• Homeowners: Bellamy, an executive at The GAP, and Zak, a senior environmental scientist, posted their brownstone renovation on Sweeten
• Where: Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn
• Primary renovation: A 2,400-square foot Brooklyn brownstone renovation transformed the owners’ duplex and garden rental
• With: Sweeten general contractor
• Homeowner’s quote: “Aligning our budget was our major obstacle, but consulting with our contractor was great.“

Written in partnership with homeowner Bellamy. “After” photos by Kate Glicksberg.

Finding their circa 1900 Brooklyn brownstone home

After a grueling year-long search, countless open houses, and one house lost in a bidding war, we found our home. Remarkably, it had everything we wanted: it was a two-family home in the heart of “brownstone” Brooklyn, with original hardwood floors. Most of the houses in the neighborhood were built circa 1900. Many we viewed did not stand the test of time, but this home had been in the same family for years and did not show the usual wear-and-tear of a 100-year-old home. We were lucky, but we did need to embark on an old home renovation.

I was thankful to stumble upon Sweeten early in my search for general contractors in Bed-Stuy. While I had owned a home before, this was our first time doing a large-scale Brooklyn brownstone renovation that would require more than our DIY skills could handle.

The layout of the house and our budget did not afford us a ton of options, so the renovation was straightforward. We focused on structural changes to change the flow and use of the house. Thankfully, when we moved in, we were able to live in the garden floor apartment while we renovated the upper two floors where we would eventually live.

Salvaging and repurposing

We removed the original entry doors as you come into the entry foyer, but left the structural wall intact. This allowed the area to feel more open as you continue into the living area; it also gave back more livable space to work with. However, I loved the original details of the doors. Luckily, they just fit the ceiling clearance on the second floor and they found new life as the guest room headboard.

In the living room and through to the kitchen, we tore down two walls and exposed a long expanse of brick wall. The former owner had repointed the brick in the front room with black mortar, which was a real eyesore. When we exposed the whole length of the house, we were left with two walls that didn’t match. Limited by our budget, we repointed the half that was previously covered and experimented with painting techniques to blend the two together.

An overhaul for the kitchen

I wanted the updated kitchen to be the focus of the home. There were three main obstacles: adding a door for backyard access, the ceiling height, and a must-have double oven. I initially wanted to enlarge the back window above the sink to make it a focal point and let in more natural light. Not far along into the kitchen process, I had to abandon that idea since we were concerned with what the enlarged opening would do to the structural integrity of the home, given its age. It was also a huge expense so we chose to use those dollars elsewhere.

In the end, we actually made the window above the sink slightly smaller to allow for a proper backsplash. We replaced the second window with a door and added a small landing and stairs for easy backyard access.

Finding the right appliances

The next question was how to vent the hood with 11-foot-high ceilings and open shelving left nowhere to hide. Ultimately, the ducting was kept exposed and vented directly through the wall outside. I love the industrial element it adds to the newly renovated space.

Lastly, where to fit the double oven? At first, I was concerned I would be giving up valuable pantry space, but the layout worked out perfectly and there was room for everything we wanted, even the custom built-in beverage taps. We are home-brewing enthusiasts and wanted a unique feature in our kitchen to showcase that.

Splurging and saving

We needed to refresh the first-floor bath which was an easy update. The layout was already functional, so we kept it as-is with a direct replacement—aka rip-and-replace—of all the fixtures. We were able to salvage the original door and reuse the existing tub. We later put our DIY skills to the test and added fun wallpaper and wainscoting.

“He worked with us to determine where we could splurge and save.”

The top floor previously served as a separate apartment complete with its own kitchen. We wanted to have a master bedroom, master closet, master bathroom, guest bedroom, and laundry room. The tricky part was figuring out where to put everything. The pre-existing kitchen allowed us to easily add a washer and dryer without a huge expense. Once that was decided, everything else fell into place.

The master bedroom closet is a dream spot that had been a small room that our contractor converted. My favorite splurge on the top floor was adding a heated bathroom floor to the bathroom process—worth every penny in the winter.

Throughout the house, we did some major upgrades that elevate the whole space: we put up fresh drywall throughout the second floor, refinished the original floors in a dark walnut color, and replaced all the windows in the house.

Brooklyn brownstone renovation: budget and process

While I would not necessarily recommend living in a renovation (so much dust), it did allow us to check on the progress and be more involved in day-to-day decisions such as outlet locations and doorknob height. We optimistically thought the renovation would take three months, but we did add on some significant projects that stretched the timeline. Overall, once we chose our contractors, the project took about five months to complete the top two floors with some minor updates in the garden apartment.

Start your renovation with Sweeten

Aligning our budget was our major obstacle, but consulting with our contractor was great. He worked with us to determine where we could splurge and save in each room. Once our Sweeten contractor realized we were quite handy, we were able to figure out what we could do ourselves versus what we should leave to the professionals. For example, we chose to take on all the painting, which was a huge undertaking. I’m talking all ceilings, all walls, all trim, and multiple coats! I don’t think we understood what a huge task it was—and that in certain spaces, the contractor was unable to move forward until we completed painting. I’m glad we did it, but it was a grueling several months and I’m pretty sure I gave myself carpal tunnel.

Switching the brownstone layout

The biggest change in terms of the function of the home was separating the garden floor apartment from the upper two floors. In dividing the two, we were able to gain a coat closet in the apartment and additional storage space for us before the basement level. The ground floor is now available as its own standalone rental unit, while we live on the two floors above. Now that the house is done, I am so thankful we splurged on what we wanted—replacing the windows, skim-coating, and repointing the brick; those are some of my favorite things in the house.

Thanks, Bellamy and Zak, for sharing your Brooklyn brownstone renovation story with us! Here’s how they renovated their new garden rental apartment on a budget. 

Renovation Materials

FOYER RESOURCES:

• Floor tile: Merola

GROUND FLOOR BATH RESOURCES:

• Foundations Collection shower fixtures: Delta
• Hex black floor tile: Merola
• Fresh White wall tile: Jeffrey Court
• Opalhouse Speckled Dot peel-and-stick wallpaper: Target
• Godmorgon/Odensvik vanity and sink; ENSEN faucet: IKEA
• Vanity light from Ainsley Collection, 56552PN: Hinkley Lighting

KITCHEN RESOURCES:

• Kenmore refrigerator and slide-in gas cooktop: Kenmore
• Bosch dishwasher, SHVM78W53N: Bosch
• Whirlpool self-cleaning double electric wall oven, WOD51EC0AS: Whirlpool
• Floor tile, FRC8TWED: Merola
• Kitchen cabinets: Custom by contractor.
• Omnia cabinet knobs, 9153/18.3: Omnia
• Quartz countertops, 1141: Caesarstone
• Fresh White backsplash tile, 96012: Jeffrey Court
• Olde London apron-front farmhouse fireclay sink: Empire Industries

MASTER BATH RESOURCES:

• Porter shower fixtures, 142984C-BN-A: Delta
• Carrara marble hex mosaic floor tile, C33XH: MarbleOnline.com
• Retro Octagon White Dot shower floor tile, 96025; Fresh White wall tile, 96012: Jeffrey Court
• Godmorgon/Odensvik sink and vanity, 291.852.39: IKEA
• Vanity cabinet fronts: Semihandmade
• Vanity light from Ainsley Collection, 56552PN: Hinkley Lighting

PAINT RESOURCES:

• Trim paint in Totally Black, HDC-MD-04; Wall paint in Pure White, PPU18-06: Behr

Updated on June 26, 2023

Popular questions asked

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 Brooklyn Brownstone Renovation “Flips” for the Better appeared first on Sweeten.

The post A Brooklyn Bathroom Remodel Stays True to Its Roots appeared first on Sweeten.

A couple’s own pied-à-terre in their townhouse is finally complete

• Homeowners: Janet and Jerry posted their 1910 Brooklyn brownstone remodel on Sweeten
• Where: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY
• Primary renovation: A cramped one-bedroom apartment turns into a loft-like home
• Homeowner’s quote: “Through it all, we felt lucky to work with Sweeten, which connected us with both our architect and contractor and helped us troubleshoot on many occasions.”

Written in partnership with homeowner Jerry. “After” photos by Pixy Interiors.

The final project for a brownstone remodel

This is it. Our apartment. The pied-à-terre we’ve long waited to move into. We have a primary residence on Long Island, but we work in NYC and spend about half our time here. We decided to invest in a multi-family townhouse in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, rent each of the main units and keep the smaller, fourth-floor apartment for ourselves.

From the time we first saw the top-floor space, we knew it would be our city home. Like the other two rental apartments we remodeled with Sweeten in this brownstone, this one-bedroom unit needed work. It was dark and chopped up, the kitchen was a wreck and the bathroom was in disrepair. We started thinking about how to refresh the under 600-square-foot space and make it feel larger. Our goal was to create an open and airy studio. We planned to maximize natural light and use natural materials for an organic feel. 

More space with natural light

In our rentals, we’d worked to preserve the building’s architectural features. But in this unit, previous renovations had removed most original detail. Hardwood floors had been replaced with linoleum. Moldings that might have graced the overhead plaster were replaced with a drop ceiling. Only the window moldings and the fireplace remained. Given this situation, we felt free to rethink the space. We decided to use modern elements as influences for the new interior. Our brownstone remodel had Scandinavian style and Californian mid-century modernism.

Our architects, MNDPC, worked closely with Janet and our Sweeten contractor to achieve several architectural changes. First, we moved the entrance from the fourth floor down to the third, making the stairway part of the apartment’s interior. This increased privacy and usable space, and also allowed us to increase the living room’s natural light with a skylight at the top of the stairs.

Our contractor suggested the beams looked really good unpainted and unfinished.

A brownstone remodel exposes the beams

Next, we exposed the living-room ceiling. Opening it to the original wooden beams provided for more vertical space and a lofty room. Initially, we were going to paint the wooden ceiling and exposed beams white. Our contractor suggested the beams looked really good unpainted and unfinished. The adjacent sleeping area, however, would have a new lowered ceiling, and an archway. These subtle architectural elements bring the space together while simultaneously differentiating the sleeping and living rooms. 

The arch plays nicely with horizontal lines throughout the apartment, including the exposed beams and the long kitchen countertop. It also connects with a number of graceful curves, like the rounded mirror over the restored fireplace and the rounded lighting fixtures.

We moved to the problematic floors, which were covered in vinyl and old carpeting. We wanted natural wood and after much searching, we chose white-oak flooring. The planks would lay in a custom herringbone, or chevron, pattern. Unfortunately, there was a long lead time for the wood to be custom cut (nearly two months coming from Europe), not to mention a high price. Just before going back to the drawing board, we found a pre-cut herringbone at half the price. It came out fantastic.

A minimal kitchen for a second home

Once the floors were down we were ready to build the kitchen. We found dark wood cabinets from Ikea that not only looked great but pleased our budget! We wanted countertops that would complement the cabinets and wear well. Soapstone had the durability and appearance that worked. The veined black goes nicely with the apartment’s other dark features and looks fantastic as a backsplash.

To stay minimal, we hid appliances in cabinets; our washer/dryer combo, fridge, and pull-out freezer all fit under the counter. The pendant lights over the kitchen counter, the chandelier above the old fireplace, and the bedroom fixtures are simultaneously industrial, modern, casual, and polished.

Bringing sunlight inside

In the bathroom, we managed another stunning redesign thanks to our architects we found through Sweeten. The shower, a vertical space with a skylight, is flooded by day with natural sunlight, making it feel almost like it’s outside. One disappointment that turned out fine was with the stone floor tiles. We spent a lot of time picking them out, but after accepting our order, the supplier said that only one box of tile was available.

Our contractor solved the issue. He took a large slab of the same stone and custom cut it into a single 3’x3’ shower base as well as a door saddle, and a stone shelf. We chose an in-wall toilet to maximize space.

Having knocked down walls and invited light in every way imaginable, we felt successful in our visual opening of the space. We went even further by creating an outdoor area. The roof had formerly been inaccessible but we replaced a window with a glass door; it leads to a new roof deck with views of the neighborhood and Manhattan in the distance.

Happy at home

Through it all, we felt lucky to work with Sweeten, which connected us with both our architect and contractor and helped us troubleshoot on many occasions. The process came with so many rewards. Janet says she most appreciated the design work and creative discussions of a brownstone remodel. I’m just enjoying our apartment! It’s like staying in a nice hotel with a feeling of being home. The best of both worlds.

Thank you, Janet and Jerry, for sharing your entire home with us!

Renovation Materials

LIVING ROOM RESOURCES: Wall paint in Cotton Balls: Benjamin Moore. Poolesville European white oak flooring: PID. Chandelier above fireplace: Schoolhouse Electric. Theresa Rand coffee table: Menu Design Shop. Doorknobs: Omnia.

DINING AREA AND STAIRWAY RESOURCES: Hackney marble dining table, storage bench: CB2.  Rattan cane chairs: Industry West.

BEDROOM RESOURCES: Ceiling light, sconce lights: Schoolhouse Electric. Mill C bedside table with laptop tray: CB2. Spindle Nightstand: Industry West. Airisto bench/side table in ash: Finnish Design Shop. 

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Paint in Cotton Balls: Benjamin Moore. VOXTORP kitchen cabinets and sink: IKEA. Ipanema Reserve countertops and backsplash: M Teixeira Soapstone. Faucet, #1959LF-BL: Delta. Liebherr undercounter refrigerator and freezer: Liebherr. Pendant lights: Schoolhouse Electric. LG all-in-one 2.3 cu. ft. front-load washer and electric ventless dryer: LG. Fellow Stagg Pour Over kettle: Williams Sonoma.

BATHROOM RESOURCES: 18″ x 18″ Marine Black Phyllite floor tiles: M Teixeira Soapstone. Matte white wall tiles 3”x9”: COLORI. Kohler shower fixtures; Contemporary and Purist Line fittings: Kohler. Duravit toilet: Duravit. GODMORGON vanity, ODENSVIK sink : IKEA. Faucet: Grohe. Hardware, lighting, towel bar, tissue holder, robe hook, Swedish utility rack: Schoolhouse Electric. Mirror: CB2. Waffle towels: Snowe.

ROOF DECK RESOURCES: Ultimate Wood Swinging French door: Marvin. Automated shade: Shade Store.

A note on fixture and appliance deliveries: If you’re on a tight timeline, Appliances Connection has over 50,000 items in stock and ready to ship nationally. If you’re in the NY/NJ metro area, in-stock items typically deliver within 2-3 days.

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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 on Sweeten.

The post My Sweeten Story: An Epic Brooklyn Brownstone Remodel appeared first on Sweeten.

We’re back again this week with Part 2 of Nazli and Larry’s historic Brooklyn brownstone renovation in Bedford-Stuyvesant. If you missed it—check out Part I where Nazli walked us through their planning process and showed off the foyer and guest suite. Here, she shows off the rest of the parlor floor, including the kitchen, the dining room, and the powder room. Nazli explains the challenge of merging modern and traditional within the confines of a townhouse’s long and narrow configuration. Read on for her thoughts on powder rooms (wackiness is key), decorative mantels (rather pointless), and coming to terms with the budget required to achieve the renovation you want (very tough).

Guest post by Bedford-Stuyvesant homeowner Nazli

Front parlor/foyer entry

I think the biggest challenge to any renovation is…the renovators obviously. There will always be a push and pull between the architect, the contractor, and the owners. And most of the time, that will yield a better product than any single entity could have envisioned (but not always). I think our Sweeten architect was fantastic in coming up with some great solutions to space challenges–especially on the parlor floor, where I insisted we needed a half-bath that was nowhere near the kitchen (because, gross), a hall closet, and a kitchen pantry. She really provided a lot of help in making sure the house was up to code and that the spaces flowed. Our contractor (and my husband’s best friend), did an awesome job of value engineering so we could get the most bang for our buck. The decorating of the spaces was left mostly to me and it was interesting trying to figure out my own taste.

We, like all imperfect clients, wanted this Brooklyn brownstone renovated on a contractor’s-grade budget. Obviously, we were being silly and went way over budget (and right at what our contractor told us it would cost; we were just deeply in denial about the cost of construction in NYC). The mechanicals in a home are so expensive that basically most of the money was gone before we made a single design choice. And for me, I care deeply about the fixtures, finishes, and materials and I wasn’t about to cheap out on the things we had to see and use every day. So just be honest with yourself about what you want and what you’re willing to pay or give up for it.

Standing in front parlor looking through the kitchen into the dining room

I was most excited about the kitchen—if that hasn’t already been made clear. I love throwing huge parties and dinners, and I like to spend my alone time cooking. It’s also a natural gathering spot, so it was exciting to think about getting the most out of the space. Turns out the space configuration of a Brooklyn brownstone made it hard to do that, but it still served us well—I am super happy with a long island (11 feet long!), a BlueStar stove, and the different stations for cooking, eating, making coffee, or baking.

The kitchen is my happy spot and I’ve spent years thinking about what makes a good kitchen. Is this ideal space planning? Nope. Is this my idea of a good time? For sure. The challenge was how to devise an open-plan area that was going to take up so much of the parlor floor without making it feel like a separate room. My solution was to forgo upper cabinets so there’s a clear line of vision from the front of the room all the way to the dining room. This created a storage challenge for me, of course, which we solved with a kitchen pantry. I wanted the pantry to be open so that I could see and access all my ingredients easily, but I also didn’t want a lot of visual clutter. I painted the cabinets and shelves a deep gray (same color as the island cabinets), which makes the whole space disappear once I turn out the light. I found a piece of scrap marble at the stone yard which I used for the kitchen backsplash and the countertops along the back wall closest to the pantry. Marble is expensive and hard to maintain, so my thought was to use it in low-use areas to give the look and feel of the material throughout the kitchen without spending that much. For the island and other countertops, I used poured concrete, which is a material I love. Surprisingly, it’s also pretty delicate, but it’s subtle and earthy and I like how it ages. The kitchen is, again, more traditional than I would have preferred, but I think the concrete and the open shelving give it a more modern touch. Also, I fought to get a second sink in the kitchen and am so happy I won that battle. It’s handy to set up a water station so people can grab water or rinse out cups without interrupting my cooking space.

I can’t say enough about how much I love these herringbone walnut floors. We splurged on these floors and went with the less costly white oak for the upstairs floors because…well, just look at them. My original vision was to have the tile floor in the kitchen, but it made more sense to continue the wood on the whole parlor floor and save the tile for the back extension. We mocked up the island with plywood and adjusted it until I was happy with the dimensions—how it felt to go from sink to stove, or how easy it was to take food out of the fridge and place it on the counter. That kind of stuff is important to me, and this was the first time I really got to design my own kitchen for myself. Everything is a bit taller and it suits me just great.

A note on accessibility: I’ve had friends and families with different mobility and impairment issues—whether wheelchair-bound, deaf, or arthritic—and time spent with them has made me very conscious of what it means to design well for many. A landmarked Brooklyn brownstone is a nightmare for anyone with a wheelchair, a walker, or a stroller, and I also saw firsthand some of the challenges that my design choices presented.

The first set of cabinet pulls in the kitchen were a lovely set of straight, minimalist tab pulls. I loved that they gave the kitchen a more modern look. Cue my mother and mother-in-law coming over all the time and struggling with the pulls. They couldn’t grasp the straight pull with their arthritic fingers. I switched them out right away for pulls with a fully curved handle. Now they can just stick their finger under the pull, and a small motion opens the drawers. People keep talking about their “forever homes,” but really think about how you, your guests, and your children will have to adapt to the spaces as everyone starts to get older.

Dining room/bar

On the other end of our Brooklyn brownstone, and connected to the kitchen, is the dining room and bar. We love this room. We really felt like this room, a back extension added in the 1910s, was the reason we bought this place. Then we sadly rebuilt the entire room, but somehow, it’s still our favorite space in the house. So that was a great surprise—buying a house because of one room and then recreating it and still having that be the best spot in the house. It’s our dining room and bar, but we also have space under the dining bench to store all of Nacho’s gear so that he can draw and play at the table while I am cooking.

From being in other friends’ homes, I knew that extensions were always freezing cold and hard to heat. All I wanted was Moroccan tile for this room (in fact, for the whole house, but we just didn’t have the budget for that). Everyone fought me on adding radiant heating to the subfloor, but it’s by far the warmest room during the winter. Larry and I often come home and lie down on the floor and accidentally fall asleep! During the summer, this is the room we hang out in while kids run in and out of the house to the backyard. The best surprise? That giant Tiffany stained-glass window, which was hidden by a crappy 1970’s bookcase on the inside and vinyl siding on the outside. As soon as we bought the house, we ripped down the bookcase hoping we’d find a window, and lo and behold, we did. It was in near perfect condition. We completely sealed it with clear glass on the outside to avoid damage and heat loss, as we did with all the other stained glass details around the parlor floor.

There was a large fireplace in this room, but I couldn’t figure out how to fit the mantel and Larry’s bar, and after much cajoling, I finally convinced Larry to agree to rip out the fireplace. The mantel has a new home in the living room, where the original had been removed previously. I will say, to the horror of preservationists everywhere, that I wish we didn’t have our mantels—they don’t work, they take up too much space, and they create artificial focal points in every room. Maybe if they were marble, I’d appreciate them more. It’s form without function, which I have no love for.

The powder room was a tough one to figure out. I hate the idea of guests having to go upstairs to use the bathroom, and with a small child, it’s great to have a bathroom on every floor. I think powder rooms should be wacky. This one is tiny, so doing a fun wallpaper or paint color was relatively cheap. I love the electric Cole & Sons Palms wallpaper—it adds a touch of fun to an otherwise formal dining room. I also love the pop of color from the door to the powder room. We hated having the stained glass window facing a dull orange wall because it cast a weird orangey glow into the room. Rather than fight it, though, we decided to paint the door an amped-up version of that wall to tie the colors together in a fun way.

Thanks so much for sharing your gorgeous parlor floor spaces with us, Nazli and Larry! Click here for installments Part I and Part III.

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Cabinets: custom. Cabinet pulls: Rejuvenation. Knobs: myknobs.com. Sink: Kohler. Fridge: Gaggenau. Range: BlueStar. Dishwasher: Bosch. Poured concrete countertops: Oso Industries. Marble countertops: PR Stone. Chelsea Gray paint color: Benjamin Moore.

DINING ROOM/BAR RESOURCES: Tiles: Cle Tile. Sconces: Rejuvenation. Abyss trim color: Benjamin Moore.

POWDER ROOM RESOURCES: Sink: Duravit. Faucet, toilet paper holder, hooks, and soap dispenser: Grohe. Wallpaper: Cole & Sons.

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Jerry and Janet gut renovated a historic Brooklyn brownstone with an exterior that was in desperate need of a facelift and a virtually unsalvageable interior. The results are a perfect marriage of modern and traditional.

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 Long Townhouse Sets the Right Flow for Modern Living (Part 2) appeared first on Sweeten.

(Above) Janet and Jerry’s brownstone renovation

Chances are that once you find the right townhouse (good bones, ideal location, right price) in New York City, the space is going to need some work. After all, many of these houses—particularly classic brownstones—date back to the late 1800 and early 1900s. Sweeten, a free service that matches homeowners with vetted general contractors, spoke to Sweeten’s founder and CEO, Jean Brownill, and Chris Halliburton, associate broker of investment sales at Compass, to put together a comprehensive guide about the questions to ask before you buy and how to get started on your townhouse renovation plan once the papers are signed, sealed, and delivered.

Questions to Ask During Your Search for a Townhouse

If you’re looking for a townhouse to renovate, you probably already have an idea of the kind of home and lifestyle you’re looking to create. Perhaps you’re tired of neighbors stomping above you and dealing with your restrictive co-op board, or you are drawn to the dream of owning your very own roof terrace and backyard—aren’t we all? Or maybe you’d also like rental income to offset the cost of home ownership, or you’re an investor looking to maximize rental income.  Whatever your motivations, your townhouse renovation search should be narrowed to the properties that will allow you to create the lifestyle you’re looking for. Here are the questions to ask during your search.

1.) What’s the building’s history?

This is where you gather information about the soundness of the property. New York City’s Department of Buildings (DOB) has a great site where you can look up the history of the property and see the violations, complaints, as well as applications and permits for prior work done to the property.

Look for red flags, and use the information to determine whether prior work—especially structural changes or alterations to the plumbing, electrical, and mechanicals—has been executed properly. Property Shark is another place where you can access comprehensive, publicly available information about the property in question.

(Above) AJ and Ray’s townhouse renovation

2.) What’s the actual square footage versus the buildable square footage?

Many townhouses are on lots much larger than the current building footprint. For example, brownstones are often on 100-foot lots, but the building itself may only be 20’ x 35’. Chris explains that these properties can often be built back with extensions ranging from ten to 30 feet long, depending on the floor area ratio (FAR). The FAR is determined by the zoning designation, and in New York City, the Zoning Resolution designates ten residential districts. For example, a lot that is 20’ x 100’ in an R7-2 zone that has a FAR of 3.44 allows you to put up a 6,880-square-foot building.

You may also be able to expand vertically. This is almost always a given, Chris says, although you may be constrained by landmark preservation requirements (see below). Similarly, you should explore excavation possibilities for creating a cellar. While below-grade space is not counted in the square footage, it is often useful to add space below for mechanicals or storage, even if it is not livable. By storing these elements underground, you can free up space above grade to maximize your living space and/or rental income potential.

(Above) Marsha and Adam’s townhouse renovation

3.) What are the existing conditions?

In addition to the information that you gather via city databases, pay attention to the existing conditions of the building. Are there signs of water damage, mold, or termites? Also be aware of outside forces beyond an owner’s control—is there a lot of ongoing or planned construction in the area?

If there is an empty lot next door, find out what is happening there. Chris points out that the construction of tunnels for the Second Avenue subway expansion was a major issue for surrounding properties, not only in terms of noise and inconvenience but also with structural damage related to shifting foundations.

Is it currently a single-family dwelling that you intend to turn into a two-family? Or vice-versa? Be prepared to hire an architect if so.

4.) Is the property landmarked or in a historic district?

The Landmark Preservation Commission is New York City’s governing agency for preserving buildings and sites that are culturally, historically, and architecturally significant. Many brownstone townhouses happen to be in designated historic districts—there are a total of more than 36,000 landmark properties in 141 historic districts and extensions throughout the five boroughs, according to the LPC’s website.

If the townhouse you’re considering is protected, you will need to submit any planned changes to the LPC for review at the same time that you submit plans to the DOB. Chris explains, “Anything that the LPC approves will be approved 99 percent of the time by the DOB. But it’s not the case vice versa.” In particular, any changes to the façade will be scrutinized by the LPC. For example, while a back extension will not affect the view of the building from the street, adding floors will. If you want to add to the top of the building, you may be required to start 20 feet back from the front of the building, so that the additional floor can’t be seen from the street.

An LPC review will add extra time to your townhouse renovation, so this should be a consideration, especially if you are looking to bring in rental income on a deadline.

Financing Your Townhouse Renovation

Obtaining financing for a townhouse purchase and renovation is essentially the same process as a condo purchase and renovation (co-ops are the outlier here). This is because a townhouse, like a condo, is real property. You can consult this Sweeten guide on financing home renovations. If you are financing both the purchase of the property as well as the renovation, you have a few options (Jean advises consulting a professional to see what’s best for your situation).

• Apply for a construction loan and a permanent mortgage separately. This means you will need to research two separate loans and pay for two sets of closing costs. Some lenders only provide construction loans, while others will only make combination loans. Construction loans typically run for 12 months or less and are subject to an adjustable interest rate that resets quarterly or sometimes monthly.

OR

• Apply for a construction-to-permanent loan. This combination instrument simplifies the process because you only need to take out one loan and pay closing costs once. It’s the more popular option for this reason. While construction is ongoing, you only pay interest on the outstanding balance, and then it is converted to a mortgage after the renovation is complete. You may, however, pay more for the permanent mortgage because the need for a combination has reduced your lender options.

(Above) Nazli and Larry’s  brownstone renovation

Who You’ll Need On Your Team

When searching for a townhouse to renovate, it’s important to gather the experts who will not only help you get the job done right, but who can help you assess whether it’s a project worth tackling in the first place.

For this reason, you’ll need to line up several professionals early on, including structural engineers, electricians, and plumbers. Chris suggests that you bring these pros in for site visits prior to signing the contract so that you don’t “end up buying a money pit.” He estimates that you could have all these consultations done for roughly $1,500 to $2,000.

When it comes to general contractors, Jean understands firsthand the importance of having a professional you can trust. “When I started to renovate my own Brooklyn brownstone, I ended up hiring the wrong general contractor,” she said. “If I can make a wrong choice, anyone can.” She started Sweeten to help homeowners find licensed and vetted contractors and to ultimately renovate fearlessly to create a home they love.

Many thanks to Chris Halliburton of Compass for his insights on buying and renovating a townhouse.

Sweeten can match your townhouse renovation project with expert contractors in your area!

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Found a home you love and that you’re ready to renovate? Here’s how to find a general contractor for the job.

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 Buying and Renovating Townhouse Apartments appeared first on Sweeten.

The post Best of Brooklyn: Renovating in Bedford-Stuyvesant appeared first on Sweeten.

Bellamy, an executive at The GAP, and Zak, a senior environmental scientist, took their 119-year old Bed-Stuy brownstone and turned it on its head by flipping the way it was previously used. The new configuration puts the couple at the top of the building in a cozy duplex with a single-story rental on the garden level. To achieve this, they carefully planned their renovation budget to be allocated between the two living spaces. (See how they transformed the two floors of their own home here.) They came to Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with vetted general contractors, to update the bathroom, add sliding doors, and create a new entrance for a private, light-filled rental unit.

Guest post by Bed-Stuy homeowner Bellamy

I owned a one-bedroom condo in Bedford-Stuyvesant, but when Zak and I moved in together we wanted a larger space for ourselves. So we moved out and rented for two years, which gave us the flexibility to take our time buying and not rush the search process. It worked in our favor since it took us almost eight months to find and purchase a home. We were specifically looking for a two-family house where we would be able to rent out a portion of the house to supplement the mortgage.

(Above) Before shot standing in the living room looking toward the kitchen

We found this perfect three-story brownstone in Bed-Stuy—2,400 square feet, about 800 per floor. It was built in 1899, and when we found it, there was a lower duplex and a top floor rental. We wanted to flip that scenario and posted our project on Sweeten. With help from our Sweeten contractor, we renovated the top two floors for ourselves and gave the rental a facelift.

We were much tighter on our budget in the rental since we had spent the bulk of our money on our personal living space. The mantra was, “Make it simple, functional, and durable.” I wanted to add natural light and brighten the space and make sure there was complete privacy between our living space and the rental unit. A separate stairwell would have had to be created if the rental stayed on the third floor, and we’d lose a lot of existing footprint. By making our home on the top two floors and relocating the rental to the garden-level, we not only kept the square footage but it turned out to be the easiest and least expensive option.

The first thing we did was close off access—which was a set of French doors—to the stairway going from the first floor and on up to our living space. This gave us an open area to create a coat closet when you walk into the rental unit. I loved that my contractor suggested pushing the coat closet as far back as we could which would otherwise have been wasted space inside the rental. Instead, the entire hallway now serves as storage space for Zak and I and a way to our basement that only we can access.

We did spend the majority of our budget in our living space. But I am happy with the areas we chose to upgrade in the rental.

Once our contractor realized that Zak and I were quite handy, we were able to figure out what we could do versus what we should leave to the professionals. Overall, it was all about repurposing what we had. I did a fun tie-dye paint effect over the bed. I’d read online about how to transform a large wall with little cost using a sample can of Behr interior acrylic eggshell paint; it cost about $3. I diluted the paint with water until it was the consistency I wanted and then crisscrossed it over the wall until it was the desired effect. Zak and I did the kitchen ourselves, painting the cabinets, tiling the backsplash, grouting, and putting in new countertops. We also installed the sliding barn doors. The bathroom was left to the professionals!

In closing off the basement, we had to relocate the bathroom entrance and seal off a doorway in the kitchen. With the added wall space, we fit a small eat-in nook in the kitchen. The other thing that needed attention in the rental was an awful bathroom. We replaced everything in there. It completely changed the space and made it feel more modern and updated.

Since the house was built in 1899, we thought we might find some interesting details, but, unfortunately, all the character was stripped prior to us buying the house. Everything had probably been replaced in the past 15 years. Because we were adding walls, it was hard to stay consistent with the original molding, so to stay on budget, we opted for the least expensive four-inch base molding.

It was absolutely worth renovating. We did spend the majority of our budget in our own living space, but I am happy with the areas we chose to upgrade in the rental. The new flow gives us both privacy, we all gained extra storage space, and we’ve received great feedback on what we’ve put together.

Thank you, Bellamy and Zak, for sharing how you made your rental work for you. (Click here for their Airbnb listing.)

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Countertops, sink, and faucet: Ikea. Hardware: original. Wall tile: Home Depot.

BATHROOM RESOURCES: Floor tile: contractor sourced. Wall and shower tile and mirror: Home Depot. Hardware: Home Depot. Sink, vanity, and lighting: Ikea. Toilet: contractor sourced.

PAINT: Paint color throughout in Ultra Pure White: Behr.

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Renovating a rental property? Check out our guide on remodeling costs per square foot.

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 A Rental in a Brownstone Gets Fashionable appeared first on Sweeten.

Marsha and Adam searched long and hard for almost two years before they found the townhouse that would become their family home in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. The pair—she, the CFO of a division at Siemens, and he, a manager of software development at Spotify—looked all over the borough, and even ventured into New Jersey before realizing that Brooklyn was where they needed to be. They found a brick two-family home that needed a lot of work, but the couple had a good feeling about it. It was “sunny, just the right size, and of course, within our budget,” says Marsha. Having lived for a while in a 720-square-foot Park Slope apartment with their two daughters, Sophie and Mila, they were excited for all the new space—just over 2,000 square feet on three floors, plus a basement.

While the duo knew that they needed to gut the townhouse, the renovation and total timeline stretched across a year and a half. They moved into the home in the summer of 2015, pre-renovation, and posted their project to Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with vetted general contractors. They were matched with this Sweeten architect, who worked with them on the plans for the renovation lasting close to a year. (A possible relocation to North Carolina for work delayed the project for three months, just as construction was about to commence.) Once the demolition began, the family of four moved into the garden apartment and camped out there for about half a year, until the work in the upstairs duplex was completed in December 2016.

The first must-have on the couple’s list was white oak floors. The rest of the design took inspiration from the simplicity of the hardwood. For the kitchen, Marsha and Adam decided on an all-white color palette, an unfussy, modern look inspired while scouring Pinterest.

On the main floor of the duplex (the second floor of the house), the couple knocked down the walls that chopped up the spaces, so that the living room, dining space, and kitchen were all connected as one open room. A hallway, which took up precious space, was removed, while a full bath was converted to a powder room (with a fun patterned tile floor!) all to give more square footage to the kitchen.

Working within a limited amount of space, their Sweeten architect came up with two solutions that would maximize the function and beauty of the kitchen, which faced the back of the house. She suggested that they add another window to the rear wall, and remove a non-functioning fireplace that was causing an awkward flow. The revised layout featured an L-shaped white Caesarstone countertop and white ceiling-height Shaker-style cabinets, as well as a new island. A large kitchen pantry held the recycling and appliances from view. A marble hex-tile backsplash added some variation while furthering the theme of modern simplicity. Three simple wood-clad steps lead to a deck and down to the backyard.

Each of the three bedrooms were skim coated and painted in Benjamin Moore Super White, a perfect backdrop to the pops of color that the girls added to their rooms. The resulting home is modern yet warm and allows the couple’s mid-century modern-inspired furnishings, lighting, and art to take center stage.

On the top floor of the duplex, the floor plan remained mostly the same, with a few minor changes. The hallway was widened for a more spacious feel. The two smaller bedrooms were evened out so that both Sophie and Mila would have similarly-sized rooms, and a washer/dryer closet was created so that they wouldn’t have to “schlep laundry up and down the stairs.” The original staircases were in terrible condition and a priority to be replaced. They now feature clean vertical lines—white posts framed by straight wooden rails that echo the white oak floors.

Now that Marsha and Adam have put away the paint cans, they reflected on what was most difficult about the renovation: “The biggest challenge was living in a construction zone for five months,” the couple agrees. “It was tight, dusty, and messy. But it was a great way to keep track of the progress and make sure everything was being done as we expected. [Another] challenge was keeping our wish list reasonable. It is so easy to spiral out of control and decide you want every square inch renovated.”

They were glad to have a Sweeten architect by their side. “The team was pleasant and easy to work with. I still can’t believe how great our experience was considering we were gutting our house. The key is communication, and we all worked very well together. Our advice is to find people who are easy to communicate with, and who have worked together in the past. When people know each other, they can more easily deal with issues that come up.” What do they love most about their new home? For Marsha, it was the sunny kitchen and backyard. And according to the children: all of it. “I think they truly love the house,” says their mother.

Last, but not least, they also wanted to share this nugget of wisdom: “Paying more for soundproofing the bathroom (so you don’t hear anything from your bedroom) is worth every penny. We really appreciated our Sweeten architect telling us that we ‘needed’ those more expensive items—she was right.”

Thanks to Marsha, Adam, Sophie, and Mila for sharing your beautiful townhouse with us!

LIVING/DINING ROOM RESOURCES: George Nelson Bubble lamps: Design Within Reach.

KITCHEN RESOURCES. White oak 4” plank flooring with matte finish: Custom. StarMark kitchen cabinets: Global Kitchen & Bath. Cabinet hardware: Sugatsune. Pure White countertops: Caesarstone. Marble hex tile backsplash: Tile and Stone Depot. 28” sink and faucet: Kraus. Counter-depth refrigerator and stove: LG. Dishwasher: Bosch. Ventilation hood: Broan. Lighting: Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. Super White paint: Benjamin Moore.

MASTER BATH RESOURCES: Floor and subway wall tile: Classic Tile and Marble. Shower fixtures and hardware: Hansgrohe. Double sink and vanity: IKEA. Mirror: Kohler.

POWDER BATH RESOURCES: Floor tile: Cement Tile Shop. White subway wall tile: Classic Tile and Marble. Purist hardware: Kohler. Toilet: Toto. Lighting: Crate & Barrel. Mirror: CB2.

HALLWAY RESOURCE: Stackable washer/dryer: LG.

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Want to see the renovation process broken down step by step? Check out our remodeling guides for the kitchen and bath.

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 A Sunnier Outlook for a Two-family Townhouse appeared first on Sweeten.

After Roxy, a rescued Rhodesian ridgeback, joined their household, Alicia and Ed realized “a little more space in a laid-back neighborhood” would be a better fit for the family of three than Manhattan, where they were currently living. They set their sights on a 1,400-square-foot garden duplex in a Park Slope brownstone. They fell in love with the building, which had been converted to condos by a developer about a decade ago. Despite the high-end finishes that were chosen at that time, there were issues that had developed in the interim. The couple also wanted to bring the renovations in line with their tastes, and in a style more befitting a building dating from the turn of the last century. As Alicia put it, “We really just wanted to make the place something we loved coming home to at the end of each day. What we had wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t terribly practical either—we had mismatched countertops, cracked tiles in the bathroom, a lack of counter space in the master bath, and most importantly, no space in the fridge to store our wine. The place just lacked the ‘wow’ you would expect from a building this pretty.”

They reached out to Sweeten—a free service matching renovating homeowners with vetted general contractors—for their contractor. For the couple’s custom kitchen renovation, Christina, their Sweeten Planner, was present at regular site visits and contractor meetings, providing detailed progress reports. Initially, the couple intended to focus their time and money on the kitchen. Instead, they also updated the guest and master bathrooms executing an overall vision—“a muted, classic design with a modern twist.”

In the kitchen, this meant replacing the mismatched countertops as well as the cabinet fronts, and creatively finding space for a built-in wine fridge. Ed and Alicia knew that when the kitchen was renovated a decade ago the developer had used top-of-the-line materials, from custom Italian cabinetry to Viking, Miele, and Liebherr appliances; the space didn’t need a gut, simply a refresh. The downside of the custom Italian kitchen, however, was that none of the cabinetry was standard-sized. Refacing was a custom job, pushing out timelines, but it meant they could keep all the existing built-in shelving and customized organization that would have been extremely expensive to replace. Countertops resembling marble from Caesarstone unified the space and were chosen for their hardiness and durability. Ed had always wanted waterfall-edge countertops, which completed the look perfectly.

They had hoped to replace a smaller-than-usual refrigerator, as well as add a wine fridge. But the floor plan wouldn’t afford them the space for a larger unit, so they focused on adding a wine fridge instead. Working with their Sweeten contractor, Ed and Alicia poked exploratory holes in the drywall underneath their stairs. Happily, they discovered that a 36-bottle dual zone wine fridge would fit in the space without making any structural changes. “It’s a luxury you would never think you could have in New York. We painted the surrounding wall with chalkboard paint—it’s a great way to leave notes for each other, plan out our grocery list, and try out some amateur artwork,” they said. “As a bonus, we found the current kitchen fridge is more than large enough for our needs.”

The downstairs bathroom was next on the list—it already had a great soaking tub, but the vanity and medicine cabinet were outdated. The tiles, too, were showing their age. Alicia had always loved the feel of a traditional New York City bathroom—penny tile floors, subway tile, and a classic black-and-white color palette. They replaced the sink with a trough style: “There was debate whether the sink would be too large, but after lots of measuring and imagining how close it would be to someone using the shower or toilet, we decided to do it. We are so glad we did. It is a perfect fit. We also went for the matching faucets and soap dish.” Having forgone storage under the new sink, they added a small shelf and a 1940s American Red Cross medicine cabinet (found online in Bulgaria!). The large closet just outside of the bathroom made up for the limited storage. Lastly, a wall-hung toilet was a lot of trouble to install, but ultimately worth the effort, since it’s incredibly easy to keep clean and makes the room feel larger.

During the renovation of the downstairs bath, the contractor discovered that there was preserved exposed brick along one wall. They hoped that the brick was in the same condition a few feet away in the living room, and asked the contractor to rip down the sheetrock where their dining table would sit. “It turns out we were in luck. The brick looked wonderful, and though we had to unexpectedly reroute some electrical cables and find matching oak to patch up the flooring, it was worth all of the expense and impact on the timeline.”

Finally, the couple also decided to renovate the master bathroom upstairs. (One of the pluses of living through your renovation is that you can figure out what else needs work while the contractor is on-site!) Since Alicia and Ed moved in while the renovation was still ongoing, they lived with the space for a while and found the bath to be unsuitable in many ways. “The overhead lighting was terrible, and the illuminated mirror died the day after we closed on the apartment. There was the complete lack of shelf space for us to set things down while getting ready, and the leaking pipework rendered the vanity useless for storage. The space really felt unloved.” To give the room a facelift without breaking the budget, they kept the large soaking tub (same as the one downstairs), the flooring, and toilet. A new white shaker vanity with a marble countertop provided ample storage while an illuminated medicine cabinet and built-in LED lights lit up the room. Adding a glass panel in place of the old shower curtain opened the space up. Lastly, a herringbone wallpaper from Ferm Living took the master bath to the next level.

They made the home “smarter,” by adding outlets in convenient locations for their Sonos sound system, converting regular to USB outlets where appropriate, adding a video intercom, and installing a full Nest thermostat and smoke detector system. Now, they can control the temperature via Amazon Echo (thanks, Alexa!) and ensure that the apartment is a comfortable temperature for Roxy while they are away.

Although they’d hoped to finish the renovations prior to their move-in date, they ended up living through the entire renovation, which lasted four weeks from beginning to end. The toughest part, according to Alicia and Ed, was keeping Roxy out of trouble. (See above.) Their advice to future renovators? “Find a contractor you trust, and take their advice on what things would work well and what to avoid. We used tools like Pinterest, the Sweeten blog, and other online tools to get ideas. Also, if you have space, try to keep some spare materials once you have completed your renovation. We spent a long time trying to find a flooring that matched our current style to patch in around the exposed brick wall. We decided to buy an extra pack this time and store it in our basement in case of emergency. The same thing with all the tile. You never know what could happen in the future—for a few hundred dollars, it is worth the investment and peace of mind!”

Thanks, Alicia and Ed, for sharing your gorgeous new garden duplex apartment! We hope you and Roxy enjoying living there for many years to come.

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Flooring: original. Cabinet fronts: custom. Statuario Nuvo Countertops: Caesarstone. Marble herringbone backsplash tile: Home Depot. Art: Ryan Duggan.

GUEST BATH RESOURCES: Glossy white penny tile flooring: Home Depot. White subway wall tile: Home Depot. Shower fixtures: Kohler. Brockway sink/vanity: Kohler. Cannock faucet: Kohler. Wall-hung toilet: Toto. WWII Red Cross cabinet: Etsy. Mirror: Houzz. Art: Ryan Duggan. Shower curtain: Pottery Barn.

MASTER BATH RESOURCES: Vanity: Home Depot. Verdana lighted medicine cabinet: Kohler. Glass panel: Houzz. Herringbone wallpaper: Ferm Living.

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Tina, an architect, drew up plans to renovate a Cobble Hill garden duplex for her family—focusing on each and every room from the kitchen to the bedrooms.

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 Retro-Modern Update for a Brooklyn Duplex appeared first on Sweeten.

The post My Sweeten Story: A Brooklyn Townhouse Works for Everyone appeared first on Sweeten.

Sweeten’s Founder + CEO Answers Your Renovation Questions

Welcome to our first installment of a series in which I hope to bring clarity to some of the mysteries of renovating. We hear your questions every day and work happily to bring you answers through our team and blog. Whether you’re a first-time homeowner or a serial renovator, each project brings a new set of circumstances and new queries with it. Feel free to email me at JBrownhill@sweeten.com. In the meantime, I’ll even include questions that I get asked most often—even at cocktail parties!

Today, our question is about brownstones, and if this topic interests you, be sure to check out Part 1 of Nazli’s post on her and her husband Larry’s full gut four-story townhouse reno, a story filled with helpful insights and a refreshingly candid take on their experience.

QUESTION: What should homeowners keep in mind before jumping into a brownstone renovation?

JEAN: I think most people get really excited about the interiors, especially as New Yorkers. We’re used to mostly having apartments or spaces where we are pretty much focused only on the interior. But the big change comes when you go from a regular apartment renovation to a brownstone renovation or an actual piece of property, and you’re still tempted to focus on the interiors. After all, that’s where it’s going to be fun…that’s where you’re going to live.

I highly recommend people fall in love with all the details of their roof, and all the details of their basement—places where apartment dwellers usually rely on a super and don’t ever have to worry. So when you’re thinking about a brownstone renovation, really look at the integrity of the roof and the integrity of the basement. Those are the areas you want to get right before you even start on the interiors. Every time it rains, you don’t want your heart skipping a beat wondering if your roof is leaking. Or if it’s raining hard, you don’t want to be stressed out worrying, “Oh my god, is my basement flooding?” So fall in love with the roof and the basement. Because that’s really the difference. Yes, you’re getting a ton more space, and yes, you’re getting a backyard, but start at the top and the bottom.

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Jerry and Janet’s historic brownstone needed major work, including a facelift of the building’s exterior, so they turned to a gut renovation with the goal of creating the perfect mix of old and new.

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 Q&A: What to Know Before Renovating a Brownstone appeared first on Sweeten.

Today’s before and after kicks off a three-part series on a Brooklyn brownstone gut renovation in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. In 2015, Nazli and Larry bought a four-story derelict townhouse and set out to create a home for themselves and their son Nacho. With refreshing honesty on topics ranging from marital disagreement to aging foresight, Nazli shares the behind-the-scenes process of decision-making and what it means to renovate for real life, beyond the photo shoot. The couple—she’s a consultant for government affairs and he is a broker—envisioned the house as an inviting space for their extended community of family and friends—a home away from home. Read on for Nazli’s take on their plans for the new townhouse, and the full reveal of their guest suite on the second floor. Fittingly, for a family that loves to host, it was the first room finished and ready for occupancy!

Guest post by Bedford-Stuyvesant homeowner Nazli

We purchased our home in the newly landmarked Bedford Historic District. It was a single-family brownstone, roughly 4,000 square feet, which we converted into a two-family home with a garden rental and a triplex for ourselves. The home was built in 1890 by Bedford-Stuyvesant architect Montrose Morris, who also built the nearby Kelly Mansion. He built many of the premier properties for wealthy families of the time, though the four townhouses he built on our street were apparently more of an exercise in creating middle-class lodging. Our home was uninhabitable at the time of purchase, truly—no heat, no working bathrooms or kitchen, and just…not in good shape. There were original but defunct fireplaces, beautifully preserved paneling and plaster work on the walls, as well as some stained-glass windows (a happy surprise)—but no other details remained.

We certainly did not go into our renovation thinking that it would be a gut—we couldn’t afford it and we didn’t think it would be necessary. But while attempting to figure out the mechanicals and ductwork, it quickly became apparent that it would be more efficient to take down all the crumbling walls and start from scratch. It wouldn’t be so much more expensive since the electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems could be done anew, rather than trying to trace them up 130-year-old walls. There was also so much water damage throughout the house that none of the original flooring could be preserved. The house was a mess.

Our goals were to meet the basic needs of our family, and tick items off our dream list. My basic vision of a home is a giant kitchen with some other rooms arranged nearby for whatever it is people do outside of a kitchen. Larry was really looking forward to having his own private office, which would allow him to work from home more often and spend more time with our son, Nacho. Our child only cares about fans, so we made sure we had a ceiling fan for him to play with (kidding). Collectively, we love to entertain, so we wanted to make sure we had plenty of space for guests and could host for a while without it feeling like a strain. We also knew that as we and our families aged, our needs would be different, and wanted flexibility in how our spaces were configured to allow for changing needs.

My husband and I disagreed on most decisions (seriously, renovation is not for the faint-hearted), but there was also a really nice division of labor around what our priorities were. I could care less about the bells and whistles of a “smart” home, but my husband spent a lot of time and effort getting the house wired up on Nest thermostats, security systems, and a Sonos sound system, etc. It’s totally amazing to be able to hear music throughout the house, or turn the heat on remotely and come home to a warm home after a few days away. On the other hand, I really care about the flow of space and a house design that makes it easy to clean and maintain. I thought a lot about our storage options and made a million mock-ups of the kitchen and what each cabinet should be used for.

In terms of how we imagined the home, I definitely pictured a more modern space than what we have, but we realized pretty quickly that the house, even with the few remaining details, called for a different type of treatment. Townhouses are tough: they are long and narrow and lighting is always tricky, and I think we both realized if we wanted an ultra-modern design we should have looked at a different type of property. We wanted to honor the feel of this Brooklyn brownstone and preserve as much of the plasterwork and recreate as much of the molding without feeling closed in—the way that many of the more traditional townhouses made us feel. Certainly, we wanted a design that felt as open as possible, but I’m a stickler for storage and we are not minimalists, so real-life storage solutions were key. This meant large closets in every room and built-ins where possible.

We were lucky enough to find our architect through Sweeten and we really wanted her to come on to do drawings and filings because our contractor, who was also my husband’s best friend, really wanted design as he went along. The goal was to create a beautiful space that was flexible to changing tastes. I view the house, beyond some very bold choices in some of the rooms, as a really great blank canvas for great furniture and our art collection. I didn’t want too much millwork or details that would keep the house stuck in one genre forever. Both for ourselves and our changing needs and tastes and for future owners of the home, it’s nice to be able to create a totally different look and feel in the future without having to do major construction.

Let’s start with the foyer, which is a work in process. I love that when you enter the home, you see the entire floor. The staircase looks so lovely and grand, especially with the black paint and the landing at the bottom of the stairs to emphasize the grandeur of the steps. There was a crazy wood panel fracture with a mirror at the bottom of the stairs but we all thought it was bulky and awkward and it didn’t seem to be original to the rest of the stairwell. Our architect convinced us (Larry) to get rid of it and our contractor convinced us to rip up that whole wall and expose the brick. I love the sneak peek into the original brick, and how it grounds the space from the frou-frou antique-looking chandelier and the stained glass. I loved using the same ceramic tile from the dining room in the entry vestibule and again—it was all brought together so beautifully by painting all of it black.

Like all good Iranians, I made sure the guest room was the first one in the house that was set up, furnished, and made available for use. Guests are sacred in our culture and we started having house guests after the first night in our house, and for about three months straight afterward. I think Larry takes more of an American’s tact towards house guests…like fish, they start to stink after three days. But having them on their own floor with their own bathroom certainly makes it easy to have folks around. Oh, how I love having a guest room. Basically, if you paint any room Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray, it will be close to perfect. I had a different idea about how this room would look but then I inherited this terrible rug from my father’s house in Tehran and had to redo all the bedding to go with the odd mix of muted colors. I love Persian rugs, don’t get me wrong—walking on bare floors isn’t my taste. But we followed the rules for a perfect guest room: make sure the bed is comfy, that the closets are empty so guests can use them for their own stuff, and provide a work desk (so you can hold your best friends hostage for weeks at a time in your home, even if they insist they have to go back to LA to “work”).

This guest bathroom is so delightfully boring that I fall asleep looking at its soothing tones. I wish I pushed harder for Moroccan tiles in here. I think the floors we used, which basically mimic the look and feel of concrete, wash the whole room out. Our architect used these floors in a hotel project and I really dug them; they were cheap and cool, but always remember the scale of a home project versus a commercial project. What may look like a great feature in a larger space may not work in a smaller venue. I usually have a Persian rug down on this floor which gives the room some warmth and life. If you are ever unhappy with the flooring, put a rug on it! I can’t say enough about how much I love these subway tiles though—they are just varied enough to give them a real handmade look rather than the flat subway tiles we usually see. They come in a gorgeous gray and black as well—I failed in not using them in more spots throughout the house; that may be a future project. I love the shower as well, we made it nice and big so that Nacho could have fun in there. We also built a large bench along it with a grip bar.

Our moms visit often, and I find bathtubs to be really dangerous for the senior citizen crowd. We felt good about having a step-in shower and adding features that would make it safe for both Nacho and the grandmas. It’s lovely having the windows in the bathrooms after years of using interior bathrooms with poor ventilation, though we haven’t figured out a good solution for the wood window trim, which is constantly getting wet and will probably crack or mold in the future. I also highly recommend an integrated sink when you have filthy toddlers—makes clean-up so much easier. This was the top half of a vanity and sink combo I bought. We ended up hating the vanity, so I just had our contractor make us a custom cabinet, which is lovely.

Thanks for introducing us to your Brooklyn brownstone project and sharing your guest suite, Nazli! Click here to read Part II (all about the first floor) and Part III (the bedrooms).  

GUEST ROOM RESOURCES: Chelsea Gray paint color: Benjamin Moore. Lighting: West Elm.

GUEST BATH RESOURCES: Subway wall tile: Nemo Tile. Sink: Duravit. Vanity: custom. Faucet: Grohe. Shower Fixtures: Grohe. Mirror and Lighting: Restoration Hardware.

FOYER RESOURCES: Sound system: Sonos. Thermostats and security system: Nest. Chandelier: Restoration Hardware.

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Architect Tina and husband Fletcher renovated their garden duplex in a Cobble Hill brownstone just in time for the birth their first child. Read Part I and Part II of their renovation journey.

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 Family’s Historic Townhouse Grows in Brooklyn (Part 1) appeared first on Sweeten.

A hunt for more space led Tina Ladd and her husband, Fletcher, from a one-bedroom on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to a garden duplex in a Cobble Hill brownstone. As an architect, Tina was thrilled to be able to customize their new home but was up against an urgent deadline: the imminent birth of the couple’s first child. The transformation was so remarkable, we’re telling the story in two parts, starting with the parlor. Here’s part one of Tina’s vision for the family home—and how she went into labor on moving day! 

Guest post by Tina in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Coming from a one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side, we were eager to upsize to a two-bedroom and create a home for our expanding family. We had been looking at listings up and down Manhattan and in a couple of Brooklyn neighborhoods before we found out we were expecting a baby. Four months into the pregnancy (and into intensifying nesting instincts), we went into contract on a duplex in a historic Brooklyn townhouse.

While we would have been happy with a turn-key apartment, we were both open to renovation work so I could exercise my skill set as an architect and design a more tailored home for our family. With the advantage of a network of design professionals and general construction knowledge, we knew we could take on an appropriately sized project. As we approached a fixed deadline—the due date—we eliminated any options that would require significant structural, electrical, or plumbing work. This would not only cut down on a construction timeline, but it would also eliminate the lengthy review process of obtaining permits from the Department of Buildings and the Landmark Preservation Commission.

As an architect, I didn’t want a cookie-cutter apartment; luckily, my husband, Fletcher, was supportive in my pursuit of something unique. When we attended the open house for our apartment, we were drawn to the high ceilings and 10-foot windows framing the living room. The sun-filled living space was located on the entry parlor level of the townhouse (about five feet above street level), with views directly out to the beautiful brownstone street. The bedrooms were located on the garden level, one floor below. While the 1,200 sq. ft, two-bedroom space checked many boxes on our list, we felt a few changes were needed to turn it into the home we were searching for. The living space was in good shape, and some of it was even recently renovated. However, the kitchen was small and closed-off. Unlike the parlor floor with tall ceilings, the lower, garden level had very low ceilings and felt like a basement. The previous owners had added some modern touches, and while we both prefer the minimalist aesthetic in certain types of projects, we knew bringing back some familiar character would help make the historic apartment feel more inviting.

Due to the seller’s terms for a closing date, we were in contract for nearly three months, pushing a tighter deadline. In order to be sure we could hit the ground running with construction upon closing, we discussed major design decisions, and I completed drawings for our anticipated work before meeting with contractors, and ahead of our closing date. At first, we had planned to open the kitchen and re-tile the bathrooms. By the time we were meeting with contractors, our list expanded to include refinishing the floors, adding molding/casing, and replacing all the interior doors.

I turned to Sweeten to find a contractor after seeing an ad during Open House NYC, my favorite Sunday morning TV show. We were matched with three general contractors and decided to move forward with the Sweeten contractor who best understood our vision and could help us strategically meet our goals. He laid out a six-week timeline—a more ambitious schedule than we had anticipated! To meet our budget, we chose to supply the materials and fixtures, taking advantage of my design industry discounts.

Our first goal with the apartment was to create an open kitchen. The existing kitchen was separated from the living room by a floating, non-structural wall. By removing the wall and turning the corner with new cabinets, we could transform the space from a narrow galley-style kitchen to an open L- shape with an island.

From the first time we saw the space, I envisioned a transitional-style kitchen with navy blue cabinets. I considered both Ikea cabinets with custom fronts, as well as standard semi-custom options. In my first walk-through with the contractor, he suggested a custom cabinet maker that could execute my vision in a more cost-effective way than semi-custom options from a big-box store. Initially, custom cabinets were not in our budget. We were able to construct a kitchen perfectly fit for the space, maximizing storage vertically. We ended up choosing a shaker-style in Newburyport Blue. Simple, budget-friendly 2×8 subway tile in white from Nemo Tile and white Frosty Carrina from Caesarstone allowed the color of the cabinets to really pop. We installed under-cabinet outlet strips and lighting, which added a level of sophistication.

The previous owners had installed top-of-the-line appliances—a Sub-Zero refrigerator, Miele dishwasher, Wolf range, and stove. Because we chose to keep the appliances, we designed around them. This was one advantage of a totally custom kitchen. We wanted a true exhaust hood for the Wolf range with higher CFM (cubic feet per minute – a measure of the volume of air that moves heat, odor, moisture, and smoke per minute while cooking) capabilities than a typical over-the-range microwave venting system. The kitchen design didn’t really allow for an alternate microwave location, so we concealed it behind pocket doors in the island. The Sub-Zero refrigerator also impacted our design. The refrigerator door opened away from the cook and prep space in our new layout. Since the Sub-Zero design does not accommodate switching the door hinge side, the island footprint was rotated and narrowed from what we had originally planned in order to provide comfortable clearance.

The existing powder room design was very modern. To bring a more transitional feel marrying both traditional and contemporary elements into the bath, we replaced the tile, vanity mirrors and light fixtures for a more classic aesthetic. For the flooring, we chose Nemo’s Fluid basketweave marble mosaic; I love this pattern that was so common in prewar homes.

Next, we got to work on the master bath and bedrooms which are located in the semi-subterranean lower level—and with shorter ceilings. Making the space brighter and restoring historic charm was the goal.

Check out Part 2 when we visit the family’s lower level! Thank you Tina and Fletcher for showing what renovating with grace under pressure looks like. 

KITCHEN RESOURCES: White gloss subway 2″ x 8″ wall tile: Nemo Tile. Shaker cabinets: custom. Newburyport Blue cabinet paint: Benjamin Moore. Frosty Carrina quartz countertops: Caesarstone. Brushed satin nickel cabinet hardware: Top Knobs. Bertazzoni KU30PRO1XV vent hood; Samsung microwave: AJ Madison. Gray wood floor finish: Bona.  

POWDER ROOM RESOURCES: Fluid Basketweave Mosaic marble floor tile: Nemo Tile. Wall sconces: Schoolhouse Electric. Farris mirror: Dwell Studio.

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We’re loving the smart and sophisticated look of navy blue cabinets—which reminds us of another kitchen renovation that was outfitted with a custom set in a similar shade of blue with a more rustic sensibility.

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

The post An Architect Delivers on Her Duplex Renovation—in Her Third Trimester (Part 1) appeared first on Sweeten.

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 a Sweeten member. 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 & new tS member, Slavica Novak Nikolic R.A. of Urban Bond Creative, 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.

In addition to the floor plan, the interior finishes were long overdue for an upgrade, which we can see quite easily in the kitchen & dining areas.

Here’s a view from the former kitchen on our first visit during demolition. Once the non-load-bearing walls had been removed, we could already start to picture an open, modern home!

And here’s that same view now! In huge contrast to the cramped feeling of before, the first floor is now almost completely open. We love how the kitchen ceiling really seems to float overhead without any apparent vertical structure. Variations in ceiling height — where soffits have been used to conceal mechanical systems — also help to accentuate this lightness.

The new dining area features a clever built-in buffet using ikea cabinetry — ikea’s Ramsjo system lets you alternate solid & glass face panels, which works surprisingly well here to create the feeling of a custom unit. White walls here and throughout the space are painted in Benjamin Moore’s china white.

The buffet’s solid-panel ramsjo cabinets continue into the kitchen, along with caesarstone countertops in ‘pure white.’ A wood top for the island adds a bit of warmth to the space — and interestingly, this red wood, called African Padauk, will transition over time to a darker, purple/brown color due to light exposure. Niches built into the wall for display are another subtle but unique detail, adding even more originality to the space.

Next to the kitchen, this bathroom came as a pleasant surprise — it’s so fresh, with its modern fixtures, hardwood floors, and big pops of color & pattern. Bright red paint was custom matched to this awesome Brooklyn-themed toilet wallpaper, designed by Beastie Boy Mike D & Revolver NY, and printed & sold by our friends at Flavorpaper in Brooklyn.

The entry foyer received plenty of updates as well — one of the best is the custom milled front door which turned out beautifully! Underfoot, new white oak flooring runs throughout the whole first floor.

Looking back through the living space from the office — it’s so difficult now to imagine this space chopped into so many separate rooms!

For these happy homeowners, we’re sure it feels great to relax in their much improved home!

Many thanks to Alan Bowes & his team at AMC, Slavica Nikolic, and to homeowners Sarah & Mike.

Ready to renovate? Post your project to Sweeten, a free service matching renovators with vetted general contractors.  

The post Full Floor Gut Renovation in Ditmas Park appeared first on Sweeten.

This week we’re in the home of interior designer Katherine Hammond to check out the newest addition to her lovely Brooklyn Brownstone. After hearing about us from a friend, Katherine posted on Sweeten seeking a contractor to build the custom floating desk she had designed. We matched her up with Nick Dillon of Nick Knacks Creative Interiors, who worked with the designer to build and install her floating-concept desk. When the project was completed, Katherine reported that Nick was a ‘dream to work with’ –and, as a bonus to us, she even ended up becoming a member of Sweeten network with her company Katherine Hammond Interiors!

Here’s a shot of the space when Katherine posted her project.

The desk was designed to be tucked away in the alcove behind this headboard. Like much of this Brooklyn Brownstone interior, the headboard, which doubles as a bookcase on the other side, was designed and built by Katherine and her father. Katherine consulted Francois Chambard of UM Project, an innovative furniture design co., for construction detailing to ensure a minimal look.

When Nick & his crew came to install the desk (which they built off-site), Nick did his usual, very meticulous prep-work in order to ensure that none of Katherine’s belongings were damaged.

We love how clean and minimal the design is –and while we can only see a glimpse of the desk from around the corner, we can still get a sense of its conceptual lightness.

Here’s the designer, Katherine Hammond. Once her desk was in place, Katherine painted a few layers of magnetic paint primer onto the wall above. Now her inspirations can also float (without damaging the wall!). Covering the magnetic layer is Benjamin Moore’s Satin Impervo, which was also used on the desk.

The desktop and drawer faces were built with MDF then painted, while the drawer interiors feature the natural grain and texture of finished plywood.

We couldn’t be happier to have found the perfect match for Katherine’s project! Many thanks to Nick, Dawn & team at Nick Knacks Creative Interiors, and to Katherine of Katherine Hammond Interiors.

Have a custom project in mind? Post it to theSweeten; it’s FREE & super easy!

3/18/2013 UPDATE:

Thanks to Apartment Therapy readers for your comments! Here’s a look behind Katherine’s headboard –the back of the headboard works as a bookcase to complete the designers’ space-efficient workspace.

The post Site Visit: Custom Floating Desk appeared first on Sweeten.