This “Not-Handy” Couple Really Didn’t Think They Wanted to Buy a Townhouse

The Living Room, After: The sculptural chimney rising to the 20-foot ceiling was inspired by the organic work of sculptor Valentine Schlegel. The hearth was integrated into a custom entry bench with tambour siding and upholstery by Pollack and Maharam. The carpet is Windy Hand-Tufted Rug by Safavieh, available at Neiman Marcus, and the couch on the right is a Kayra Bouclé Sofa from Article with brass legs purchased from Etsy. Photo: Gieves Anderson

Two years ago, in the midst of the pandemic, Kate Yearwood Young and her husband had been living in a McKim, Mead & White building on Livingston Street for almost a decade but were feeling restless. Their first son had been born the year before, and lockdown had convinced them that their place had become too small. They loved brownstone Brooklyn but were wary of buying a brownstone. “We are not handy,” she says. “We really wanted a condo.”

A townhouse, of course, does not come with a super. “We don’t know anything about home maintenance, and it’s overwhelming to learn all these things,” says Yearwood Young. They are busy; she owns her own firm as a financial adviser. “But then with the pandemic, outdoor space rose very quickly as a priority,” she says.

This 3,500-square-foot six-floor, three-bedroom house in Boerum Hill, however, was built in 2013. It didn’t have a stoop and did have an elevator — helpful because “my mom uses a wheelchair,” says Yearwood Young, and they knew they were planning to have a second child: “It was, funnily enough, one of the only houses I felt comfortable with, and I did want the accessibility so my parents could come and visit.”

There was one drawback: The interior finishings, particularly the staircase, of the house didn’t feel right to them. The seller’s broker suggested a meeting with architect Frederick Tang and Barbara Reyes, the director of interiors at Tang’s firm, about how to update its traditionalism. “The first thing you see when you walked in was this faux-Colonial fireplace in the double-height room and the sort of Italianate handrail on black iron curves,” Tang says. “We did agree that certain details, like the handrailing and the fireplace, could be updated, could be redesigned a little bit.”

And unlike a 19th-century brownstone, it didn’t have to undergo major “gut” renovations. “We loved these crazy double-height spaces,” he says. “We do so many townhouse projects, and in most of them, more than half the budget goes to structural upgrading, mechanical stuff, and here we got to do all the fun stuff.”

Before: The living room was bathed in wonderful light but had a generic fireplace. After: The new fireplace. From left: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

Before: The living room was bathed in wonderful light but had a generic fireplace. After: The new fireplace. From top: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Ta... more Before: The living room was bathed in wonderful light but had a generic fireplace. After: The new fireplace. From top: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

The Stairs, Before: The Italianate handrail involved an overload of black iron. After: The project took nine months of design and construction that included transforming the staircase into a sinuous sculpture. “We removed what gravely needed a change — these were the most impactful, like the stairs, fireplace, etc.,” says Reyes. “We enjoyed the challenge.” From left: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

The Stairs, Before: The Italianate handrail involved an overload of black iron. After: The project took nine months of design and construction that in... more The Stairs, Before: The Italianate handrail involved an overload of black iron. After: The project took nine months of design and construction that included transforming the staircase into a sinuous sculpture. “We removed what gravely needed a change — these were the most impactful, like the stairs, fireplace, etc.,” says Reyes. “We enjoyed the challenge.” From top: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

The Double-Height Den Upstairs, Before: The room felt like an afterthought. After: The L-shaped sofa that belonged to her husband’s late grandmother has been reupholstered in Rebel lavender fabric by Knoll. The vintage coffee table is from Pagoda Red Antiques and Modern, and the wall sconces are by Atelier de Troupe; the pendant is from Circa Lighting. The Sculpt Velvet Accent Chairs are by Crate and Barrel. From left: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

The Double-Height Den Upstairs, Before: The room felt like an afterthought. After: The L-shaped sofa that belonged to her husband’s late grandmother h... more The Double-Height Den Upstairs, Before: The room felt like an afterthought. After: The L-shaped sofa that belonged to her husband’s late grandmother has been reupholstered in Rebel lavender fabric by Knoll. The vintage coffee table is from Pagoda Red Antiques and Modern, and the wall sconces are by Atelier de Troupe; the pendant is from Circa Lighting. The Sculpt Velvet Accent Chairs are by Crate and Barrel. From top: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

The Kitchen, Before: It was ideal, as it opened onto outdoor space.
After: Frederick Tang Architecture left the existing wood cabinetry and replaced the kitchen island with a custom-fabricated piece by Casa Quieta. The AGA range and black custom hood complement the new Hurricane Black marble stone backsplash. The outdoor patio was landscaped by Brook Landscape. From left: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

The Kitchen, Before: It was ideal, as it opened onto outdoor space.
After: Frederick Tang Architecture left the existing wood cabinetry and replaced th... more The Kitchen, Before: It was ideal, as it opened onto outdoor space.
After: Frederick Tang Architecture left the existing wood cabinetry and replaced the kitchen island with a custom-fabricated piece by Casa Quieta. The AGA range and black custom hood complement the new Hurricane Black marble stone backsplash. The outdoor patio was landscaped by Brook Landscape. From top: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

Top-Floor Landing, Before: A bar area was a great idea for entertaining on the roof garden. After: The renovated top-floor landing concludes the interior leading to the rooftop garden with a hand-painted floral wallpaper from Artemest and a light fixture from Anna Karlin. The bar area was rebuilt by Yuriy Nych of Home Evolution Construction, who did the renovation work for the whole house. From left: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

Top-Floor Landing, Before: A bar area was a great idea for entertaining on the roof garden. After: The renovated top-floor landing concludes the inter... more Top-Floor Landing, Before: A bar area was a great idea for entertaining on the roof garden. After: The renovated top-floor landing concludes the interior leading to the rooftop garden with a hand-painted floral wallpaper from Artemest and a light fixture from Anna Karlin. The bar area was rebuilt by Yuriy Nych of Home Evolution Construction, who did the renovation work for the whole house. From top: Photo: Courtesy of Frederick Tang ArchitecturePhoto: Gieves Anderson

Yearwood Young with Lionel, 3, and Julius, 7 months. Photo: Jessica Castano

Roof Garden: “We wanted a little bit of Hollywood glam from the ’60s,” Reyes says. Photo: Gieves Anderson

“The second floor has a narrow hallway that can now be used for dinner parties and gatherings with a custom bench upholstered in Maharam and James Dunlop fabric. The wet bar conceals the HVAC unit with tambour-fronted millwork. The custom-painted wallpaper is by de Gournay. The vintage brass travertine side table is from Judy Frankel Antiques.” Photo: Gieves Anderson