A Trip to the 2026 Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse, Where Maximalist Traditional Reigned Supreme

You never know what you’re going to find in a show house, and, having never attended the Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse, I had even less to go off of in terms of expectations. It is relatively new compared to some of its contemporaries (while the Kips Bay Decorator Show House is over 50 years old, the Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse began in just 2017), but regardless of which house you’re entering, there’s always a bit of a delicious tension between the facade of the building (usually historic), the original interiors (a total grab bag, depending on how long it’s been on the market and how many hands its moved through) and what each room ends up as (same). With each designer given essentially carte blanche on their particular room, you can end up walking through dozens of different styles in a single home, resulting in a real feeling of aesthetic whiplash.

But I found this year’s Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse, which opens to the public Friday, October 2 until November 1, consistent, all things considered. Call it updated traditional: the chosen designers brought back the energy that had been stripped by the previous owner from this landmarked 1852 Greek Revival mansion (on a corner lot, no less, and on the market for just shy of $15 million). Here are a few of my favorites from the tour.

Entering the dining room, you’d never notice there were so many different ceiling heights. That’s because Sugarhouse Design added wallpaper, arches and beams to conceal what had previously been done to try to hide some ductwork. Further into the kitchen, I particularly loved the kitchen’s vintage light sconces, which designer Jess Nahon said had to be purchased because the seller wouldn’t lend them—hire Sugarhouse, and they could be yours for a future project!