3 Colorful Design Tips I’m Stealing From The Brownstone Boys

Walking into the 2024 Real Simple Home, you are immediately greeted with stand-out hardwood floors, attractive decor, and the stunning original accents of the home—and this is all in just the entryway and first room. 

The entryway, living room, kitchen, and dining room area—designed by The Brownstone Boys, Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum—were immediate stars in an incredible ensemble cast of newly-renovated rooms in this century-old Brooklyn home. 

I noticed a lot of petite details in these spaces, so I spoke with the active duo to get some insight into the inspiration behind the design and walked away with three major design tips that I’m taking with me into the recent year.

Take Inspiration From Even the Smallest Details 

The Brownstone Boys told an intricate color story from a single panel of stained glass in the living room of the space. The stained glass fit in so seamlessly with the rest of the space, it was almost too basic to walk by and I wouldn’t have noticed it if not for Bordelon and Slocum pointing it out to me. 

The panel contains silver dollar-sized circles in reds, blues, and other colors that form the basis of the color story for the room. You can see the colors reflected in the supple seating, throw pillows, and even the area rug laid out in the living room. 

Bring the Old Into the Modern World

For Bordelon and Slocum, the original features of the home are the style of the home—so they try to maintain as many original aspects as possible. 

This tip was especially helpful for me as a long-term apartment renter who often has to navigate around older—or, as some would say, dated—aspects of my home and make it work for my style. 

The pair left the original hardwood floors, the wooden entryways, and a immense wooden mirror intact while leaning into the home’s older feel by adding art and decorative pieces like candelabras to tie it all together. 

The living room still feels surprisingly newfangled, though, thanks to the wall sconces, ceiling lithe fixture, couch, and velvet chairs that they added to the space. It’s a attractive juxtaposition against the kitchen, which was the most newfangled room in the house. 

“It’s 2024, we’re not building a period piece,” Slocum said. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Think Outside the Box 

Despite all the older features of the home, the duo focused on making the kitchen a newfangled cross-section between design and functionality. 

The Brownstone Boys say the one trend they don’t want to see in 2025 is white walls which was, funnily enough, the color of the kitchen. To make the space feel more inviting, though, they included a stand-out marble countertop on the kitchen island as well as where the stove is and kept more of the home’s original charm in another wooden mirror and wooden pantry.

The Brownstone Boys recommend going against current trends and incorporating styles that are unique to you. They’re hoping to see less light-colored woods and more gloomy tones in 2025 to really add some more character to the space. 

It’s time to start thinking outside of the box of what’s “in” right now and focus on the things that add charm to your home—while still feeling like you. The Brownstone Boys really break things down into the smallest details like the rounded corners of the massive island in the kitchen—though it might not be the most notable feature in the house, it was surely one of my favorites.