They Spent $500,000 Turning a Brooklyn ‘Eyesore’ Into a Modern Home

The inspiration behind the renovation? An Instagram-famous greyhound named Dani.

By Nancy KeatesFollow | Video and photography by Dorothy Hong for WSJOct. 23, 2024 1:00 pm ETShareTextListen to articleLength(8 minutes)Explore Audio Center

When your dog has amassed over 10,000 followers on Instagram because she’s just so stylish, maybe it makes sense to design your home renovation around her.

That’s what XJ Teo and Helen Chen decided, anyway. 

Dani, their greyhound, is a doggy influencer who has won fans on social media with her faux-fur coats and understated, urban-chic aesthetic. So when the couple started a $500,000 renovation of a brownstone in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, they decided to channel Dani’s style, down to the green and blue tiles in the primary bathroom, which echo her signature brass and dark-green collar. 

The green and blue tiles in the primary bathroom echo Dani’s signature collar.

Dani was even a factor in the couple’s decision to move out of their small Manhattan apartment: They wanted something near green space where she could play. LEARN MORE…

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