The Family That Wallpapers Together

"They wanted it to be fun and funky, and they wanted to take it up a level from what they could do on their own. In the living room, two columns were refinished with tiles. In the galley kitchen, Troadec retrofit existing cabinets, added new hardware, and custom-built a banquette with extra storage."

"Simon was like, 'I want an all-white bedroom.' We said, 'Well, we aren't going to do that, but we'll make a compromise.' That meant a textured white wallpaper Colding found at Thibaut paired with a paint-splatter pattern for the ceiling. Xavier's walls, meanwhile, are bursting with bright stripes."

"Still, the toughest part of the move for the family was deciding what to leave behind. The art collection came with them, but Colding replaced most of the furniture with vintage pieces she reupholstered with new fabrics. Wallpaper, wild and chintzy, would play a starring role-everywhere."

Rumaan Alam and David Land lived in a Brooklyn townhouse for 14 years with their two sons, accumulating substantial possessions. As their children grew older, space became limited. When an apartment became available in Alam's brother's Fort Greene building, they decided to downsize. The 1953 three-bedroom offered each son his own room and park views. Though move-in ready, the couple's design preferences prompted them to hire interior designer Danielle Colding and her contractor husband Fred Troadec for upgrades. Renovations included refinished tile columns, retrofitted kitchen cabinets with custom banquette storage, and extensive wallpaper throughout. The sons influenced their room designs: Simon requested an all-white bedroom, resulting in textured white wallpaper with paint-splatter ceiling, while Xavier chose bright stripes and a loft bed. Most furniture was replaced with vintage pieces.

Read at Curbed