When Megan Grehl designed her own home, a townhouse in Bedford-Stuyvesant, she transformed the space into an urban oasis that engages and invokes the mind, body, and spirit. In the wake of Covid-19, the space now needed to serve not only as a place of rest for her family of three but also as an office for both Megan and her husband French architect Côme Ménage who each run their own separate design firms. Megan turned to her past for inspiration.
Born in Houston, TX, Megan moved to Hong Kong as a young child. The dramatic change from open spaces to a rigid urban environment taught her to find beauty in the unexpected. Her work explores the idea of polarization - new and old, warm and cool - and the idea that interaction between these contrasting ideas creates an emotional and nostalgic reaction to design
Megan used this approach to create a tranquil and fulfilling space for her family. The space blends Megan and Côme's Asian, Parisian, and New York backgrounds. Back-to-back workstations create a WFH setup that blends seamlessly into the living room. A custom Atria credenza in the living room, designed by Megan, introduces bold geometry, while a Muuto sofa directly across the room creates balance with its curves. A dynamic gallery wall creates movement as it wraps the living room corner, while pieces of neutral, textured artwork evoke a contrasting sense of calm.
In the dining room, the warm wood details contrast the cool velvet upholstery. Hand-painted works from Beijing, originally hung in Megan’s childhood home, directly oppose the modern glass dining table. A large mirror, also designed by Megan, with Rolling Stone “Missing you” song lyrics etched into the glass leans on the mantel as a driftwood sculpture rests on the table. Both pieces have been altered in contrasting ways, one by man and one by nature. A bold, oversized, Moooi non-random pendant ties the Asian references with modern technology in one harmonious spirit.
Through celebrating these dichotomies within the design of her home, Megan crafted a space that speaks to her mind, body, and spirit. The story of her multicultural past is told through each and every contrasting detail in the space, offering a glimpse of her personal definition of beauty.
