Fort Greene’s brownstones have witnessed many stories over the last three centuries, but perhaps the most vibrant chapter is its longstanding role as a cradle for Black artists: from novelist Richard Wright writing Native Son on a Fort Greene Park bench to filmmaker Spike Lee channeling its street life in his iconic movies. As academics and lovers of literature and art, a couple wanted their town house to be a love letter to this legacy. Honoring their family’s multicultural heritage, they dreamed of spaces that would envelop their children with potent culture and color while celebrating the history of the neighborhood.
Although passing decades had stripped away most of the building’s original detail, Jennifer Morris saw soulful spaces waiting to be reanimated. “It was exciting to reimagine them for these clients,” says the designer. “This was a powerful opportunity to flourish every room with pattern and color.” With principal Kimberly Neuhaus and project architect Karin Ames taking on the interior architecture, the women-led team fine-tuned the layout, contouring each space to suit the family’s close-knit lifestyle.
Along with general contractor Joseph Kusnick, architectural excavations began in the foyer, where heavy stains were painstakingly stripped to reveal a walnut newel post and mahogany railing. Two tactile wallpapers divided by a chair rail further restored the entrance’s sense of ceremony. Because the main parlor floor lacked dedicated bath and dining spaces, the architects carved out both a petite powder room, and a rounded alcove chamber to rival the coziest restaurant booth, which Morris outfitted with a curved banquette. The redefined living and dining spaces were then divided by bookshelf-clad walls, centering the couple’s love of reading at the heart of the home.
Pieces of ornate plaster crown molding—one of the home’s few surviving original elements—were rescued during construction, with cast moldings of the original trim used to reconstruct missing sections in the living room. Kusnick’s team also carefully recreated the home’s charming front window casings, which were no longer functional. “He brought in an amazing craftsman from Pennsylvania to replicate those pocket shutters as closely as possible,” says Ames. Adds Morris, “It was a real win for us to revive those historical elements while repurposing them for modern use.”
In contrast, the designated kitchen was architecturally a blank slate. Sliding glass doors leading to a new steel deck were added to forge “connections to the outdoors and maximize all the beautiful natural light,” shares Ames. Morris then turned the space into a celebration of the couple’s eclectic style, inspired by a bright orange oven that the husband hand-picked on a shopping trip. The kitchen’s colorful mélange layers navy cabinetry with a coral lava-stone topped island, walnut accents, and a confetti-like backsplash. Establishing the palette “felt like such a catalyst—like starting a daring story I could thread throughout the home,” recalls Morris.
The couple’s affection for the 1970s spurred the designer toward even bolder hues. “If we could have done avocado shag carpet everywhere, my clients would’ve been thrilled,” smiles Morris. Channeling the period in a fresh way, she honored the era’s love of orange by scattering shades beyond the kitchen, from the living room’s upholstery to the linens in the primary bedroom to the study’s built-ins. Clad in a burl-wood wallcovering, the latter space also references the period’s penchant for wood veneer. . Clad in a burl-wood wallcovering, the latter space also references the period’s penchant for wood veneer.
There’s a similarly ’70s-style nonchalance to the bulbous armchairs and conversation pit-worthy sectional gathered around a rounded coffee table in the living room. “I’m obsessed with curves for busy families,” Morris explains. “Around a circular table, everybody is invited into the conversation.”
Fully emboldened, the designer saw every surface as an opportunity to showcase the artistry of contemporary women designers and craftspeople of color. Some walls turned into kinetic murals, like the dining room’s palm-tree motif wallpaper by Justina Blakeney. An ottoman in the entry sports a textile by Nigerian German designer Eva Sonaike. The powder room’s floor and walls became a prismatic mosaic of handmade tiles by Oregon-based designer Avery Thatcher. And sconces by Marie Burgos illuminate the dining room with candy-hued joyfulness. “You can feel that these artisans put their heart and soul into these pieces,” says Morris. And the cultural vibrancy underscoring the designs, she adds, “expresses the family in a way that I’m so deeply proud of.”
Life within these walls now vibrates with banter, buoyed by the family’s passion and playfulness. “We pushed each other creatively,” shares the designer of the team and process. “There’s a bravery to this home that’s whimsical and fun.”
