This colorful townhouse is perfectly situated where Brooklyn Heights turns into Cobble Hill. “Walking to meetings from the Clark Street station was almost as fun as working on the project itself, the streets lined with the eponymous brownstones that many associate with the area,” says interior designer Isabella Patrick. “These neighborhoods are known for their seasonal decor, and they did not disappoint during the duration of our project: carved pumpkins and spooky decorations during October, wreaths and garlands during the winter months, and the blooming spring flower boxes greeted us to and from every site visit.”

It’s the perfect neighborhood for Isabella’s clients—a young family of three plus a beloved dog, and the sentimentality tied to the property played a key role in Isabella’s design. “The dad grew up in the home, so it is full of special memories,” she explains. “The top requests were: Give us lots of storage, bring in lots of color, and make it all functional and beautiful. Since these are our magic powers, we were certainly up to the challenge.”

The family began the project with Shakespeare Gordon Studio to alter many of the layout and add a rooftop deck. Next, Isabella Patrick Interiors was tasked with fully outfitting the space and finding cohesion from room to room. “Once we established that we were not afraid to use color in interesting ways—bold applications, patterned wallpaper—the challenge became creating the balance by finding various types of materials with varying degrees of visual interest, visual texture” she explains. “But that also fit the brief of falling both within budget and within the overall need for this home to be totally usable and not too precious.”

She says one of the home’s reoccurring themes is easy to spot upon arrival. “One of my favorite details is the birds,” Isabella explains. “The bird wallpaper by Schumacher was a rather bold proposition to the clients, and it came along a bit later in the decorative process. By that time, we could see that the client was open to being both whimsical and practical, but more importantly: they trusted us. So, you start the whole experience of being in this home with the birds and it’s a wonderful thing! They fly up the stairs from the entry to the main floor and then go off camera. They also perfectly preview all of the colors of the overall design: green, blue, black, yellow and tones of red.”

The home is now a colorful-yet-grounded space that’s full of surprises, but most importantly, it feels completely livable. “It’s a true reflection of the clients,” the designer shares. 

Take a closer look in the slideshow.