Since 1998, Andrew Tarlow has been responsible for opening some of Brooklyn’s coziest neighborhood restaurants. His newest spot, Borgo, brings his signature warmth to Manhattan for the very first time—thanks, in part, to the historic double storefront it inhabits. “This was a restaurant called I Trulli for 25 years,” he says. “But based on New York City photos, people have been eating and drinking inside of at least half of this building for a hundred years, if not longer. You could feel it when you walked in. People had met their person here, people had gotten married here. There weren’t many touches of modernity at all.”
Andrew and his wife, Kate Huling, maintained that charm by restoring as many existing elements as possible, from the arches to the marble bar to the plaster ceiling. They then added their own layers of character with knotty pine wainscoting, tin walls, and glowy sconces—all of which were fabricated on-site by their own construction company, led by foreman Matthew Bernbach. “The handmade element of it creates so much of the romance of being in the space,” Kate says. “We have people that we admire and trust and respect who really know how to bring that for us. It’s an incredibly meaningful, creative, collaborative process.”
Here, eight ideas to borrow from Borgo for pulling off that layered, inviting look.
Photography by Martien Mulder.
1. Pick the color that speaks to you.


2. Restore what’s special.


3. Expose rough walls.


4. Focus on the glow.

5. Rethink knotty pine.


6. Incorporate sculpture.

7. Try tin walls.

8. Work with friends.

For more spots with textured walls, see:
- Layers of History: Dersou in Paris, Distressed Surfaces Included
- Davelle: 13 Ideas to Steal from New York’s Tiniest Jewelbox Restaurant
- Trend Alert: The Excavated Look, 15 Ways
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation