Brownstones — those evocative American townhouses with brown sandstone façades, mostly constructed in the 19th century — are usually a period affair. Unusually, however, this one in Harlem was built in 2022, having been an empty space between two other brownstones for a century.
When interior designer Crystal Sinclair was instructed to reconfigure the new build and turn it into a characterful modern home, it was clear it had been designed with the 21st century in mind: "Everything was white. The kitchen was white, the marble was white; there were zero moldings, it was very modernized."
"The starting point for this space was the sofa — I saw it on Instagram and it caught me dead in my tracks. Everything else was chosen to go with that," says Crystal.
A chunky rust orange sofa is the centerpoint of this scheme — and this Soho Home version delivers similar drama.
It all had to go. "Anything but white" was the clients’ brief. "They wanted to add character back into the space," says Crystal. So firstly, she added retro moldings — for example, cornicing and ceiling roses. "I’ve always been drawn to plaster moldings — even those minor imperfections add character and charm."
"There are a lot of repetitive shapes in the house that keep it all together — here, the arcs of the ceiling light and the chairs; the vertical lines are repeated with the table legs and banquette," says Crystal.
Aiming for a nod to historic townhouses as opposed to anything more literal, Crystal traveled to Paris for inspiration. "I love the way they layer things there, mixing the old and the new." Sometimes the influence of Paris was overt — for example, the chandelier hanging over the bathtub in the primary bathroom. Otherwise, it was more "organic", says Crystal, striving more for "harmony" between, say, a 17th-century piece and something completely new.
"I love this kitchen. It has color, without being too colorful. It’s unusual to find a marble with that depth and richness," says Crystal.
The design of the interior also had to accommodate the homeowning couple’s "incredible" contemporary art collection — but there was a catch. So large is their portfolio (around 250 pieces) that they want to rotate the works of art frequently, so there was no point designing backdrops for specific pieces. The solution, then, was "to keep things simple — pattern was not an option".
"This dry bar is hidden behind closed doors — when it’s not in use, it just looks like part of the hallway. The dark red tiles pick up on the red stone in the kitchen," says Crystal.
Glassware with subtle color is always chic, and this H&M Home set is a steal at £20, too.
To keep the space "alive, welcoming and colorful, without it being overwhelming", Crystal went for a color-drenched palette of warm oranges and cool blues throughout the house, but with "a few loose interpretations," she explains. "So the kitchen is aqua, but still a blue, and the red marble is in the orange family. There’s a little play with color, but not too much."
"The owners wanted an executive-style desk, so I designed something to work with the lines of the bookshelf and something that was dressy too," says Crystal.
As well as keeping lots of empty wall space for new art, they minimized the amount of accessories throughout, in order to ensure the end result was "old and interesting, but without being busy," says Ben Sinclair, Crystal’s life and business partner.
The light fixtures and furniture she chose are "art pieces in themselves," Crystal adds, "so the finished look is cleaner than having a lot of tchotchkes around." Indeed, that balance between minimalism and maximalism is a Sinclair signature.
"It took ages to choose the tub," says Crystal. "I didn’t want a claw foot; didn’t want it too chunky; I wanted it to curve up; the tap had to be in a specific spot."
It’s a space designed for entertaining. The couple regularly host art events, not to mention gatherings of friends and family. Brownstones are notoriously narrow, so Crystal "tried to keep it open and welcoming — there’s a lot of seating but you might have to shuffle things around." That moody palette encourages a sociable atmosphere. "Instead of thinking, 'I can’t touch anything' because it’s all white, it creates a cozier environment."
"This color can seem frightening because it is so bold. But you go in and it just brings a smile to your face," says Crystal.
Off-white glass lighting is on trend now — so tap into it with this lamp from H&M Home's recent collection.
And to keep those darker colors from feeling gloomy, Crystal used metallics to bring brightness into the space. "I learned through a stylist years ago about how much metallics add to a room," she explains. "They add a sense of movement and a contrast to the fabrics. It brings it all together and adds that little zing."
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