The designer Brandon Blackwood’s over 3,000-square-foot home in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, is as glamorous as his clients. Known for his bags as well as custom dresses like the one Sheryl Lee Ralph wore in 2022 to accept her first Emmy, Blackwood lives among antiques from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a profusion of marble, and a robust collection of contemporary art. “I fell in love with this house right away,” he says, speaking to the house’s energy as much as to its volumes, “but it didn’t look anything like this.” It is the third house he has bought for himself since starting his brand, and he outbid 17 people to get it. The first home he owned was two blocks from the house he grew up in, and his last home was a former firehouse in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, previously owned by Spike Lee. Blackwood grew up in Bed-Stuy, the historically Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn now undergoing aggressive gentrification.
To the right of Blackwood’s front door is a calm seating area to welcome guests. Above the working fireplace hangs artwork by Tschabalala Self. The sofa and side table are from CB2, the coffee table is from Maitland Smith, and the flowerpots were sourced in Mexico.
Maitland Smith Tessellated Stone Sculptural Coffee Table
Curvo Performance Fabric Sofa by Goop
One of Blackwood’s nonnegotiables was a spiral staircase. Seen from the entry, its curves frame a tall rubber tree from BlackBoyPlants and an antique mask from Benin, Nigeria.
Brandon Blackwood in front of the Matheus Abu painting in his entry.
When Blackwood went viral in 2020 for a mini tote bag emblazoned with the words “End Systemic Racism,” much of the fashion world thought he’d appeared out of nowhere. “When I blew up I had been in business for five years already,” says Blackwood. The young designer had been quietly and intentionally building his fashion brand since his mid-20s. “This was my first real job,” Blackwood says about designing. “Before this I was a cashier at Crossroads.” He studied neuroscience at Bard College before fashion became his primary academic and professional interest. Unbeknownst to his mother, Jamaican-born Carleen Haughton, a self-made contractor and former restaurateur, Blackwood had been spending his free time, weekends, and summers working for fashion brands and magazines. Haughton challenged her son to give fashion his all.
That same encouragement carried over to the design of Blackwood’s home, too, where Haughton acted as the contractor. Working with Urban Pioneering Architecture, Haughton corralled an all-Caribbean team of craftsmen and builders to renovate the four-story town house. “They are all so proud of me because they’ve known me since I was 13,” says Blackwood. “This house was built by people who really love me.”
Blackwood sitting on the 1970s Mah Jong sofa he bought from 1stDibs in his second-floor living room with two of his three dogs: Juicy, a Doberman-pinscher mix, and Trill, a shih tzu–Yorkie mix.
Blackwood’s second-floor living room is chock-full of priceless art. The red-and-green work is by Chris Ofili and hangs near artwork by Diego Rivera, Evan Browning, and Ferg (previously known as A$AP Ferg). The sketch (far right) by Yves Saint Laurent originally belonged to André Leon Talley. Artists even dictate the more ephemeral beauties in Blackwood’s apartments: Lufti Janania made the sculpture bouquet on the side table by Eileen Gray. Elsewhere in the living room, Andy Warhol’s Chocolate Bunny hangs between the windows, and on another wall hangs a sign from Spike Lee’s film Do the Right Thing. A love letter from artist Marcus Leslie Singleton hangs above the door.
Lazy Jamie Nice Stems Ice Cream Coupes (Set of 2)
CB2 Pave Oval Red Marble Serving Tray
Artwork by Pablo Picasso hangs in Blackwood’s ground-floor powder room.
In the dining room another artwork from Tschabalala Self has pride of place. The marble table is custom and was designed by Blackwood. The chairs are from CB2, and the ceiling light is from The Lights Gallery.
Sundays Frame Dining Table
Flos Cocoon Suspension Light
The brownstone Blackwood grew up in was where he first learned the meaning of home. “It was such a community,” he says. “I used to sit on everybody’s stoop.” A desire for camaraderie and the friends he made then still occupy a sacred place in the designer’s life. He dressed artist Tschabalala Self for her wedding, as well as making the dress she wore to this year’s Met Gala. Self is a longtime friend of Blackwood’s as well as a frequent houseguest. “Brandon’s house feels like a cross between being at a spa, a luxury hotel, and my Auntie’s,” says Self. “He’s great at entertaining and always has the most interesting and stylish people over…travelers, creatives, and artists.”
Blackwood’s backyard is his preferred place for work and relaxation. He dips outside for quick cigarettes and sketches on the sofa.
The landscape design in Blackwood’s backyard was done by Kwame Agyapon.
During the gut renovation Blackwood made his priorities clear: He wanted serenity and a neutral base layer on which to display his art collection. “I just wanted an escape,” says Blackwood. “I wanted natural textures, fibers, and natural colors.” A calm, cream sitting area greets guests as soon as they enter. A painting by Matheus Abu hangs by the front door, which reminds Blackwood of summers spent swimming with his brother and cousins when they were children. Up the spiral staircase, the second floor serves as a guest suite-cum-entertainment area. To the right is the peaceful, “womb-like” bedroom Blackwood’s friends put to frequent use. “Everyone who sleeps here has the best sleep,” he says.
Blackwood’s closet reflected in his Fiam Italy phantom mirror.
Blackwood in his two-room closet. The shelving is custom and was designed by Blackwood, as is the dresser. Blackwood’s customized Birkin bag rests in the background, and on the floor are his Margiela tabi boots and Romeo Hunt mink-covered Timberland boots.
Blackwood’s custom Birkin rests on the island in his walk-in closet.
Brandon Blackwood Kuei Bag
Byredo Bois Obscur Extrait de Parfum
Several of Blackwood’s friends have keys to his house, using the space as a meeting point and escape. “I always take it upon myself to be the gatherer,” he says. “He’s a protector and provider through and through,” Self says. Some come for a good meal where Blackwood has put the grills in the backyard and garden designed by Kwame Agyapone to good use. “The smoker is on its last leg,” he says. What bones remain go to one of his three dogs—Trill, a shih tzu–Yorkie mix; Mink, a Miniature Bear Coat shar pei; and Juicy, a sweet Doberman-pinscher mix.
A Morell Cutler painting hangs between the windows in the primary bedroom. The bed is from RH, and the bedding is from Parachute Home. The midcentury pendant light is by Achille Castiglioni, and the 1960s chairs are by Fabio Lenci.
Vintage Fabio Lenci chairs are reflected in a mirror-cum-console between the windows of the primary bedroom.
A painting by Marcus Leslie Singleton hangs above the cedar Ofuro bathtub from Mezmob in the wood-paneled primary bathroom. Blackwood admits he never uses the deep soaking tub, but his steam shower gets daily use.
In the living room a chocolate 1970s Mah Jong sofa becomes a room-size mattress for movie nights with friends. Blackwood designed the black-tiled coffee table himself. Photographs, paintings, and prints by Mark Delmont, Xavier Scott Marshall, Ferg, Salimatu Amabebe, and Chris Ofili cover the walls, along with treasured family portraits. “The works in here are my most prized possessions,” says Blackwood.
On the top floor Blackwood’s own personal oasis awaits. Under a skylight his mother installed for him as a surprise, the top-floor landing bridges a luxurious two-room walk-in closet on one end and the primary bedroom and bathroom on another. The bedroom is simple and quiet, with a furry upholstered bed and vintage Fabio Lenci chairs in front of it. It’s the perfect, paired-back pinnacle to a story still unfolding.
The spiral staircase curves up three flights. The basement is accessed through a separate staircase and boasts an original pizza oven.
Blackwood designed the Rosso Levanto marble nightstands in the guest bedroom. The bed is from CB2 and the bedding from Parachute Home. The plush green rug is from Nordic Knots and the sconce from WoodWoods Studio.
The travertine sink, vanity, and medicine cabinets are all custom and were designed by Blackwood. The sconces are from IINKinteriors.
