A stylish, period-conscious update in LA brings grandma’s house into the 21st century

• Homeowner: Leigh posted her home remodel on Sweeten
• Where: Mid City neighborhood in Los Angeles
• Primary renovation: The kitchen and surrounding rooms got a redo—with a preservationist-inspired touch
• With: Sweeten general contractor
• Homeowner’s quote: “It was important to me to work with a contracting team that had experience with older homes and appreciated the history here.”

Written in partnership with homeowner Leigh. “After” photos by Jill Weller.

A house full of family memories

I moved into my home several years ago, after inheriting it from my dad. The house was originally purchased by my grandmother, who raised her two boys here. Later, I grew up in it. We celebrated the house’s centennial last year. It’s been in my family for three generations.

Previous slide

Next slide

Located in Mid City, Los Angeles, the house is 3,200 square feet. It has a Tudor-inspired design and it sits on a wide, quiet tree-lined street. I wanted to honor the traditional elements and the memories there while bringing in my style to make it my own.

Contractor disappearances—and a solution

My name is Leigh Lehman and I work as a communications director. In the years prior to listing my project on Sweeten, I’d met with a number of other contractors. It was important to me to work with a contracting team that had experience with older homes and appreciated the history here. After our conversations, every contractor made promises to deliver on varying tasks or iterations of the project. But then they just never returned. I had become increasingly frustrated but didn’t want to give up.

Sweeten gave me the peace of mind I was missing in dealing with contractors. The fact that the platform had vetted the GCs I interviewed, and that there was accountability through the dashboard, helped alleviate the angst I’d been holding for a while.

Nostalgia and personal style meet

Approaching the project, I knew I wanted to remain true to the house’s bones, which were structurally sound. I wanted the home to improve functionally and to align with how I lived. But I didn’t want to lose the home’s character.

Specifically, I knew I needed to gut renovate the kitchen and laundry room. The dining area and other interior spaces just needed a cosmetic refresh. Other parts of the scope included refinishing floors, repainting the walls, replacing windows, and updating the electrical work.

Before starting on the kitchen, I did a lot of research on what kitchens in the 1920s in Los Angeles looked like. I wanted the space to feel updated and fresh but in line with the style of that time when the house was built. For example, the tile floor is beautifully colored. Design-forward floors were common in kitchens during that time. The dark counters and beadboard-style cabinets were also design elements from ‘20s kitchens.

I worked with my Sweeten contractor and her team to design the nostalgic details I wanted. The selection and use of tile in the renovation was our idea for a fresh take on period tile patterns. We also collaborated on the custom cabinets, from the layout to the clean look of the beadboard.

A modern convenience for the kitchen

One aspect I knew I wanted to update: the dishwasher. Spending so much time at my home during the pandemic, I had washed a lot of dishes. I love to cook and I looked forward to hosting dinners. So aside from the aesthetics of a refreshed kitchen, the idea of installing a dishwasher for the first time to help with clean-up was a driver for the renovation. I was looking forward to spending more time doing things I enjoyed. 

The layers were tedious, I’ll admit! As anyone can imagine, a 100-year-old home has had a few touch-ups over time. So whether paint or wallpaper, the work to get under those layers and back to the base definitely took some extra elbow grease.

Nostalgia and a very big sink

In the laundry room, the big sink was original to the house. I wanted to keep it, but it needed attention. An average sink faucet spread is 13 inches—but this one is 18” wide. My Sweeten contractor recommended parts vendors who allowed me to restore the beauty of the sink on my timeline and within my budget. I love how it turned out.

"Sweeten gave me the peace of mind I was missing in dealing with contractors."

All eyes on the details—and budget

The greatest worry I had was about exactly that—creating my budget and sticking to it. I didn’t want to end up with unexpected costs. My Sweeten contractor and her team were great professionals to work with; they laid everything out upfront and we aligned before work started. Once we began, any additional costs we incurred were outlined in a change order, which I approved before moving forward. Throughout the process, I always knew what my numbers were.

My advice as a now experienced renovator: Ask the minor questions, or the ones you may think are silly. Never assume that the team working on your job will do something without it being discussed. Walk-through every last corner of the space and look at all the details before the project wraps up to ensure any issues that concern you are addressed.

Small details make the difference

The thing I learned after posting this renovation is that you’ll make a lot of little decisions that only matter to you, but when your vision comes together well, it’s magical. We changed the swing of the kitchen door so that it now opens into the family room. It was a minor change that no one will ever notice—but it made a big difference in opening up the space. 

The kitchen and the breakfast room, with that gorgeous old stained-glass window, are closely tied for my favorite rooms in the house. The laundry room no longer feels dark and cramped—the natural light is incredible. What do I feel about the result? Happiness!

Thank you, Leigh and mom, for sharing your home with us!

Renovation Materials

KITCHEN RESOURCES:

• Paint in Kitten Whiskers, #1003, and Simply White, #OC-117 (trim): Benjamin Moore
• Moda Del Mar “Fiorella” Matte Ceramic 8”x8” Tile in Blue: Floor & Decor
• Custom kitchen cabinets: Sourced through contractor
• Countertops in Vanilla Noir, #5100: Caesarstone
• Elkay Quartz Luxe farmhouse sink in Ricotta: Build with Ferguson
• Filtered and traditional faucet in chrome: Water Inc.
• Glossy ceramic backsplash tile, Cloe 5”x5” in white: Bedrosians
• Heritage wall-mount faucet: Kingston Brass
• 24.8 cu. ft. french door refrigerator: Whirlpool
• 800 Series SHV878ZD3N dishwasher: Bosch
• Hiemey glass crystal, brushed-nickel octagon knobs: Amazon
• Oil-rubbed bronze knobs: Amerock
• Massey oil-rubbed bronze bin pull: Semihandmade
• Greenwich single sconce light: Rejuvenation
• Dempsey 52-inch LED indoor ceiling fan in Fresh White: Hunter

DINING AREA RESOURCES:

• Paint in Kitten Whiskers, #1003, and Simply White, #OC-117 (trim): Benjamin Moore
• Dempsey 52-inch LED indoor ceiling fan in Fresh White: Hunter

LAUNDRY RESOURCES:

• Paint in Kitten Whiskers, #1003, and Simply White, #OC-117 (trim): Benjamin Moore
• 4.8 cu ft stackable smart front load washer and 7.8 cu ft 10-cycle gas dryer: GE Appliances
• Faucet, 445 Series Chrome #445-GN8AE3RABCP and Spout #GN8BE4JKABCP: Chicago Faucet

—

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog, Sweeten Stories, for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation with Sweeten.

The post A 1920s Childhood Home Remodel in Mid City, Los Angeles appeared first on Sweeten.

The post A 90-Square-Foot Kitchen is Revived in Color appeared first on Sweeten.

If patterns in the kitchen feel outdated to you, think again. We’ve got proof that they’re making a steady (and stylish!) comeback. From personality-filled wallpaper prints to classic tile patterns, Sweeten homeowners are playing with subtle—and some not-so-subtle—forms of contrast in the kitchen. Read on for five unique takes on pattern play.

Captivated by a Hygge & West design featuring orange birds on a blue background, Mollie used the wallpaper to set the tone for her kitchen’s color scheme. She also chose a playful black-and-white tile to continue the thread of whimsy from the walls to the floor.

Amanda designed her kitchen from the ground up after selecting a Mediterranean-inspired tile for the floor. The rest of the design was chosen to complement the one-of-a-kind flooring.

Rima originally chose white subway tile for her kitchen backsplash, but her friends talked her out of it. A mix of white and gray hex tile create a modern mosaic, providing a hint of contrast without going overboard.

After going with blue-gray cabinets in the kitchen, Ainsley extended the color scheme into the dining room with an abstract blue and white wallpaper that pairs well with the warmth of the wood furniture and flooring.

Looking to preserve the classic design of her prewar kitchen, Emily chose a simple black and white color scheme. For the floor, Spanish tile injects some old-world charm and ties the look together.

While gray cabinets and gold hardware set a sophisticated tone in Holly and Christian’s kitchen, a chevron marble backsplash keeps the space feeling fresh and energized.

With limited square footage, Nancy knew that bold colors would make her kitchen feel cramped. Instead, a fun wallpaper with a dizzying array of black dots across a white backdrop makes a lively addition.

In Kavi’s kitchen, the new backsplash provides plenty of drama. White subway tiles were replaced with a kaleidoscope of black, gray, and white triangular tiles for a look that’s modern and luxe.

—

Not ready to commit to a pattern in the kitchen? Consider testing out a bold print in the bathroom.

Refer your renovating friends to Sweeten and you’ll both receive a $250 Visa gift card when they sign a contract with a Sweeten general contractor.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post The Art of Patterns in the Kitchen appeared first on Sweeten.

Renovators this year embraced trends new and old, from fresh takes to a more classic approach. Read on to see what made the cut.

SLIDING DOORS

A door can be more than just an entry from one room to another; it can take an open plan apartment and turn it into multiple, private spaces. Sliding doors add flexibility to spaces of all sizes, making rooms magically appear as if out of thin air.

Miguel got rid of a wall of closets and relocated the storage to the bedroom, installing a wardrobe on rollers that could also function as a door; glass-paneled partitions allowed Sarah and Craig to create a second bedroom in their apartment without blocking the light from a wall of windows; to transition their office into a guest bedroom, Ana and Leo opted for a set of white, sliding doors that have the appearance of a solid wall when closed.

WALLS-TURNED-PENINSULA

“Where there’s a wall, there’s a way” isn’t technically a saying, but it works well to describe how homeowners have been opening up their kitchens by chopping a wall in half. The move makes your kitchen feel much larger and boosts prep, storage, and dining space.

In Lisa and Chris’ tiny kitchen, the close walls made it feel tight and restricted—until they turned one wall into a peninsula; Kaija and John did the same in their space and topped it with a poured concrete countertop; and so did Dan and Mike, adding stylish wood paneling for a touch of contrast.

MULTI-COMFORT

(Air quality/Soundproofing)

Sometimes, the most comfortable elements of your home are the least noticeable, like air conditioning that keeps the summer heat at bay or soundproofing that elevates the coziness factor in bedrooms. When you’re thinking of new features to add to your home, like hardwood flooring or a marble countertop, don’t forget to make comfort a priority.

A new HVAC system found a spot at the top of the renovation checklist in Nazli and Larry’s 130-year-old brownstone; Deniz and Ramon added soundproofing to two walls in their kitchen to prevent noise from leaking into the bedroom; and Sarah chose solid core doors for the nursery so her girls can snooze away while she entertains right outside their door.

WALL-HUNG TOILETS

The toilet may not be the prettiest feature, but no bathroom is complete without one. When it comes to selecting one for your space, wall-hung toilets have a lot going for them, from the nearly non-existent footprint to the ease of cleaning below and around the unit.

In Felix’s Scandinavian-styled powder room, the wall-hung toilet blends in seamlessly with her minimal design; the unit in Alicia and Ed’s downstairs bathroom fades into the background so that the classic trough sink can take center stage; and in Meredith and Jason’s small master bath, the toilet takes up very little room, allowing them to gain back seven inches of floor space.

SKIM COATING

Although the process costs more than a simple color change, skim coating greatly improves the appearance of walls. Think of it as stretching a fresh piece of canvas for your masterpiece instead of painting on top of an older artwork.

Cat and Jordan took this extra step to reach the goal of making their apartment “look as big, bright, and clean as possible”; the walls that weren’t demo’ed in Sam and Sean’s kitchen got a much-needed facelift; in Lauren’s studio, she followed her contractor’s advice to skim coat the walls and ceiling to repair the uneven surface and hide bowed beams.

PATTERNED FLOOR TILE

Bathroom design doesn’t have to be boring; patterned floor tile brings color and interest, regardless of square footage. Go for the unexpected with contrasting grout, a pop of color, or a new twist on classic stone.

Nikki and Chris took inspiration from their favorite New York restaurant bathrooms with black hex tile and white grout; Erin and Brian chose a colorful blue mosaic tile; and Tina and Fletcher took marble to another level with a graphic basketweave pattern.

SEPARATE (OR SHARED) BATHROOMS FOR COUPLES

Whether you have two bathrooms or just one master, designing a stylish space to meet the needs of two people is possible.

Leslie combined two bathrooms in her home to create a large, luxurious space and installed an extra-wide mirror and double sink vanity; in Cecilia and Jonathan’s individual bathrooms, Cecilia wanted a bright, classic space, and incorporated plenty of marble, while Jonathan used stone to make his space resemble a spa; Meg and Brett went with a Kohler slop sink for two circa 1948 and a custom vanity.

BLUE KITCHEN CABINETS

Keeping kitchens cool is as simple as adding the color blue. In Victorian times, it was believed that a touch of blue in the wall paint would help regulate the room’s temperature. Although the motivation has changed, this moody hue has made a triumphant return.

Tina and Fletcher redesigned their kitchen with navy cabinets painted in Newburyport Blue by Benjamin Moore; mixing white and blue cabinets add a layer of depth to Mollie’s space; Claire and Mike selected Evening Dove by Benjamin Moore, a bold color choice, which helps define the kitchen from the living room.

WATERFALL COUNTERTOPS

Nothing is more elegant in the kitchen than a waterfall counter. The look elevates an island from a purely functional piece into a sculptural feature.

Amy and Nick splurged on Carrara marble for their kitchen showpiece; Alicia and Ed refined the edge of their peninsula with a Caesarstone counter in Statuario Nuvo; Carrara marble made another appearance in Lia and Chris’ space to cap the end of the U-shaped layout, a suggestion from their Sweeten contractor.

PANELED REFRIGERATORS

Don’t want your refrigerator to be the focal point of your kitchen? Disguise it with custom paneling and let the other features of your space shine.

Ainsley and Simon’s contractor proposed tucking their fridge into an existing column; Kavi and David concealed their appliances among flat-front cabinets; to preserve the classic design of her prewar apartment, Claudia chose custom paneling trimmed with molding.

Of course, we love ALL Sweeten renovations and are excited to help homeowners renovate fearlessly in the New Year!

—

Refer your renovating friends to Sweeten and you’ll both receive a $250 Visa gift card when they sign a contract with a Sweeten general contractor.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post Renovations Rising for 2018 appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: Modernize a bath in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

Before: Older apartments often come with quirks, especially with plumbing. In Lori’s 1930 co-op apartment in Brooklyn, one of those quirks materialized as a two-foot square platform that elevated the toilet by three inches. “It was protruding into the small room,” said Lori. To make the space more open, the platform needed to go. As did the dark blue faux marble tiles, which made the bathroom seem heavy. A vanity also needed to be retired. “It was an awful, dark, scratched up wood that we temporarily painted,” said Lori. Plus, it didn’t provide much storage.

After: She decided to post her project on Sweeten, a free service that connects renovators with vetted general contractors. Of course, solving an old plumbing issue is easier said than done. Lori’s Sweeten contractor discovered the toilet’s waste pipe was crucial to the apartment floors above (her apartment is on the first floor). The toilet plumbing required additional room, hence the platform. However, her contractor figured out a workaround by cutting a stack of plywood into the shape of the new toilet base. He then stacked them under the new toilet, which was lower than the old one, to give the plumbing the additional space it needed. “The plywood was covered with a small mosaic tile that blends into the floor tile,” said Lori. “It’s barely noticeable now.”

The newly renovated look leaned on bright whites with a patterned floor tile to add some excitement. The floating wooden vanity offers a warm pop of color as well as storage, but when Lori first saw it in the new space, it looked bigger than she had hoped. Her Sweeten contractor had another practical fix for that, moving it two inches lower down the wall. “That made it much less obtrusive and we were really happy with it after,” she said.

Bonus: Lori had not decided on a general contractor yet when she spoke with Miranda in client services at Sweeten about who would be a good match for her project. Miranda described the previous projects of the Sweeten contractor Lori ultimately picked. She also saw a Sweeten blog post on a previous project. “It was great to have someone to talk to behind an online service,” she said.

Style finds: Floor tile: Natucer. Wall tile: Daltile. Vanity, sink, faucet and “Alto” medicine cabinet: Fresca. Toilet, tub, and tub door: Kohler. Hardware, paper holder, and robe hooks: Moen. Shower tower: Art of Bath. Vanity light: George Kovacs-Saber. Ceiling light: Quoizel.

Thank you, Lori, for sharing your renovated bathroom with us!

—

A corner sink was the perfect solution to make this small bath feel spacious.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post An Odd Bathroom Finds New Solutions appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: A Manhattan bath gets new fixtures and finishes nearly 15 years later than planned

Before: Nancy and Aram purchased their 1-bed, 2-bath, 1,500-square-foot loft apartment in 2000 and made updates throughout the space soon after moving in. A few years down the road, they realized the work in their Chelsea bathroom was not up to standard: the subfloor wasn’t stable and as a result, the penny tile kept popping up. The wall tiles fared only slightly better, and other finishes were showing their age. The pedestal sink proved to be inadequate for their needs, with no countertop space or storage beneath. A tub, original to the home purchase, was unnecessary since neither Nancy nor Aram enjoyed baths. But one of the original bathroom renovation ideas they kept was the cabinet that they had installed during the first remodel, with its custom cut-out for their cat, Floyd, to access his kitty litter.

After: With grand visions of a wide, spacious shower and a reconfigured floor plan, Nancy and Aram posted their project on Sweeten, a free service matching renovating homeowners with vetted general contractors and chose this Sweeten contractor to execute their plans. Unfortunately, they discovered early on through a walkthrough with an architect that the Sweeten contractor recommended that their dreams were not code-compliant. Specifically, their desired layout would not provide the required clearance in front of the toilet, as specified by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They regrouped and proceeded with the project, opting to keep the old footprint and changing out all the fixtures and finishes. Nancy had wanted a patterned terrazzo or cement tile for the new floor and pored over dozens of virtual and physical samples. Ultimately, it was Aram who chose the new floor, spotting it just as they were heading out of the tile store: a black-and-white ceramic tile made to resemble the Moroccan-inspired cement options that Nancy had liked. (Fun tidbit: the couple hauled hundreds of pounds of tile in their car to NYC from the tile store in Hillsdale, NY, where they had previously renovated several baths in their second home. They were, shall we say, very committed to their upstate tile lady.) With the centerpiece flooring picked out, they chose a beveled white subway tile to complement it. A 1/3-offset installation gave the traditional tile a nice sense of flow. In place of the old tub, their contractor installed a shower with glass walls and a sliding glass door (a smaller version of what they had originally envisioned). For walls and cabinetry, they chose this shade of millennial pink while in a state of distress the day after the presidential election—but were surprised to discover that they still loved the color, even after the shock subsided.

Bonus: Nancy agonized over the vanity, given that space required unusual dimensions. A custom-ordered Duravit vanity with an integrated sink and countertop fit the bill, coordinating perfectly with their overall bathroom renovation ideas—it didn’t block Floyd’s kitty litter access and was shallow enough while providing storage for small items that Nancy wanted within easy reach.

Style finds: Black-and-white ceramic floor tile, white beveled subway wall tile, penny shower tile: Country Town Marble & Tile (Hillsdale, NY). Custom sink and vanity: Duravit. Wall sconce fixture and shade: Schoolhouse Electric. Vintage vanity mirror: Pottery Barn. Pink Cloud paint: Benjamin Moore.

—

Since it’s practically invisible, a glass shower enclosure is a one of our favorite bathroom renovation ideas for a smaller bathroom. In Mary Ann’s master bath, the glass shower makes the space to feel open and bright.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post A Footprint Remains the Same…But What a Head-Turner! appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: A makeover of an old hall bathroom on the Upper West Side

Before: Mary Ann and Frank dreamed of a new guest bath in the hallway since they bought their Upper West Side three-bedroom apartment in 1992. The space was almost all original from when the co-op was built in 1929. The original tiles and tub were long past their use-by date, but with kids still at home, the couple wanted to wait and renovate as empty-nesters. The master bathroom was also under renovation at the same time (a Sweeten project, as well!) and its tub was being removed. For resale purposes, there needed to be a tub in the guest bathroom, but the couple wanted to add a separate walk-in shower. That meant a possibility of losing precious storage. Fortunately, their Sweeten contractor came up with some smart bathroom renovation ideas to maximize the layout.

After: To make room for a stand-alone shower, Mary Ann and Frank did away with an awkward bathroom closet. The couple was concerned the small space, about the size of a phone booth, wasn’t big enough. To help their decision, their Sweeten contractor taped the size of the shower—27” x 32”— onto the floor. Mary Ann spent a few minutes in the square to get a sense of the shower’s proposed size. “I really trusted our contractor,” she said, so the shower went ahead. To make up for the closet space now occupied by the shower, Mary Ann opted for a large vanity in the master bathroom which held most of the storage for both rooms. In the hall bathroom, the couple went for an old-fashioned sink without cabinet storage underneath. Its style was a nod to the old historic Upper West Side. Instead, built-in storage behind the mirror means beauty products have a place. Mary Ann purposefully picked a sink with a wide rim so there is space to put those daily toiletries when they are in use.

Bonus: As the project came to an end, Mary Ann stumbled upon some tiles she absolutely loved for the floor. They were white with black triangles. However, her Sweeten contractor was all ready to go with what she had originally chosen. “He let me change it at the last second,” she said. “I’m so glad because [the new tiles] make the whole bathroom pop.”

Style finds: Tub Filler, 3-925/26: Newport Brass. Faucet KS4461BX in polished chrome: Kingston Brass. Valquest Traditional Thermostatic shower system: Hudson Reed. White Memoirs Stately toilet, k-3817-0; Jute 2-door vanity; Archer soaking drop-in tub: Kohler. Vintage Medicine Cabinet in chrome: Pottery Barn. Cassidy collection accessories: Delta. Floor tile: Cement Tile Shop. Ice White glossy 3×6 wall tile: Classic Tile. George Kovacs Saber 2-Light LED fixture, p5042-077 2: YLighting.com.

—

Jamie and Chad freshened up their bath with refined details and polished nickel fixtures to create an ELLE Décor-type vibe.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post A Guest Bath For Friends and Family To Love appeared first on Sweeten.