Interiors & Renovation

The Insider: Tropical Colors, All-New Furnishings Lighten and Brighten Crown Heights Apartment

A young woman sharing a vintage row house with family members yearned to replace the dark, cluttered ’90s decor in the living and dining rooms with the light, energy and punchy colors of her upbringing on the island of Jamaica.

Interior Design Ideas Brooklyn Luna Grey Crown Heights

by Cara Greenberg

04/26/2018 4 minute 0

“She wanted pink walls and a blue couch,” said Luna Grey, an interior designer who recently relocated her business, Luna Grey Interiors, from Brooklyn to Texas, but still serves East Coast clients via Google Hangout and other online resources. “I said, ‘You’ve got to pick one, so it doesn’t read as a teenager’s dorm room.'”

Grey’s client settled on a more sophisticated pale gray wall color (Silver Satin by Benjamin Moore), but she did get the blue mid-century-style sofa she set her heart on. “We sprinkled pink around the apartment, picked out colorful artwork and painted a door yellow,” Grey said.

On a budget of about $15,000, including the designer’s fee, Grey transformed two rooms in their entirety. As usual, she found all the furnishings online, from key pieces like a white media console and uniquely painted buffet to feminine accents like a round mirror four feet in diameter and pink glass lamps.

Linen sheers and bamboo shades at the windows, in place of heavy drapes, flood the space with long-excluded natural light.

“She’s buying table linens and accessories, and inviting friends for dinner,” Grey said of her client. “She’s finally proud of her space and wants to show it off.”

The turquoise Preston sofa from Joybird adds a bold shot of color to the living room. The comfy armchair came from Austin, Tex.-based furniture outlet The Khazana, the against-the-wall shelving unit from Article.com.

Allmodern yielded a white media console with an oak top. A Moroccan rug from Overstock, gold-lined floor lamp from Rejuvenation, fur stool from Anthropologie and sparkly ceiling fixture from West Elm all contribute to the light-hearted vibe.

In the dining room, there’s a simple wood table from Brush Factory, chairs from Anthropologie and a two-tone buffet from Deny Designs.

To appreciate the dramatic contrast, take a look at the living room before Grey’s ministrations, below:

[Photos by Luna Grey]

Check out ‘The Insider’ mini-site: brownstoner.com/the-insider

The Insider is Brownstoner’s weekly in-depth look at a notable interior design/renovation project, by design journalist Cara Greenberg. Find it here every Thursday morning. Got a project to propose for The Insider? Contact Cara at caramia447 [at] gmail [dot] com.

Related Stories