{"id":231987,"date":"2026-05-14T21:44:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T21:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/231987\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T21:44:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T21:44:36","slug":"the-insider-crown-heights-parlor-floor-gets-style-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/231987\/","title":{"rendered":"The Insider: Crown Heights Parlor Floor Gets Style Upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"

The owners yearned for color, showcasing their piano and art, and a dining table with space for guests.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"DINING\"DINING <\/p>\n

Photo by Raquel Langworthy<\/p>\n

A family of four had been living for several years, not entirely happily, on three floors of their turn-of-the-century townhouse. \u201cThe facade was beautifully restored, but the developer had stripped the interior down to bare bones,\u201d said designer Arianna Rosenberg. \u201cThere wasn\u2019t a molding in sight.\u201d As for furnishings, \u201cEverything was gray and white.\u201d<\/p>\n

The busy homeowners had not made interior design a priority. Yet they yearned for color, a central role for their piano and art collection, and a dining table with lots of space for guests. That was the wish list they presented to Rosenberg and Yasaman Hoorazar, partners in Studio Y&A<\/a>, a boutique architecture and design firm with projects in Manhattan and the Hamptons. \u201cWhen you have young kids, you feel you have to live through chaos,\u201d said Hoorazar. \u201cYou don\u2019t. Family homes can be beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Studio Y&A transformed the parlor floor from one vast box-like space to a more gracious, traditional townhouse layout. Two wide arched openings define a deep blue front room lined with bookshelves, separating it from an airy, elegant dining room and light-filled kitchen at the rear. \u201cWe built the walls, created the curved openings, and added crown moldings, baseboard, and chair rail,\u201d Hoorazar said. The duo introduced rounded shapes to make things feel softer and more organic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wife loved color, but had been kind of paralyzed,\u201d Rosenberg recalled. \u201cWe realized she gravitated toward blue, and looked at six or seven\u201d before settling on the super-saturated Newburyport Blue from Benjamin Moore that distinguishes the front room. It was conceived as a moody \u201cjewel box\u201d in contrast to the ethereal paleness of the dining room and kitchen: \u201cWe wanted a progression from dark to light, front to back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rug in the front room was \u201cthe one colorful item\u201d the homeowners had, Hoorazar recalled. Studio Y&A used its swirl of blues and browns to suggest a palette for the rest of the furnishings, sourced mainly from accessible outlets like Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, and West Elm. \u201cWe\u2019re very mindful of people\u2019s budgets,\u201d Hoorazar said. \u201cWe spent money in places where it needed to be spent, but didn\u2019t go crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ENTRY<\/a><\/p>\n

\"OVERALL<\/a><\/p>\n

\"VIEW<\/a><\/p>\n

A wide arched opening flanked by peachy sconces from Blu Dot separates the front room from the hallway. A rust-colored sofa from Crate & Barrel\u2019s Athena Calderone line, a pair of vintage leather armchairs with chrome arms, and a round coffee table from Wayfair furnish the space.<\/p>\n

The family\u2019s cherished piano is centered between open bookshelves. A Natalia bubble chandelier from Visual Comfort lightens the look.<\/p>\n

\"ANGLED<\/a><\/p>\n

\"VIEW<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DINING<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted the dining room to be French-inspired,\u201d Rosenberg said. \u201cWe created wall moldings and set wallpaper within it\u201d \u2014 the Florent Positano pattern from Harlequin. \u201cWalking from the super-saturated library into the dining area is almost like walking into a secret garden; it\u2019s so calming.\u201d<\/p>\n

The vertical sconces from West Elm and the impressive Prescott brass and glass chandelier from Visual Comfort were \u201cless expensive options,\u201d she said. The table, chairs, and sideboard were sourced from Restoration Hardware.<\/p>\n

\"ANGLED<\/a><\/p>\n

\"HEAD<\/a><\/p>\n

\"CABINETRY<\/a><\/p>\n

\"WALL<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Clean-lined, floor-to-ceiling custom cabinetry of rift sawn white oak, with countertops, island, and backsplash of Taj Mahal quartzite, all designed by Studio Y&A, contain a wealth of storage. \u201cEvery inch has a purpose,\u201d Rosenberg said.<\/p>\n

Underneath a hidden bar, with doors that fully retract into the cabinet frame, are dedicated snack drawers for the couple\u2019s two boys. The purple-upholstered bench, with built-in storage beneath, is used for reading during the day, or for friends to sit and chat while visiting. It becomes extra seating during holidays when the homeowners set up a secondary \u201ckid\u2019s table.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pendant lights from Visual Comfort illuminate the center island.<\/p>\n

\"BATHROOM<\/a><\/p>\n

The powder room\u2019s vanity was sourced from Home Depot, with indigo hummingbird Amazilia wallpaper from Harlequin supplying another hit of strong color.<\/p>\n

[Photos by Raquel Langworthy<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Got a project to propose for\u00a0The Insider?\u00a0Contact Cara at caramia447 [at] gmail [dot] com<\/p>\n

The Insider\u00a0is Brownstoner\u2019s weekly in-depth look at a notable interior design\/renovation project, by design journalist Cara Greenberg. Find it here every Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n

Email tips@brownstoner.com<\/a> with further comments, questions or tips. Follow Brownstoner on X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>, and like us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n