7 essentials bring soul and style to your historic home
When everything around us pushes the pursuit of the new – new clothes, new phones, new restaurants – choosing the old starts to feel a little subversive. But that’s exactly what drives Jordan Slocum and Barry Bordelon (a.k.a The Brownstone Boys), who’ve built a design career around renovating ideas for New York’s historic homes, floorboard by creaky floorboard.
Their own Bed-Stuy brownstone, built in the 1890s, was the beginning: three stories full of quirks, water damage, and charm. Like most old-home owners, they quickly learned that preserving character comes with a steep learning curve – and, often, equally steep repair bills. But rather than wipe the slate clean, they leaned in – figuring out how to navigate wonky layouts, salvage historic materials, and embrace old house decorating ideas that celebrate the home’s original soul.
It’s a balancing act they’ve mastered. Since beginning their restoration journey in 2018, they’ve honed a period-sensitive design language that’s both timeless and timely – not a stuffy, silent walking-tour of a past life. From era-appropriate paint palettes to their rug collaboration with NuStory (which somehow looks like it’s always existed), Jordan and Barry have developed a toolkit for making homes feel personal, character-filled, and rooted in place.
(Image credit: Brownstone Boys)
Homes & Gardens in conversation with The Brownstone Boys on restoring soul and style
Here, we chat with the duo about restoring historic homes with integrity, infusing soul into spaces old and new, and the essentials they’ve learned to swear by along the way.
Homes & Gardens: Why historic homes? What first drew you to restoring historic brownstones?
Jordan & Barry: For us, it started with our own brownstone. What drew us in was the story the house was already telling; every creak in the floorboards, every piece of plasterwork felt like a connection to the past. We love the idea that we’re just the current caretakers of something much bigger than us. Once we started peeling back layers and uncovering original details, we were hooked. There’s nothing quite like bringing those details back to life.
(Image credit: Browstone Boys)
Homes & Gardens: When working on these projects, what are the biggest challenges you face? Is it reworking tricky layouts, sourcing period-appropriate materials, or navigating logistics in a dense, busy city? Can you walk us through the realities of these challenges on a typical project?
Jordan & Barry: Historic homes are full of surprises. Layouts don’t always suit modern decorating ideas, so figuring out how to open up a space without losing character is always a challenge. Materials can be tough, too. Sometimes it takes weeks of searching salvage yards or vintage shops to find the right match. Working in the city is no easy feat! But those challenges are part of what makes each project so rewarding. The harder the work, the more special it feels when it all comes together.
(Image credit: Brownstone Boys)
Homes & Gardens: For homeowners with a more compartmentalized, historic layout, what’s your advice for making spaces feel lighter and more open – without necessarily doing a full renovation?
Jordan & Barry: We tell homeowners to start simple: refresh the color palette, swap out heavy window treatments for sheers or linen, and play with mirrors to bounce natural light around. Layered lighting ideas are another game-changer. Even playing with furniture positioning to create clear sightlines can make a historic home feel airier while keeping its character intact.
Homes & Gardens: What design styles, color palettes, or materials tend to play best with original wood details?
Jordan & Barry: Wood should be the star. We love pairing it with soft, muted palettes – think creamy whites, sage greens, and earthy clays – that highlight the richness of the grain. Natural stone, unlacquered brass, and textured materials like linen or wool also work beautifully. It’s about balance, letting the wood anchor the space while everything else complements it rather than competes with it.
(Image credit: Brownstone Boys)
Homes & Gardens: For readers lucky enough to own a historic home, what seven specific products or tools would you recommend to help preserve its charm? Please share why each one works so well in storied spaces.
Jordan & Barry:
1. Wood Stain Remover
Why we love it: Years of paint or damage can hide the original wood’s beauty. Benco is our go-to industrial-strength stripper for professional jobs, while EcoStrip is a safer DIY-friendly option for mantels, doors, or furniture.
2. Sutherland Welles Furniture Wax
Why we love it: This brand has an incredible range of products that help both protect and enhance natural wood. Their stains and finishing waxes bring depth, warmth, and long-lasting protection – perfect for preserving original floors and furniture.
3. Hardware
Why we love it: The details make the difference in historic homes. We source timeless pieces from Rejuvenation and love Art & Forge’s Williamsburg line. For something with true character, vintage hardware on eBay or Etsy is unbeatable.
4. Orac Decorative Mouldings
Why we love it: Orac’s lightweight resin mouldings are a brilliant substitute when original plaster crown is beyond repair. They’re easy to install, durable, and still deliver that period-authentic charm.
(Image credit: Brownstone Boys)
Jordan & Barry [continued]:
5. Limewash Paint
Why we love it: Portola’s limewash paints create depth and texture that flat paint simply can’t replicate. Their earthy colors feel timeless and work especially well in old homes where walls deserve a soft, natural finish.
6. Radiator Covers
Why we love it: Radiators are functional, but they don’t always add beauty. We often design custom covers but also love searching eBay or LiveAuctioneers for ornate vintage ones that instantly elevate a room.
7. Salvaged Architectural Pieces
Why we love it: Nothing brings soul back to a space like salvage. We frequent Old Iron Salvage and Demolition Depot, but also find treasures on eBay, Etsy, and even Facebook Marketplace. Mantels, doors, and light fixtures can all add authentic history back into a home.
Homes & Gardens: What’s the number one mistake you see homeowners make when renovating or decorating a historic home? What should they avoid?
Jordan & Barry: Avoid rushing to rip out original details. We’ve seen beautiful woodwork, fireplace ideas, and plaster moldings lost in the name of modernizing. Our biggest piece of advice is to slow down. Live in the space, understand what makes it special, and then design around that. You’ll almost always regret removing the very things that give the home its soul.
(Image credit: Brownstone Boys)
Homes & Gardens: Are there elements or details you find yourself returning to again and again in your own projects – little ‘Brownstone Boys signatures’ that readers might spot if they look closely?
Jordan & Barry: We love highlighting original architecture, whether that’s restoring a ceiling medallion, exposing brick, or keeping a fireplace mantle intact. You’ll also see us using patterned tile in entries or baths, adding custom built-ins that look like they belong, and mixing in a few vintage light fixtures. Those details make a space feel rooted in its history, while still practical for how we live today.
Homes & Gardens: When you do integrate modern elements into a historic home, what’s your approach for making them feel intentional? Are there trends you’re currently loving for 2025 that work particularly well in older spaces?
Jordan & Barry: Our rule of thumb is to let modern elements feel like a conversation with the old, not a replacement for it. If we’re designing a sleek kitchen, we’ll warm it up with hardware that patinas or a marble that feels timeless. For 2025, we’re drawn to curved furniture, warm bronze finishes, and bold natural stone. They all feel fresh but still at home in older spaces. It’s about creating layers that respect the past while making the home livable for the present.
Our wishlist of Brownstone Boys-inspired pieces
Rejuvenation
Wildwood Single Hook
A single Wildwood hook from Rejuvenation makes an outsized statement thanks to its intricate four-leaf silhouette, cast from a hand-carved wood mold and inspired by the mid-19th-century Arts & Crafts movement.
CebilBoutique
Luxury Radiator Cover Made-to-Measure
A custom radiator cover sounds like a splurge, but Etsy makers can often deliver for less than you’d think. This one features antique-style millwork across the front and a flat top that doubles as a display ledge – ideal for a gilded frame or a tiny objet you’ve been meaning to show off.
Anthropologie
The Eloise Scallop Milk Glass Semi-Flush Mount Ceiling Light
Anthropologie’s Eloise flush mount doesn’t shy away from its vintage references. The raised acanthus detailing, milk glass shade, and oiled brass finish could’ve been pulled from an old Paris flat, but feels unexpectedly right in a hallway or kitchen.
Orac Decor
Primed White High Density Polyurethane Crown Moulding, 10″ x 7.25″ x 78.75″
This pre-primed moulding has all the charm of traditional plaster, minus the maintenance. It won’t warp or crack – even in drafty old homes – and works just as well left white as it does painted to blend or stand out.
Limewash paints usually live in the beige family, but this burnt brick shade delivers a moodier moment. Use it somewhere equally unexpected – doors, ceilings, trim – for a soft, weathered patina.
Tweedeleven
Reclaime Antique French Hand Carved Wood Door Panels, Set of 2
They really don’t make ’em like this anymore. This pair of 19th-centiry wood doors features twin dragon carvings and enough delightfully worn wood to stop a preservationist in their tracks. Remarkably intact given their age, and very ready for a second act.
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