Designer Chris Benz's Colorful Brooklyn Brownstone

Benz tried to preserve as much as the home as he could and the tile around the fireplace was one of the features he kept.

"The house itself was untouched and only in one family since it was built at the turn of the 20th century," says Benz.

"I retained all the original details, and where details needed to be re-made and reconstructed I used salvage materials or period-specific materials."

"It was integral to me to re-establish the house in as close to its original layout and form as possible," he says.