Title: A Maximalist Makeover Inspires by English Romance in Brooklyn Brownstone
Content:
Title: A Maximalist Makeover Inspires by English Romance in Brooklyn Brownstone
In a bold departure from her typical design approach, interior designer Melissa Lee of Bespoke Only crafted a maximalist retreat for a filmmaker client in a historic Brooklyn brownstone. The client's enthusiasm for embracing stronger colors, more patterns, and a bolder aesthetic than usual encouraged Lee to push her creative boundaries.
The result is a vibrant, eclectic space that transports the viewer to a London townhouse, charmingly transplanted to New York. The staircase and hallways serve as a visual thread throughout the four-story, 3,300-square-foot property. A striking House of Hackney wallpaper and red-accented runner from Makrosha set the tone.
Rather than a gut renovation, Lee and her client treated the home like a rewrite, revisiting every surface, refinishing when needed, and reworking key areas to better suit the homeowner's daily life. The living room features a Pinch London sofa in Pierre Frey fabric paired with a vintage wingback chair from Finch Hudson and a vintage rosewood and marble coffee table by Ib Kofod-Larsen. Above the fireplace, Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez's original Cornucopia with Pineapples hangs, while Dala horses line the mantle.
Each room was designed to have a distinct identity without feeling disjointed. The entrance hall leads directly to the open-plan kitchen and dining space, where 1960s oak chairs upholstered in Namay Samay fabric surround a French Provincial fruitwood dining table. An Austrian brass chandelier from the 1950s hangs above, accompanied by Swedish pine sconces with pleated shades from 1stDibs and an antique European rug from Woven.
The staircase and hallways, with their House of Hackney florals and pale teal paint, serve as a through line, grounding the space with a bold, eclectic tone that nods to the British countryside with hints of Art Deco and vintage Nordic style. The kitchen, with its garden views, boasts artisanal tiles, shaker-style cabinets, and a vintage English worktable doubling as an island, topped with a 1950s Italian pendant light.
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