The post My Sweeten Story: A Greystone 3-Flat Condo Remodel in Lakeview East appeared first on Sweeten.

The post My Sweeten Story: A Home Remodel in Atlanta Caps a Thoughtful Refresh appeared first on Sweeten.

The post My Sweeten Story: Finding Charm in the Big City appeared first on Sweeten.

The post 5 Big Ideas for Small Entryways appeared first on Sweeten.

The post An Artsy 320-Square-Foot Apartment Renovation in the West Village 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.

—

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.

Nine years seems like a long time, but some things are worth the wait. That’s the case for Barbra, a television producer, and Sean, who purchased their 1,100-square-foot Kensington, Brooklyn, prewar co-op and only recently renovated. They were used to kitchen cabinets too shallow for dinner plates, broken track lighting, and crumbling baseboards. Despite it all, the couple, along with their sons Jack, 11, and Clint, 8, are glad they lived in the space and really understood what they wanted and needed before remodeling. It made it easier when they posted their Kensington co-op renovation project on Sweeten, a free service matching renovators with vetted general contractors. They chose their contractor, who they say was open to their ideas, gave them great tips on where (and where not) to splurge, and helped them stay within budget.

The apartment had a lot of light and great bones, but it was dated and needed a complete overhaul. A slapdash remodel in the 1980s included tile haphazardly layered over older tile in the bathroom and a weird bookshelf installation that covered up a pass-through to the living room—which meant they had to walk around the entire room to get to their dining table. The kitchen area had wrong-height countertops and an unnecessary wall that separated the space.

The previous owners had added a third bedroom, but it was too small to fit anything other than a bed. The goal was to even out those bedrooms so their boys could have their own rooms, without one of them being seriously shortchanged on space. Barbra and Sean’s overall vision was for everything to be simple, functional, clean, updated, and bright. The co-op had a lot of natural light and they really wanted the renovation to show that off.

The couple knew their project was going to be a really big job. They’d renovated a much smaller apartment once before, but it was a simple, cosmetic remodel for resale—nothing like this project. Barbra recalls learning early that she had to do all her research on fixtures, materials, appliances, style, and colors before starting the renovation work to save time and money. “I never knew how many different types of doorknobs there were—or even realized I had strong preferences in doorknobs,” she said, “until I actually had to choose one.”

The renovation started with bringing the electric up to code. There were unusable outlets and fixtures, and old electric and phone cable lines littered the apartment. Having those ripped out and new lines installed behind the walls “made my day,” she said.

As for the walls themselves, despite having been built in 1935, there really weren’t any remarkable moldings. To keep the space modern but classic, baseboards and doors were kept clean and similar to the originals. To brighten everything up, they installed all new lighting. “Seeing the non-working track lighting get pulled out of the living room was incredibly satisfying,” Barbra said. The floors were refinished, which let the original herringbone pattern stand out. “Refinishing made a bigger difference than I would’ve thought,” Barbra said.

They had a mural on the foyer wall that a friend had painted when they moved in. They were sad to see it go but knew a statement wall would work there.  “I love wallpaper but wanted to use it sparingly, so this seemed like the perfect spot for it,” Barbra said.

Opening up the kitchen and adding a new pass-through closer to the dining area made a huge difference. Their light-filled apartment was even brighter and sunnier now. In the kitchen, they brought in more storage by adding cabinets that went to the ceiling. They loved patterns and bold colors, but aside from the kitchen floor tile, the couple opted to save the patterns for easily changeable items like the wallpaper, rugs, pillows, and paint. As for choosing the navy shade on their cabinets, they felt the layout was classic enough that they could easily swap the door panels out for a new look, if they want it, in the future.

Their desk area had always existed in the kitchen, so when planning the new layout, it seemed natural to carve out an area specifically for this use. They found a desk that fit the opening perfectly and used wallpaper left over from the foyer to give it a more finished look.

Storage was important in other rooms, as well. In the master bedroom, their Sweeten contractor suggested combining the two existing small closets into one large one with a custom closet system. A closet was added to the third bedroom, which now had space after moving the wall, as well as a custom system to one of the entry closets. “There’s a lot more functional space now,” Barbra said. “I even have some half-way empty dresser drawers. I wish I had done all the closets. Someday!”

(Above) Hall bathroom

The other spaces that needed serious attention, of course, were the two bathrooms. They were falling apart and together made up one functioning bath: the master bath had a working shower, but the sink was broken and the second bathroom’s shower didn’t work but the sink did. The working shower had mold and a sinking shower pan. In the bathrooms, they focused on clean lines and classic tile in black/white/gray colors.

While researching materials, “Pinterest boards and Instagram were my friends. I started to find patterns with things that I liked and tagged—from tile patterns and blue color tones to exposed bulb fixtures and wood stain colors—which helped me come up with a style (if you can call it that) for the overall space,” she said. “It helped to have a clearer idea of the look I wanted to achieve with inspiration photos to refer to and show my contractor.”

(Above) Master bathroom

They were also open to ideas from their contractor. They liked that their Sweeten contractor wasn’t a “yes-man” and offered more efficient alternatives to some ideas they presented. He gave them tips on what to splurge on (the custom closets and shower doors, tile) and what not to (custom cabinets) to help them stay within budget.

When they encountered a few bumps in the road, such as waste lines and interior pipes that needed replacement, a delayed vanity cabinet, and a broken dishwasher handle “he communicated with us right away and offered immediate solutions,” she said. “Not only was their work stellar, but they were all incredibly nice guys who gave valuable feedback and advice throughout the process. Every element of our home was done with care and with attention to detail.”

Everything now is clean, airy, and bright; it feels homey, Barbra reports. “I never wanted to invest in furniture and art because everything felt so temporary,” she continued. “Now that the space is renovated, I know we’ll live here for many years and can now take the time to invest in pieces that are right for it.”

Thank you, Barbra, Sean, Jack, and Clint, for sharing your renovation story with us! 

LIVING ROOM/DINING ROOM RESOURCES: Salem chandelier in Aged Brass (in living room), Cypress 5-Arm chandelier in Brushed Satin (in dining room): Rejuvenation. Paint in Gray Owl: Benjamin Moore.

ENTRY/FOYER RESOURCES: Odyssey 2 Pendant lighting: Schoolhouse. Lines wallpaper in dark blue by Ferm Living: Burke Decor. Paint in Gray Owl: Benjamin Moore. Elfa custom closet: Container Store.

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Modulo 20-floor tile by Kerion, subway backsplash tile: Tiles by Kia, Long Island City, New York. Cabinets: Ikea base with Semihandmade doors. Cabinet hardware, Amerock Bars Pulls collection: Amazon. White quartz countertops: sourced by contractor. Havsen apron front sink: Ikea. Delta Trinsic faucet in Champagne Bronze: Build.com. Refrigerator: Samsung. Bosch 300 Series dishwasher: P.C. Richard & Son. Blomberg 30″Pro Gas Range, 30″ over-the-range microwave oven: AJ Madison. Lighting: Cedar & Moss. Paint in Brilliant White: Benjamin Moore. White lacquer shelves, Blake shelf brackets in aged brass: Rejuvenation. Mid-century mini desk: West Elm.

MASTER BEDROOM RESOURCES: Vega 5 chandelier light, Isaac short arm sconce: Schoolhouse. Paint in Slate Teal: Benjamin Moore. Elfa custom closet: Container Store.

MASTER BATH RESOURCES: Wall and floor tiles: Tiles by Kia, Long Island City, New York. Venus light: Cedar & Moss. Shower: Delta Trinsic via Build.com. Fresca Valencia 24″ wall-hung vanity in dark slate gray: Decor Planet. Toto Aquia toilet: Build.com. Shower door: Custom.

KID’S BEDROOM RESOURCES (GREEN): Cage brass globe pendant light: CB2. Paint in Land of Liberty (triangle) and Spring Valley (walls): Benjamin Moore. Shades: Blinds.com.

KID’S BEDROOM RESOURCES (BLUE/WHITE): Ferris 5 chandelier light: Lucent Lightshop. Paint in Utah Sky and Super White: Benjamin Moore. Shades: Blinds.com.

HALL BATHROOM RESOURCES: Marble herringbone floor tile, subway wall tile: Tiles by Kia, Long Island City, New York. Grohe Europlus shower fixtures, Grohe Essentials Collection hardware, Toto Aquia toilet, 24″ Kohler Verdera medicine cabinet, Kohler Archer soaking tub, Kovacs Saber 2-light fixture: Build.com. Maykke 24” wall-mount Eva vanity sink set: Amazon. Paint in Pure White: Benjamin Moore. Shower door: Custom.

SMALL HALLWAY RESOURCES: Bell white flush-mount light: CB2. Daydream wallpaper in indigo: Hygge & West.

THROUGHOUT APARTMENT RESOURCES: Trim/baseboard/door paint in Super White: Benjamin Moore. Schlage Bowery F Series doorknobs, #F40BWE622 in matte black: Build.com. Floor stain in Weathered Oak: Minwax. Decorative rugs: Rajbespoke.

–

Sweeten helped Marie and John with their “aging-in-place” co-op renovation in Kensington, Brooklyn.

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 Full Co-op Renovation In Kensington Gets Organized & Up-to-Date appeared first on Sweeten.

Nazli and Larry’s brownstone renovation

First impressions make lasting impressions, and this is as true of your home as it is of anything else in life. Let’s begin with the front door. It’s the focal point of your entry and the feature upon which pretty much everything else hinges—literally. You can go dramatic or understated, but you want a door that works with the style of your house while also keeping it secure and free from drafts. The right choice will set you well on your way to the kind of curb appeal that also gives a boost to the value of your home.

There’s plenty to consider when selecting from front door styles. Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with vetted general contractors, offers a rundown of front door styles—materials, colors, accessories, and add-ons—to help you navigate the process.

When should you upgrade a front door?

In short: security, energy efficiency, and good looks. The appropriate door performs on many levels. It’s also a good investment. The National Association of Realtors advises that homeowners can expect as much as an 80 percent return on window and door upgrades at closing. If you’re not moving, this enhancement makes you a better neighbor and a happier homeowner with a prettier front entrance. Prices across front door styles can range from $200 up to $2,000+ if you add on sidelights, transoms, or different finishes.

You can also seize the opportunity to upgrade security with a newer, more secure lock system. Additionally, you could also get an energy-efficient door that reduces air leakage and cuts your utility costs!

Finding your front door style

The choice is yours, and you can have whatever you want—windows or a solid panel, sidelights, or a transom. To maximize curb appeal, you should stick with a door that fits with the architecture of your home. Today’s houses, especially new construction, can often be a hybrid that includes features from different eras. For example, you’ll see Tudor plus French Revival, or Spanish Colonial plus Craftsman. Consult with a professional (an architect, your contractor, or a door company sales rep) who has experience pairing the right door with a particular house style. You can also research architectural home styles online, like on manufacturers’ websites, and compare what you find with your home. Therma-Tru Doors offers the DoorWays app, which allows you to try out different doors on an image of your own front entrance.

Exterior renovation by Sweeten contractor Richard

Front door systems and configurations

You’ll find that entry doors are often referred to as “door systems.” This means they come pre-hung in a frame and pre-drilled for both doorknob and deadbolt, not just a mere rectangular slab. The system should also include the door’s bottom edge, which interlocks with the threshold. It will also likely have weather stripping encircling the door’s perimeter. This setup is convenient and sensible. This way, you purchase all the door features from one manufacturer to ensure everything functions well together.

If you’re replacing an existing door, you will want it to be the same size as the previous one, unless you are taking apart the entire entryway for a dramatic change. Changing the dimensions of the door (like adding sidelights or a transom) involves reframing the opening. For this type of involved job, you want to work with a general contractor. Before committing to a particular door, consult with your own contractor to ensure the door will fit. (Do this before it is paid for and delivered!)

Other terms you’ll encounter are “flush” and “paneled.” Flush doors are flat and smooth on both faces. Paneled doors have rectangular recesses framed by horizontal rails and vertical stiles. Originally, panel construction was meant to minimize cracking and warping on wood doors. They do this by giving the panels room to shift with changes in humidity. The “look” caught on, and it can now be found in other door materials.

Front door material choices

When you see the word “door,” you may automatically think “wood.” However, there’s more to materials nowadays, including fiberglass, steel, and wood composites. In each of these categories, doors are typically made of more than one material. Other materials are incorporated to enhance stability and energy efficiency. A wood door may have a steel interior, a steel door may have a wood exterior, a fiberglass door may have a wood frame—all for stability and strength—and most will have some type of foam insulation to fill the interior voids.

Each of the materials has its pros and cons, and the versatility to achieve different styles, configurations, and finishes, including the look of woodgrain.

Fiberglass front doors

Pros: Fiberglass doors are a practical choice for most climates, particularly harsh or humid weather. They resist wear and tear extremely well. Available in smooth or embossed woodgrain texture, they can mimic the look of wood and take paint or stain. These doors are dent-resistant, require little maintenance, and typically come with a long warranty, from 20 years to a limited lifetime.

Cons: Can crack under severe impact.

Price range: $200 – $1,500

Steel front doors

Pros: Steel doors are positioned as the strongest of doors. They will not crack or warp. Coated with a baked-on polyester finish, steel doors will require periodic repainting. Higher-end versions come with a vinyl finish for greater weather resistance. Some manufacturers offer a wood veneer or wood composite coating that can be stained.

Cons: Not as weather-resistant as fiberglass or wood doors. They are easy to dent, and dings are hard to fix. Scratches on steel doors may rust if not treated promptly. In extremely high temperatures, the surface can be hot to the touch.

NOTE: Both steel and fiberglass doors should come with a thermal break that separates the inside and outside door skins. This prevents the transfer of outdoor heat and cold, which can cause frost to form on the inside surface.

Price range: $200 – $2,000

Wood front doors

Pros: Fans of wood front doors are drawn to its heritage of warmth and the versatility of different species. Wood resists cold and heat. Some wood doors are composed of veneer skin over an engineered wood core. This protects the core from moisture that causes shrinking, swelling, and warping. It’s also the least likely material to dent, and scratches are easy to repair.

Cons: Solid doors can be made through a millwork shop, lumberyard, and some door manufacturers, but they are expensive and time-consuming to complete. They also require regular upkeep—painting or varnishing to maintain their appearance—and a protected area in the shade or under an overhang.

Price range: $175 – $2,600

Decorative details for front doors

The hardware—hinges, door handle—are practical, while also complementing your door style. Manufacturers will offer further options for customization with decorative glass, grilles, metal trim, and clavos (AKA, decorative door studs). Sidelights and/or a transom also lend visual interest while letting in more light. There’s plenty of choice within the glass category, too—clear, rain, satin, and geometric to name a few. And don’t forget the door knocker, even if you have a doorbell!

Front door styles: Colors to consider

A contrasting or complementary door color adds a touch of wit and drama to the entry. Try matching it to the window frames or shutters, if you have them, for a truly coordinated look. Or just go for it with one bold color for the door. Many manufacturers offer color as part of the door selection process, which saves you the trouble of painting. These finishes are formulated to be fade-resistant, too.

Picking the right front door can feel like a big commitment, and it is. But as with all the right relationships, it’s one that you can depend on and enjoy for many years.

—

Just as a front door makes a lasting impression on everyone who enters, interior doors—whether they stand out or blend in with their surroundings—impact the overall design of your home.

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 Front Doors for a Warm Welcome appeared first on Sweeten.

Whether clustered together in a nook or dispersed among various rooms, plants let you enjoy the beauty of an indoor garden year round. Beneficial for your health and your living space, they soften the corners of a room, work with any color palette, purify the air, and, some experts say, can help reduce stress. We love seeing Sweeten homes filled with greenery, so we set out to discover what kinds of indoor plants our homeowners keep in their homes and how to care for them with advice from Justin Hancock, a professional horticulturist and garden expert at Costa Farms. Below are a crop of our favorite plant-filled renovations.

Samantha’s kitchen

If you’re looking for a good indoor plant for the kitchen, look no further than the snake plant. In Samantha’s kitchen, the greenery adds a decorative touch to the island while breaking up the gray and neutral tones of the space. Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, it enjoys the extra humidity a kitchen offers and doesn’t need to be watered regularly.

Brett’s living room

The fiddle leaf fig tree in Brett’s living room complements the wall of exposed brick beautifully while the height of the tree makes great use of the tall ceilings. It also acts as a visual barrier between the living room and kitchen, defining each space while allowing them to remain open. Fiddle leaf fig trees love bright, indirect light, so keep it in a sunny room away from windows and be sure to water it whenever the soil feels dry.

Christine’s living room

A wall of exposed red brick in Christine’s living room inspired her to recreate a Moroccan riad—or home with an interior garden. A variety of indoor plants, layered to add depth and visual interest, creates a private retreat within the home. The collection includes a majesty palm, a Red Congo philodendron, a monstera, and ponytail palm, to name a few. All of these plants need to be watered whenever the top of the soil begins to feel dry and do their best in sunny spots around the home.

Christine’s bathroom

When adding a plant to your bathroom, it’s important to find one that can tolerate steam and a high level of humidity. The pothos plant is the perfect candidate, pictured here in Christine’s bathroom. Hang it from the ceiling and make your bathroom feel like a secret oasis. Also, keeping it in the bathroom is a great way to make watering it super easy; keep the soil moist, but not saturated.

Brett’s bedroom

A schefflera arboricola on the windowsill, a corn plant in the corner, and a dieffenbachia on a small side table add a bright boost to Brett’s all-white bedroom. Treat them as decorative elements and mix different species of plants in one room; choose a few varieties that need the same amount of light and water so it’s easy to remember what to do. In this case, these indoor plants benefit from a lot of light and a weekly watering.

—

A pothos is a beautiful way to add some greenery to your bathroom; you can hang it from the ceiling or place it in a corner and wrap the vines around your bath like Pallavi and Keyur did.

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 Garden Variety: The Best House Plants for Your Decor 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.

—

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.