Lincoln Square Kitchen Renovation
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Wouldn’t it be nice if you could give your home a whole new character, imbue it with the essence of a place you love, near or far? That’s just what Kyle & Sophia had in mind for their home in Lincoln Square. After living for a while in California, the busy young professionals were inspired to bring some of that West Coast sensibility to their current home in NYC — a 685 sqft, 1-bedroom apartment overlooking the Lincoln Center. The homeowners were lucky to meet fellow California ex-pat, Sarah Zames of tS firm General Assembly, who worked with them to re-imagine the cramped and outdated space. After nailing down new designs for the kitchen, master bath & powder room, Sarah suggested using theSweeten to find the right contractor for the job. After meeting their matches, the designer & homeowners chose to work with tS member Jon Eklund, owner of Ecostruct. The renovated home is light, airy, & nature-inspired; it’s a perfect place to relax and enjoy the view!
Before: The existing galley kitchen had little natural light & limited functionality, and the 1980′s aesthetic was ready for a full update.
West Village Studio Shelving
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In March, West Village homeowner Franz posted to theSweeten in need of a contractor to create a built-in shelving unit for his studio apartment. We connected Franz with tS member Gennadiy Kaliberda, owner of South Fork Projects, who was able to do the job quickly & cost-effectively — and just in time for the homeowner to leave for an extended stay abroad. While away, Franz is subletting the home to his friend Matt, who invited us to see how the project turned out. We love the new built-ins, which have made it easy for both the permanent & temporary tenants to keep their belongings in the same, small space.
Before: Franz had a lot of books to store and was looking for a more permanent solution than his ikea bookcase.
Park Slope Home Renovation
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“It’s an amazing feeling to walk into our apartment and feel like it’s our ‘home’ — and we owe much of that to Peter and his team.”
–Marie Clare K., Homeowner
When Park Slopers Marie Clare & Peter purchased their first home together early this year, the couple, along with their daughter Tessa, knew the space would need some improvements in order to make it the perfect retreat for their active lifestyle. Marie Clare, a copywriter for Bobbi Brown, and Peter, who works for Mayor Bloomberg, planned to modernize the 2 bedroom home, focusing on the living space & bathroom. With a great sense of style and a clear, modern vision, they posted their project ideas to theSweeten, and, after meeting their matches, chose to work with tS member NYC Pros. Firm owner Peter Ramirez impressed the new homeowners by completing the project in only 3 weeks to meet their March 30th move-in — and the results are as charming as little Tessa!
Before: Woodwork detailing throughout the home made the spaces feel dark and outdated — and those yellow walls weren’t helping either! The homeowners wanted to create a brighter and more open space, starting with the removal of a large archway that separated the living and dining spaces.
SoHo Office Renovation
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“Nick worked directly with me in a brief design phase to make sure what we proposed would actually work. His ability to design AND build was key.”
–Glenn M., Zeebox Team Member
One of the things we love most about doing commercial projects is that we get to know new local businesses — like Sotto 13 and Fanbridge — through their workplace renovations. This week we got to connect with another new company and check out the results of their recent office renovation project. Glenn Masterson (pictured above) lead the team at Zeebox, a London-based company with a free app for TV-lovers, to theSweeten to find the right contractor for a project at their new SoHo office. Zeebox was happy to be connected with tS member firm Nick Knacks Creative Interiors who helped them build the more productive space they had in mind. (more…)
Full Floor Gut Renovation in Ditmas Park
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Ever since our construction visits at the end of last year, we’ve been anticipating our return to Ditmas Park to see this completed first floor gut renovation, built by tS member Alan Michael Carpentry (above photo: Alan Bowes, AMC owner). The 1000 sqft, Brownstone home had not been updated in 40 years before AMC was brought in to transform the heavily compartmentalized living spaces of the first floor into an open, functional, and modern family home. The team at AMC had their work cut out for them, beginning with asbestos abatement and structural reinforcing which was necessary to create the new, open plan. They also relocated plumbing, updated electrical, and integrated a new HVAC system before moving onto the modern finishes we see now.
Before the renovation, the first floor was broken into tiny compartments, some of which had no natural light. The homeowners worked with architect Slavica Nikolic to create a layout that works much better with their lifestyle; the open plan is ideal for entertaining and for keeping the family connected, even when working on separate things.
Uptown Apartment Interior by Jill Danyelle
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The best interior designers are those who can create beautiful, functional spaces that, most importantly, represent the client’s point of view. Perhaps it was her background in therapy that has made Jill Danyelle, tS member and owner of Jill Danyelle Art + Design, a master of this art of tapping into her clients’ lifestyle & tastes. The owner of this 850 sqft Upper West Side 1-bedroom apartment, Steven, can attest to the designer’s dedication & resourcefulness in creating his beautiful new home – he couldn’t be happier!
Over the course of 4 months, Jill worked with Steven to collect unique items that matched his taste, often coming up with pieces that the homeowner ‘never would have thought of himself, but loved!’ The living room’s furniture and accessories are a mix of vintage & new — among our favorites are the sofa from Room & Board, a vintage brass trunk by Sarried, and a beautiful vintage rug by Karastan. Vintage items throughout the home were sourced from ebay, craigslist, antique stores & flea markets.
A Spring-Friendly Renovation w/ Essential Design + Build
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Spring is in the air — a time for the fresh and the new! So, with Spring in mind, we have a fresh renovation from one of theSweeten’s newest members. Essential Design + Build is a full-concept, design-to-execution firm based in Manhattan. Last year, Essential finished up a full restoration & renovation of this 3,960 sqft single-family home in Forest Hills Gardens, Queens. The home was originally built in the 1920′s and hadn’t been updated since 1970 before its new owners brought in the team at Essential. The firm’s president, Rich Hiler, and architectural designer, Alison Lang, gave us the full details of their Summer St. home renovation; here are some of our favorite highlights of the finished project.
The renovated home is abundant with traditional elements such as built-ins, window seats, and crown moldings, but a modern palette of fixtures, furnishings, color & pattern give the space a distinctly 21st century feel (–it didn’t surprise us to learn that the homeowner is actually an interior designer!). Here in the family room, monochromatic walls in Benjamin Moore hue black pepper are a neutral base for an eclectic mix of furnishings & fixtures. Among our favorites are a pair of Artemide’s miconos sconces at the window seat, and a round marble-top table by Draenert.
Industrial Loft Retrofit, Apt B + Williamsburg Nursery School
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Last month we were excited to share a first look at tS member GSDO‘s completed retrofit in South Williamsburg. Adam Glickman & Lauren Schlesinger, the husband-wife team behind GSDO, had been working on the conversion of this historic paper doily factory since last summer. Now, the mixed-use building houses 2 apartments on its upper level, and at street level it is the new home of the Williamsburg Neighborhood Nursery School. The couple’s young daughter gave them plenty of inspiration for designing a great school for Brooklyn youngsters — and the building’s industrial character works perfectly with the designers’ modern & minimalist aesthetic. (more…)
Scope of Work Case Study
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Renovation projects always involve a lot more work than meets the eye — and this fact is easy to forget since we typically look at renovations through the simplified lens of ‘before & after.’ This week we’re revisiting a kitchen project we matched on theSweeten and featured a couple months ago, to give an idea of just how much work was involved in the 5 weeks between start & finish. Read on for a complete list of what the team at Famurat Builders did to take this kitchen from its generic ‘before’ to a one-of-a-kind ‘after.’ (more…)
An Out-of-this-World Bedroom in Brooklyn
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What was your bedroom like when you were 8 years old? It was probably pretty great — a place where your imagination could run wild, and that’s good enough for most 8-year-olds — but Jake’s new bedroom in Park Slope knocks most others right out of the water! Jake shared a room with his older brother until the family recently decided it was time the boys each had a space of their own. A small office in their home had the potential for a great 3rd bedroom, but because of its unusual floor plan & limited area, Jake’s parents Ben & Gail opted to hire a designer to maximize space & functionality. The family brought in tS member Elizabeth Aurandt of mercer INTERIOR who created an awesome new room where Jake can sleep, study, relax, play, and even host sleepovers.
Here’s what the space looked like as an office, before being converted into Jake’s new bedroom.