The Story
When Angela and Joe Austin bought an aging brownstone in Brooklyn, New York, they needed all the caffeine to renovate it. They had that part covered — the Austins cofounded and run a chain of area coffee shops, called Milk & Pull. And the house had its charms: nearly 125 years old, 3,000 square feet and full of original details. But it needed exhaustive updates, including raising low ceilings, replacing beams, reimagining the kitchen and ripping out the linoleum that covered every single floor. They joined forces with designer Danielle Fennoy to balance jolts of color (usually shades of Angela’s favorite, green) with clean white, and choose pieces that snap against the woodwork and pine floors. The juxtaposition of old and new — and lively and low-key — make for a high-octane place to start the day, a calming way to end it and special family time always.