The Bar-Building Brothers of Greenpoint
The Connecticut-born Haslegrave brothers have lived in New York on and off since 2001, but it’s in recent years that they’ve become prominent figures on the Brooklyn dining scene. And not as chefs, or even restaurateurs, but as designers—of interiors, lighting, and furniture. Through their firm hOmE—O and E are for Oliver (32) and Evan (29)—they have developed and built the Manhattan Inn, Paulie Gee’s, Duckduck, and Goat Town. Most recently, they created the new bar Donna, in Williamsburg, celebrated in the New York Times for its “lovely Art Deco-ish bar, a vaulted ceiling and typically intriguing lighting.”
Currently living and working out of Greenpoint, the brothers got their start in the family business. “Growing up, we both spent time on-site with our father, who works in residential design-build in Connecticut,” Oliver tells us. “We had been working on some smaller remodeling and furniture projects in New York when one of our clients asked if we could remodel their East Village bar. This turned into our first project, Elsa.” From there, it’s history.