5 min readWalking into the apartment, you’d think it would have been everything a young Brooklyn family would want. Tucked within a historical 1920s Beaux-Arts building, it boasted soaring 13-foot ceilings, elegant pre-war paneling, and enviable views of Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park. But when designer Hannah Blumenthal of Studio Olivine first stepped into the 2,600-square-foot residence, something felt like it was missing. “Every wall and bit of cabinetry was a shade of white or cream,” she explains. “It felt beautiful architecturally, but it didn’t yet feel like home.”
A total chromatic transformation was in order, but there was one catch: it had to happen very quickly, as the family was expecting their second child just months after closing on the apartment. Blumenthal relied on her rolodex of top-tier trades and trusted vendors, but made sure that speed never came at the sacrifice of style. “Although we had to work quickly, we didn’t want to skimp on the lived-in, layered quality that the clients were seeking,” she explains. “They wanted the space to feel elevated and refined, but not overly designed.”
Paint, wallcoverings, millwork, and lighting were all overhauled in a compressed sprint, but the result feels anything but rushed. Instead, Blumenthal approached the palette like a composer, threading warm burgundy, dusty pink, and earthy yellow from room to room so the semi-open floor plan is cohesive without ever feeling overly coordinated.
Vintage finds mingle with the client’s existing artwork and furnishings in the living room, while a butter-yellow kitchen glows with warmth. A deep blue den, wrapped in grasscloth, feels cocooning and cinematic. A blush pink bar tucks cheerfully into a hallway, communicating almost telepathically with a nearby jewel-box powder room, drenched in Farrow & Ball's Sulking Room Pink. Color, it turns out, was the secret ingredient this home needed all along.
FAST FACTS
Designer: Hannah Blumenthal, Studio Olivine
Styling: Anthony Amiano
Location: Brooklyn, New York
The Space: A three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom apartment across 2,600 square feet
LIVING ROOM
A television-free space promotes analog hangouts.
The centerpiece of the home, Blumenthal spent the most time on the living room to ensure it became the calling card of the project. “It’s the largest room in the house and the centerpiece of the home, so it was important to get the scale and mix of shapes and textures just right,” she adds.
That involved incorporating mainstays of the overall palette, like a mustard-meets-butter sofa and a grounding blue rug. The star of the show, however, is a bespoke credenza by Hudson Valley furniture maker Matthew Robbins. “When we showed this piece to the clients, they couldn’t resist,” adds Blumenthal.
KITCHEN & DINING
Butter yellow cabinetry makes the space glow with charm.
While the kitchen had a workable layout and quality finishes, it lacked the charm the homeowners were looking for. To help ease it to a more whimsical existence, Blumenthal swathed the cabinetry in Farrow’s Cream by Farrow & Ball, a frothy yellow that adds a gentle warmth to the scene. “The yellow paint, which stops about three quarters of the way up the wall, also helps to make the high-ceilinged room feel more on a human scale,” the designer adds.
The rest of the space was kept streamlined and functional, with plenty of space for housing dishware, cookware, and entertaining extras. “To add additional storage and complement the height of the tall cabinets and paneled refrigerator behind the island, we added a standing cabinet from Pinch in a custom rusty red lacquer,” adds Blumenthal.
BAR
A pop of pink adds unexpected whimsy to an otherwise quiet hallway.
Located in the main hallway, the bar acts as a stopover for entertaining on the way to the living room. “Painting it a warm pink was an unexpected choice that adds a touch of fun and whimsy to the overall color scheme,” explains Blumenthal, who also selected new, daintier hardware to suit the clients’ preferences.
DEN
A flexible layout helps the multipurpose space live large.
Designed to wear many hats, the cozy den oscillates between a TV room, an office, and a guest room, thanks to a chic pull-out sofa from RH. An inky grasscloth wallpaper from Serena & Lily brings subtle texture, cocooning the room like a hug. “The clients spend a lot of time in this room because it just feels like a place where you want to be,” adds Blumenthal.
POWDER ROOM
An integrated mirror keeps from overwhelming the snug bath.
“The only tinier sink you’ll find is on an airplane,” Blumenthal jokes of the petite powder room washstand from Waterworks. Still, she didn’t skimp on style in this room, covering the walls in a powdery pink hue that speaks the same language as the bar down the hallway. “We chose the shade because it gives off a very flattering, rosy glow,” the designer adds.
ENTRYWAY
Pre-war paneling is the star of the show in this serene foyer.
Blumenthal preserved the history of the home wherever possible, including this pre-war paneling in the entryway, which connects it visually to the adjacent kitchen. “Though this is largely a pass-through zone with multiple doorways, the vintage rug and Kalmar chandelier with parchment shades soften the space and create a welcoming entrance to the home,” she adds.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
The verdant view out the window informed the serenity within this suite.
With enviable views of nearby Prospect Park, the primary bedroom didn’t need much to stand out. Blumenthal echoed the terracotta tones found throughout the rest of the home, finishing the bed with a heavy linen coverlet from Nordic Knots and a wispy Pinch pendant light overhead.
PRIMARY BATHROOM
Blumenthal relied on a selection of creamy whites to create a soothing space.
Blumenthal dialed back the color in the primary bathroom, instead turning to tonality and texture to communicate visual interest. “I love the way that the existing limestone slabs on the floor and walls transition into small marble tiles in the enclosed shower,” she adds.
NURSERY
Soothing greens promote rest-filled nights for a baby girl (and her parents!).
“This sweet nursery for a baby girl eschews traditional pinks and instead leans into pale blues and greens enlivened with pops of orange in the window shade,” says Blumenthal. “A clear view of the Grand Army Plaza arch from the window makes this a perfect first room for a Brooklyn babe.”
BATHROOM
A timeless pattern was chosen to grow alongside the couple’s children.
In the kids’ bathroom, Blumenthal chose a tranquil palette of blues and greys to maintain a youthful yet classic appeal. A whimsical wallpaper from Mazy Path adds a storybook quality.
About the Designer
Studio Olivine is a New York City-based interior design firm founded in 2010 by principal designer Hannah Blumenthal. Specializing in high-end residential interiors, the studio creates spaces that are refined yet livable, and that seamlessly blend beauty and style with the practicalities of day-to-day living. Drawing on her art historical training and years spent in the art world, Hannah brings a trained eye and an object-based sensibility to her interiors—carefully layering color, material, and texture to curate rooms that feel lively and unique.
