When embarking on his Brooklyn loft remodel, this interior designer stayed flexible

• Homeowners: Sue and Alex posted their loft remodel on Sweeten
• Where: Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York
• Primary renovation: A full-unit Brooklyn loft remodel aiming to add storage and functionality while preserving the apartment’s “80s loft” aesthetic
• With: Sweeten general contractor
  
• Homeowner’s quote: “Our Sweeten contractor proposed great ideas. We had a few conversations before the renovation, and she was very accommodating.”

Written in partnership with Sweeten homeowner Alex. “After” photos by Miao Jiaxin for Sweeten. 

Elevating the best aspects of home

We have been living in this apartment in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, since 2015. It was the first place we lived together, and it felt like a real 1980s loft, which Sue and I liked a lot. The previous owner was crafty—he’d installed his own kitchen cabinets, and the spirit of the place was very DIY. Sue works in Fin-tech and I am in interior design. We didn’t do much work when we first moved in, thinking it made sense to let the apartment evolve.

The apartment comprises approximately 900 square feet. It had many vantage points, which our cat, who recently passed, really enjoyed. The neighborhood seems to have a lot of industrial building conversions—a church here, a school there, made into residential apartments. Our building belongs to the latter group, and was converted more than 30 years ago. Visitors are often amazed at how wide the hallways are. That sort of space is not something you often encounter in NYC.

Honing in on the shared lifestyle

Looking to build on the apartment’s openness, we made a few changes early on. One was removing a spiral staircase and replacing it with an industrial-use stair; it remains in the same location in the current iteration. Another was taking out an idiosyncratic shelving system that the previous owner had installed. We are both utilitarian, and that aspect of our personalities influences our aesthetic.

We also like this word that the Dutch have, Gezellig, which translates to something like coziness. It’s not a style, per se, but achieving it was a driving force for our renovation. We didn’t want an overly designed space, but rather one that felt considered.

Practical launch pad to renovate

We coordinated our renovation to coincide with the water boiler warranty expiration. Each unit has its own boiler, and you always hear about these things failing shortly after their warranty goes. We figured we would try to avoid becoming a statistic. Another motivation to upgrade was the desperate need for an electrical panel overhaul in the apartment. We wanted to add an in-unit washer and dryer and a shower to our powder room. In addition, the apartment lacked, and desperately needed, built-in storage. 

We posted our project, and Sweeten was a great help in providing a list of relevant contractors in Brooklyn. Since I work in this field, I did not utilize other services the company provides. I wanted to complete the renovation within an allotted time frame, and keep within a firm budget. Our Sweeten contractor proposed great ideas. We had a few conversations before the renovation, and she was very accommodating. 

“Sweeten was a great help in providing a list of relevant contractors in Brooklyn.”

Design tricks-of-the-trade

It is always exciting to see a project on paper come to life, but it is especially interesting when you have an experimental client—in this case, ha!, ourselves. Our contractor convinced me that we should open up the entry foyer, which I wasn’t sure of. But in the end I think sacrificing the extra storage was worth it to expand the passageway. We also separated the passthrough between the dining and living space with an oversized barn door, which disappears when retracted.

We employed other tricks as well. Take the painting and color scheme, for example. We applied a World War I ship-camouflage technique known as Dazzle—which was a way of masking the volume and shape of military ships using geometric patterns—to try to make walls and objects more or less vanish into the space. We used black behind the TV to have it blend into the space. It is also a nod to the blackboard that would have hung on the wall in this former classroom.

We stayed with a pretty strict material palette just because it is easier to manage and is also a fun challenge to stretch the limit of the material. For example, the black countertop and black backsplash is actually a paper-based product that is extremely durable. I also used it as treads for the stairs.

Being flexible during the process

No matter how simple you aim to keep it, in any construction project, there will be challenges to overcome. We moved out of the apartment during the renovation, but I went to the job site every other day to make sure we were moving forward. During one visit, I noticed that the contracting team had framed one of the walls in the wrong location. Instead of losing time having the contractor demolish the framing and restart, however, I decided to redesign that portion of the space. I did it overnight. In the end, we were able to salvage the work and it turned out nicely. It felt serendipitous. 

Connect with Sweeten contractors

Paying attention to and working with the GC within the process always helps, and given my work, I am familiar with the arc a job follows. Our favorite part of the renovation was the end.  

Working from home for the past year, we were able to enjoy the apartment’s ample flow of sunlight throughout the day. It is great to have a space that works so well now and feels not just in sync with the building we live in, but with our entire lifestyle. 

Thanks for sharing your Brooklyn loft remodel with us, Sue and Alex!

Materials Guide

LIVING AREA RESOURCES: Paint in Simply White and Black Forest Green: Benjamin Moore. Industrial staircase: Grainger. 

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Paint in Simply White: Benjamin Moore. Kitchen cabinets and hardware: Ikea. Countertops and backsplash (white material from Krion; black material from Richlite; Elkay sink and AXOR faucet: Porcelanosa. Refrigerator: Samsung. Dishwasher and stove: Bosch.

BATHROOM RESOURCES:  Porcelain wall & floor tile; Vanity and sink: Porcelanosa. Shower fixtures and hardware: Hansgrohe. Toilet: American Standard.

Originally published August 19, 2021

Updated on June 8, 2023

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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 with Sweeten.

The post My Sweeten Story: A Cozy Loft in a Converted School Building appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: Highlight a skyline view with an open, modern kitchen

Before: Jennifer and Joe’s Edgewater, New Jersey, apartment looks out on the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty, and George Washington Bridge. The couple and their dog have lived in the two-bedroom, two-bath condo for ten years and been slowly renovating room by room. When it came time to reimagine their kitchen, they knew an open concept was the only way to go. “We entertain so much and wanted a nice flow for people to congregate and socialize. We wanted clean lines, plus no obstructions or walls to block the view,” Jennifer shared. The soon-to-be renovators posted their project to Sweeten and were matched with a general contractor.

After: With one partial wall separating the living area and kitchen, Jennifer had her heart set on creating a seamless, or wall-less, space. Upon inspection, the couple learned the entire wall couldn’t fully come down because it was loadbearing. Instead, their contractor left a little under three feet of the wall remaining—a perfect spot for the refrigerator.

In place of the knocked-down wall came a marble waterfall island with a deep black base and white veins. The rest of the kitchen’s palette picks up from the marble, juxtaposing the two colors. Glossy black drawers are on one side of the island, while all-white upper and lower cabinetry, plus a white quartz countertop make up the rest of the cooking space. Since the whole concept revolved around clean lines, the renovators chose sleek, linear hardware for their cabinets and installed the microwave drawer underneath the counter to keep the surface clear. Not one detail was spared, from the under cabinet lighting to the textured backsplash.

This level of attention was consistent throughout the project. Their Edgewater contractors kept them involved in the process from start to finish. “Nothing was done without a full explanation or our understanding,” she said. “They made recommendations that were incredibly helpful and rather than feeling as though our arm was being twisted they helped us to make better decisions with their guidance.”

Communication is one of the most crucial parts of any project, which Jennifer and Joe can definitely attest to. Sweeten “constantly checked in and inquired as to our level of satisfaction. They asked us what stages of our project timeline we were in and it felt nice knowing that they were providing an open line of communication with us,” Jennifer shared. The couple has been through multiple renovations, so knew to brace themselves for problems, but fortunately didn’t encounter them.

“We walk in and with all the extra light, open air, clean lines, and high gloss finishes, and I feel as though I’m in a Soho penthouse and there’s a concierge downstairs that will gladly bring us a plate charcuterie for our enormous new counter,” she said. “We feel like we are out when we stay in. It is just the best.”

Bonus: Jennifer’s tip for future renovators? “Sign contracts that give you a firm start date, end date, and the budget they will commit to. Our contractors were absolutely exceptional in each of these areas. A contract that you can all live with and by is essential.”

Style finds: Flooring and backsplash: Porcelanosa. Bright white quartz countertops and Eternal Marquina island: Silestone. Sink and faucet: Kohler. Refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher: Samsung. Lighting: Lutron. Barstools: Wayfair.

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Find how much it costs to renovate per square foot in New Jersey.

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 Marble and City Views Steal the Show In This Kitchen Remodel appeared first on Sweeten.

This Central Park West renovation story started out as an emergency: A Manhattan couple, who owned their home since the 1970s, received a call from their resident building manager while they were on vacation during the summer of 2016. Their white-glove apartment was submerged under several inches of water—the result of a leak in an apartment several floors above.

At first, it didn’t look alarming: the homeowners thought that it would only entail a simple clean-up and repair. However, the problem worsened during the initial remediation period. Dehumidifiers were brought in to dry out the water damage, but the walls, ceilings, and floors harbored such high levels of moisture that black mold developed in the summer heat. After three long rounds of mold remediation, the apartment was finally cleared for renovation at the end of 2016.

To add to the complications, the homeowners had to endure negotiations with insurance companies, as well as lengthy permit applications and a challenging approval process with their board, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the Department of Buildings.  In September 2017, they began the actual renovation in their Classic 7 home (a 7-room floor plan popular before the ’40s).

When the time finally came for the renovation work to begin, the couple posted their project and worked closely with their Sweeten contractor, who was recommended by Jean Brownhill, the founder and CEO of Sweeten, who happened to be a friend of a friend. Jean visited and saw the damage, plus what remained of an impressive art collection—amassed over a lifetime of travels, including Picassos and ancient sculptures. The scope of work was to include not only the kitchen, where the leak began, but also other parts of the apartment, including the adjacent hallway pantry, laundry room, guest room and bath, and the formal dining room. Eventually, the homeowners decided to convert their now-grown son’s bedroom into a study, and their daughter’s former room into a lounge/exercise space.

They sent us three contractors to interview, which was a huge relief. I’m doing this for the first time, and I was totally out of my comfort zone.

Their Sweeten contractor gutted all of the floors, walls, and ceilings and then began the work of restoration. The couple was interested in restoring what was previously there while bringing a freshness and openness to space by choosing new materials and finishes. The kitchen, which had sported a stainless steel backsplash, outdated cabinets, and inadequate lighting, was given a makeover that included custom gray cabinets paired with white quartz countertops and a unique amazonite backsplash. The homeowner explained, “We visited the stone yard with the contractor and marked the piece out. We wanted it bookended and to come together in an inverted V over the sink.” This was done over both the sink in the walk-through pantry as well as the main kitchen space.

New pendants were added to light up the breakfast table, where the duo generally eats all their meals unless they are entertaining a larger group. “If we want to have more people over, we use the dining room, but otherwise we eat in the kitchen,” the homeowner said. Both the oval-shaped table and radiator cover were designed by the homeowners which their contractors commissioned to have made. Useful storage solutions were added including a dedicated spice drawer and a movable cart outfitted with a cutting board that can be moved wherever needed.

Additionally, the refrigerator was relocated from the hallway pantry area to the main kitchen space, which made it much easier to access, and a smaller, secondary refrigerator was added instead. “I’m a big condiments person, so we made sure to add room for them,” the homeowner said.

In the formal dining room, the space was restored to its original condition to serve as a backdrop for the homeowners’ artwork, records, organ, and harpsichord. The couple’s art collection is diverse and eclectic, gathered from all over the world and dating from early BC through the 21st century. It includes works on paper and canvas; bronze and wood sculpture, ceramics and ceremonial objects. The hope was that the renovation would open up sufficient space and light to showcase these many objects of beauty and turned out to be one of the most gratifying aspects of the renovation.

The guest room—originally designed as servant’s quarters—was completely transformed with new hardwood floors, a wall-mounted sink, built-in closets, and an adjacent bathroom.

The guest bath, which had housed an oddly-positioned and unusable bathtub, is now a small but luxurious space, with slate-colored Porcelanosa tile on the floor and a marble-like Porcelanosa on the shower walls.

On the other side of the guest bath is a multi-purpose room that houses the washer/dryer closet as well as the homeowners’ books.

In the portion of the renovation not spurred by necessity, a bedroom was converted into a study for relaxing and watching TV with a leather sofa that opens to accommodate visiting family. The homeowner designed a custom built-in wall unit that mixed open shelving and cabinets and worked with their Sweeten contractor to bring it to life.

In what had been their now-grown daughter’s bedroom, the homeowners envisioned a serene and comforting space for lounging as well as exercise. The walls were painted lavender, inspired by an acrylic and paper painting that had been done by a friend. This was a theme throughout their home: “We wanted to give the artwork room to breathe, and to be the inspiration for the color palette in each room.” 

Concurrently, they also decided to replace all of their landmarked windows. This alone took 3-4 weeks, and the Sweeten contractor had to make sure to protect the built-ins and previous renovation work. He also topped all of the windowsills with Caesarstone.

The homeowners are so happy to be back in their apartment, after pushing through over two years of negotiations, paperwork, and red tape—not to mention mold, dust, and debris in every corner of their home. ”You come to realize, what one person thinks is a good job is not what another person might consider a good job,” the homeowner said. “Sweeten was so supportive. They called periodically when we were getting very disheartened. They sent us three contractors to interview, which was a huge relief. I’m doing this for the first time, and I was totally out of my comfort zone. We had no idea how to pick people—so Sweeten was incredibly helpful.”

They report that even though they felt like giving up on many occasions, they persevered. What seems like courage is really having “no choice”. This was their home. We were happy to hear that the best part of the whole situation was their Sweeten contractor, who delivered what he promised and more.

Thank you for sharing the reveal of your Central Park West renovation! 

KITCHEN/PANTRY RESOURCES: Calacata Silver floor and wall tile: Porcelanosa. Kitchen cabinets: custom. Cabinet paint in Colonial Revival Gray, #SW 2832: Sherwin Williams. Countertops in Misty Carrera, #4141: Caesarstone. Quartzite Corteccia Azerobact Leather quartz backsplash: EGM Corp. Sink: Elkay. Bridge faucet: Rohl. Radiator covers: custom. Stove: Viking. Dishwasher: Miele. Refrigerator: Sub-Zero. Wine fridge, #SWC530LBIST: Summit. Hardware: Simon’s Hardware.

GUEST ROOM RESOURCES. Sink: MTI. Paint in Glacier Lake, #867: Benjamin Moore.

GUEST BATH RESOURCES. Deep Grey Nature floor tile, Calacata Silver wall tile: Porcelanosa. Fixtures from Spa Shower and Country Bath collections: Rohl. Toilet: Toto.

LAUNDRY ROOM RESOURCES: Paint in Hawthorne Yellow, #HC-4: Benjamin Moore. Washer, #WAT28402UC, dryer, #WTG86402UC: Bosch.

DINING ROOM RESOURCES. Paint in Hancock Green, #HC-117: Benjamin Moore. Chandelier: Olde Good Things.

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A leak led to a luxe remodel of a West Village bathroom.

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

The post A Central Park West Co-op Starts Anew appeared first on Sweeten.