was how to bring the client’s vision to life, ensuring these contrasting design themes felt cohesive and unified, and how to optimize the home’s interior footprint for the young family’s busy life.
Through meticulous space planning, custom design solutions, curation of vintage finds, and thoughtful material selection, we achieved the perfect balance—maximizing the functionality of the home while elevating its aesthetic appeal despite the constraints of the space.
Project Details
3,250sf four-story private residence featuring a grand parlor level, energizing entertaining spaces, and intimate sleeping quarters with 4-bedrooms and 3.5 baths.
Role
Senior Interior Designer. Development of design narrative and aesthetic direction. Designed bespoke lighting, furniture, and window treatments. Sourced one-of-a-kind furnishings and wall finishes, bedding and linens, decorative objects, and artwork.
Credits
Photography: Sarah Voigt
Architectural Restoration: The Brooklyn Studio
Designed in collaboration with Shari Francis of Dadapt
