A Thoroughly Modern Brooklyn Home

Classic Architecture with a Modern Twist

The ornate fireplace, one of four hearths this home boasts, is original to the space, as is the decorative scrollwork that runs across moldings and ceilings in this room. When decorating a room with classic features, don’t cover or remove them. Filling a traditional space with modern furnishings creates a contrast of styles that adds layers of sophistication to a room.

Open Plan Living and Dining

The living room is large enough to fit a dining area, presided over by an image of Julio’s young dancers from Batoto Yetu. The chairs continue the room’s dichotomy between modern and traditional aesthetics as they contrast the ornamentation at the top of the doorway. A glance through the room’s entrance reveals a look at the entryway and colorful doorway as well.

An Expansive, Luxurious Kitchen

An expansive kitchen space is one of the true luxuries of this home. On this side of the room, a streamlined and efficiently laid out space is perfect for preparing family meals. The black and white color palette is ideal for kitchens with it’s clean and perennially on-trend look, especially when accented with warm metallic fixtures. The marble backsplash which extends from counter level to the ceiling is another timeless touch. The kitchen island with sink helps facilitate movement throughout the room by dividing attention between the island and cooking surfaces while a line of bar stools provides seating for family, friends, and guests.

Bistro Seating in the Kitchen

On the other side of the room, away from the kitchen’s more functional areas, the room is a study in comfort. A small bistro table flanked by chairs and built in seating comfortably accommodates the family of four. A second fireplace features a collection of small busts and other elements set against the ultra-modern geometric wire hanging that adorns the wall. Once again, a large plant provides the final touch that makes this very curated space feel like a home.

Moments of Culture

This house is full of wonderful and delightful details and no opportunity to tell a cultural story has been lost. At the base of the stairway, this gorgeous bust takes the place of the usual pommel. Intricately detailed, this quiet moment is just one more way that the Leitao family has found to turn their home into a celebration of the beauties of their culture.

A Colorful Room for the Girls

Up one flight of stairs, a colorfully decorated hallway leads into the room that Zeza and Luena share. The room positively shines with stylish moments coming from all corners A modern basket-style pendant light hangs over the space. Bedding in the home’s signature black and white color palette juxtaposes stripes and polka-dots for a very modern meeting of patterns. Pops of orange throughout the room liven up the space while giving it a warm yet youthful feel. Even more color finds it way in through the metallic side table and lamp while leopard-patterned pillows on both beds tie the colors and patterns together.

A Stylish Primary Bedroom

Black walls in the bedroom have quietly become a full-on design trend in the past few years. For anyone who worries that dark walls will make the room feel cramped or cold, this bedroom should put all of those concerns to rest. Far from closing the room off, the black walls in Julio and Kenza’s primary bedroom feel intimate and comfortable, providing a wonderful canvas for the rooms white areas to pop off of. 

What makes this room special are the small touches that connect the space to the stories of the people who live in them. Above the bed, another image of Julio’s dancers is proud reminder of the lives he’s touched while sharing his Angolan culture. At the same time, the decorative mirror above the dresser, inscribed with the words of Harriet Tubman brings a meaningful touch of Kenza’s African American heritage as well.