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Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum, the designer couple better known as the Brownstone Boys, usually have a heat gun and metal putty knife at the ready on the first day of a brownstone renovation. But their latest Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, remodel didn’t call for the exhaustive varnish stripping technique they’ve come to perfect over the years.

In With the Old: S2 E6Carriage House

A Brooklyn, New York carriage house becomes a modern family home.

When Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum, together known the Brownstone Boys, met prospective client Wyatt Cenac at a Brooklyn bar in 2019, he was already well into the process of renovating his home. He had the space, he had the architectural plans, but what the actor, comedian, producer, and music lover needed to bring the project to life was a team with the technical expertise to make the reno happen and bring, for lack of a better word, vibes. The drinks went well and the trio set out on the creative journey that made his four-story Bed-Stuy house a home. It eventually became a five-story home, but more on that later.

Great tips to spruce up outdoor living spaces DIY gurus Jordan Slocum and Barry Bordelon are here to share helpful tips for beautifying your balcony or backyard.

I recently moved to a new apartment — and when I say “new,” I actually mean “new to me.” Like many others across the country, I’m actually living in a pretty old building (called “pre-war” here in New York City). I’m still in the process of decorating and nesting, and to save money (and build up my DIY skills), I’m trying to do as much as I can on my own without hiring a handyman.

It all started with a small blog and a big renovation. Now, the Brownstone boys are an inspiration for many looking to renovate their spaces, and the transformation in their NYC brownstone home is major. Check out their modern space filled with unique light fixtures and an impressive bathroom built from scratch: https://hg.tv/2G0pVXA.

Late last year, my husband and I bought an 1826 colonial in the Hudson Valley. As a first-time home owner, the learning curve was steep—there was plenty to be grasped about things like mortgage rates and down payments, real estate trends, and property investments. Ever the students, my partner and I threw ourselves into mastering anything we thought could come our way after owning the home, too—how to spot water damage, the best method for heating an old house, how to reinforce a rickety stairwell—the list truly went on and on.

Partners Jordan Slocum and Barry Bordelon restore and renovate brownstones in Brooklyn, New York. Known as the Brownstone Boys, they update the historic homes with both modern and vintage touches. They focus on preserving each home's original woodwork, furniture, and detailing.  

Jordan Slocum and Barry Bordelon fell in love with the idea of owning a Brooklyn brownstone. After months of searching, they found their dream home. They soon realized it required lots of elbow grease, hours of paint removal and a little help from friends to preserve all the historic details in their salvaged space.

Turning a bedroom into a bathroom sounds more like a brain teaser than a doable reno project. Drastically switching the purpose of a room is no easy feat, especially when you’re changing a space that once held a bed into one that can fit a functioning sink and toilet. Difficult, yes, but Jordan and Barry of The Brownstone Boys proved that it’s perfectly possible. Their 130-year-old brownstone came with plenty of space, but not enough bathrooms—so they adapted. “We don’t have a bathroom on the parlor floor and really didn’t want guests to go through our bedroom to use the bathroom. For us the dimensions of this bedroom seemed perfect for a bathroom with a window,” they say.

Fending off the package pirates: Are you tired of deliveries being stolen before you have the chance to retrieve them? Outdoor package bins offer a solution.

To say that Jonathan and Patty Reyes were charmed by Hawaii would be an understatement. One year after their very first trip there, they went back and got engaged. Then a couple of years later, they married on the North Shore. Each visit led them to explore a new island and test out a new hiking trail. “It might be nostalgia for our second-generation Asian upbringing, a fusion of Asian-influenced culture with domestic familiarity. In any case, we wanted to bring some of that peace and comfort to our house in New York,” says Patty. The first-time homeowners called on Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum (known as the Brownstone Boys) to restore their historic Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, brownstone—and infuse it with a touch of the Aloha State.

Carrol Gardens is a beautiful neighborhood in Brooklyn, known for big, stately Brownstones that are set back from the street. This property, a parlor floor condo, embodies the style of the neighborhood beautifully. Recently renovated by The Brownstone Boys (AKA Jordan and Barry), the space has been updated for modern living while still honoring some of the original details, like marble fireplaces, original pocket doors, and ornate plaster moulding.

Sometimes inspiration strikes where you’d least expect it — and closer to home than you’d imagine. For homeowners Sean and Brian, that couldn’t be more true: All it took was viewing their friend’s renovated, open kitchen… a friend that just happened to live in their same building. That layout showed them what they were missing, namely a space that would make entertaining so much more enjoyable. Energized by what they saw at their neighbors’ home, they decided to call in the beloved Brownstone Boys (aka Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum) as their remodeling reinforcements for their cook space — among other projects — in their 500-square-foot one bedroom Manhattan apartment.

Cynthia Andrew’s Instagram is full of bright, joyous color, and so, of course, is her and her husband Les Andrew’s brownstone in Bushwick.

The two met 15 years ago at Fordham University. She was in law school; he was in business school. When they got married, Les gave up his apartment in Brooklyn to live with Cynthia in her rent-stabilized apartment in Queens, where they had a lot more room, but they always knew they would look for a house to buy and return to Brooklyn.

Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum spent the entire summer of 2018 biking around Brooklyn in search of their dream home. On their wish list: a charming tree-lined street; period details; rental income potential; a yard for their Labrador, Zuko; and a reno project to sink their teeth into (Bordelon had already remodeled his previous place, and they were ready for a bigger challenge). “We saw so many places that were in really bad shape or had all of the original features stripped out,” says Bordelon.

Meet inspiring renovation duo 'The Brownstone Boys' The popular DIY couple shares home renovation and restoration tips and tricks with viewers.

Falling in love, like finding your dream home, rarely happens overnight. It requires tenacity, a solid checklist, and near-perfect timing. So was the case for Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum — the DIY-loving couple behind The Brownstone Boys. "We took a risk and purchased a place together after having only dated for one-and-a-half years," the couple admit, rather frankly.