The post Renovating Design Trends in Chicago appeared first on Sweeten.

We’re back again this week with Part 2 of Nazli and Larry’s historic Brooklyn brownstone renovation in Bedford-Stuyvesant. If you missed it—check out Part I where Nazli walked us through their planning process and showed off the foyer and guest suite. Here, she shows off the rest of the parlor floor, including the kitchen, the dining room, and the powder room. Nazli explains the challenge of merging modern and traditional within the confines of a townhouse’s long and narrow configuration. Read on for her thoughts on powder rooms (wackiness is key), decorative mantels (rather pointless), and coming to terms with the budget required to achieve the renovation you want (very tough).

Guest post by Bedford-Stuyvesant homeowner Nazli

Front parlor/foyer entry

I think the biggest challenge to any renovation is…the renovators obviously. There will always be a push and pull between the architect, the contractor, and the owners. And most of the time, that will yield a better product than any single entity could have envisioned (but not always). I think our Sweeten architect was fantastic in coming up with some great solutions to space challenges–especially on the parlor floor, where I insisted we needed a half-bath that was nowhere near the kitchen (because, gross), a hall closet, and a kitchen pantry. She really provided a lot of help in making sure the house was up to code and that the spaces flowed. Our contractor (and my husband’s best friend), did an awesome job of value engineering so we could get the most bang for our buck. The decorating of the spaces was left mostly to me and it was interesting trying to figure out my own taste.

We, like all imperfect clients, wanted this Brooklyn brownstone renovated on a contractor’s-grade budget. Obviously, we were being silly and went way over budget (and right at what our contractor told us it would cost; we were just deeply in denial about the cost of construction in NYC). The mechanicals in a home are so expensive that basically most of the money was gone before we made a single design choice. And for me, I care deeply about the fixtures, finishes, and materials and I wasn’t about to cheap out on the things we had to see and use every day. So just be honest with yourself about what you want and what you’re willing to pay or give up for it.

Standing in front parlor looking through the kitchen into the dining room

I was most excited about the kitchen—if that hasn’t already been made clear. I love throwing huge parties and dinners, and I like to spend my alone time cooking. It’s also a natural gathering spot, so it was exciting to think about getting the most out of the space. Turns out the space configuration of a Brooklyn brownstone made it hard to do that, but it still served us well—I am super happy with a long island (11 feet long!), a BlueStar stove, and the different stations for cooking, eating, making coffee, or baking.

The kitchen is my happy spot and I’ve spent years thinking about what makes a good kitchen. Is this ideal space planning? Nope. Is this my idea of a good time? For sure. The challenge was how to devise an open-plan area that was going to take up so much of the parlor floor without making it feel like a separate room. My solution was to forgo upper cabinets so there’s a clear line of vision from the front of the room all the way to the dining room. This created a storage challenge for me, of course, which we solved with a kitchen pantry. I wanted the pantry to be open so that I could see and access all my ingredients easily, but I also didn’t want a lot of visual clutter. I painted the cabinets and shelves a deep gray (same color as the island cabinets), which makes the whole space disappear once I turn out the light. I found a piece of scrap marble at the stone yard which I used for the kitchen backsplash and the countertops along the back wall closest to the pantry. Marble is expensive and hard to maintain, so my thought was to use it in low-use areas to give the look and feel of the material throughout the kitchen without spending that much. For the island and other countertops, I used poured concrete, which is a material I love. Surprisingly, it’s also pretty delicate, but it’s subtle and earthy and I like how it ages. The kitchen is, again, more traditional than I would have preferred, but I think the concrete and the open shelving give it a more modern touch. Also, I fought to get a second sink in the kitchen and am so happy I won that battle. It’s handy to set up a water station so people can grab water or rinse out cups without interrupting my cooking space.

I can’t say enough about how much I love these herringbone walnut floors. We splurged on these floors and went with the less costly white oak for the upstairs floors because…well, just look at them. My original vision was to have the tile floor in the kitchen, but it made more sense to continue the wood on the whole parlor floor and save the tile for the back extension. We mocked up the island with plywood and adjusted it until I was happy with the dimensions—how it felt to go from sink to stove, or how easy it was to take food out of the fridge and place it on the counter. That kind of stuff is important to me, and this was the first time I really got to design my own kitchen for myself. Everything is a bit taller and it suits me just great.

A note on accessibility: I’ve had friends and families with different mobility and impairment issues—whether wheelchair-bound, deaf, or arthritic—and time spent with them has made me very conscious of what it means to design well for many. A landmarked Brooklyn brownstone is a nightmare for anyone with a wheelchair, a walker, or a stroller, and I also saw firsthand some of the challenges that my design choices presented.

The first set of cabinet pulls in the kitchen were a lovely set of straight, minimalist tab pulls. I loved that they gave the kitchen a more modern look. Cue my mother and mother-in-law coming over all the time and struggling with the pulls. They couldn’t grasp the straight pull with their arthritic fingers. I switched them out right away for pulls with a fully curved handle. Now they can just stick their finger under the pull, and a small motion opens the drawers. People keep talking about their “forever homes,” but really think about how you, your guests, and your children will have to adapt to the spaces as everyone starts to get older.

Dining room/bar

On the other end of our Brooklyn brownstone, and connected to the kitchen, is the dining room and bar. We love this room. We really felt like this room, a back extension added in the 1910s, was the reason we bought this place. Then we sadly rebuilt the entire room, but somehow, it’s still our favorite space in the house. So that was a great surprise—buying a house because of one room and then recreating it and still having that be the best spot in the house. It’s our dining room and bar, but we also have space under the dining bench to store all of Nacho’s gear so that he can draw and play at the table while I am cooking.

From being in other friends’ homes, I knew that extensions were always freezing cold and hard to heat. All I wanted was Moroccan tile for this room (in fact, for the whole house, but we just didn’t have the budget for that). Everyone fought me on adding radiant heating to the subfloor, but it’s by far the warmest room during the winter. Larry and I often come home and lie down on the floor and accidentally fall asleep! During the summer, this is the room we hang out in while kids run in and out of the house to the backyard. The best surprise? That giant Tiffany stained-glass window, which was hidden by a crappy 1970’s bookcase on the inside and vinyl siding on the outside. As soon as we bought the house, we ripped down the bookcase hoping we’d find a window, and lo and behold, we did. It was in near perfect condition. We completely sealed it with clear glass on the outside to avoid damage and heat loss, as we did with all the other stained glass details around the parlor floor.

There was a large fireplace in this room, but I couldn’t figure out how to fit the mantel and Larry’s bar, and after much cajoling, I finally convinced Larry to agree to rip out the fireplace. The mantel has a new home in the living room, where the original had been removed previously. I will say, to the horror of preservationists everywhere, that I wish we didn’t have our mantels—they don’t work, they take up too much space, and they create artificial focal points in every room. Maybe if they were marble, I’d appreciate them more. It’s form without function, which I have no love for.

The powder room was a tough one to figure out. I hate the idea of guests having to go upstairs to use the bathroom, and with a small child, it’s great to have a bathroom on every floor. I think powder rooms should be wacky. This one is tiny, so doing a fun wallpaper or paint color was relatively cheap. I love the electric Cole & Sons Palms wallpaper—it adds a touch of fun to an otherwise formal dining room. I also love the pop of color from the door to the powder room. We hated having the stained glass window facing a dull orange wall because it cast a weird orangey glow into the room. Rather than fight it, though, we decided to paint the door an amped-up version of that wall to tie the colors together in a fun way.

Thanks so much for sharing your gorgeous parlor floor spaces with us, Nazli and Larry! Click here for installments Part I and Part III.

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Cabinets: custom. Cabinet pulls: Rejuvenation. Knobs: Appliances Connection. Sink: Appliances Connection. Fridge: Appliances Connection. Range: Appliances Connection. Dishwasher: Appliances Connection. Poured concrete countertops: Oso Industries. Marble countertops: PR Stone. Chelsea Gray paint color: Benjamin Moore.

DINING ROOM/BAR RESOURCES: Tiles: Cle Tile. Sconces: Rejuvenation. Abyss trim color: Benjamin Moore.

POWDER ROOM RESOURCES: Sink: Appliances Connection. Faucet, toilet paper holder, hooks, and soap dispenser: Grohe. Wallpaper: Cole & Sons.

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Jerry and Janet gut renovated a historic Brooklyn brownstone with an exterior that was in desperate need of a facelift and a virtually unsalvageable interior. The results are a perfect marriage of modern and traditional.

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

The post A Long Townhouse Sets the Right Flow for Modern Living (Part 2) appeared first on Sweeten.

The post Why a Galley Kitchen Rules in Small Spaces appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: Refinish a basement in Ardmore, Philadelphia

Before: When David and Wendy bought their 2,700-square-foot home in a Philadelphia suburb, one thing was for sure: the smelly, dated basement had to go. David completely demoed it with every intention of refinishing it after they moved in. Two years later and the basement had become a storage room instead of the recreational space for “serious TV watching,” an exercise area, and a bar that he’d hoped to create. “I never got around to it, though, and finally hired someone through Sweeten,” David said.

After: Ready to take on the unfinished basement once and for all, David posted the project on Sweeten and chose this Sweeten general contractor. Since he’d already completed the demolition, they hit the ground running and kept his main goal of having a “dedicated space for TV-watching where [he] didn’t have to worry about large speakers ruining the decor.”

First, they had to determine how to best lay out the basement to meet his multi-purpose needs. A cousin who owns the interior design firm LK Design helped David figure out where to position the bar, fitness equipment, and the entertainment seating. Coming down the stairs from the main floor, the exercise area was set up directly to the right and away from the main living space. The bar and mini kitchen open conveniently to the seating area for easy access. Low ductwork presented a great spot to place the cabinetry and sink, and to maximize headspace as much as possible, they placed the bar directly under an exposed steel beam.

As for finishing touches, they outfitted the theater with plush carpeting for optimal comfort. For the remainder of the flooring, David decided on more durable (plus pet- and kid-friendly!) vinyl plank. The kitchen and bar got a luxe touch with granite countertops, gray cabinets, and chrome hardware.

Overall the biggest challenge (aside from determining the layout) was getting the bar sink installed below the sewer line. Fortunately, a plumber found a solution and installed a pump. Their Sweeten general contractor also provided invaluable assistance getting a full-size refrigerator down the narrow staircase, not to mention handling a few issues with vendors and navigating delays. “We had gas lines in the way of the ceiling, and he had a plumber who was able to reroute the lines in a very cost-effective way. Previous plumbers I had found only suggested much more expensive solutions,” David said.

Thinking ahead, they also prepared for possible wiring needs down the line and “future-proofed” throughout the basement.

So how does the family feel about their new hangout space? “Comfortable and relaxed,” David said.

Bonus: David and the contractor installed built-in cabinets in the corners of the entertaining area to hide the gas meters.

Style finds: Carpeting: Mohawk. Lifeproof vinyl plank flooring: Home Depot. Cabinets, cabinet fronts, faucet: Ikea.

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Cristiana and her husband took advantage of valuable square footage and turned their basement into a multi-purpose space complete with a family room, wine storage, and laundry area.

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 Philly Basement Designed for Fun appeared first on Sweeten.

Two decades ago, native New Yorkers Margery and Jim Fields worked in Manhattan and lived just outside the city. In 1996, the family relocated to Philadelphia when Jim was transferred for a job. The couple always had a special place in their hearts for New York, and when their kids grew up, they decided it was the right time to return.

When they began their search for an NYC home, they wanted something a bit unique. They looked at many listings, but it was the view from their apartment at the Clinton Hill Co-ops (a Brooklyn complex near and dear to us here at Sweeten, after renovating so many homes there!) that sold them on the one-bedroom place they ended up purchasing. They loved the sweeping view of Manhattan—the island that drew them back to the five boroughs.

The apartment itself was a different story. It hadn’t been updated in 40 years and had been chopped up with too many walls. Despite this, they decided that the incredible views were worth the trade-off of having to renovate. After a remodeling of their Philadelphia kitchen several years ago, they had a good idea of a wishlist for their next project. They wisely decided to live in the space for six months before starting the design process to get a feel for how they would use it—and to understand the light’s effect in the apartment at various times of the day. They heard about Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with vetted general contractors, from their neighbors, and it kept coming up in conversation. They posted their project and chose this Sweeten contractor, who had previously done several projects in the Clinton Hill Co-ops.

Once discussions got underway, they made some decisions with the help of their Sweeten contractor; prior work in the building meant he knew what was behind the walls and what to anticipate, so was able to guide Margery and Jim on what actions would need to come next in the process. He knew the bathroom ceiling was a drop ceiling and would be able to install the spotlighting they wanted. Their contractor was also familiar with the building’s wiring and informed them it would not support an induction cooktop.

The couple’s design vision was an industrial-yet-modern aesthetic. They wanted to take down the walls boxing in the kitchen and allow as much light into the space as possible. The full scope included a new kitchen and bath as well.

Initially, Margery and Jim planned to convert the dining nook beside the kitchen into a second bedroom but ultimately decided on a flex-space solution made possible by sliding doors. When they didn’t need the second bedroom, the doors could remain open to take full advantage of the two large windows in the nook. The contractor created a custom solution by fusing two estate-sale-find French doors that Margery and Jim had found to make a sliding pocket door. The renovated nook is now a seating area that can be closed off from the living room to create a guest sleeping area that feels like a “studio within the apartment,” explained Margery. It is also a cozy spot for guests to perch when the pair entertain and are preparing food in the kitchen. (Given that Jim has seven brothers who are all married, they definitely need the seating for guests!)

For the kitchen revamp, Jim and Margery decided on dark gray cabinets paired with a light quartz countertop and glass subway tile. The contractor suggested a full-length pantry next to the refrigerator on the wall separating the kitchen from the living room, providing unexpected bonus storage. On the other side of the fridge, open shelving is built onto a mirrored backsplash for maximum light reflection into the kitchen. Corner shelving was added, with a Lazy Susan to maximize under-counter space leaving enough room for a full-size dishwasher.

The couple intended to add a kitchen island at first. But when they saw how open the space felt without it, they chose to leave it as is. Similarly, the original design called for stainless steel shelving to be added to the back wall above the sink but decided to leave it open for an airier feel overhead.

In the bathroom, Margery and Jim were able to make use of another estate sale find—the black large-format tiles, which cost a dollar a piece. They paired those tiles with an unusual bronze penny tile Margery had once seen and admired in a restaurant. A cast-iron tub was swapped out for a vinyl one that allowed the contractor to bring the wall tile around the front to tie the space together. Modern Brizo fixtures helped to finish the clean, streamlined look.

Now that their project is complete, Margery and Jim have a few words of wisdom for would-be renovators. They stress the importance of selecting the right contractor—one with whom you can have a good “communication cadence,” said Margery. “We would text or talk to our contractor multiple times a week, or multiple times a day as things came up. That ability to instantly communicate would keep things from being delayed or misinterpreted.” They love the openness of the new layout, “while keeping some separation between the kitchen and main living space,” said Jim. “We’re glad we didn’t take out the bar/pantry wall.” Check out their Behind-The-Reno video below:

Welcome home, Margery and Jim, and thank you for sharing your lovely Clinton Hill apartment with us!

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Cali Bamboo Fossilized 5″ Antique Java hardwood flooring, #7003001000: Lowe’s. Kitchen cabinets: Custom by Sweeten contractor. Cabinet in Deep Space paint color, #2125-20: Benjamin Moore. Pewter cabinet pulls and lighting: Home Depot. Carrick matte quartz: Cambria. Stainless steel sink: Appliances Connection. Touch2O technology faucet: Delta. Refrigerator/dishwasher/stove: Appliances Connection.

BATH RESOURCES: Bronze hex floor tile: BelTile. Brizo towel bars, faucet, and shower fixtures: Décor Planet. Floating vanity: Appliances Connection. Toilet: Appliances Connection. Double-mirrored medicine cabinet: Appliances Connection. Lighting: Elan.

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Mario and Joe renovated their Clinton Hill co-op, updating the kitchen to create a larger and brighter space.

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 An NYC Homecoming Prompts a Renovation appeared first on Sweeten.

Sarah and Craig, along with their two shelter pets, Willie (the cat) and Quincy (the dog), had lived in a rather tiny 700-square-foot Manhattan apartment for four years. When they moved into a modern Long Island City condo in 2013, the 1,160-square-foot one-bedroom felt like the Great Plains. “Initially, we were so thrilled to have so much space that we didn’t think about improving it,” said Sarah. Over time, ideas for possible tweaks, refinements, and overall improvements began jumping out at them. Among the wish list: creating a second bedroom, revamping the bathrooms, and harnessing the potential of a few pockets of what seemed like dead space. But the thing that ultimately motivated Sarah and Craig (particularly Craig) was the disproportionately small kitchen sink—a big, white farmhouse sink they had their eye on seemed a much better fit for their large apartment. “We like to joke that our entire renovation started with the kitchen sink,” said Sarah.

Before: living looking into would-be second bedroomAfter: living room looking into the second bedroom

The couple posted their project on Sweeten, a free service that connects homeowners with vetted general contractors, to locate a design-build firm. Rather than get design help from a general contractor or hire a designer and a contractor separately, a design-build firm brings it all together in one organization. “Many contractors claim to offer this when they are really loose associations of separate companies,” said Sarah. “Our Sweeten contractors were a one-stop shop—a true design-build firm under one roof.” The aesthetic Sarah and Craig wanted was what they coined “industrial eclectic.” The goal: preserve the industrial history of Long Island City while adding some of the couple’s own rustic taste.

The kitchen’s dark cabinetry was swapped out for a bright white that, of course, complemented that big, white farmhouse sink. In order to make the kitchen and living room into two distinct areas, the island was extended into something of a casual dining area that was ideal for pre-dinner drinks or a meal for a low-key evening at home. Fortunately for this couple, a washer/dryer unit already existed.

Sarah and Craig’s Sweeten contractors really excelled when it came to maximizing storage space in the kitchen. Their designer installed sliding shelves in the lower kitchen counters “that slide out so we can easily access our pots and pans.” New custom cabinets were also added to the inside of the now-larger kitchen island. Their contractor team also designed and built a tall cabinet separate from the kitchen that became a home for spices along with the couple’s miniature herb garden. One of the highlights of the new design is the bar area. A small nook of dead space fit a wine fridge perfectly, while the wooden carving on the shelf above the racks of wine and beer naturally reads “Cheers.”

Before: master bedroom looking into living room/second bedroom(Above) Second bedroom (Above) Master bedroom

Dividing the large living room into a second bedroom and living area was one of the improvements the couple envisioned. They placed the additional room where they did because of the rectangular shape but didn’t want to block the natural light coming in from the bank of windows. Sliding doors were their solution and their Sweeten contractor went to work designing a custom set. Not only were they able to increase storage space in the bathrooms and kitchen, other areas became additional places to stow stuff. A small closet was added to a newly minted second bedroom, including enough space for a double bike rack, and the master bedroom welcomed a new closet. “Before the project, we were constantly looking for places to stash our clutter,” said Sarah. “Now, everything has a home.”

On to the two bathrooms. The original style was a little bland for the couple’s taste, so they updated with new tiles and fixtures. Rather than the original off-white tiles, they chose a bold pattern that was more fun. The Steampunk-style lights surrounding the mirrors in either bathroom added a rustic feel to the space, as did the distressed finish of the vanities. The toilets became a momentary problem. A rear-outlet toilet was needed because of the plumbing in their building. This meant a smaller selection to choose from. However, the couple’s contractor “searched tirelessly, high and low, to find a rear-outlet toilet that would work in our space and fit our look,” said Sarah.

Overall, Sarah and Craig found that their Sweeten contractors “struck a perfect balance between owning the project and involving us in the creative decision-making process,” said Sarah. “Everything went smoothly once we were connected with our contractor, so we’re happy to report we never had to engage the Sweeten client services team!” A slight hiccup developed when an exterior wall issue was spotted, holding up the project. However, the team worked hard to get back on track and for the entire renovation, the couple was able to rent a studio apartment from someone else in their building. All in all, the renovation took four months. “Without that trust [in our Sweeten’s], the experience would have been much more stressful,” said Sarah.

Thank you for sharing how you’ve made your new apartment into a home, Sarah and Craig.

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Raffia Grey floor tiles: Nemo Tile. Cabinetry: custom by Sweeten contractor. Cabinet hardware, lighting: Restoration Hardware. Sleek Concrete countertops: Caesarstone. Backsplash: Somertile. Fireclay Fira sink: Home Refinement. Faucet: California Faucets. Refrigerator: Appliances Connection. Wine refrigerator: Edgestar. Paint in Graytint: Benjamin Moore. Bar stools: Urban Wood Goods.

BATHROOM RESOURCES: Bathroom tiles: Somertile and Nemo Tile. Hardware, shower fixtures: Waterworks. Sink, mirrors, and lighting: Restoration Hardware. Toilet: Appliances Connection.

LIVING SPACE: Sliding double doors: custom built by Sweeten contractor. Dining room light fixture: Restoration Hardware. Dining table: Urban Wood Goods.

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Custom, oversized sliding doors in Ana and Leo’s apartment allowed them to convert a home office into a guest suite.

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 Condo Overhaul with Room to Spare appeared first on Sweeten.

Guest post by Upper West Side homeowner Tim Laurie

After purchasing our first apartment together in June of 2016, my wife, Lindsay, and I decided to take on a co-op renovation in order to make it our perfect living space. We were attracted to the location and design of the 1929 Art Deco building on Central Park West, but the interior of the apartment left a lot to be desired. The 1,500-square-foot home offered a very spacious feel, with nine-foot ceilings and light coming through windows on three sides of the apartment. The layout, however, was dated and not very efficient. The “before” layout consisted of a cramped corner kitchen, large but divided living and dining spaces both of which had duplicate doorways on both sides, old en-suite bathrooms, and a dark walk-in closet converted to a cavernous office space.

When planning the new layout, first and foremost, our renovation needed to address the practical features that were lacking. Specifically, we wanted: 1) a toilet that didn’t require guests to venture on an embarrassing trek through a bedroom in order to get to an en-suite bathroom; 2) more usable space, such as a den or optional third bedroom; 3) a washer and dryer in the apartment; and 4) a larger, but not galley-like, kitchen. With the help of Sweeten, we posted our project and went with the contractor that stood out as most reliable, reassuring, and within our cost estimate. We initially interviewed five contractors for our project, and received three quotes. Our contractor was not the least nor the most expensive, but he offered to include the finishing touches on our apartment to ensure we got the most out of our renovation.

The biggest change in the kitchen was changing the entrance from a narrow doorway to a wide foyer and pass-through, allowing us to add a bar area, more counter space, and plenty of light. Our contractor helped us with the kitchen layout and where to place the washer/dryer so it connected to our water lines. We went with stainless steel Frigidaire appliances, adding a separate bar fridge under the counter to make up for a shallower built-in refrigerator that we chose. A stainless backsplash tile with white grout and slate gray floor tiles contrasts well with the white custom cabinets and brushed nickel handles throughout. We love the custom wine rack, glass cupboard, and bar shelf on one side of what used to be a duplicate doorway. A powder room—formerly small storage space—was also installed off the kitchen with double half doors, to take up less clearance space.

In terms of design, we wished to open up the main space by removing the mirrored french doors and a wall blocking the light between the living and dining rooms. For a modernized look, our plan included staining the hardwood floors, painting and papering the walls, and adding crown and floor molding. In the living room, we removed the non-functional decorative plaster fireplace and the walls between the living and dining rooms to open up the main living space. A large dining room table from Pottery Barn (which nearly didn’t fit up the elevator) and chandelier sit between the bar and new office door. In this same area, we were able to build a third bedroom/den with french glass doors for light to shine through.

Our en-suite bathrooms turned out beautifully, with our master bath getting floor-to-ceiling tile in the shower and on the feature wall, as well as a custom-built vanity and top-mounted sink. The white, tan, and natural sand colors flow nicely into the main bedroom, which also got repainted. The guest en-suite bathroom is filled with clean white subway tiles and Carrara marble flooring, as well as an ebony vanity with matching Carrara countertop. Although the renovation progressed well from our standpoint, the contractors had their work cut out for them! They had to cut back old bathroom tiling and build new walls. We also had to replace old bathroom plumbing within the concrete deck floors, which was unexpected, but handled well by the subcontractors that our Sweeten contractor hired.

The slightly expanded but cozy and carpeted office is a bonus room for studying and work, accessible through the new matching french doors off the dining room, rather than from the bedroom hallway. The office neatly fits our double desk and two chairs, as well as a bookshelf. A new transom window in the hallway allows more light to shine through. We were especially excited about a tweed Edinburgh gray wallpaper that we chose for the entrance foyer, which makes a big statement right when you enter the apartment. Last but not least is the updated “garage” where we leave the bikes, storage, and our cat’s litter box. This storage room was coated with a fresh coat of white paint and new gray tile as well, giving it a clean look despite its utilitarian purpose.

Overall, we are very pleased with the renovation of our Central Park West co-op apartment. At the end, we decided to add extras along the way, which extended the project time frame by several weeks and stretched our budget slightly; however, our contractor did his best to complete these while not adding labor to the total bill. He was detail-oriented and very patient, despite a lengthy co-op approval process. The team kept the work to a reasonable time frame of just over three months and were very understanding as we lived through the process.

Thanks to Tim and Lindsay for sharing their gorgeous new home with us! 

KITCHEN RESOURCES: Shaker cabinets: custom. Stainless steel tile backsplash: Subway Tile Outlet.  Built-in fridge: Appliances Connection. Washer/dryer: Appliances Connection. Beverage cooler; gas stove and oven; dishwasher: Appliances Connection. K-560 kitchen faucet: Appliances Connection. Blanco 518171 kitchen sink: Build.com.

BATH RESOURCES: Carrara tiles: Pastorelli. Sheffield 30″ Espresso vanity: Wyndham Collection. Kohler K-1118-RAW expanse 60″ bathtub;  Mirabelle St. Augustine Tub & Shower Trim package: Faucet Direct. One-piece toilet: Appliances Connection.

POWDER ROOM RESOURCES.: Gray porcelain tiles: Urbiko. Whitehaus WH1-114RTB wall-mounted sink: Home Depot. One-piece toilet: Appliances Connection.

OFFICE RESOURCES: TrafficMaster Loop & Berber 21-Dewdrop carpet: Home Depot. Frosted Wood Silver Trees wallpaper: Lancashire Wallpaper.

FOYER RESOURCES: Edinburgh Grey Tweed wallpaper: Philip Jeffries.

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Lindsay and Tim’s gorgeous dining room got us thinking about our favorite dining room renovations, including designer Meredith‘s cobalt blue walls and Blane‘s reclaimed wood table paired with tree-lined wallpaper.

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 Overhauling an Upper West Side Co-op to Make It Home appeared first on Sweeten.

When friends come over, the first thing you do is offer them a glass of wine. That means locating the bottle of wine before heading to where the glasses are usually stored. Finally, you root through the silverware and odds-and-ends drawers until you triumphantly unearth the corkscrew. Sound familiar? Rather than storing bar essentials around the kitchen, these Sweeten homeowners opted for home bar solutions to store everything from glasses to bottles of wine, liquor, cocktail shakers, and more. Plus, homeowners Yi Tyng and Maxime even transformed a closet located directly across from their kitchen into a wine bar (and it was featured in The New York Times). We’ll drink to that!

Got an empty shelf niche? Add home bar hardware to keep stemware closeby

Holly and Christian’s kitchen in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.

This clever use of niche shelf space is an excellent way to store wine, cocktail, and champagne glasses so that they can dry quickly and always be within reach for a celebratory toast.

Floating shelves showcase stemware and spirits

Dan and Mike’s kitchen in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan.

Balancing a run of lower cabinets, a few open shelves act as a home bar dedicated to glassware and bar favorites make it easy to whip up drinks for company. And why not make it a home for cookbooks and cocktail recipes, too?

Using slivers of cabinet space for bottle storage

Lisa’s kitchen in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn.

If you have wine, one popular way to store the bottles is on their side so that the corks don’t dry out and let air in. A custom nook with grooved edges is the perfect solution.

Stacking shelves above a wine fridge creates a home bar nook

Frans and Dalal’s studio kitchen in Gramercy Park, Manhattan.

Every inch in a studio apartment should be utilized to its full potential. By using the placement of the wine fridge as the base for a custom bar, these homeowners were able to add a countertop and shelving to store their home bar essentials and glassware in one easy-to-locate spot.

A cupboard under the stairs becomes space for spirits

Yi Tyng and Maxime’s wine bar closet on the Upper West Side, Manhattan.

This closet, located under the stairs and directly across from the homeowners’ galley kitchen, was transformed into a wine (and espresso) bar complete with open shelving, a wine fridge, and a counter with bar stools. The space also doubles as a breakfast nook.

A garage-style door cleverly conceals cocktail-making gear


Katie and Elliot’s kitchen in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

If you have a larger collection, a custom bar cabinet with shelving for glassware and bottles can keep everything neatly organized. This one also boasts a sliding garage-style door so you can choose whether or not to display the goods based on your mood.

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If you’re looking for a bigger storage solution, perhaps a complete home bar or wine cabinet, check out our budget basics guide on custom built-ins to get started on planning.

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 6 Home Bar Ideas That Deserve a Toast appeared first on Sweeten.

Editor’s Note: This post, which originally ran July 2015, shows that smart storage never gets old. Here’s a look into what happens when Manhattanites make bold changes in a small kitchen—like taking down kitchen walls! This Hell’s Kitchen renovation would have been stylish even if it had stayed within its original dimensions, but taking a wall down was the first step in making the space virtually unrecognizable. Scroll on down for the play by play on this ambitious Manhattan kitchen renovation.

Dan and Mike moved into this one bedroom, one bathroom co-op in Manhattan’s storied Piano Factory building in 2013. The building, converted from a 19th century warehouse that once served as the manufacturing site for the inner workings of pianos, is an industrial brick building in Hell’s Kitchen with a beautiful Romanesque entry and a graceful courtyard. Dan and Mike loved the building’s history and architecture, but found themselves in an apartment constructed in the grand tradition of many 1980s co-op conversions: boxy rooms, segmented living spaces, a dated pass-through in the wall that sectioned off the small kitchen from the living area, and kitchen finishes that were unchanged from the apartment’s first owner. Worse still, the kitchen’s sizable window was hidden in the back of the room, blocking light and limiting the impact that a windowed kitchen should have.

Dan, a technology scout for a chemical company, and Mike, who works in finance for a construction company, liked the layout and the slightly retro feel of the original kitchen but envisioned opening up the room, making it part of the larger living area, and finding creative storage ideas to make the space work harder and smarter for them. Armed with an architect’s drawing, Dan and Mike posted their project on Sweeten, a free service matching renovators with vetted general contractors, to take down the wall, gut the kitchen, and extend the counters and cabinetry. They were introduced to their Sweeten contractor to handle the demolition and full re-build.

Though they loved the industrial past of the building, Dan and Mike didn’t want to go too far with an industrial modern aesthetic. They set out to create an updated look balanced by raw and unfinished accents to fill the open plan room, and played with different natural and synthetic wood finishes to maintain a measure of warmth and masculinity amid the clean lines.

Demolishing the wall had an enormous impact on the space, and Dan and Mike took the newfound breathing room even further by removing the upper line of cabinets altogether and replacing the original base laminates with a full set of IKEA cabinets and drawers, which their Sweeten contractor installed with custom doors and hardware from Semihandmade. The new, more functional base cabinets gave the couple enough storage capacity to go minimal on top—Dan found salvaged Douglas Fir pieces and created open floating shelves in a shop in Greenpoint. This move allows the open kitchen to flow more seamlessly into the living room, and significantly reduced visual heft through to the kitchen’s window.

In their search for a tougher and more durable alternative to concrete countertops that wouldn’t stain easily, Dan and Mike found Dekton, an ultra-compacted blend of raw materials that Dan reports is virtually impenetrable. Dan couldn’t help but reveal his expertise as a tech scout for a chemical company when he explained that the material was also attractive because its raw materials are free of synthetic resins that are often used in construction. Dan and Mike loved the look of a waterfall counter and worked with their Sweeten contractor to create the effect so that the kitchen entry was marked and separated visually by the countertop extension of the cabinet peninsula.

To contrast with the striated cabinetry and porcelain floor tiles finished with an end-cut wood grain look, the couple selected a classic white subway tile and neutral gray grout to line the walls from floor to ceiling, and added a gray and black mosaic tile accent to meet the height of the kitchen’s window.

Their Sweeten contractor helped to complete the transformation by stealing twelve inches of brand new pull-out pantry space from a walk-in closet adjacent to the kitchen, and adding an ultra-minimal storage rack for pots and pans. Dan and Mike chose stainless steel appliances throughout and especially love the 30 inch Wolf range with its signature red knobs, as well as the unconventionally tall Summit fridge—a great find for tight kitchens.

“In some ways, we bit off more than we could chew. Sweeten introduced us to a contractor who was really easy to work with, flexible about our plans, and helpful with things that were uncertain or unexpectedly discovered behind walls,” says Dan.

So many thanks to Dan and Mike for this eye-opening tour of their spacious little-kitchen-that-could!

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Custom cabinet doors add a unique touch and are a great way to personalize pre-fabricated cabinets. Becky and Sarah chose a similar style for their cabinets, creating a striking white-on-wood contrast in their 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 A Small Kitchen Converts to an Industrial Warehouse Vibe appeared first on Sweeten.

Two rising furniture-makers with very different sensibilities made a big impression.

Colleen and Eric design lovely, playful home furnishings inspired by far-fetched ideas. Small brass rivets are recessed into the dark wood top of the “Northstar Table” like stars in the constellation. If you locate the northstar and press down on it, a secret side drawer slides open. It’s the perfect place to stash a diary, jewelry, or contraband.

Colleen and Eric’s “Hold on Tight Bookshelf” takes unlikely inspiration from the image of books toppling sideways off an open shelf. This simple maple shelf is capped at one end and has a brightly-colored, sliding metal stop at the other. The toy-like mechanism is a pretty accent and also a lot of fun. Becky couldn’t stop playing with the display model and Jean and I finally had to drag her away.

Colleen and Eric also make accessories like tote bags and keychains. Their product lines are sure to expand further as they’re struck by new ideas. It ‘ll be fun to see what they’ve come up with at next year’s fair.

In contrast, the pieces from Kai-Wei Hsu’s shop KWH Furniture take inspiration from the elemental qualities of the woods that they’re made from. The furniture in the new “Vice” line doesn’t shout out for attention. Each piece has a clear, modern sensibility and yet is so restrained so that it wouldn’t feel out of a place in a traditional interior.

The elegant “Bar Cart” is made from white oak with a cerused finish. The first thing you’re drawn to is the fine grain and stain of the wood.

Then, as you lean in closer, you understand the exquisite workmanship of the piece. The outer corners of the frame are held together with wood splices.

The similarly elegant “Vanity Table” is made from black walnut with an oil finish. Its proportions are perfectly balanced. The first think that strikes you is the sumptuous finish in the wood.

Then when you move in closer, as you’re bound to do, you see how subtly and precisely the drawers are fitted.

I’m looking forward to seeing how Kai-Wei’s designs evolve as he explores new materials and details. Whatever direction the pieces take, I’m certain they’ll all have the same immaculate craftsmanship.

The post Local Heroes: Two Rising Brooklyn Furniture-Makers appeared first on Sweeten.