“After” photos by Pixy Interiors for Sweeten

• Homeowners: Erin and Jonathan posted their West Village kitchen renovation project on Sweeten
• Where: West Village, Manhattan, New York
• Primary renovation: Refresh and create a new kitchen layout in their 750-square-foot apartment
• Sweeten general contractor
• Sweeten’s role: Sweeten matches residential renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering know-how, support, and up to $50,000 in renovation financial protection—for free.

Remodeling an outdated 80’s West Village kitchen

Though Erin and Jonathan’s West Village kitchen in their 750-square-foot apartment was, for the most part, functional, it didn’t suit their style. Another downside: the kitchen did not make the best use of the available space. Open to the living area, there was plenty of room to add the built-in island on the couple’s wish list, plus reimagine the layout. Ready to bid farewell to the ‘80s cabinetry and shabby tile flooring, they posted the project to Sweeten and were matched with a general contractor.

Picking renovation materials and kitchen appliances

The basic kitchen transformed into a bright, modern marvel complete with new stainless steel appliances, a waterfall island, and light fixtures. The overall contemporary culinary space also got some more classic updates, like the Shaker-style cabinets and herringbone tile backsplash. To connect the kitchen with the rest of the living area, 5-inch white oak flooring was installed throughout.

A French door refrigerator replaced the older model, while the new dishwasher (that has a window and lights up!) moved to the stove’s previous location. A stainless steel hood and gas range found a new central location in the space across from the storage-packed island.

Working through the renovation process

The contractor brought the couple’s vision to life, ensuring everything was on time and on budget. “The contractor’s app was also a very helpful tool for us to make material selections and track the progress of the project,” Jonathan said. Their contractor provided valuable input, guiding them on sourcing materials, layout, and space considerations.

“The entire process was intimidating. From planning, scheduling, prepping, and deciding, it was all new to us. Sweeten and our contractors made us feel at ease,” he continued.

The renovation had its challenges (the couple moved into a sublet for three months), but it wrapped up beautifully. “Before, there was a daily struggle for space and storage. Getting a certain level of cleanliness was never attainable in an older apartment. Now when we walk in the door, it’s a breath of fresh air,” Jonathan said.

Bonus: The countertops are actually marble-like quartz that doesn’t just look pretty; it’s very durable too!

Renovation Materials:

White modern Shaker cabinets: Waypoint. Cabinet pulls tabs: Miseno. Marble-like quartz countertops: Quartz Master. Bolden single handle faucet: Kraus. Stainless steel sink: Kohler. Fisher & Paykel French door refrigerator, #RF170ADUSX4N: AJ Madison. Dishwasher, #KDTM804ESS, gas range, #KSGB900ESS: KitchenAid. Alto rod 8″ island lighting: Cedar & Moss.

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Waterfall islands are making a splash. See Lia and Chris’ waterfall island in their kitchen reno.

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 Modern Makeover in a West Village Kitchen appeared first on Sweeten.

The post A Bright Blue Bathroom Remodel (Plus Walkout Deck) in Los Angeles appeared first on Sweeten.

“After” photos by Pixy Interiors for Sweeten

Project: Transform a one-bedroom unit by splitting the master bath into two; adding a second bathroom and an extra bedroom. 

Before: When Jeanne and Philip found out they were having a baby, it was just the incentive they needed to renovate. Changing the layout of their 1,000-square-foot apartment would be more efficient for their growing family. They wanted more space to enjoy while raising their little one—without being on top of one another. Luckily, with the help of Sweeten, a free renovation platform that matches homeowners with licensed general contractors and tracks their projects, they posted their project and found a contractor who could help fulfill their vision of adding a second bathroom and bedroom by splitting up the master bath.

They discussed turning their one-bedroom into a two-bedroom and splitting their master bath into two with their contractor. Luckily, there was enough square footage to play with. The previous owner had taken a closet next to the master bathroom to make a large walk-in shower. The couple’s Sweeten contractor would use some of that space to make a guest bath and second bedroom.

After: The couple decided a design-build firm would be a good fit since maximizing their apartment’s limited space would be tricky. Plus, the contractor handled the architectural documents required by the co-op board and filed for city permits. The family’s main goal was to turn the guest bath into an ADA-compliant space. To do so, they had to add a step up due to underlying drains. Without it, the room would not be able to function in such a capacity. An ADA-compliant space follows a federal guideline to provide greater access to people with limited mobility.

SLIDESHOW:

SLIDESHOW:

“I asked the designer to come up with different looks, then mixed and matched,” Jeanne says. “We wanted to be a bit more forward and get funkier.”

Bonus: A new wall-hung toilet takes less floor space than a traditional toilet would.

Style finds: Toilet: Kohler. Vanity: Fresca. Sin/faucet: Grohe. Medicine cabinet: Robern. Toilet paper holder and a hand towel hook Ginger. Subway tile and herringbone mosaic: Nemo Tile. Flooring Daltile. Rain shower and hand-held system: Hansgrohe.

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Give new life to your kitchen. Here’s what you need to know on the renovation costs for a kitchen in NYC.

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 Adding a Second Bath for Convenience appeared first on Sweeten.

Gall was living in a Hell’s Kitchen one-bedroom with his wife Ingrid, a Brazilian-born speech pathologist. They initially discovered Sweeten when they began thinking about a renovation for that apartment. The makeover wasn’t to be, however, and they switched gears in anticipation of expanding their family. For the better part of a year, the couple shopped for a larger apartment in the competitive market along Broadway on the Upper West Side. It was only after widening their search across Central Park that they stumbled onto an affordable Upper East Side building “right on top of the subway,” he notes.

The high-rise building was originally developed as a rental in the 1980’s, and Gall liked the way its bay windows amplified the view. The 1,280-square-foot unit had received mainly cosmetic renovations since going condo in the early 2000’s, so floors were a deep brown that showed dust and failed to bounce natural light around the space. The original kitchen measured 100 square feet, but felt cramped and closed-off, with a shortage of counter space. Gall, who is the family chef, recalls the well-used beige plastic laminate kitchen cabinets as being very small, and they didn’t go all the way to the ceiling. There was also insufficient storage in the bedrooms. “I don’t know where they fit their clothes,” he says.

This time, it was a real estate broker’s recommendation which reminded Gall of Sweeten. He posted their remodel, along with a wish list of some elements to add and others to subtract. After signing with a Sweeten contractor that offered design and build services in April, demolition began in June. Their contractor worked with the couple for months, strategically updating the apartment while enhancing the expanses of space that had attracted them in the first place.

One early target was a wide bank of awkwardly placed built-in bookcases right at the entrance. “It had tons of little compartments and really felt cluttered right there in the middle of the house,” Gall explains. They removed it and worked with their team to fill the same space with closed storage. A penthouse they saw while apartment shopping served as the couple’s design inspiration for cool mirror doors—on both their new pantry cabinet and the neighboring linen closet—that are decorated with a retro raised-panel design.

One unexpected (and technically challenging) concern was mentioned by the building architect. For the spot where they planned to open up the kitchen by demolishing a wall, the architect asked about a much discussed but often ignored code requirement for a drop soffit to channel smoke dividing the ceiling between the kitchen and living area. A reworked soffit satisfied the requirement and tied into the other new ones around the living room. To unify the apartment throughout, their contractor suggested they see an example of 5-inch-wide white oak floors in another project the team had completed; Gall and Ingrid instantly fell in love. The wood was glued down to the concrete subfloor throughout the living areas, and even in the kitchen. 

The new kitchen has synthetic quartz for the countertops, as well as on the new island where the wall once stood. “By opening up the wall we lost a lot of upper cabinet space,” he explains, which made new full-height cabinets a necessity. The cabinets are white-painted maple, and the backsplash mosaic is a herringbone composed of glass and marble tiles. The couple skipped a range in favor of the flexibility of having a wall oven and separate cooktop. The refrigerator, though not a pricey panel-ready model, is neatly integrated into a tall wall of white cabinetry. The cookspace was one of their favorite spaces. “The craftsmanship was amazing,” said Gall. “The huge countertop makes working in the kitchen a pleasant experience,” including enough space for him and his wife to cook together.

In the master bathroom, a tub was replaced with a new stand-up shower with marble from Porcelanosa. Gall praises the three-dimensional renderings created by his Sweeten contractor, which were a great help for imagining the look of the kitchen. “We’re not visual people, and that made the process much smoother and easier.”

The closet organization in the master bedroom was built to the homeowners’ exact requests, not only providing more than adequate storage, but the cabinet doors matched the rest found in the apartment. For the nursery, the initial placement allowed the rest of the room to be furnished around it. “The closet was planned to accommodate two children at different ages,” says Gall.

In spite of the inconveniences, Sweeten clearly contributed immeasurably to the couple’s renovation. “We had been very nervous about getting the right contractor, one who wouldn’t walk out on us,” he recalls. He advises renovators to expect a longer period of construction than originally quoted, and to spend as much of your own energy on it as possible. Once you find an expert you can count on, he says, “trust your contractor’s opinion.” Mid-construction, they found out they were expecting a child, and the job was finished before the birth. Today, one of those spectacular bay windows in the living room, with its classic New York view, makes an ideal playpen for the luckiest of big-city babies.

Thank you, Gall and Ingrid, for sharing how you organized and made your home work for you.

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Color Strip wood flooring in Natural White Oak: Somerset. Kitchen cabinets: Custom fabricated by Sweeten contractor. Satin Nickel Meis cabinet hardware: Stanley Home Designs. Minuet Countertops: LG Viatera. Monarch Sands of Time Backsplash: TileBar. Stainless steel single basin undermount sink, #VG3019BK1: Vigo. Faucet: Hansgrohe. French door fridge: Fisher Paykel. 30” 5-Burner gas cooktop, #KCGS350ESS. 24” dishwasher: KitchenAid. 27” Electric wall oven, #WOS51EC7AS: Whirlpool.

MASTER BATH RESOURCES: Persian White Classico floor and wall tile, #L112995691-100142837: Porcelanosa. Faucet, #SLS-3610-1.5: Symmons. 30” Wall-hung vanity; 5-Light Bath Bar light fixture: Wayfair. Comfort height toilet #K-5172-RA-0; shower fixtures; medicine cabinet: Kohler.

HALLWAY RESOURCES: Doors: Custom fabricated by Sweeten contractor.

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While you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by our renovation of an apartment that hadn’t been touched in three decades; uncovering a 1929 Upper East Side gem.

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 Home Improves the View, Inside and Out appeared first on Sweeten.

Guest post by Chelsea homeowner and food writer Lauren Shockey

My husband, Ross, and I purchased a two-bedroom apartment in Chelsea last year. We were already living in a one-bedroom apartment in the same neighborhood and wanted to upgrade to an apartment that had more space. After about three months of looking, we found the perfect apartment, only three blocks from where we were living.

We loved the loft-style layout of the apartment we found, but the bathrooms were in a bit of a sorry state. The tile was outdated and one of the baths had a huge old-school metal tub stopper located next to the toilet. So we planned on gutting the two spaces along with a few extra upgrades, such as replacing the kitchen’s backsplash and lighting, sanding the floors, repainting the apartment, removing a desk in the study to accommodate a piano, and turning a less-than-ideal barn door in the dining foyer into a more discreet pocket door.

We hired White Arrow, a friend’s sister’s design company to assist us with the design process, and they, in turn, posted our project on Sweeten and found our contractor. Our Sweeten contractor was also very helpful throughout the design process and suggested modifications and tweaks to the original design that best fit our needs.

Creating a wide barn pocket door proved to be a challenge but “our contractor suggested we attach three store-bought doors together…”

We initially budgeted two to three months for the renovation process, and typical for New York, ended up taking about four months. The apartment’s previous tenants took all of their light fixtures with them when they moved out, so we purchased new light fixtures for all of the rooms. I created a Pinterest board to help refine my ideas. We especially love the distinctive CB2 chandelier which hangs above our dining room table.

Being a food writer and having written Four Kitchens, a book about working in restaurants around the world, it was important for me to have a clean, streamlined kitchen for cooking and entertaining. We loved the custom cabinets that were already in place but wanted to update the backsplash by installing white subway tiles to replace the existing small red-and-brown multicolored ones. We also swapped out the sink faucet for a contemporary Grohe fixture.

Ross loves playing piano, and with this apartment, we were finally able to accommodate a piano in our space. We removed a wooden plank which the previous owners had used as a desk and created a nook which was a perfect spot for an upright piano.

Creating the pocket door separating the dining area from the bedroom proved a bit of a challenge at first, but our contractor helpfully suggested that we attach three store-bought doors together, and then build a fake wall over what used to be the space for the barn door. This would be a more affordable solution than purchasing a custom wood door, which he noted would be very expensive. We then painted the door and surrounding walls Hamilton Blue by Benjamin Moore, a color we had in our old apartment, and one that we knew looked good as a backdrop for our artwork. Also in the dining area, we covered a pipe that had previously been exposed. We had initially wanted to get rid of it since it was in the middle of the walkway, but this was not possible. Our unit was originally two apartments that had been combined at some point in the past, and the pipe had been inside the dividing walls.

The bathrooms probably required the most work. Our designers initially suggested moving around the placement of the sink and toilet to maximize space, but this was going to require additional permits and more time. As such, we ended up leaving the tubs, sinks, and toilets in the same places, and just upgraded with new fixtures. I love taking baths so we got deep-soaking tubs for both bathrooms, as well as Toto toilets. For the master bath, I was inspired by the clean, elegant look of hotel bathrooms and wanted marble walls to be a focus of that space. We opted for a glass panel on the tub, which our contractor sourced for us. We also covered unattractive heating pipes with grates from Architectural Grille. Custom shelving was added in the form of a shower niche, as well as a large in-wall cabinet opposite the sink.

For the guest bath, a simple white tile with black grout was chosen to complement the Coyuchi shower curtain and an Of a Kind planter we had brought from our previous bathroom. We ran into some issues with the tiles purchased by our designers for the guest bath, so our contractor made suggestions that helped the material work in the space. Contemporary Graff shower fixtures were selected for both showers. As for the color palette, we chose white because it was a neutral color, and it is just very soothing to have a white bathroom. Both looks are timeless, and we figured they would be appealing to us now and hopefully to anyone who bought the apartment later on.

After the four months of work, we were able to move into our new space, which we now love. We tried to create a contemporary space that reflects our personal tastes while adding elements which also capture the Art Deco heritage of our apartment building.

Thanks so much, Lauren, for sharing your story! We hope your stylish new space is filled with music and good food.

MASTER BATH RESOURCES: White herringbone floor tile: Tile Spark. Showerhead: YLiving for Graff. Faucet: Aquabrass. Sink and vanity: Duravit. Toilet: Toto. Lighting, West Slope hardware: Rejuvenation.

GUEST BATH RESOURCES: Parquet marble floor tile: Wayfair. White square subway wall tile: Heritage Tile. Lighting, West Slope hardware: Rejuvenation. Showerhead: YLiving for Graff. Faucet: Aquabrass. Toilet: Toto.

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Faucet: Grohe.

LIVING AREA: SAIC together pendant dining room light: CB2. Hamilton Blue Paint: Benjamin Moore.

Need to find clever ways to build in bathroom storage? Ben and Ellen’s shelving solution adds a warm wood tone and does its job well—holding “stuff.”

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 Food Writer Uses Hotel-Inspired Style for an Art Deco Apartment appeared first on Sweeten.

The advantages of this couple’s new place were very clear: beamed ceilings and big windows in every room brought lovely natural light throughout the unit, and original hardwood floors lent a relaxed look to the space. The kitchen, visible from the foyer, dining room, and living room, had two gracious windows but was outfitted with miniature appliances, isolated blocks of cabinets, and dark finishes. And while the kitchen and both bathrooms had been treated to some relatively recent updates, this couple saw potential for modern features and additions that would help them get settled. With the closing officially on the books, the couple posted their project on Sweeten, calling for a designer and builder who could help them make the most of the square footage in the kitchen and bathrooms before moving in.

We matched them with a Sweeten design-build firm. Together, they devised a plan to create a more spacious and bright kitchen and newly updated baths with elegant finishes.

The contractors began with the kitchen, gutting the space entirely. The apartment’s oak floors were worn, but the telltale parquet plank details and inlaid borders were enough to convince the team to leave them in place, restore them, and extend them into the kitchen, replacing the section of pine flooring that had made its way in during a previous renovation.

This design-build firm specializes in custom millwork and brought a signature white shaker look to this couple’s kitchen. They went minimal in the most visible places, limiting full cabinet lines to one wall, adding a bit of open shelving to the windowed wall, and significantly extending base cabinets around the back wall of the dining nook. These design decisions aimed for maximum light and an open feel. They tore out the windowsill just to the left of the dining nook to make way for that additional counter and cabinet space, and finished the full set with contrasting black knobs and sturdy pulls. The old black stone counters were replaced with white and soft gray quartz, blending the new white and black combo seamlessly.

The homeowners were keen on replacing their compact oven and dishwasher with full-size versions, so the pair gained a sleek new Verona gas range with an exhaust hood fashioned with custom oak shelves on either side, stained to match the new floors. A full size Bosch dishwasher took the place of the old, just to the left of the stove and concealed behind coordinating cabinetry panels. The couple chose a large white Kohler farmhouse sink and chrome Moen faucet, situated nicely under the far window.

A new stainless steel double-door fridge is now flanked by custom pantry storage, and the Sweeten contractor pulled the entire update together with a simple beveled white marble backsplash.

Much like the kitchen, the homeowners wanted cosmetic changes to both bathrooms to reveal more of their personal style and taste, favoring neutral colors and patterns and aiming for a brighter, cleaner feel. Nothing too extravagant, too old, or too contemporary.

They decided on simple geometric shapes and a natural palette in both. The master bath received a full gut without changing the footprint. Cloudy square floor tiles were tossed and delicate carrara marble pieces in soft bluish grays went down. The old shower/tub combo was of average height and size and contained very basic hardware. The couple chose a deep cast-iron Soissons Kohler bath with multiple Rohl hardware fixtures in a gorgeous muted polished nickel. A dark wood vanity sink originally stood to the left of the tub but was replaced with a much lighter wood finish with twice the storage space. A chic square mirror with an antiqued bevel stands over it, and new Kohler toilets were added in both bathrooms.

In the powder room, the same cloudy square floor tiles were replaced with a herringbone tile in soft gray and white, while the same square wall tiles were swapped for a subway style in white marble. The homeowners selected a slender dark wood vanity and square white porcelain sink, along with a silhouette mirror trimmed in wood to match.

The general contractors sanded and stained the oak wood floors throughout the rest of the apartment, and in doing so they replaced all of the white shoe molding as well. The walls were stripped and repainted, mostly white or the palest gray-blue found in the new powder room.

Kitchen selects >> cabinets: custom / counters: LG Quartz / backsplash: Tile Bar: Beveled Marble / gas range: Verona / dishwasher: Bosch / fridge: Fisher & Paykel / sink: Kohler / faucet: Moen

Powder room selects >> floors and walls: Tile Bar / toilet: Kohler

Master bath selects >> floors and walls: Tile Bar / tub: Soissons Kohler: Cast Iron / shower hardware: Rohl / toilet: Kohler

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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 White Walls and Black Hardware in a Windowed, Pre-War Kitchen appeared first on Sweeten.