What Happens When You Bring British Charm to a Brownstone? Step Inside This Historic Five-Story Home Reimagined with Wes Anderson-Inspired Color and Pattern
From statement wallpapers to a palette of cobalt, green, and yellow, this Harlem home is a lesson in balancing bold decoration with timeless architecture
Set in Harlem’s Hamilton Heights, this late-19th-century brownstone is the kind of home that speaks to New York’s past. Built between 1880 and 1900, its bones are unmistakably grand – soaring ceilings, original fireplaces, and of course, a striking front façade.
But despite all that, this is not a home frozen in time. Instead, it’s been thoughtfully coaxed back to life by British designer Sarah Brown. Rooted with a distinctly English whimsy – one that embraces antiques, pattern, and eclecticism – the result is a house design that feels refreshingly unexpected.
Exterior: 'You enter the house via a flight of stone steps and meet a beautiful, stained glass front door at the top,' says Sarah. 'The wooden flooring runs throughout the house, and rugs have been used to add warmth and comfort.'
Positioned on one of Harlem’s most celebrated streets, this brownstone forms part of a grand stretch of late-19th-century rowhouses and mansions that have long defined the character of the area.
'The house is on one of the most aesthetically and architecturally significant streets in Manhattan,' Sarah explains.
'The brief was to bring the project over the finish line by conceptualizing and executing a creative vision across the whole house,' says Sarah. The newly married clients wanted predominantly British brands included in the design and 'embraced the idea of color and pattern throughout.'
Crucially, it also needed to feel as though it had evolved over time, by combining the client's existing heirloom pieces with more modern furniture that would last them a lifetime.
Entry: 'Above the Bentwood Bench from Cabana is a painting of two dogs from Ham Interiors. The wall color throughout this floor is Farrow and Ball's Dimity. Opposite, two antique X-frame stools sit opposite the footstool and are upholstered in Decors Barbares Zenaide Original.'
Much of the home’s original detailing had been lost over time, but enough remained to act as a blueprint.
'The property is part of a street renowned for its architectural beauty and tranquility,' says Sarah. 'A lot of the original features had been ripped out, but several of the existing fireplaces remained.'
'Our clients set about restoring a lot of the house to its original grandeur by reinstating casement windows and shutters, and commissioning a new stained glass panel for the original front door,' she explains of the thoughtful renovation.
'We offset the architectural features of the house, including ornate pier mirrors, mantels, and crown moldings, with saturated ‘jewel-toned’ color and pattern to balance the visual weight of the heavy oak and mahogany,' Sarah adds.
Library: In the library, the walls are painted in Farrow & Ball's Cord. A Howe Tamburlaine Sofa upholstered in Beata Heuman Mohair in Soller sits at the center, with a footstool in Beata's Dappled Velvet. 'There is a George Smith armchair upholstered in Ziggurat from China Seas and a rug from Robert Stephenson that covers the wooden floors. A red rattan bookcase from Soane sits in the corner.'
With such strong bones, the approach needed to feel considered rather than competitive. Instead of layering color onto every surface, Sarah began with a quieter foundation.
'From the outset, we knew we wanted to paint the walls in the main living, dining, and kitchen areas in a neutral color, as it would allow us to bring the color and pattern into the rooms with fabrics and artworks,' Sarah explains of the color scheme for the whole house. 'It also meant that we could use wallpaper in the smaller rooms off the main areas without them feeling too overwhelming.'
'Because of its historic charm, the house was able to absorb our classic British style of interiors. The house feels layered and interesting without being stuffy or overly formal,' Sarah continues.
Parlor: 'A sumptuous George Smith sofa sits within the newly refurbished casement windows, upholstered in a bespoke Raoul Textiles fabric. The sofa is flanked by two Argo Side Tables from Soane with a Max Rollitt Fantastical lamp. The square ottoman is also by Max Rollit and is covered in a weave by Octavia Dickinson. The window treatments are a Rose Uniacke sheer called Zelda.'
'We took inspiration from Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums movie, which was set in a townhouse in Harlem, not far from the one we were working on,' she continues. 'The interiors are very eclectic and colorful, with Turkish rugs on the floors and crystal chandeliers illuminating the rooms.'
'The parlor sets the tone for the rest of the house and is the first room you enter on arrival,' says Sarah. 'There is a thread of color that starts here and weaves its way through the five floors: cobalt blue, verdant green, and warm yellows that feature throughout.'
'We maximized the seating options for our clients as they loved hosting and gathering friends,' she adds.
Kitchen: 'There is a dark wood island with marble tops and stools from Howe London. Three green glass pendants from deVOL hang over the island, and there is a blue Lacanche oven.'
At the heart of the open-plan main floor, the kitchen sits neatly between the parlor and dining room, so to maintain a sense of flow, the palette remains consistent with the rooms on either side.
'We kept the cupboards and walls the same color as the parlor for better flow,' Sarah explains. 'This is due in part to the vibrant color palette we used throughout [the rest of the home] and the mix of antique, vintage, and contemporary pieces.'
There’s a distinctly inviting English kitchen sensibility here. The dark-stained wood, the statement marble, the row of hanging copper pans, and the delicate glass pendants that cast a soft, ambient light into the space.
'We wanted to create a home that would allow our clients to entertain their many friends and family in sophisticated and uplifting rooms,' she says of the design.
Dining Room: 'A Soane Rattan Kyomo Cabinet sits in the corner with a Lacquer Company Belles Rivestray on top. Above the cabinet is a collection of antique and contemporary plates, grouped together because of their colors.'
Beyond, the dining area shifts the mood slightly.
'We incorporated the client's existing dining table and chairs, but recovered the seats in red leather,' says Sarah. 'A chandelier sourced by our clients in an auction hangs above the dining table, and the existing fireplace was given a new lease of life with the addition of bespoke Delft tiles from Aviva Halter that depict animals and places that are special to our clients.'
It's the small details that make this grand space feel like home. From custom tiles to a collection of antique plates on the wall, everything has been chosen to reinforce that collected, lived-in feel.
Basement Lounge: 'The wallpaper is Scrolling Acanthus Frond by Soane, and we also used the matching fabric on the cushions and blinds,' says Sarah. 'The rattan armchair and coffee table are also Soane. A sisal rug sits below the sofa and coffee table. A Kate Boxer print, ‘Come Here’, hangs above the sofa. Other fabrics in the room include Decors Barbares Lara Blue on the cushions, and Schumacher Eddie Hand Block Print cushions. The chair is upholstered in Daisy from Bennison.'
Where the upper floors lean into formality, the basement lounge is designed for switching off and inviting the outdoors in.
The whimsical approach here feels lighter, more playful, thanks to the pattern-drenched walls, blinds, and throw pillows. The verdant Soane pattern brings energy and a connection to the garden in a way that feels lively, rather than cosseting, particularly for a basement space.
'A large, bespoke Rose Uniacke corner sofa takes centre stage in the room. We needed a large sectional as this room leads directly onto the garden and is a place for entertaining friends and watching sport,' Sarah explains. Around the room, tactile materials like rattan seating, woven textures, and a sisal rug underfoot add warmth and comfort.
Guest Bedroom: Wrapped in Tess Newall wallpaper, the guest bedroom is a saccharine retreat. 'There is a small bedside table from Ham Interiors next to a single pine sleigh bed.'
Away from the grandeur of the entertaining spaces, the private rooms upstairs lean into a more intimate, more cocooning mood. But they're no less fun.
'Up to the second floor and straight in front of you is the single guest bedroom,' Sarah explains. 'We used a Tess Newall wallpaper on the walls, which we took up onto the ceiling to make the room feel more cozy.'
The delicate, trailing motifs of the wallcovering soften the room’s edges, while a palette of peach, soft green, and hints of red keeps things feeling airy. A pine sleigh bed and painted antique chest introduce a rustic note, balanced by tailored details and a small, characterful bedside lamp.
'Consideration had to be given to making the home comfortable yet practical for their many cats and plans for a family in the future,' Sarah adds.
Principal Bedroom: 'The two bedside tables are from the Lacquer Company, and the bench at the end of the bed is from Max Rollitt and upholstered in Brunschwig & Fils, La Seyne Fleuri, Aqua.'
In the principal bedroom, the sense of glamor returns.
The room’s generous proportions make it the perfect setting for a dramatic bed canopy. 'The height and scale of this room allowed us to include a half tester bed in Soane fabric,' says Sarah.
As with the rest of the house, it’s the layering that gives the room its character. Around it, the bedroom palette shifts into quieter, more restful territory. Soft creams, pale pinks, and gentle blues come together to create a serene sleep space.
At the foot of the bed, an upholstered bench introduces another touch of pattern, while at the other end of the room, a pair of sunshine yellow armchairs offer a place to sit, read, or pause.
Her Office: 'We sourced an antique sofa for her office and upholstered it in Claremont's Fleur Talloire, Bleu. A bespoke footstool with a frill was covered in Soane's Jasmine & Frangipani. The fabric desk skirt is made in Salvesen Graham's Little Check in Rose. An antique hoshapuir table and a tall 19th-century cabinet, both from Dean Antiques, add weight to what is quite a feminine room.'
Each with distinct personalities, Sarah also created two home offices that allow the couple to work side by side or retreat into their own work zones without compromise.
'Our clients both work from home, and so we created two offices on the top floor with a pocket door between the two,' Sarah explains. 'This gave them the flexibility to have the offices as one room or to close the spaces off for privacy when working.'
A more layered approach comes into play in her office, with patterned upholstery, a calm palette, and a clever approach to practical items. 'We made a fabric desk skirt to hide the ugly wires from the computer,' she adds, proving that even the most utilitarian rooms can still be beautiful.
4th Floor Lounge: Architecturally, this space leans into its quirks with sloped ceilings painted in Farrow & Ball's Cola. 'We kept the client's existing sofa and added some colourful cushions,' says Sarah. 'A Howard and Sons-style armchair from Dean Antiques was upholstered in a Namay Samay fabric. The rug was a one-off find, and there is Belles Rives coffee table from the Lacquer Company.'
At the very top of the house, the mood shifts once again. Only this time into something altogether richer, moodier, and much more enveloping.
In contrast to the lighter palette throughout the lower floors, the top floor lounge embraces deeper tones. 'Up to the top floor of the house and the walls were painted in Cola by Farrow & Ball in a gloss finish to bounce the light around,' says Sarah, and the effect is immediate.
The palette still nods to the rest of the house, with flashes of yellow, red, and blue. 'The saturated colors were a feature throughout the house; we used a pop of sunny yellow in a few rooms; on a pair of armchairs in the bedroom, a lacquer console in the basement lounge, and a lamp in the single guest bedroom.'
'The unexpected moment was the deep glossy brown walls in the top floor lounge that create a cocooning space for TV watching and playing games,' she adds.
Powder Room: 'On the first floor, the powder room features wallpaper and blind fabric from Antoinette Poisson.'
While there are several bathrooms dotted throughout the house, it’s the powder room that delivers one of the most charming moments.
Smaller in scale but rich in detail, this space has been wrapped entirely in a stylish floral. The space leans confidently into pattern-drenching, but rather than closing it in, the pattern feels enveloping, creating a sense of intimacy that larger rooms often can’t achieve.
Here, the 18th-century-inspired print has been paired with a marble sink and backsplash that bring a contemporary note, while a gathered cafe curtain filters the light and adds softness against the more graphic lines in the space.
Library: 'Artwork from Ham Interiors and a reeded cabinet from Alfred Newall also sit in the library.'
Despite the challenges of Sarah working on this design from the other side of the world, this is a home that feels like it's evolved and assembled over time.
'We sourced many, varied vintage and antique pieces for the project,' Sarah adds, as well as several custom rugs from makers like Vanderhurd and Robert Stephenson. 'They play such an important role in pulling together the overall scheme,' says Sarah. These details may not always be the first thing you notice, but they are what give the home its soul.
Ultimately, what makes this brownstone so charming isn’t just its color, its craftsmanship, or even its beautifully restored architecture – it’s the way it feels.
'Comfortable, colorful, inviting,' is how Sarah describes it. 'Our intention is always to create a home that is comfortable and welcoming, where the clients can relax, and their guests want to stay a while.'
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