An open plan home in the Hamptons, with child-friendly stairs and new baths

• Homeowners: Alex and Jennifer Figueroa, the parents of two young boys, posted their East Hampton renovation project on Sweeten
• Where: Long Island, New York
• Primary renovation: A gut renovation of a 2,500-square-foot, 1979 house to create a family-friendly home (and rental)
• Sweeten general contractor
• Homeowner’s quote: “Our Sweeten contractor was a reliable asset. He found a solution to every snag and never said no to a request.”
• Sweeten’s role: Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and secure payments—for free.

Guest blog post by homeowner Alex. “After” photos by Lena Yaremenko for Sweeten.

A complete redo begins with an East Hampton renovation

We purchased a cedar-shingled house in East Hampton and started renovating immediately. With two young kids, we were anxious to get this dream beach house going. Jennifer, a speech-language pathologist, and I, a banker, also knew it would make an excellent Airbnb.

The house, which was built in 1979, had five bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. It needed a refresh. We wanted to give it an open, modern beach house feel. The first floor would reconfigure to an open-plan concept. This meant not only knocking down a wall but removing essential load-bearing beams.

The staircase needed work; it looked dated and was not up to code. It had a railing but was essentially open. So, a kid could literally duck under it and fall through. We also knew that we’d have to gut remodel the kitchen and bathrooms, which had never been renovated.

Removing interior walls for an open-concept plan

We started on the first floor. Our Sweeten contractor had warned us that revising the floor plan would be the biggest part of the project. And it was. The kitchen, which was nestled in the house’s center, had a wall that contained a support beam. That essential wall, which separated it from the foyer, was the one we wanted to do away with. It took removing multiple load-bearing beams but that wall came down. From our contractor’s suggestion, we lowered the ceiling a few inches to conceal the perimeter beams. As a result, the ceiling was entirely flush and seamless throughout.

The space that was once three separate rooms—the kitchen, dining room, and den—is now a continuous area. The change gives the home a much more open and airy feeling, letting the light filter through.

We felt so pleased with the openness that we reinforced the look in other ways. For example, we chose not to replace the dated kitchen floor tile with the large faux-concrete slabs we had purchased. Instead, hardwood flooring was installed on the entire ground floor to unify the entire space. Our contractor urged us to consider this to give the downstairs a cohesive look. We’re glad we listened, as it looks sleek and seamless.

“Our contractor urged us to consider [continuous hardwood flooring] to give the downstairs a cohesive look. We’re glad we listened, as it looks sleek and seamless.”

A custom look for Ikea kitchen cabinets

We felt especially excited about the kitchen. Our design included a large island that would be for gathering and favorite activities like cooking and entertaining. In addition, we splurged on a wine fridge, quartz countertops, and an integrated refrigerator.

Our Sweeten contractor customized Ikea cabinets with walnut panel doors. Another panel ran along the ceiling for a more high-end look. The big island was outfitted with counter seating and a five-zone induction cooktop. The install day for that island was really an exciting milestone. Finally, our open plan now had a center!

The successful reconfiguration of the downstairs led us to the next big task: the staircase remodel. We had a good idea of how we wanted to approach it. Safety was the primary concern, but given that the stairs are a focal point as you enter the home, looks also mattered. Therefore, we decided on wood-trimmed glass panels placed vertically to create a transparent enclosure. Stair safety was achieved while staying true to the goal of light and openness.

With the stairs under control, we moved on to the bathrooms. All three had a different look: minimal white in the master bath, ocean-blue cabinetry and hex tile in the guest bath, and a white console sink in the first-floor powder room. Black marble was used for contrast. We’re thrilled with the large-format porcelain slabs in the master bath shower. The expansive, smooth surfaces with minimal grout lines give the room a clean look and easy cleaning. We love the result.

A good partner with an East Hampton general contractor

Fortunately, throughout the renovation process, our Sweeten contractor was a reliable asset and didn’t need Sweeten for help. He found a solution to every snag and never said no to a request. He was always available to answer questions and we felt at every step that his goal was to make us happy.

For us, the biggest challenge was distance. East Hampton is a two-hour drive from our home in Long Island City, so we had to manage our project from afar. On many weekends, we made same-day round-trips to check in on the work. The payoff came when the finishes went in and months of planning materialized. The space came out exactly as we hoped it would and we are happy with the decisions we made.

Thank you, Alex and Jennifer, for sharing your East Hampton renovation with us!

Renovation Materials:

LIVING SPACE RESOURCES: Wall paint in Bakery Box, #BL-W9: Behr. Fireplace mantle tile in Realta II: Cement Tile Shop. Custom glass doors: Crystalia Glass. Living room built-in cabinetry: custom millwork by Sweeten contractor. 

ENTRANCE/HALLWAY RESOURCES: Rhye wallpaper in hand foil: Custhom. Montara 28 .5” mirror: Serena & Lily.  Console: West Elm.  Closet Dove shelves in brushed chrome finish: California Closets.

STAIRCASE RESOURCES: STUDIOC WOW drop tiles on risers: Crossville Studios. 

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Cabinets customized by contractor: IKEA. Walnut panels: Semihandmade. Pental quartz countertops and backsplash: Avenza. Fisher & Paykel refrigerator/ freezer: Appliances Connection. KitchenAid wine refrigerator, KitchenAid dishwasher, KitchenAid microwave/oven: Appliances Connection. Samsung induction 5 burner cooktop: Appliances Connection.  Meurice Chandelier: Jonathan Adler. Carlisle Metal counter stools: Threshold.

MASTER BATHROOM RESOURCES: 4” Hexagon Fosso marble floor tile: Nemo Tile. Stone Calacatta black smooth porcelain wall tile: Florim. Kallista hardware: Build.com. GrohFlex Essence dual function thermostatic trim shower fixtures with control module: Grohe.  Crystalia glass shower doors: Custom by contractor.  Mason Apothecary single sink vanity: Pottery Barn.  Infinity rectangular wall mirror: CB2. 

GUEST BATHROOM RESOURCES: 4” hexagon Griglio Cielo marble floor tiles: Nemo Tile. Stone black smooth porcelain wall tile: Florim. Kallista hardware: Build.com. GrohFlex Essence dual function thermostatic trim shower fixtures with control module: Grohe. 60” Kendall blue bathroom vanity: Houzz. Infinity rectangular wall mirror: CB2.

SECOND FLOOR LANDING RESOURCES: 30-light chandelier: Lumens.

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When you’re ready to get started on your kitchen or home remodel, work with Sweeten to renovate with the best contractors.

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 An East Hampton Beach House Opens and Brightens appeared first on Sweeten.

Guest post by Williamsburg homeowner Lia Wollen

After three years of renting in Williamsburg, the time came to try and buy a place. My husband, Chris, and I hoped to find a spacious townhouse or something bigger than our current place. Planning for a family and wanting outdoor space, we felt that broadening our search to less trendy neighborhoods was our only option. After exploring most of Brooklyn, however, we found that we kept coming back to Williamsburg.

Six months into our search, standing just four blocks south of our rental and looking out at the East River from the roof deck of a two-bedroom on the market, Chris said, “Well, if we can do this, then I want this.” It was a top floor unit with a small terrace off the living room, high ceilings, tons of light, and views of the Domino Sugar Factory, the river, and Manhattan. It came with basement storage, a parking space, and a piece of the private roof deck. Square footage was a concern, and we agreed that we would have to do a renovation before moving in to accommodate long-term needs, but first, the offer. Ours was accepted.

I found Sweeten in a general contractor search online and filled out the project post form to be matched with general contractors. Not too long after that initial search, I saw a blog post like this one, of another gorgeous Sweeten renovation. One of the photos looked right out at the Domino Sugar Factory—a replica of our new view! I realized pretty quickly it was a condo from our building and emailed Sweeten to ask them for the contractor. They connected us with this Sweeten general contractor. We met with him to kick things off and were thrilled with the fit and his vision.

The focus of our renovation was the kitchen and bath. I love to cook and wanted a hard-working, welcoming space to gather in. The bathroom needed a feeling of calm, an escape from the city. Our contractor was strategic with us in his approach. He started big so that we could see the possibilities, and then collectively, we pulled each other back to set reasonable expectations. This process was critical when it came to prioritizing our wants and needs and managing the dollars.

We underestimated the significance of overall design in renovating, but it was the beautiful and technical unifier underneath everything we were trying to accomplish. The contractor addressed the kitchen simply: hide the fridge, fill in the odd angles and edges of the ceiling, and provide more counter/storage space. This blew our minds. It cleaned up the whole space and looked like a kitchen that meant to be there, rather than an afterthought.

The most exciting proposal from our contractor was to open up the ceiling and expose building beams that were encased in the walls of the kitchen and living room. This eliminated awkward lines and revealed some industrial elements, playing off of the raw materials mirrored across the street at Domino. We achieved separation of living room and kitchen while retaining warmth in the space, by limiting how far we (and our budget) extended the look.

Another small but important detail was the flooring. The contractor and his team buffed out the overly lacquered yellow floors to get back down to raw wood, and we chose a sky gray matte stain.

There were other more indulgent decisions made during the planning process, like a wine fridge. This felt like a low-cost, high-impact amenity you don’t typically get in the city and we were very excited about it. Chris insisted from day one that we have a garbage disposal, so that was non-negotiable. We also debated and ultimately agreed to a waterfall edge for the kitchen countertops. Our contractor had strongly recommended this as a focal point when entering the home, and he was absolutely right.

For the bath, we kept the tub, sink, and hardware, but had everything retiled. We used leftover marble from the kitchen for the tub and installed a glass shower partition to open up the small space. We also built a new medicine cabinet and drawer for the sink to accommodate storage, and I found some new light fixtures to modern it up a bit.

Chris and I have a very similar aesthetic, so choosing materials, appliances, and fixtures was pretty straightforward. Before construction, I spent a lot of time pulling looks and materials from home and design websites, so we had a strong point of view right away. My must-have was a Wolf Range with the iconic red knobs. Snobby, kinda, but an important design element in an otherwise minimalist kitchen. The thing is also a weapon! (Chris started a grease fire the first time we used it.) Keeping in line with the stainless steel, we also bought a new Bosch dishwasher.

Material choices included Carrara marble, beveled and plain white subway tile with dark grout, classic New York hex tile in the bath, Edison bulbs, and glossy white cabinets. We chose IKEA cabinets because of another Sweeten renovation I caught on Instagram. It was very important to me that the cabinets went as high as they could go. I wanted an excess of clean-looking storage space and was not interested in dusting open shelving.

We were easy-going clients who trusted our contractor and his vision. We made things easier by not changing our minds and being open to his direction when we were undecided on something. The biggest decision, which we labored over the longest, was whether or not the kitchen should remain galley-style. The choice is obvious now, but there was something tempting at the time about toeing that suburban-house line with a big island to gather around. After the renovation, any concerns with square footage more or less went away. More, because we made so much out of what existed, and less because in March we found out we are expecting a baby boy this month!

Kitchen selects >> floors: Rubio Monocoat finish in hard oil, sky gray / cabinets: IKEA / counters: Carrara marble / backsplash tile: white beveled subway tile / dishwasher: Appliances Connection / refrigerator: Appliances Connection / range: Appliances Connection / sink and faucet: Appliances Connection / lighting: Restoration Hardware

Bathroom selects >> floor tile: hexagonal Carrera marble / toilet: Appliances Connection: Aquia One-Piece / sink and faucet: Appliances Connection / wall tile: white subway tile with dark gray grout / lighting: Restoration Hardware

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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 Exposed Beams and Marble Frame a Luxe Renovation 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: Appliances Connection / double oven: LG / fridge: Whirlpool / dishwasher: Appliances Connection / 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.

“This was definitely a dream on a budget and our contractor and his incredible team really made that happen! The Sweeten process and people were amazing and we really can’t thank them enough for all of their help. We are gearing up for 70 Australians to come to our wedding – SO SO excited to show them what we have created!”

– Laura, Brooklyn homeowner

The plans were ambitious but clear: demolish the kitchen wall to unite the kitchen, dining, and living rooms, re-build cabinetry and replace all finishes, gut the bathroom, clear out popcorn ceilings, and redo the floors. The demolition would leave a support column in place and center entertaining and seating around a new island, all in an entirely upgraded space.

Tired parquet flooring came up and warm wood planks went down in their place. The original kitchen cabinets appeared to have been painted many times over—when Laura and Matthew adopted them they were thick with black paint. The couple had put in long hours at Ikea to design new cabinets, and their contractor’s team did the heavy lifting to install double lines of cabinetry in dove gray with brushed brass pulls. A large island now separates the kitchen from the living room, while offering bar seating, plenty of table space for entertaining, and hidden storage underneath. Mismatched counters were replaced with striking butcher block, and the sink was swapped for a deep stainless version with a tall, elegant faucet. Laura and Matthew chose an ivory honeycomb backsplash with gray grout and upgraded appliances to sleek stainless steel.

Ohhh, look! There’s that iconic Clinton Hill Co-op kitchen window…!

The bathroom had also presumably seen kinder days. The floor consisted of gray tiles accented with smaller black and white pieces arranged in an art deco pattern, providing plenty of creative inspiration to work with while maintaining a familiar color theme throughout the home.

The contractor’s team removed the bathroom door and re-created the entry with a sliding track door—a huge space-saving move. Laura and Matthew chose stark all-white subway wall tiles lined with contrasting gray grout to replace the former lavender ones–many of them broken. The tub stayed with a glaze refresh and gained a large rain showerhead and new fixtures. The big surprise in the bathroom came in the form of a brightly lacquered red vanity, adding a serious punch of color and modernity. A double-sided mirrored medicine cabinet brings extra storage, and strip lighting was upgraded to a streamlined bulb set. The newly expanded vanity carves out just enough room for a simple two-piece white porcelain toilet.

The contractor’s work in the bedroom was more cosmetic but equally transformative. The building’s corner beams and beautiful windows are the focal point now that the popcorn ceilings and parquet floors are gone!

Kitchen selects >> floors: Home Decorators  / cabinets: IKEA Sektion / hardware: Liberty Hardware / counters: IKEA Karlby / sink: IKEA Bredskar / faucet: IKEA Bredskar / backsplash: Amazon / microwave: IKEA / oven range: Appliances Connection / dishwasher: Appliances Connection  / lighting: Etsy Custom LongMade Co

Bathroom selects >> sliding door: Bellezza / tiles: U.S. Ceramic Tile / vanity: IKEA Godmorgon / sink: IKEA / mirror: Virtu Confidant / toilet: KOHLER

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Sweeten handpicks the best, screened 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 Laura and Matthew’s Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation – Sweeten in Clinton Hill! appeared first on Sweeten.