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There are renovations, and then there are resurrections. In the case of her clients’ 1826 Federalist wood-frame row house in New York’s Brooklyn Heights, designer Katie Lydon and architecture firm The Brooklyn Studio orchestrated the latter with a deft hand and a deep respect for the imperfections of history. The result: a charming family home that feels equal parts tailored and effervescent.
“They wanted a big, fun family home, but one that wasn’t too precious,” says Lydon, who’s originally from London but is now based in New York City (recently released her first wallpaper collaboration with Schumacher). “The wife, in particular, loves Swedish prints and pretty colors like coral and blue and green. They’re not afraid of color. It enriches their lives.”
Restored inlaid flooring, circa 1826, helps ground the living room. The iconic midcentury Danish Royal Shelving System, a vintage Moroccan pouf, vintage Swedish rug from Woven, and scalloped side chair by Julian Chichester are a United Nations of style. Painting by Erin O’Brien.
Richard Powers
Formerly the kitchen, the dining room overlooks the garden via a large window crowned with a Josef Frank linen shade. The vegan leather banquette curves elegantly around the Saarinen table. Vintage Scandinavian chairs, RT Facts; walls in Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball. Artwork by Maysey Craddock.
Richard PowersThe home’s architectural bones—restored with reverence—provided a grounding counterpoint to the decor’s spirited bent. That instinct to preserve, rather than erase, carried through to moments like the wainscoting on the staircase. “My first instinct was, ‘Let’s get rid of it,’” Lydon says. “But the owner was adamant about keeping it, and I’m glad she was because it kept the soul, it kept the history.” The same went for the “wonky” floors in the living room. “‘Let’s do the right thing for the house,’” Lydon recalls the homeowner saying. So they kept them.
The reimagined kitchen (swapped with the dining room) now offers generous prep space and a direct visual link to the garden. Custom matte lacquered cabinetry with titanium aluminum finger pulls from Italy’s Molteni&C balances the stainless countertops edging the room. A Louis Poulsen PH5 pendant in shades of blue hovers above Calacatta Spaggia marble counters on the island.
Richard PowersStill, Lydon admits the process of renovating the 3,900-square-foot home was far from straightforward. “The challenges were in deciding to keep some elements, but not others. How do we blend the new bathroom with the old floor? The logistics of that are difficult.” Strategic updates were made—including new sky-blue kitchen cabinets made in Italy by Molteni&C, and new plaster crown moldings where needed that replicate the originals. The resulting mingling of eras and styles makes the home as welcoming as it is. “If it had been ultra-modern it wouldn’t have worked. There’s this slight nod to midcentury—an understanding of time passing, as opposed to trying to eradicate and replace.”
In the kitchen, a perimeter of stainless-steel countertops feels deliciously irreverent. “A marble countertop would’ve been completely acceptable and very nice, but it would’ve felt 19th century,” says Lydon, who reserved Calacatta Spiaggia marble for the island, backsplash, and pantry niche.
“We wanted to create a serene oasis that felt calm and relaxing, while also tying in the color story from the rest of the home,” Lydon says of the primary bedroom. “Blue Paris,” a 1971 piece by Walter Darby Bannard, brings quiet sophistication, while relaxed roman shades in a Raoul Textiles fabric, Bergamo Chairs from Julian Chichester, and an Anthropologie bed layer in soft shades of robin’s egg blue, coral, and pink. The gauzy Anders pendant is by The Future Perfect. Wall color, Benjamin Moore’s Glass Slipper.
Richard PowersThe dining room is perhaps the most dramatic surprise. Formerly the home’s kitchen, it’s now painted in Farrow & Ball Hague Blue, its Josef Frank curtains echoing the fizzy demeanor of those in the living room. “We thought, why don’t we give this a richness that it can handle?” says Lydon. “It’s where the family eats all their meals—a fun extra bonus room.” The vintage milk glass pendant overhead brings a note of patina. “You definitely want some sort of beautiful chandelier over the table, but she wanted it to feel midcentury and playful and joyful,” she says. “Playful is not to be mistaken with unsophisticated—it’s a very sophisticated home.” Indeed, a mix of serious design pedigree and breezy confidence is a hallmark of Lydon’s work—and this project is no exception. “It has a lot of really interesting design elements. It’s just done in a way that brings them joy.”
Every parent can use a refuge. “The room’s intimate footprint allowed for rich color to envelop the space,” Lydon says of the primary suite’s cocoon-like sitting room. The walls are in Benjamin Moore’s Pale Petal; window shades are in Anita from Schumacher.
Richard PowersThat balance of levity and elegance continues in the primary suite, where a fluttering pendant light and delicate fabrics layer softly in unexpected hues. Lydon leaned into a color palette she’d never used before, by request from her client. The secret to making coral feel chic: a cooler undertone. “It really gave it a new identity,” Lydon says.
A sitting room off the primary bedroom is painted in tones drawn from the roman shades in Anita, a Schumacher fabric. “It is the only room other than the dining room painted a little more richly, and when people go in there, they’re always like, ‘Oh my God, this is so pretty.’” Lydon tested 20 paint samples to get the color just right, landing on Benjamin Moore’s Pale Petal. “It was really difficult,” she says. “But getting the right color, living with the right colors, just soothes your soul.”
Soft pastels meet bold geometry in a shared bedroom for two sisters. Custom beds in Holland & Sherry Ripple Blue are dressed in playful bedding that includes quilts from John Robshaw and sheets from St. Frank. The millwork—painted Sage Tint by Benjamin Moore—was custom built, tucked in beside the existing fireplace, creating storage for books and children’s treasures.
Richard Powers
A serene ocean of blue, the girls’ bathroom is enveloped in Pratt & Larson ceramic tiles on the walls and ceiling, with penny tiles underfoot. “The tile has a fair amount of tonal variation, adding to the uniqueness of the room,” Lydon says, turning this shared space into a calming, almost aquatic retreat.
Richard Powers
