A designer makes her mom’s house in Queens her family’s own starting with the kitchen and bathroom

• Homeowner: Gabrielle A. Gilbert inherited the house when her mother passed. Then she posted her kitchen & bathroom remodel on Sweeten, and pays mom a loving tribute.
• Where: Rosedale, Queens in New York City
• Primary renovation: A simultaneous gut renovation of the kitchen and bathroom, both cramped and non-functional
• With: Sweeten Queens general contractor
• Homeowner’s quote: “The contractor I hired offered me the best time frame, materials, and cost. His crew went above and beyond and did not cut corners.”

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

Mom's home gets the spotlight

My biggest question was, “How do I make it feel like a million bucks—without spending a million bucks?” My mom bought this house when I was in high school and I inherited it when she passed away. As an ode to her, we wanted to invest in the property and renovate; something mom had dreamt of doing but never had the funds to do it. So we began planning—kitchen and bathroom first.

My name is Gabby. I am a realtor and designer, and Perrin, my husband, is a security officer. Our five-year-old daughter is Rinelle. I’ve always wanted to build my dream house, and I was able to refinance at a good time. Although I do real estate full-time, I also take on freelance design projects. One example: Christina and Aaron’s kitchen, remodeled by a Sweeten contractor.

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A designer finds the right contractor

The house, a single-family Cape-style that is common to our area of North Rosedale, Queens, was built in 1950. We needed to overhaul a kitchen which had so much wasted space. Storage was severely lacking based on the existing layout and was not serving my family’s needs. In addition, the materials were outdated, required a lot of maintenance, and no longer standing the test of time.

We envisioned a partial open concept between the kitchen and dining room, which felt cut off. Our bathroom was also old and had ventilation issues which lead to a lot of rust. It was due for a total gut.

I like making spaces beautiful and functional, so I decided to plan my home’s redesign. I listed my renovation project and Sweeten quickly connected me to three contractors in Queens who all seemed great. The contractor I hired offered me the best time frame, materials, and cost. His crew went above and beyond and did not cut corners.

Storage-forward kitchen

We started the process in the kitchen, where I got to work on design and storage solutions. Cabinetry covered one wall from floor to ceiling. The U-shaped layout gained space by eliminating the permanent island. However, we bought a mobile island for counter space on demand.

I wanted a “greige” finish on the cabinets and had a light-colored quartz countertop in mind, with beautiful veining. A tile backsplash would have saved money, but I went with my heart’s desire, making the countertop continue up the backsplash.

Figuring out how to utilize a wall near an awkwardly placed window, I added an art ledge, which brings such life to the room. In the adjacent dining room, we built a niche to create another art ledge—perfect for a picture of mom and me.

I decided on a symmetrical design using as many drawers as possible. We added lazy susans to the corner cupboards and added drop-down storage trays to the front panels at the sink. Not an inch of space was wasted. I didn’t want to spend a lot on pull-outs, but we splurged for deep cabinets like the pantry. Another pantry-like cabinet sits on the opposite side of the fridge for cleaning products, mops, brooms, and the vacuum.

For the design, I selected a black faucet and light fixture to pop against the quartz and the white ceiling. Then I added the “jewelry,” which is what I call the pretty cabinet hardware. 

Adding fillers above the upper cabinetry brought the crown molding to the ceiling. No gaps! For the floor, I chose a concrete-look porcelain tile for its ease of maintenance. Its texture also had some grit to it so it was less slippery.

"I listed my renovation project and Sweeten quickly connected me to three contractors in Queens who all seemed great."

Mixing tile in the bathroom

Next, we got to work on the bathroom. Due to minimal square footage, I looked for ways to make it feel open. A vanity with a drawer provides ease of access. The large medicine cabinet keeps personal items out of sight. 

I selected mid-century modern-style patterned hex tile and searched for other tiles to blend with it on the walls. The large-format, asymmetrical honed tile contrasted nicely and also looked great with the black and champagne-gold fixtures. Solid gray floor tile pulls it together, and natural wood elements bring a spa feel. 

One sticking point involved getting the contractors to see my vision and follow my drawings. To get the look just right, the hex tile pattern needed to be placed strategically and the grout had to match in thickness to show continuity. In the bathroom above the tub, I wanted to center a large-format tile design; when I explained my vision, the contractor and sub-contractors’ jaws dropped. But they got it done.

Renovation advice

Choosing every paint color, finish, countertop, and tile was so exciting. I saw my design come to life. I documented it all. Based on experience, I suggest moving out during construction, if you can. The biggest challenge I had was doing construction while living in the space. We had no use of our kitchen and used the basement bathroom for over a month. 

Also, check functional details. For example, consider which way the door swings and know what you will put in every storage nook. As a designer, I plan out all of the kitchen design details with the cabinetmaker and work with the contractor to execute it. Planning makes a difference. Lastly, make sure you have your appliances, fittings, and fixtures delivered before construction begins to prevent delays and keep the project moving.

Start your renovation with Sweeten

As for working with your contractor, be specific about your wants and the time it will take to complete them so you don’t get hit with surprise costs. Hold contractors accountable for their promises but prepare for the unexpected if you open walls. We hoped to keep costs under budget but we went over.

Mission accomplished

My favorite part of the renovation was just after it was over. We’d cleaned up the dust and started to live in the space. Every night I would stand in my dining room and stare at the kitchen. It was quite an accomplishment. 

Perrin stood in awe of the transformation and says that seeing the video reveals on my social media highlights page (@gabby_the_realtor) brought his “magic” moment.

We all love the result, and our new spaces make us feel proud. My daughter was excited each day after school, seeing the progress, and I got to show her how a dream can become reality if you work toward it.

Renovation Materials

KITCHEN RESOURCES:

• Paint in Diamonds Therapy: Behr 
• Floor tiles: Floor & Decor
• Cabinets: Coline Cabinetry
• Cabinet hardware: Amazon
• Slab quartz countertops and backsplash: Sourced by contractor
• Sink: Ruvati
• Faucet: Vigo
• Refrigerator, dishwasher, and stove: Samsung
• Microwave drawer: Sharp 
• Light fixtures: Hudson Valley Lighting

BATHROOM RESOURCES:

• Paint in Evaporation: Behr 
• Floor and wall tile: Floor & Decor                                                  
• Sink, vanity, shower glass partition, and hardware: Wayfair
• Faucet and drain: Vigo
• Shower fixtures: Delta Faucet
• Tub: Signature Hardware
• Toilet: Toto 
• Verdera medicine cabinet: Kohler
• Lighting fixtures: Amazon

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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 New Memories For a Kitchen and Bathroom Remodel in Rosedale appeared first on Sweeten.

The post Popular Types of Kitchen Countertops appeared first on Sweeten.

The post My Sweeten Story: A Family Connects in their Washington Heights Kitchen appeared first on Sweeten.

Removing walls while renovating brought light into one couple’s new kitchen

• Homeowners: Erica and Joshua posted their project on Sweeten
• Where: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, New York
• Primary renovation: Renovating a cramped kitchen to fit more than one person comfortably
• Sweeten general contractor
• Homeowner quote: The builders and carpenters of our design-build firm are true craftspeople. The care with which they handled each task was notable.
• Sweeten’s role: Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering guidance, tools, and support—for free..

Guest blog post by Sweeten homeowner Erica

It’s hard to believe a wall can have such a profound impact on how two people share space. Our kitchen, once barely big enough for one person, was transformed into what kitchens are meant to be: the heart of the home. Our 800-square-foot Clinton Hill apartment was a loved space, in every sense of the word. My then-fiancé, Joshua, moved in and we decided to renovate.

Even before Joshua joined me, I imagined what would happen if the wall between the living room and kitchen came down. Now that it was two of us, changes seemed necessary. Along with the wall, Joshua also dreamed of replacing the parquet floors with hardwood. (I much preferred parquet so those conversations often ended in agreeing to disagree.)

Our apartment and all its quirks and beauties were familiar. We knew how we used the space, and which areas needed to become a better fit. We had a budget for the kitchen and vision. But who could we trust to help us move forward with our ideas? Just choosing the right paint color felt overwhelming, so finding the right designer was a challenge. 

Just choosing the right paint color felt overwhelming, so finding the right designer was a challenge.

I posted our project on Sweeten.com, and selected a firm with design/build services. The general contractor was familiar with the Clinton Hill Co-ops and the complexities that exist in these apartments, which were originally constructed in the early 1940s.

On that first warm fall evening, she sat in our living room and listened carefully as we described what we hoped our home would be. We knew we wanted to remove a wall, upgrade the contractor-grade cabinetry, replace the appliances, and install under-cabinet lighting. But we were unsure of the process and the things we could not see. After talking, she immediately popped up and put her superhero design tools to work—her x-ray vision which saw through walls, and her tape measure. 

Initial sketches removed the wall between the kitchen and the dining area completely, as well as part of the wall between the kitchen and the living room. We were seeking to strike a balance between Joshua’s partiality to completely open spaces and my desire to keep some visual privacy. Receptive to our decision to keep the entire wall between the living room and kitchen intact, the plan removed only the wall between the kitchen and the dining area.

Our contractor’s keen eye helped us ask so many more questions about the space. I never noticed that the sightlines of our parquet floors were uneven and misaligned. (Joshua was right. We needed to replace the floors.)

I realized that the space would be transformed in ways I was not expecting the moment she began to speak of light from the kitchen window spilling into the back corner of the living room. With the wall down, of course, the kitchen window would be visible as you enter the apartment. The decision to move the refrigerator out of the original kitchen footprint into what was once a hallway closet provided more options on where the sink and dishwasher could be.

I knew that our Sweeten contractor had expertise in millwork. Our kitchen, filled with unexpected nooks and crannies, was a design dilemma that custom cabinetry could solve. I envisioned white cabinetry to brighten up the kitchen, and we trusted our contractor’s desire to include natural wood via open shelving and some cabinetry with a walnut finish. The shelving she created is the perfect platform for us to display our spices, cookbooks, vases, and the all-important pilon for grinding plantains.

The weekend before demolition day, our contractor came by to finalize things. “I’m so nervous,” I admitted.

As a designer, she not only considered ways to bring more storage and surface area into the kitchen, but also a new hue. One afternoon we perused our choices at their warehouse in Queens.

Every tile seemed to fall short—wrong tint, incorrect size, too dominating, etc. But then Joshua’s eye caught a simple hexagonal tile of soft turquoise blue. This 3D recycled glass tilecomplemented the cabinetry color, the wood finish, and it was the right size. The result is a beautiful canvas that pulls the white cabinetry and quartz countertops together. Last, but certainly not least, it serves as a surprising showcase for my favorite red cast iron Dutch oven.

Making decisions was easy. Rather than ask us to look at every iteration of countertop or knob, our contractor presented us with a few options, and the design sensibility connected across the space. The nickel handles on the cabinet doors pick up the subtle specks of silver accents in the quartz countertops coordinating well with the steel appliances.  I only noticed it once the kitchen was complete.

We had to come up with secondary plans for overhead lighting since the ceiling was made of concrete. The floor lamp now illuminates our favorite round dining table. The gooseneck sconce creates the perfect corner for working on a laptop at our kitchen peninsula, which can now accommodate someone cooking at the same time. The peninsula also has generous storage on two sides—four very deep drawers and a small cabinet.

Now, when you walk into our apartment, three things jump out at you: the welcoming natural light that flows in from the windows, rich wood elements on the cabinetry and shelving, and the turquoise tile of the backsplash.

The builders and carpenters of our design-build firm are true craftspeople. The care with which they handled each task was notable. They produced perfectly mitered corners, laid the floor with precision, and cleaned up at the end of each day. We felt like we were in good hands the entire way through. I’d notice an imperfection, and before I could say anything, they had fixed it. Truly top-notch workmanship. They were so thoughtful about the space that it made our decision to stay in the apartment throughout the renovation easy. “Just think of it like camping,” Joshua said one night as we dined in our bedroom.

The weekend before demolition day, our contractor came by to finalize things. “I’m so nervous,” I admitted. “Don’t worry,” she warmly replied. “You’re gonna love it.”  Debris and concrete walls filled much of the living area after the first demolition day, but we felt the homeyness of the space. The light from the newly visible window greeted us as we entered in a way we never expected. I looked at Joshua and said, “I didn’t realize how much of me was in this place. Now we get to create this space together.” We couldn’t relish it more!

Thank you, Erica and Joshua, for sharing your renovation journey with us!

KITCHEN RESOURCES. Engineered White Oak 5” floor planks: Somerset Floors. Cabinets: custom. Open shelving: custom. Contemporary Metal Pull 8160 cabinet hardware: Richelieu. Jefferey Alexander Satin Nickel Sonoma Square cabinet knob, #431SN: Pulls Direct. Brooklyn CT 4403 Quartz countertops: CitiQuartz. Recycled glass tile backsplash:TileBar. 23” Single Basin Undermount sink: Vigo Industries. Pull-down spray faucet: Hansgrohe. 30” gas range: Frigidaire. Refrigerator: Maytag. 24” Bar-handle dishwasher: Bosch. Morland wall sconce: Savoy House. George Kovacs fabric wall sconce: Lumens. Phoenix barstools, floor lamp, #271806: CB2.

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If you’re looking to contribute sweat equity to your renovation, here’s what to DIY and what to leave to the pros.

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 A Well-Loved Home Begins a New Chapter 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.

When Vitoria, an art historian, and Jonathan, a location scout, purchased their 650-square-foot co-op in a century-old building in South Williamsburg, they began discussing renovations right away. They posted their project on Sweeten, a free service that matches homeowners with vetted general contractors, and were matched with a Sweeten contractor to create a new home for the couple, daughter Asa, and Ramona, the family dog.

The apartment was in “okay” shape, but it had little storage and the materials used were poor quality—laminate flooring and old Ikea cabinets. It would need a lot of updates along with better quality materials, such as kitchen countertops and new hardwood floors, but they were limited on budget and time. Some of their efforts went into looking ahead toward selling in the future.

Vitoria, who is inspired by the simplicity of Japanese design, envisioned uncluttered white space with lots of natural wood color. “Since we are growing a family in a small space, a place that looks tidy and serene was a priority. For us ‘negative space’ is actually positive,” she said.

We replaced the cheap laminate with thick hardwood [so] the unevenness is barely noticeable.

Once the demo began, they were faced with a few surprises including rotten pipes in the kitchen sink and toilet and uneven floors. Changing the floor was imperative. Vitoria said she had some “crazy ideas” to put in cork floors or use raw plywood cabinets in the kitchen, but then realized those materials would not increase the resale value and were too specific to her own personal taste. They opted instead for a pre-finished oak hardwood which their contractor suggested. She admitted she was scared at first since the color of the boards varied quite a lot, but she soon fell in love. “The wood floor has so much personality!” she said.

While redoing the subfloor in the bathroom, they decided not to renovate all the subflooring throughout the rest of the apartment to save time and money, “Since we replaced the cheap laminate with thick hardwood,” Vitoria said. “the unevenness is barely noticeable.”

Their Sweeten contractor helped with the layout of the kitchen, fitting in more storage with cabinets that were taller and deeper. They kept the stove and washer-and-dryer in the kitchen and purchased a new refrigerator. A narrow cabinet for their spices flanks the hood.

There were a few “must-haves” on the couple’s list; in fact, Vitoria chose a quartz countertop before she even chose a contractor. “Quartz is a great material, especially for clumsy cooks like me,” she said. She also insisted on a Toto toilet and a slim Blomberg refrigerator. “These were non-negotiable. I had to have them!” Since the remodel, Vitoria said, “I actually have more space in the cabinets than I have things to put in them.”

She also loved the idea of untreated pine for the open shelves above the sink to store what she called their “showpieces.” While visitors may think it’s yet to be painted, she is happy with the result.

They had a good working relationship with their contractor, who not only had a great personality but sourced materials that fit their taste and worked for resale while being adept at managing their budget.

When their contractor took up the bathroom floor, he discovered the original 100-year-old tiles, which were cracked and loose. He had to remove two layers of tile and redo the subfloor, which delayed the project by a couple of days. “Throughout the whole process, he was very aware that we had no wiggle room in the budget and was super cost-conscious. We are extremely grateful for that,” said Vitoria.

During the chaotic periods, they were glad to have Sweeten in their corner. Vitoria liked that Sweeten contacted her often during the renovation, commenting that it made her feel well taken care of and gave her peace of mind.

Post-renovation, Vitoria knows that there will always be unexpected issues no matter how good your contractor is or how fat your budget. “But having a home that you love makes it worth every penny spent,” she said. “Although my home is small, it feels spacious. I confess I only leave if I have to.”

Thank you, Vitoria and Jonathan, for sharing your new home with us!

LIVING ROOM RESOURCES: Pendant lighting: Broste Copenhagen. Paper lampshade, Design no. 2: Amara Living.

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Custom-made solid wood Shaker kitchen cabinets: Select Kitchen. Cabinet hardware: Rejuvenation. Sink/faucet: Ikea. Blomberg refrigerator: Designer Appliances.

BATHROOM RESOURCES: Floor tile: Elite Tile. Sink/vanity: Ikea. Toilet: Toto.

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Tracey and Stephen combined modern and Japanese aesthetics while renovating their East Flatbush kitchen.

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 Home Where Natural Wood Shines appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: Give an outdated kitchen a media nook and more storage in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn

Before: Rosalind, a business analyst, and her husband, Lawrence, longed to return to Brooklyn after a decade in Long Island. In 2015, they decided to downsize and bought a 100-year-old house in the neighborhood of Cypress Hills. Over time, they renovated two bathrooms, the stairway, and a walk-in closet. “The kitchen was last,” said Rosalind. It was functional, but didn’t suit Rosalind’s taste and the floors were flimsy. “There were holes that had been roughly covered with other flooring,” she said. The limited cabinet space also meant storing larger kitchen equipment, like the slow cooker and cake mixer, in the living room. Rosalind cooks four to five times a week, so heading into the living room to get what she needed grew old, fast.

After: Once she posted her project on Sweeten—a free service matching homeowners with vetted general contractors—the couple’s Sweeten contractor worked fast and completed the job in five weeks. There were only two weeks where the kitchen couldn’t be used (Rosalind and Lawrence went out to eat a lot). While much of the layout stayed the same, Rosalind wanted to take advantage of the kitchen window that looked out over the backyard, so the kitchen sink was lined up with the window to make washing up more enjoyable. The wooden cabinets, yellow walls, and orange backsplash tiles—some with sketches of fruit on them—had to go. Instead, Rosalind went with a sleek gray palette with a quartz countertop that looked like marble. The different gray tones she picked meshed perfectly with the hues of gray, as well as sage, in other rooms on that floor of the house. To move the appliances from the living room and into the cook space, the couple added a kitchen island. It now doubles as both storage and as a gathering point when friends and family come over.

Bonus: With plenty of time spent in the kitchen, Rosalind wanted some entertainment. “I like to watch TV while I cook,” she said. The solution: installing a “media station,” which included a 32-inch flatscreen.

Style finds: Floor tiles: Lumber Liquidators. Frosty white kitchen cabinets with PVC finish: Decori Kitchens. Cabinet hardware: Cool Knobs and Pulls. Quartz Calacatta Gray countertops: Decori Kitchens. Dove Gray Ceramic tile backsplash: Highland Park. Stainless steel farm sink: AJ Madison. Fridge, dishwasher, and stove: Samsung. Paint in Baltic Gray: Benjamin Moore.

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Love the look of gray and white? Hari and Kaity’s kitchen provides a modern take on this color combo, complete with LED undercabinet lighting and a fun neon sign.

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 Renovation Grows in Brooklyn appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: Modernizing and improving flow in an awkward kitchen in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Before: This Sweeten homeowner purchased a two-bedroom co-op apartment in Clinton Hill about a year and a half before posting his project to Sweeten. Although the kitchen was functional, the layout was not ideal. There was a mishmash of storage, none of which was adequate, and walls lacked definition without a tile backsplash. Only a small peninsula provided the bulk of the work surface. He also wanted to add built-in cabinetry for additional storage. With all of this in mind, the homeowner—a first-time renovator—enlisted this Sweeten contractor to convert his vision into reality.

After: A bright, contemporary kitchen in subtle tones pairs perfectly with a coral accent wall that runs along one side of the kitchen and through the living room. A glass tile backsplash in a mosaic of gray shades is the star of the show. By choosing stainless steel appliances, white cabinets, silver hardware, and a medium gray quartz countertop, the homeowner created a clean backdrop for both the tile backsplash as well as for it to coordinate with the home’s open plan. Given that the new base cabinetry—with many deep drawers—provide plenty of hidden storage, chunky white shelving was installed instead of upper cabinets for a feeling of openness.

Bonus: By reconfiguring the kitchen from a U-shape to a galley setup, the Sweeten contractor made way for a dining space with an ample-sized table that easily seats 6 (or more!), and is directly in front of the kitchen’s large window to boot.

Style finds: Glass mosaic backsplash, white flat-front cabinets, gray quartz countertops, silver cabinet hardware.

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We’ve rounded up the reasons why the galley is one of the most efficient layouts for a small kitchen.

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 Modern Kitchen Makes Way for a Proper Dining Space appeared first on Sweeten.

Romuald had a dream: he wanted to live in a loft apartment. His current home, a 1,800-square-foot house in Elmhurst, was definitely not a loft, but it was ideal for him and his wife in many other ways. It was close to both of their jobs, as well as to both sets of parents, and they loved having a backyard right off the kitchen. So they decided to do the next best thing: make their home as “loft-like” as a house could be, most notably opening up walls so the space would have an airy feel. Finally, it came time to tackle the tight, closed-off kitchen. Here are the details on a long-awaited kitchen renovation (and a few extras!) befitting two avid cooks.

After living in his home for close to ten years, Romuald knew that a new kitchen could dramatically change how his family used the space. He and his wife love cooking together, so they wanted to create a new kitchen in which two (or more!) people could comfortably work. Upon his wife’s recommendation, he turned to Sweeten for help and found his contractor for the project. The original kitchen featured dark wood cabinets and felt cave-like because of a wall separating it from the main living space. Wanting to demolish the wall, it was necessary to regain the storage space by adding an island. It also afforded an extra work surface and an unobstructed sightline across the whole first floor of the house for a loft apartment feel.

Working with their contractor, the couple came up with a plan for their new kitchen. The original flooring was a tile that contrasted with the hardwood running through the rest of the first floor. They wanted to continue the wood look but opted for a gray “wood” porcelain that would be much easier to maintain (important for a kitchen that sees a lot of action!). Semi-custom cabinets made it possible for creative storage solutions like an “appliance garage” (details below) to be incorporated into the kitchen plan. The warm gray cabinets they chose from Waypoint coordinated with the new flooring. A white quartz countertop and classic marble subway tile for the backsplash brought a clean yet contrasting look. Above the stove, they installed a pot-filler to save the job of hauling a heavy pot of water from the sink on the island to the stovetop.

Romuald and his wife started shopping around to replace all of their appliances with the exception of their investment appliance—a Thermador range with blue knobs. After visiting appliance stores and making product choices,  he came across one of his favorite finds—the microwave drawer! A built-in microwave was placed high on their wish list so that it wouldn’t take up valuable counter space like their previous one did. When he came across the drawer, he knew that it was the way to go. 

Next, their Sweeten contractor suggested the genius solution of an “appliance garage”—a much-loved-but-seldom-seen feature in city apartments. This storage unit would house their toaster, coffeemaker, as well as a few odds and ends, with outlets built into the back keeping a tangle of cords contained. With the “garage door” lowered, the counters would look instantly cleaner.

In the spot where a dividing wall originally stood, they installed an island. While they had intended to build one about six feet long, it ultimately expanded to a 10-foot-long island—a decision that Romuald doesn’t regret one bit. “We can fit four stools along one side, while the other side has enough space for our farmhouse sink, microwave drawer, and dishwasher—and with storage room, too!” Given the space now has the open feel of a loft apartment, they can now watch the TV in their living room from the kitchen. Romuald explains, “We have it on a swivel, so we just swing it around and can cook and watch TV at the same time. This is great for unwinding after a long day’s work.” They also love the way that the breeze flows through the entire space when they open the door to the backyard—something that wasn’t possible with walls in the way.

While the project took a bit longer than anticipated due to delays in delivery of materials, Romuald reports that they are very happy with the way it all turned out. And although they had intended on just renovating the kitchen, the project expanded in the end to include new floors throughout the entire living space, as well as a new railing for the stairs leading to the second floor of their house. All of these changes have made their house a dream home for the couple!

Thank you, Romuald for sharing your new, loft-like space with us!

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Semi-custom cabinets in gray: Waypoint. Marble subway tile backsplash: Builder Depot. Florida Tile 8” x 36” porcelain floor tile in magnolia ash: Classic Tile. White quartz countertops: MSI International. Optimum 27” stainless steel curved apron farmhouse sink: Signature Hardware. Sink faucet: Luxier.  Chival 11” light pendant in polished nickel, #7-730-1-109: Savoy House. Refrigerator: Fisher Paykel. Dishwasher: Bosch. Range: Thermador. Hood, #DIAM36SS: Faber. Microwave drawer: Bosch. Double-jointed 15-inch pot-filler: Danze. Chandelier (eating area): Pottery Barn. Pixel White paint: Behr. Ryan counter stools: Amisco.

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A statement range, like the Thermador, can serve as the anchor of a sleek kitchen design. In Lia and Chris’ apartment, a Wolf range with signature red knobs is a smart addition to a white and marble accented kitchen renovation.

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 Imagining a Loft Apartment…in a House appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: Compact kitchen overhaul in an Upper West Side high-rise studio

Before: Despite its condition, the owner, who works in real estate, actually remembers his old 85-square-foot kitchen with surprising fondness. Beneath a harsh fluorescent fixture, low-end plastic laminate cabinets and counters were worn and stained. Above the 1980’s white stove, the hood’s exposed exhaust hose was sloppily sealed using pieces of tape. The floor was a dated black-and-white resilient tile checkerboard.

After: The delighted owner notes that this “reno way exceeded my expectations.” As his Sweeten profile requested, his contractor handled the co-op’s intimidating application process. None of the appliances or worn-out finishes were worth saving—only the new refrigerator was relocated. Glossy modern white cabinets make the space feel less narrow than brown wood upper cabinets could have. Undercabinet LED lights shine onto the engineered quartz countertop. The undulating wall tiles were found on a showroom shopping trip with his contractor, and the owner first saw large-format slate-look floor tiles on design blogs.

Bonus: The contractor’s cabinetmaker matched the budget-friendly veneer so that the grain continues from one section of lower cabinets to the next without interruption.

Style finds: 30-inch gas Bosch slide-in stainless range; Samsung refrigerator; Sharp microwave; Krauss under-mount stainless sink; backsplash tile by WOW Design EU; American Standard one-hole deck-mount chrome faucet from American Standard; engineered countertop in Pearl White from Pental; Zephyr Breeze recirculating hood.

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Read our post on kitchen renovation costs, and when you’re ready, use our kitchen budget calculator to align your scope and budget.

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 Upper West Side Kitchen Gets a Bright Boost appeared first on Sweeten.

First-time homeowners Jill and Aaron landed a sunlit co-op (with parking!) in Prospect Heights. The downside seemed daunting: a faux-wood-and-laminate-counter combo in the 1960s kitchen and thick gray tile throughout the small bathroom. With no idea where to start and trepidation about finding a contractor online, Jill came to Sweeten to hire a team who could re-think their galley kitchen and gut the old bathroom. Read on for Jill’s take on their bright new space!

Guest post by Jill in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

We lived in a brownstone garden apartment in Prospect Heights for six years before seriously looking to buy. Over six months, we spent every weekend checking out open houses and coming to terms with what we could actually afford (Move-in ready two-bed/two-bath in Park Slope? Keep dreaming!) After getting outbid on two apartments, the third time really was the charm. We were officially in contract for a one-bedroom in a doorman co-op building three blocks away from Prospect Park (and our current apartment). It had a space we could convert into a den, extra closet room, tons of natural light, and every New Yorker’s dream: parking! The only downside was that it hadn’t been updated since the ‘60s and needed a complete overhaul. Now what?!

None of our friends had done renovations so we didn’t have any recommendations to go on for a contractor. We reached out to a few random ones we found online, but we hadn’t seen any of their work and didn’t feel like we could really trust them. I was so nervous someone was going to take advantage of us since we hadn’t done this before.

That’s when a friend told us about Sweeten and we decided to post our project. We had never owned an apartment before, let alone renovated one, and we needed all the help we could get. After a quick budget check (the Sweeten team helped us realize we were completely unrealistic in how much the renovation would cost), we were matched up with Sweeten Expert Kris. We loved that he had done work in our neighborhood, and it seemed to match our modern style. Plus all of his reviews said he finished his work on time, and since we would be paying rent on top of a mortgage until we could move in, that was music to our ears.

When we met with Kris, he really listened to what we wanted to do and was quick to point out if something wouldn’t be possible. After walking the space with him, we agreed on a game plan: close off the wall between the galley kitchen and the dining room, open up the wall between the kitchen and living room, make a sliding door for the bathroom to maximize the space, extend the parquet floors into the kitchen and closets, and gut everything else! Almost as soon as we closed, his team was on-site and starting demo work.

Since we knew this wasn’t our forever home, we tried to stick to a budget and not go too overboard. Kris helped us make all our decisions with the bottom-line and timeline in mind. New hardwood flooring would have been nice but the parquet flooring could just be refinished. Custom cabinets would have been gorgeous in the small kitchen, but the glossy IKEA cabinets we chose would still look great.

I would have loved marble flooring in the bathroom, but ceramic tile wouldn’t need any maintenance. There were definitely areas where we splurged though: For one, Aaron got his wish for higher-end appliances and quartz countertops. My must-haves included an Italian glass backsplash and a new soaking tub.

We were lucky our rental was close by, so we could stop in anytime and check on the progress. Kris was always there to meet us and show us how things were going and checked with us even if minor changes had been made. There were so many times we questioned whether we had made mistakes, but keeping in close contact with Kris and having him walk us through the progress really gave us hope.

In the end, Kris was true to his word. We were able to move in after just six weeks and stay on budget. Now, when we hear some of our friends’ stories about their contractors and what a nightmare renovating was for them, we feel very fortunate and even talk about taking on a renovation again!

Looking for help with your own kitchen, bath, or home renovation? Post your project to start getting contractor matches! 

Kitchen selects >> cabinets: IKEA / counters: Marble.com: quartz / backsplash tile: Italian glass subway tile / dishwasher: Whirlpool / refrigerator: Fisher & Paykel / lighting: Lighting by Gregory

Bathroom selects >> toilet: Toto/ sink vanity: Fresca / lighting: Lighting by Gregory

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Feeling inspired by these glossy IKEA cabinets? See 7 more ways Sweeten renovators styled IKEA cabinets!

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 Glossy IKEA Cabinets Shine in a Brooklyn Kitchen Renovation appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: Renovate my kitchen in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Before: This tired kitchen was sorely out-of-step for an active family with two young children. Floors, cabinets, backsplashes, countertops, and appliances all begged to be updated. “The structural issues included gaping holes in walls behind the cabinets and outdated electrical,” notes owner Cybele Malone.

After: Job one for Cybele’s Sweeten general contractor was removing the existing penny tile floor, a cleaning nightmare thanks to plentiful grouting. Mud was applied to level the surface, in preparation for durable faux wood ceramic planks that butt together with minimal grout, like real timber flooring (read: low maintenance!).

Gutting walls around the room gained a sliver of extra space for counters. Slightly deeper new countertops are white quartz, to bounce light around. Adding a dishwasher cost storage space below the counter, so to compensate for the loss, much taller upper cabinets go right to the ceiling, where oversized crown molding is painted to match the Shaker-inspired doors featuring soft-close.

A drafty-in-winter exhaust fan got nixed to make room for a stainless shelf and compact microwave. Muddy brown backsplashes are replaced with bold teal 1940’s-inspired tile laid like bricks, their white grout highlighting a graphic running-bond layout.

Bonus: In a previously overlooked corner, cantilevered shelves offer a hands-off high perch for colorful accessory display. Someday, more shelves will be added below, to increase capacity when the family’s young kids get older.

Style finds: Porcelain floor planks, subway-style wall tiles, Frigidaire range, KitchenAid refrigerator and dishwasher, Waypoint cabinets, synthetic quartz countertops, and a stainless steel sink.

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Have a galley kitchen that needs function and major “pick-me-up”? This renovation did just that.

Here’s a guideline on the difference between pre-fabricated, custom and built-to-order kitchen cabinets—including stock from Ikea.

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 A Kitchen Goes Low Maintenance appeared first on Sweeten.

Sarah, an Academic Dean for a charter school, and her husband, Oleg, moved into their Prospect Heights one-bed, one-bath co-op knowing they’d eventually want to do something more with their galley kitchen.

The kitchen was walled off to the living room with an entry point at each end. One door opened to the apartment’s foyer and one led to a windowed dining nook with shelving. Red floor tiles set a dark tone for the room and a prior renovation had missed the chance to extend the upper line of cabinetry toward the ceiling. Finishes aside, the extra dining space provided a few possibilities for new use. Opening the kitchen to the living room would create new bar seating and free Sarah and Oleg to re-purpose the dining nook as a small study. “One day…” was the thinking on the need for a nursery, so they decided to post their project on Sweeten and we matched them with Sweeten Expert Niki, who brought close to twenty years of residential and commercial design experience.

Niki and her team helped Sarah and Oleg get started with plans to update the kitchen, maximize space, and bring modern style and white finishes to the new open-concept living room. Cabinets and counters came down to make way for the wall removal between the kitchen and living room. With the kitchen newly open, the team began relocating appliances to create a more convenient U-shape, with a dining bar peninsula serving as a partition between the two rooms. The sink stayed in place but the stove found a new home at one end of the kitchen, while a new stainless steel fridge bookends the other. Niki installed deep storage cabinets and electrical outlets in the knee space of the island, utilizing every square inch necessary for purpose and function.

Sarah and Oleg chose rows of light gray tile planks reminiscent of pale slate to line the kitchen floors, taking the place of the former brick-colored square tiles. Sarah knew she wanted finishes that were modern yet classic, and white cabinets topped the list. Niki specializes in crafting custom wood cabinetry, so she put these skills to good use for the couple, building and installing base and upper cabinets in clean white with crisp nickel knobs and drawer pulls.

The couple chose a muted gray quartz for the counters, and a stainless undermount sink with chrome faucet replaced the old set-up. Niki customized open shelving directly over the sink to offset cabinet uniformity, give easy access to everyday pieces, and give the kitchen a little more visual depth. The couple chose white subway tiles for their new backsplash, which reflect a bright glow thanks to under-cabinet lighting.

Sarah and Oleg prioritized room for a double oven from LG and compensated for space with a counter-depth french door Whirlpool fridge. A Whirlpool dishwasher rounded out the new appliances, and in keeping with the theme of “twos”, Niki installed a pair of glass pendants over the bar top, which accessorize the new space beautifully.

As for the bonus room fashioned out of the former dining nook, Sarah and Oleg were more than pleased to find the new space fit not one but two cribs, perfect for new twin sisters, Ava and Sophie.

This gorgeous new space doesn’t let on that during the renovation process, a leak from a neighboring unit required extra work for the crew. Sarah reports that Niki and her team were completely flexible and took on the additional projects: finishing floors, repainting rooms, redoing molding and drywall, all to make sure the entire space came together. We’re so glad to hear this team made it all happen!

Kitchen selects >> cabinets: Custom / counters: gray quartz / sink and faucet: Kohler / double oven: LG / fridge: Whirlpool / dishwasher: Whirlpool / pendants and hardware: Home Depot

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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 A New Kitchen Makes Way for Two New Arrivals! appeared first on Sweeten.

“Sweeten made the process super easy to get bids and ultimately find a great contractor. I’m really glad I found you guys.” 

– Lee Hoffman, Manhattan homeowner

While there is more than enough to see in these “before” photos, Lee found himself up against one major, invisible force: the co-op’s previous tenant had been a smoker and the original stock finishes were covered in smoky residue. The kitchen was virtually sealed off from the living room, and its big window was partially blocked by cabinetry and a fridge that had been wedged into the galley. Lee knew he could swap in new cabinets and appliances, but when he learned that the dividing wall was non-load-bearing, he began to picture taking down the wall to let light into the living room from two directions. He put together a lengthy list of big and small updates (wall demolition all the way down to soft-close cabinets) and took the same approach to bring light and modern appeal to the crumbling bathroom.

Lee took on the kitchen with all of the resolve of a tech entrepreneur. He spent a month talking to every cabinet maker in NYC before accepting that even the lowest price for a high-end, custom built set was way beyond what he was willing to put in for the entire project. Even the next tier down felt costly, and the slightly more budget-friendly options at big box retailers didn’t seem like an obvious slam dunk. After reading positive reviews about IKEA cabinets, and realizing that a whole new IKEA line was about to hit the market, he found himself psyched by the look of the white, high-gloss lacquer Sektion option. The cost-benefit of going with IKEA was immediately evident: for well under $10k, Lee got a full set of kitchen cabinets and was really happy with the quality. The downside? Getting delivery right took weeks of follow-up and re-shipments to get all of the pieces on site. A great deal overall, but most definitely not without headaches and hand-holding. But details, details…take a look at what happened when the wall came down and the cabinets went in!

Lee’s research paid off in other parts of the kitchen. He loved the look of white marble and spent six months on the hunt for a quartz countertop with a similar feel, ultimately landing on a porcelain slab by Euro West with an almost-identical yet indestructible effect. Lee compared the slab side by side with marble at Mark and Benneton in Brooklyn and never looked back. To keep his budget focused, Lee decided to skip a typical tiled backsplash. With the newly opened room, and with an upper row of cabinets only on one side, it ended up being a smart choice. Lee thought carefully about cabinet placement – drawers only along the left (16″ depth to maximize open space) and a slim row of upper cabinets centered on the right. The team installed the counter-depth Liebherr fridge against the back wall and lined up all other appliances – a Samsung stove with sleek visual controls, a stainless steel Blomberg dishwasher, and a Blanco Quatrus sink on the opposite side – leaving plenty of room in all directions for food prep and hosting.

Lee was entirely unsentimental about the bathroom. Everything had to go and in its place, lots of clean, bright whites and crisp glass. Lee found happiness in a touchless San Souci Kohler toilet, “designed for OCD people” (yup…we know and love a few of those folks), and also went with a Kohler recessed medicine cabinet above the Fresca sink vanity. The bathroom hardware is all Hansgrohe – we love that full shower suite with all of its bells and whistles. Lee’s heavy research brought in one more big catch: he found a specialty frameless shower glass from Mirage Shower Doors that eliminates the slight green aura that lots of shower doors end up with and lets the Glassos white wall tiles do their thing.

Big thanks to Lee and the Sweeten team for a stunning redo, and for all of this insider research!

Kitchen Selects >> countertop: porcelain slab Euro West / sink: Blanco Quatrus / stove: Samsung / dishwasher: steel Blomberg / fridge: Leibherr / cabinets: white, high-gloss lacquer IKEA Sektion

Bathroom Selects >> toilet: Kohler / sink vanity: Fresca / shower glass: Mirage Shower Doors / hardware: Hansgrohe

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

The post Before & After: Lee’s Midtown East Kitchen and Bath Renovation — Sweetened! appeared first on Sweeten.

Just because kitchen counters get a lot of use in the home doesn’t mean they can’t also look beautiful! But where should you start when picking kitchen countertop materials? Well, there are a few things you should know about each type of countertop material before making your final selection. Here’s a rundown of our favorite kitchen countertops from Sweeten renovation projects: gorgeous photos and material descriptions.

Quartz Countertops

Quartz is a type of engineered stone, made from a combination of minerals, pigment, and resin. It is available in a wide range of colors and texture complexity. Quartz has become the most popular kitchen countertop material in Sweeten kitchen renovations probably because it is slightly less expensive, per square foot, than some of its other natural stone cousins, and because it is prized for extreme durability, resistance to stains and scratches, and its non-porous surface, which helps retain polish without sealants or waxes.

“The stone is my favorite thing about the new space – it’s like having a piece of fine art right in my kitchen.” – Ketrina, Clinton Hill homeowner

Ketrina in Clinton Hill chose a quartzite countertop in cream-colored Madreperola (Mother of Pearl).

Claire and Mike in Park Slope chose a quartzite countertop in Dolomite “super white”.

“I love having guests over and can invite them to sit at the counter while I’m prepping snacks or a meal.” – Heather, Sweeten homeowner 

Heather went with LG’s Viatera quartz countertop in Cirrus for her Upper West Side kitchen.

Granite Countertops

Granite is a natural stone with wide variation in color and detail. Its resistance to heat and scratches makes it a classic in the kitchen. Granite is known for its durability, but can require periodic re-sealing.

Robyn and Alejandro in Brooklyn’s Columbia Waterfront District chose a granite countertop with gray undertones and luminous purple specks.

Marble Countertops

Marble has become an increasingly popular choice in luxury kitchens. More porous and softer than granite and engineered stone, (marble counters need to be sealed and are more susceptible to stains and etching), design-focused renovators seem to be willing to put up with marble’s drawbacks for its uncontested good looks.

Sweeten Experts Lauren and Adam included a Calacatta Caldia marble countertop with faint traces of green, gray, and yellow veining from ABC Stone in an Upper East Side kitchen.

Soapstone Countertops

Highly heat-, stain-, and bacteria-resistant, soapstone is a non-porous natural stone that is available in a range of light to dark gray matte tones, all with subtle veining. Unlike granite and marble materials that require sealing, soapstone needs regular polishing with mineral oil to help conceal surface scratches and add patina.

Corey in Williamburg chose a soapstone countertop from a local supplier’s stone yard, and extended it all the way down into the sink.

Dekton Countertops

A tougher and more durable alternative to concrete countertops, Dekton is an ultra-compacted hybrid of raw materials common to quartz, porcelain, and glass. The result is a virtually impenetrable surface with a grittier, industrial feel.

Dan and Mike in Hell’s Kitchen chose a Dekton waterfall counter in Chrome.

Butcher block countertops

Ideal for adding warmth and charm, butcher block wood countertops provide a hardworking surface for food preparation. A number of Sweetened kitchens have mixed wood countertop sections with other materials like natural or engineered stone. This mix provides different options for food prep and serving. While butcher block is naturally heat-resistant and affordable, it can stain and age, wear in high-use areas and requires regular sanding and oiling to protect the wood.

Sweeten Experts Lauren and Adam included a maple butcher block prep nook with a knife storage block in an Upper East Side kitchen.

A Clinton Hill couple chose a butcher block counter to compliment the white on white palette with wood accents in their kitchen.

Ready to kick off a remodeling project? Sweeten has experienced, vetted general contractors that can bring your kitchen dreams to life:

Wood, laminate, and stainless steel are also popular kitchen countertop materials.

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Sweeten handpicks 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 project on Sweeten.

The post Kitchen Countertop Materials Shine in 9 Sweeten Homes appeared first on Sweeten.

Editor’s Note: This post, originally published May 2014, is one of our favorites for still having a classic and modern look years later. Allison and Jovito purchased their first home together—a single-family brick row house, c. 1910, in the Ocean Parkway neighborhood of Brooklyn. Though they knew the place needed some serious renovations, Allison, a content manager, and Jovito, an electronic prepress director, both in textbook publishing, promptly packed up and, along with their adorable cat, Momo, moved in and geared up for some major home improvements. Allison shares their renovation story and walks us through the stylish choices she and Jovito made in the process of creating their new home.

Guest post by Allison in Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn

Ten months of intense searching, eight lost bids and a couple hundred viewed properties later, Jovito and I finally found an adorable 1910 brick row house in the Ocean Parkway neighborhood of Brooklyn to call our own. We loved the bones and original details of the house, but the over 100-year-old home was also in need of some serious updating. Knowing that we’d have some large-scale renovations ahead of us, we went into the purchase two parts excited and one part slightly terrified.  There was a long list of items on our “fix” list when we moved in, but we also had a limited budget. So our energy and efforts were focused on tackling the kitchen and upstairs bathroom renovation first.

Having never renovated a property before, we didn’t know where to start. How would we find a reputable contractor that would understand our vision, work within our budget, and do a stellar job? Perusing Apartment Therapy on a day when I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all our options, I read about Sweeten and decided to post our project to the site. We really liked the idea that they would act as matchmakers and pair us with contractors based on our project’s scope of work and budget. Knowing that they had pre-screened their network of contractors also made choosing feel a lot less scary.

After meeting with two contractor matches from Sweeten, and two contractors that were friend referrals, we decided to award our renovation job to Sweeten. We appreciated his pragmatism, patience in answering our many questions, and his thoroughness during the onsite visit. We also appreciated that he seemed completely un-phased by the scary (to us), timeworn, “before” conditions of the kitchen and bathroom. He’d seen and worked on old houses like this many times, so that also helped us feel like we were in good hands. His familiarity with constructing IKEA kitchens and reasonable estimate sealed the deal.

We started our renovation of the kitchen and bathroom in mid-November. Living in the house during construction wasn’t fun, but our contractor and his team were careful to keep the work area as clean and contained as possible. On the plus side, it was exciting for us to see the team’s daily progress and some of the relics they unearthed during demolition. (Like pieces of newspaper from 1943 mentioning President Roosevelt stuck inside the bathroom walls!) The team spent a lot of time and effort making sure the new walls and floors were level, plumb, and true, which was no small feat in an old house where nothing is straight!

The kitchen needed a gut renovation. The walls were covered with dark wood paneling and cabinets, there was a dropped ceiling with fluorescent lighting, cracked floor tile and beat up Formica countertops and backsplash. The existing soffit ran in front of the kitchen window, cutting a good eight inches off the top, and a lot of daylight along with it. It was a less-than-optimal layout and had definitely seen better days.

Because of our limited budget, we decided to go with IKEA kitchen cabinetry and Caesarstone quartz countertops, both of which we purchased during one of IKEA’s kitchen sales. Not wanting the new kitchen to clash with the age of the house but also wanting it to feel current and new, we went with a more traditional cabinet door style in a medium gray color. To keep the space open and airy feeling, we decided to forego wall cabinets. We made sure we had plenty of base cabinet storage to hold all our pots and pans. Because we removed the dropped ceiling, we gained back some ceiling height, so we stacked glass-front cabinets to the ceiling and created a hutch to display our collection of vintage glassware and serveware. We chose durable white quartz countertops to keep the room bright and to add contrast to the gray cabinets.

We’re tough on our floors, so we chose extra durable wood-look porcelain tile that we found online at a closeout price. Our contractor laid the tile in a herringbone pattern. We really love the way it turned out! For the backsplash tile, we went with a large format porcelain tile with a raised geometric pattern and tiled all the way up the wall for visual impact. (It’s also incredibly easy to clean!) The wall tile is from Mondial in Bensonhurst.

We both love to cook so it was important for us to have a range that could accommodate many pots and pans and put out some serious BTUs. We were incredibly lucky to find our range second-hand in excellent condition at a local salvage shop. The exhaust hood was found in the clearance section of Home Depot and our brand new dishwasher came from the As-Is section of IKEA. Our counter-depth fridge was on sale at the local P.C. Richard & Son.

Our ceiling light fixtures are porcelain lamp holders made by Leviton running about $2/piece online. The pendant over the sink is from Restoration Hardware and is based off an Italian factory light from the 1950s. We like that the lights can extend out about four feet on each side, giving us the option of creating more overhead lighting for prep if we need it.

We decided to go with brass cabinet pulls, knobs, and faucet to warm up all the cool gray and stainless steel. It took a lot of searching to find a brushed brass faucet, but we finally found one through Newport Brass. The solid brass pulls and knobs are made by Laurey and were also found online.

Our bathroom was very…blue. Blue tub, blue toilet, blue tile. It had last been majorly renovated in the 50s and everything was really showing its age. The floor of the bathroom was about a 4” step up from the hallway—the ghosts of past flooring renovations buried beneath. To top it all off, the bathroom space itself was tiny—about 36 square feet. Our budget wouldn’t allow us to enlarge the space or reroute plumbing, so our goal was to increase the feeling of space while making it as pretty and useable as possible. Style-wise, we wanted the bathroom to look like it could have been original to the house so we were careful to choose pieces that had an old-fashioned feel to them.

To maximize space, we swapped the existing door for a pocket door and chose a dual-flush toilet with a narrow tank and small footprint. A console sink and clawfoot tub kept things airy and off the floor. Finding reasonably-priced marble floor and subway wall tile at Lowe’s kept us on budget, as well as sourcing salvage and secondhand materials which helped to cut costs. Finally, we added an exhaust fan/light combo to help cut humidity.

Despite holidays, lots of snow days and a few surprises along the way, the renovation process was mostly stress-free. Our contractor did a good job keeping us informed throughout construction, and he always made himself available to answer questions. And because we lived in our house during construction, we were also able to address and correct any miscommunications right away, which helped the project run more smoothly.

We’re thankful to the Sweeten team for pairing us up with the contractor and his team for an excellent first renovation experience! I’ve already recommended Sweeten to several friends! Sweeten’s matching service removes a lot of the scariness and uncertainty associated with finding a qualified contractor. And when we’re finally ready to begin the next project, you can be sure we’ll be contacting them for another great match!

Many thanks to Allison, Jovito & Momo for sharing your beautiful home!

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Quartz countertops: Caesarstone. Laurey pulls and knobs; Bertazzoni exhaust hood: Home Depot. DCS range: Build it Green. Kitchen cabinetry; dishwasher: IKEA. Counter-depth fridge: P.C. Richard & Son. Wall tile: Mondial. Herringbone floor tile: BuildDirect. Kraus sink: HomeClick. Brushed brass faucet: Newport Brass. Sink pendant: Restoration Hardware. Porcelain lamp holders; ceiling light fixtures: Leviton.

BATH RESOURCES: Marble floor and subway wall tile: Lowe’s. Clawfoot tub and fixtures: Vintage Tub & Bath. Toto toilet: FaucetDirect. Arcade console sink; vintage medicine cabinet: Build it Green. Ginger towel bar; gallery shelf: HomePerfect.

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Love the look of Allison’s statement-making exhaust hood? Find out what kind of ventilation is right for your kitchen in our post Ventilate Your Kitchen Like a Chef.

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 A Couple Gives Their Old Home a Touch of Glam appeared first on Sweeten.