In 2008, Michelle Young left her job in the fashion industry, where she had worked since college—first as a merchandiser at Abercrombie & Fitch, and later at J.Crew and Calvin Klein. “I had a summer off and I wandered around New York, which is a place where I grew up,” says Michelle. “I discovered all these things about the city when I wasn’t going from my apartment to work and back, always taking the same route.”

During those walks, Michelle got the idea to start Untapped New York, an online magazine and tour company that highlights New York City’s secrets and hidden places. Part publication, part experience company, Untapped New York aims to surprise and intrigue even native New Yorkers.

Before: Exterior

After: Exterior

Fast forward several years, and Michelle and her husband, Augustin Pasquet, were both running Untapped and living in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. They were looking for more space for their growing family, and a new project to work on, when they discovered a run-down townhouse for sale two blocks away from their apartment. “It was in terrible shape,” recalls Augustin. “I was like, ‘Great, this will scare people away.’”

For Michelle, it was the home’s intact historical details—like the scrollwork in the entry foyer and ornate fireplace surrounds—that sealed the deal. “This is it,” she said at the time. “We can do something with all of the historic bones.”

Before: Staircase

After: Staircase

The ensuing gut renovation would bring the townhouse up to date while preserving many of the home’s historic details. To get started, the couple reached out to their good friends, architect Côme Ménage and interior designer Megan Grehl.

“We are very aligned, Côme and I, in our design and aesthetics,” says Augustin. “We both believe that we want to feel something when we walk into a space. We want to feel emotions. We want to feel at peace. We want the space to speak to us, and that’s what his design does.”

Ménage sought to balance the home’s original features with streamlined interventions. “The goal was to let the ornamental historic details shine, and let the rest go as minimal as possible,” he says. “I think that’s a contrast that works throughout the home.” To that end, smooth-finished drywall now floats above the wide-plank wood floors in a museum reveal, while ornamental door frames and restored trim add texture and interest.

The project’s ethos really comes together in the staircase. Although it retained much of its original decoration, including a circular “carousel” feature and wainscot, it needed to be rebuilt to be structurally sound. “Right away we were thinking, ‘how can we incorporate this very historic detail into a more modern staircase?’” says Augustin.

Ménage preserved the wainscot and carousel, and specified new solid-oak steps with a sheet glass rail inserted along the edge. The lightness and transparency of the glass, says Ménage, balances the visual “heaviness” of the historic ornamentation.

Before: Hallway

After: Hallway

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

A similar contrast can be found in the the living and dining room fireplaces—the team kept the decorative woodwork while covering the surrounds in a textural concrete finish. “We asked the crew not to undo the mantles because they're basically puzzles made with so many pieces of wood,” says Augustin. “So, we literally tore everything else down and kept those fireplaces where they were.”

Before: Dining Room and Kitchen

After: Dining Room and Kitchen

Before: Backyard

After: Backyard

Upstairs, the renovation veers even more minimal, with much of the decorative wood trim swapped out for frameless doors and windows, and skylights that draw in as much natural light as much as possible.

Against this backdrop, Grehl chose furniture, lighting, and artwork that’s both “sculptural and graphic,” she says. “It gives a lot of nice layering and depth to the space.” Grehl sourced colorful, large-scale artworks by Sarah Philouze, a dining room chandelier by Lambert & Fils, and antiques with artful lines and textural qualities. (The dining room seats glow with exposed wood grain, and bouclé fabric adds a cozy touch to the bedroom lounge chair.) Referring to the many artworks and ceramics peppered throughout the home, Michelle says “It was important to us to be surrounded by artwork and decor by people we know.”

And since the renovation was a joint effort by close friends, it was personal in more ways than one. “Goal number one was to remain friends after the project,” Augustin says with a laugh, adding that the group was ultimately successful in that regard. “Côme is now the godfather for our second child.”

Before: Upstairs Hallway

After: Upstairs Hallway

Before: Primary Suite

After: Primary Suite

More Before & After stories:

A Gloomy Brooklyn Brownstone Gets Spruced Up With Splashes of Color

Just-Right Furnishings and a Fresh Paint Punch Up a Brooklyn Brownstone

A Bland Brooklyn Loft Is Reborn With Savvy Millwork

Project Credits:

Architecture: READ Architecture Design / @re_a_d

Builder: Ziggy Kaczynski

Structural Engineer: Titan Engineers

Styling: Megan Grehl / @megangrehl

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