This 1901 Victorian brownstone in Brooklyn, New York, had a lot going for it. When its newest owners, Andrew and Meghan Jones, purchased it in 2020, it had been recently remodeled and much of its historic character was intact, including original wide plank floors, decorative molding, and pier mirrors.

Before: Living Room

But when the couple moved in, they discovered a problem that will be familiar to anyone who’s made the leap from a small rental apartment to something bigger: None of their existing furniture seemed to fit all that well. “They had a lot of pieces that they brought with them, but they just didn’t work with the scale of the townhouse,” says designer Nathan Cuttle of Studio Nato. Meghan adds, laughing, “And all of it was old. It had been moved a ton of times. There was baby spit up all over the couch, and the cat had scratched the arm chair. It was pretty sad.”

Cuttle and designer Eleonore Pillet, also of Studio Nato, created a new furniture scheme that better fit both the scale and constraints of the Andrew and Meghan’s new home. In doing so, they were careful to create an environment where the couple could let their two young children roam. Read: no hard edges, fabrics that clean up well, but also suited for hosting adults.

“They wanted a space that was going to be sophisticated, but also work for their family,” says Pillet, pointing to the sculptural shapes and soft, curving edges of the furnishings she and Cuttle implemented across the home. “They didn’t want anything too precious because they really live throughout the house.”

Additionally, the couple both needed designated work spaces. He works in tech, and she sells throw pillows and tote bags that she creates at a sewing station downstairs.

After: Living Room

Because the townhouse still had its original floor plan, which is somewhat narrow and segmented, choosing furniture was a more complex task than it might have been with a more open arrangement. “I wouldn’t have known where to start,” says Meghan. “They were very good at choosing things that I wouldn't have known how to find, or pick.”

First, Cuttle and Pillet created several custom pieces, from a modular media console that can be rearranged, to an uber-functional desk in Andrew’s office, to storage in the children’s basement playroom. Custom radiator covers, some with integrated storage in rooms that needed it, protect children’s hands from hot metal while beautifully contrasting the home’s historic elements.

After: TV Room

Additional furniture pieces were similarly chosen with an eye for melding modernity with history. “The doors, the trim around the windows, the shutters—all of those elements we wanted to respect and build on, but also bring in a more contemporary feel through the furnishings,” says Cuttle.

After: Dining Room and Kitchen

Before: Basement Playroom

After: Basement Playroom

Before: Children’s Room

After: Children’s Rooms

Repetition of custom millwork from the upstairs bedrooms, to the parlor floor, to the basement playroom creates a “connecting thread” between levels, as do several pieces of artwork by American women artists that the designers chose, like those by Ky Anderson hung in the living room. “Those catch your eye the moment you come into the space,” says Pillet. “It’s fascinating to see how they bring the whole vision together.”

The family has since settled into the old brownstone nicely, largely because of the sensitive adjustments made by Studio Nato. “They really know Brooklyn and these houses,” says Meghan.

After: Primary Bedroom

After: Office

After: Back Deck

More Brooklyn Brownstones:

A Tattered Brooklyn Brownstone Is Brought Back to Life With Big Doses of Color

Before & After: A Brooklyn Brownstone’s Dreary Basement Becomes an Urban Oasis

Project Credits:

Interior and Cabinetry Design: Studio Nato (@studio__nato)

Builder: SHL Builders

Cabinetry: North Summit Studio

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Before & After: Just-Right Furnishings and a Few Shades of Paint Punch Up a Brooklyn Brownstone