Six years after their initial remodel, the renovation whizzes best known as the Brownstone Boys reimagine their Brooklyn home.
The front stoop is arguably more important than any room inside. It’s from these steps that the designers have gotten to know their neighborhood—the thing that has kept them here all these years over any one design feature. “We have a beautiful blend of people who grew up on this block and new people on the street like Barry and me,” says Slocum. During the pandemic, they swapped bread-making recipes. Last year, with flowers trailing down the railings, Bordelon and Slocum exchanged vows on the stoop as the community (and some passing strangers!) looked on.
While plenty of ideas stem from the pair being out and about, others are inspired by the house itself. During the couple’s previous renovation, they tracked down old tax photos from the 1940s and noticed there had originally been a double front door. They swapped out the singleton for a historically accurate set and, for years, the wood remained untouched. “We applied a marine varnish, which is similar to what they use on ships, but the wood tone started turning orange,” says Slocum. It was the push the couple needed to commit to a moody blue.
Instead, the space got a refresh with the help of mustard yellow paint, a color choice inspired by their stay at The Pig in the Cotswolds last year (“English cottage paradise,” as Slocum remembers it). “Seven years ago, Barry would have said no, but now he’s like, ‘Bring on more color!’” says Slocum. They went even moodier in the office down the hall, doused in a deep aubergine. The space, decked out with a wall of bookshelves and a groovy semicircular storage bench, is Bordelon’s domain, with the sofa often acting as his HQ.
A common misconception about brownstones is that they’re spacious. In reality, their narrow footprint results in a long line of compact rooms. It’s certainly true of the designers’ home—the primary bedroom is just big enough for a king-size mattress. But they never planned to carve out a generous suite. “We tried to keep as many of the original walls and moldings in place as possible,” says Bordelon.
The space’s final update, a banquette, has changed the way the couple entertains. They had tested out a long table at the front of the house (“No one used that,” Slocum points out) before moving it to the middle of the parlor level (forcing them to resort to tiny living room furniture). This last shift created space for two different lounge zones: one dedicated to TV watching, the other to mixing and mingling.
Mindful of not wasting everything from their first go-round, they painted the existing cabinets and built extra-tall cupboards to go on either side of the old chimney breast, souped-up with outlets for Bordelon's coffee bar. “Before, all our appliances were exposed. I cringed every time I came into the kitchen,” recalls Slocum.
Today, the kitchen—drenched baseboard to ceiling in a muddy green—is a testament to how far they’ve come. Same with the Caldia Verde Blu marble countertops; since they knew how easily the natural stone scratches and stains, they originally opted for affordable quartz. But since using the real deal in many client projects, they have grown to appreciate the inevitable patina.
If their first renovation was about streamlining the choppy layout, this second one—another DIY endeavor with some assistance from Jimenez Contracting—was about leveling up their earlier fixes. For starters, Bordelon was itching to add another cased opening on the parlor level between the open-concept living room and kitchen for symmetry (and to better disguise the cooking area). Slocum, meanwhile, felt the brownstone was overdue for some color. “When we closed on the house, Barry thought a gray accent wall in our bedroom was adventurous,” he says with a laugh.
Slocum started blogging about stripping the paint from the original woodwork (the secret is Benco’s B7 stripper) and comparing quotes from subcontractors. Before Slocum knew it, they were both quitting their jobs (Bordelon worked in software sales; Slocum in social media and marketing) and taking on design clients full-time. By 2025, they had 31 remodels under their belts. The six years of doing inspiring work for other people had Bordelon and Slocum reconsidering their own space: “It never really felt like home,” Slocum admits.
“When we were deciding where we wanted to get married, we thought, Why would we do it at a venue that means nothing to us when we have this option that we are so connected to?” says Bordelon. Now onto the brownstone’s (and the boys’) next chapter.
Front Door Paint Color, Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball.
In addition to dedicated ports in the pantry cabinets for countertop appliances and a cordless vacuum, the designers lined the base of the banquette with even more plug-ins—“coffee shop style,” Slocum notes.
Vintage Dining Chairs by Joe Colombo via 1stDibs; Chair Fabric, United Fabrics; Dining Chair Reupholstery by Find the Thread; Bench Fabric, Dedar; Bench Reupholstery by Picnic House Drapers; Custom Dining Table, Nutmeg Table Company.
Everyone knows the Brownstone Boys for their restorations, but they’ve also got an eye for reupholstery. The vintage Joe Colombo dining chairs are swathed in a merlot red corduroy fabric.
Left: Ceiling Paint Color, Old White by Farrow & Ball; Wall Paint Color, Shadow White by Farrow & Ball; Rug, NuStory; Sofa Fabric, Schumacher; Sconce, Allied Maker; Chair Fabric, Zak & Fox; Pendant Lamp, DBO Home. Right: Side Table and Lamp, CB2.
Their living room rug, from their collaboration with NuStory, features motifs inspired by the ornamental fretwork they’ve come across in their restorations. Once upon a time, the house had six fireplaces. By the time the couple bought the brownstone, it had zero. In the parlor, they brought a reclaimed mantel back in, leaving the stone’s visible etches and the summer cover’s nicks as is.
Drapes and Rug, Nordic Knots; Vintage Coffee Table, JAM Shop; Chair Fabric, Zak & Fox; Pedestals, CB2; Floor Lamp, Soho Home; Chandelier, Mdrn Vintage; Ceiling Medallion, Balmer; Pillows, Joon Loloi; Art by (from left) Tadahara Gungi via Tappan and Jake Snowden. Before photography by Christian Torres.
Wall Paint Color, Light Blue by Farrow & Ball; Coat Hook Paint Color, Deep Reddish Brown by Farrow & Ball; Sconce, Brownstone Boys x Blueprint Lighting; Runner, Jaipur City Rugs via Etsy; Pendant Lamp, Hennepin Made. Before photography by Christian Torres.
One update the pair never purposefully got around to? Fixing the squeaky 100-year-old stairs. “They act as an alarm system,” Slocum says with a laugh.
and peek into windows, fantasizing about what my life would look like one day in a brownstone,” recalls Slocum.
In the summer of 2018—just seven months into dating—the pair walked into a townhome for sale in the city’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood and realized if they combined their savings, they could buy the place. It was terrifying both financially and personally, but “we felt confident that if all else fails, it could be a business investment,” Slocum says. The couple took the leap, sinking their hard-earned cash into the three-story 1890s property, which had five puny bedrooms and an even tinier kitchen. Reality sunk in: “I remember Barry and I looking at each other and being like, ‘Wow, this requires a lot of work,’” says Slocum.
Photography by Belle Morizio
Words by Lydia Geisel
Art Direction by Andie Diemer
Styling by Elaina Sullivan
AROUND
Left: Molding Paint Color, Bancha by Farrow & Ball; Wallpaper, Farrow & Ball; Sconce, Bed Frame, Duvet, and Vintage Side Table, Rejuvenation; Sheets, Brooklinen; Pillowcase, Parachute. Right: Floor Tile, Brooklyn Tile & Design; Custom Shower Curtain, Picnic House Drapers; Wallpaper, Brownstone Boys x WallPops; Sink, Etsy; Mirror, Shades of Light; Pendant Lamp, Barn Light Electric; Tub, Vintage Tub & Bath. Before photography by Christian Torres.
Wall Paint Color, Brinjal by Farrow & Ball; Curtains, Mesken Home; Sofa, Billy Cotton x West Elm; Pendant Lamp, Noguchi Museum; Pillows, Joon Loloi and ABC Home; Print, Block Shop.
arly on in their relationship, Jordan Slocum and Barry Bordelon, aka the Brownstone Boys, discovered they had something surprising in common: the dream to own a Brooklyn brownstone one day. “When I first moved to New York, I’d walk up and down the tree-lined streets
E
BLOCK
THE
Mini Orb 5-5,
Allied Maker
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Milano Green Rug,
Nordic Knots
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Shadow White Paint Color by Farrow & Ball
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Toron Pedestal Table Set, CB2
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Brinjal Paint Color by Farrow & Ball
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Billy Cotton Curved Sofa, West Elm
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Townhouse Stripe Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper, Brownstone Boys x WallPops
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Metal Mirror With Shelf, Shades of Light
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Belmondo Vibrant
Stripes Fabric, Dedar
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30-Inch Series 7 Classic Gas Range, Fisher & Paykel
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Dibber Paint Color by Farrow & Ball
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Tarang Bar Chair,
Etsy
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Paint Color, Dibber by Farrow & Ball; Countertop Stone, ABC Stone; Pendant Lamps, Arhaus; Stools, Etsy; Hardware, Spaces Within via Assembly Line; Sink, Ruvati; Faucet, Grohe; Range and Refrigerator, Fisher & Paykel.
Wall Paint Color, Duster by Farrow & Ball; Custom Curtains, Picnic House Drapers; Bed Frame, Sixpenny; Table Lamp, Kelly Wearstler for Visual Comfort via Lumens; Quilt, Schoolhouse; Blanket, Brooklinen; Sheets, Parachute. Middle and far right photography by Gloria Kilbourne. Before photography by Christian Torres.
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