Profile

Harry Paul, an interior decorator, landscape designer, and Brooklyn history buff, has poured all three of his passions into this converted row house in Carroll Gardens. The charming, modestly-priced bed and breakfast, named after the brownstone’s original owner (a wealthy 19th century merchant named Charles Baisley), is filled floor-to-ceiling with Paul’s personal collection of Victoriana. The B&B’s two doubles and one single are furnished completely with antiques and decorated with ecclesiastical art, although secular amenities like a TV, VCR and, thankfully, an air conditioner, offer 21st century comforts. Less modern is the communal bathroom, shared by all occupants on the second floor. Still, Paul’s encyclopedic knowledge of the neighborhood and his attention to detail is impressive. If the weather is right, the innkeeper insists that guests eat their heaping, home-cooked breakfasts out back in his meticulously assembled English rose garden. — Jon Steinberg

The unmarked brownstone sits on a quiet block across the street from beautiful St. Agnes church and just two blocks from the restaurant and shopping mecca of Smith Street.

Cons
The gaudy décor might seem claustrophobic to some, and others may recoil from the communal bathroom.

Claim to Fame
From 1919 to 1939 the house was the residence of five-time Oscar-nominated actress Susan Hayward.

Note
Two-night minimum; longer stays required over holiday weekends.