Couple turned Brooklyn brownstone renovation into a business

Key Points:

• Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum began renovating a Brooklyn brownstone they purchased in 2018, transforming the 1890-built home over eight months on a limited budget of about $300,000.
• Their renovation experience inspired them to launch The Brownstone Boys in 2020, an interior design and restoration company that has since completed over 32 full renovations in New York City and employs a team of designers and project managers.
• The couple documented their renovation journey on social media and a blog, which attracted a community of architecture enthusiasts and led to client requests, prompting them to turn their hobby into a full-time business.
• They preserved historical details in their home, adapted the layout for modern living, and now live in a duplex within the brownstone while renting out a garden-level apartment to offset mortgage costs.
• Bordelon and Slocum credit their strong partnership and shared passion for historic architecture as key factors in managing both their relationship and their successful business.