Located in the center of New York City’s first historic district, the 2026 Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse has officially opened its doors, showcasing a grand 25-foot-wide residence that stands as a stunning example of nineteenth-century architecture. Running through November 1, the exhibition invites design enthusiasts, historians, and members of the public to step inside a meticulously restored property at One Monroe Place that bridges centuries of Brooklyn history with contemporary interior design innovation.
Originally built in the Greek Revival style for New York merchant Samuel Bell, the home was later enhanced in the 1860s with its distinctive Mansard roof, reflecting changing architectural tastes in the expanding borough. By the 1890s, the residence belonged to the Weirs, an iconic Brooklyn Heights family whose floral business remained a neighborhood fixture for decades and continues to operate to this day. Following its time as a wealthy merchant’s household and the residence of a celebrated florist and gardener, the building later transitioned into a 20th-century apartment house, accommodating more everyday Brooklynites across multiple units.
The property has recently emerged from a multi-year gut renovation that relied heavily on archival imagery to inform its sensitive restoration. Today, the 9,525-square-foot home boasts nine bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a newly integrated rooftop terrace. Its exceptional natural light and meticulously preserved historic character have provided an inspiring, multifaceted canvas for this year’s full-house transformation, curated by a prominent roster of contemporary designers.
Lara Birnback, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, reflected on the building’s rich legacy and the community’s anticipation surrounding the project.
"This house has stood in Brooklyn Heights since 1852 – first serving as a wealthy merchant’s household, later as the home of a celebrated florist and gardener, and finally the residence of more ‘everyday’ Brooklynites as a 20th Century apartment house," Birnback said. "The neighborhood has watched the restoration of One Monroe with great interest and curiosity, so it’s a thrill to be able to welcome people from Brooklyn Heights and beyond to witness this next iteration of such a historic property. I can’t think of a better host for the Brooklyn Designer Showhouse and a place to support and celebrate the critical work of the Brooklyn Heights Association."
The 2026 Showhouse has been brought to life through widespread community and industry support. The event is presented with backing from Gold Sponsors including Farrow & Ball and Silverlining; Patrons including California Closets, Drummonds, Janus at Cie, Momeni, Remains Lighting Company, Tile Bar, and Wovn Home; HunterDouglas, Schumacher, Citypoint, Hearth Cabinet, and Kantha; and Friends including Bang & Olufsen, Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers, Kravet, Pooky, New York Design Center, Rug & Kilim, Steering House, Studio Samuel, and The Hudson Company.
Exterior and Entry Spaces
Setting the tone for the entire property, the front garden was designed by Field Form to work harmoniously with rain management, support diverse planting, and connect New York’s natural history to a contemporary approach to reuse. Captured in photography by Tori Sikkema, the landscape seamlessly merges the historical architecture of the streetscape with sustainable, modern horticultural practices.
Inside, the living room and entry spaces establish a continuous narrative that honors what the design studio Unionworks calls the "checkered history" of the house. Unionworks built a space designed to feel accumulated over decades rather than assembled strictly for a single exhibition moment. Traditional and modern elements, sophisticated and playful details, and familiar yet surprising objects sit side by side, creating an inviting, eclectic environment unmistakably woven into the fabric of Brooklyn Heights.
This layered quality stems largely from the studio’s extensive network of collaborators. Calico wallpaper designed by Lindsey Adelman sets an early visual tone, while Found Collectibles contributes vintage pieces by Pierre Weckx, Joaquim Tenreiro, and Jose Zanine. The Future Perfect rounds out the room with new work from Lindsey Adelman, Karl Zahn, Willett, Floris Wubben, Bari Zipperstien, Ateliers Février, Rahee Yoon, Time & Style, Anthony Guerrée x De La Espada, and Nilufar, alongside select pieces from USM and Apparatus Studio.
The Drawing Room Cellar Studio
Reimagining traditional domestic rituals for contemporary life, designer Llewellyn Chupin took on the Drawing Room Cellar Studio. Traditionally conceived as a room for receiving guests after dinner—a space dedicated to conversation, reading, music, and rest—Chupin’s modern interpretation alters how people interact within a domestic interior.
Rather than relying on conventional furniture arrangements that focus attention toward a single focal point, a continuous, low banquette wraps the room’s entire perimeter. This architectural choice dissolves traditional seating hierarchies, allowing guests to face one another directly. Given the room’s modest footprint, Chupin chose to embrace its scale rather than fight it, treating the space as one immersive environment. The built-in banquette becomes an integral part of the architecture itself, wrapping the room into a single, cohesive, and continuous gesture.
The Kitchen
Sugarhouse Design approached the kitchen at One Monroe Place with a deliberately restrained philosophy: honor the bones of the 1850s Greek Revival house without staging a strict period piece. The resulting kitchen relies on a quiet color palette and an intense focus on materiality.
A dark metal hood anchors the range against warm lime plaster from JH Wall Paints, utilizing their new Lime Butter finish. Artistic Tile’s Melange Marble and handcrafted ceramic tiles thread subtle color throughout the room. For the backsplash, Riwal Manufaktura translated the dining room’s floral wallcovering into 36 custom ceramic tiles, reinterpreting the exact same botanical motif from paper directly into clay.
Bathrooms and Private Quarters
The interior transformation extends deeply into the home’s private spaces, where design firms have leaned into immersive textures and botanical themes.
In the powder room, designed by Innerform, a Drummonds vanity topped in Verde Guatemala marble sets a deep verdant tone. This mood is echoed by Schumacher’s Psalm 3 mural, which wraps the room in an immersive botanical canopy. Hand-chipped Avanti Verde Green mosaic tiles underfoot add artisanal texture, while Farrow & Ball’s Beverly paint unifies the stone and wallpaper, deepening into rich emerald shades within the shadows. Brass hardware and carefully curated accessories complete the space as an intimate residential jewel box.
At the top of the house, Innerform also handled the newly reconstructed primary bathroom, which takes a softer, more ethereal design turn. Calico Wallpaper’s Arcadia introduces fluid, abstract botanicals against traditional architectural details, its blush undertones beautifully mirrored in Calacatta Monet marble and a graphic checkerboard floor. Farrow & Ball’s Stirabout paint ties the mural and natural stone together, while a reconfigured double vanity and polished chrome fixtures round out a luxury five-fixture sanctuary designed for daily private ritual.
Tickets and additional information regarding visiting hours and special events for the Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse, which remains open through November 1, can be found through the official event website.
