3 min read
For House Beautiful’s 130th anniversary this year, we're digging into some of our favorite articles from our archive—from celebrity home tours (including Farrah Fawcett, Bette Midler, and more) to decades-old design inspiration that still holds up today. Stay tuned for more archive deep dives throughout 2026, and sign up for our newsletter to get the very best delivered to your inbox every month.
It’s hardly surprising that former First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis—better known as Jackie O—lived in impeccable style. The fashion icon filled her New York apartment with bold, eye-catching textiles that also carried a deeper meaning. In 1971, House Beautiful shared the story behind these fabrics: they were the result of a partnership between Design Works of Bedford-Stuyvesant, a now-defunct nonprofit rooted in the Brooklyn community, and Tillett, a textile brand favored by affluent tastemakers.
As a junior U.S. Senator, Robert F. Kennedy was deeply invested in NYC’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. In response to the 1964 police shooting of Black teenager James Powell, he helped establish the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation alongside John Lindsay, Jacob Javits, and Thomas R. Jones. After her brother-in-law’s death, Jackie continued to champion the neighborhood through her involvement with Design Works, which created and produced textile designs by local artists.
Below, we’re revisiting the full story from our archive, which explores how these fabrics helped support the revitalization of the Brooklyn community, and how Jackie incorporated them into the richly decorated library and dining room of her New York apartment.
Art Power at Work
The fabrics of Bedford Stuyvesant’s Design Works
By Natalie Schram
Bedford Stuyvesant is a [predominantly] Black community of 450,000 in Brooklyn—seven miles long—four miles wide. It was a dream of Senator Robert Kennedy to restore this community. Entire blocks are being restored, developing a sense of pride and care in those who live in the renovated houses and whose children are able to know the safety of car-free “super blocks” filled with over-sized climbable play sculptures.
The Design Works of Bedford Stuyvesant became a part of the total project when Mrs. Aristotle Onassis saw possibilities of capitalizing on the creative talents of artists already living in the area. Now, after only a year, the Design Works has its own sale and shipping facilities, print production plant, resident colorist and creative designer, all contributing to the ultimate plan—the building of a city. The designs are generally bold in concept and color with a strong African feeling—huge banana leaves on sun yellow or flame red, abstract fish scales in pale coral and white are just two of the many original designs. Heavy cotton duck. Sheer synthetics and vinyl-coated materials are being produced by the Design Works and Connaissance Fabrics is distributing them throughout the country.
Bolts of material at left show the finished products, each complementing the other in color and coordination. Above, the colorist mixes the pigment, while at top left Calister Thomas, the designer, and the production staff determine how many yards of cotton to stretch and print. Mr. and Mrs. Onassis have used the Design Works fabrics in bold prints as startling accents in their New York apartment photographed on the following pages.
Bold prints add dimension to the Onassis apartment
Jacqueline Onassis encouraged the young artists at the Design Works, then chose two favorite patterns for her family’s apartment. The library is a comfortable room where Caroline and John Kennedy, Jr., do their homework and entertain young friends. The couch, covered in sturdy cotton duck. “Large Feather,” reflects Africa but in a contemporary American design: the black and hot rust mix beautifully with Mrs. Onassis’ antique needlepoint rug, tufted chair and ancient sculptures. John Jr. made the flower container from a cola bottle, cement and shells he gathered at the beach. Greek amber beads, art books and a basket of walnuts create a personal feeling on the Chinese lacquered table.
The dining room with warm oil paintings against striated coral walls, brown velvet armchairs and cool marble fireplaces, took immediately to “Fish Head Plaid,” a dazzling geometric in bright coral, brown and white. Antique Chinese dogs hold candles, Sèvres porcelain combines with Georgian mother-of-pearl butter plates and a favored centerpiece of grapes, limes and artichokes. The contemporary prints of the Design Works give an additional dimension to the Onassis’ collection of antiques and art objects.
