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Smart home technology is everywhere today. It has made its way into our vehicles, our workplaces, and our pockets. With smart tech’s skill at automation, it’s no surprise that it has found a perfect place in the home. Nearly 70-percent of homes already own some type of smart home tech. And that number is only growing.

Some forms of smart home tech are more permanent. Sweeten outlines which ones can best be incorporated during a home remodel. 

Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering guidance, tools, and support—for free.

Smart water heaters and controllers

Far from being smart, the average water heater is more like a blunt tool. It maintains hot water even when you don’t need hot water. Or if you turned it down before a vacation, you’ll need to manually turn it back up when you return. It can take hours for the water to heat up again.

Smart water heaters connect to your home’s internet through Wi-Fi. This gives you remote access to all of the water heater’s functions. You can adjust temperature and set schedules. You can even monitor the status and shut it down if there’s a problem. This gives you a chance to call in a technician and avert disastrous water leaks.

Smart electrochromic (self-tinting) glass windows

If you live in a sunny climate, you know the constant routine of lowering and raising blinds to control inside temperatures. Even northern zones experience peak sunny periods during the summer. 

Self-tinting glass darkens or lightens automatically in response to solar changes throughout the day. No blinds are required and nothing physically moves. While the windows require power for this operation, the amount of power is minimal. For 2,000 square feet of glass, the electricity required would only power a 60V-watt light bulb.

Self-tinting glass is truly cutting-edge smart home technology. It is still not widely available. But it is worth looking into if you live in places with heavy solar and heat demands.

Smart connected appliances

Do all of your home’s separate appliances work as one? Probably not. Likely, they perform their own duties separately. A new and smarter option is to consider them as components of a larger system. According to EnergyStar, appliances with connected functionality use less energy than conventional appliances. 

It’s a two-part system. One, you’ll need to purchase smart appliances with that next big remodeling project. That includes refrigerators, freezers, washers and dryers, and dishwashers. Two, you’ll need a unifying management system that can recognize and operate those appliances. 

EnergyStar’s SHEMS program is one program that is available for free. Google Home is another popular program that acts as a hub for an ever-growing number of smart devices.

Smart home security systems

For a long time, “smart” was the missing link of home security systems. Home alarms would report to an off-site monitoring center. From there, a call would be placed to local police and to the homeowner. 

But smart security systems put homeowners front-and-center and keep them informed. That information is dually shared with the monitoring center and homeowner in real-time. 

While wireless security systems are popular, wired systems do have strong points. Cameras with wires running through attics or behind walls are difficult to tamper with. A hidden or locked-up digital video recorder (DVR) records hundreds or thousands of hours. Wireless cameras with SD cards record a few hours before rolling over and erasing.

Smart radiant wall heating

On cold nights, hot air gushing from the central heating system’s vents is a welcome feeling. But if you were to watch with a thermal imaging camera, you’d see just how inefficient this is. Orange and yellow areas of warm air build up in some areas. Blue and green spots indicate places where the heat does not reach.

Large radiant heating panels mounted on the walls evenly distribute the warm air. A thermostat notices that the room is cold. It signals to a smart controller located in a separate area. That signal is relayed to a manifold, which sends hot water from a boiler to the radiant heating panels.

Smart water monitors

Your home may already have a smart water meter on the street. Installed by the water company, this meter reports the level of your usage wirelessly to the company. This is what generates your monthly bill.

You can install a similar device that you own and control. A licensed plumber splices the smart water monitor (not meter) into your home’s water supply line. The monitor communicates with your home’s Wi-Fi system. With an app, you can track your water consumption and can make adjustments to save water.

Most importantly, a smart water monitor can sense unusual fluctuations in the water flow. These fluctuations may indicate a break in one of the pipes. Since the monitor is located at the start of the pipes, it can shut down all water to the house. This can stop devastating water line breaks before they happen.

Smart garage door openers

Garage doors remote controls are helpful, but they have a very limited radius. With a smartphone, you can control a smart garage door from anywhere you have a cell phone connection. You might be halfway to work and you think that you forgot to close the door. With the app, you can verify whether you did. If so, you can shut it remotely. Or you might need to open the garage door because a neighbor wants to borrow your mower. Smart garage doors expand the reach of the old remote control.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is here to stay but choosing a few or even just one device or smart home technology system can offer a convenient way to stay on top of the inner mechanics of your home.

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Check out Sweeten’s women-owned and women-operated general contracting firms in our five-part series.

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.

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When the global pandemic of 2020 hit, few homeowners were thinking about home remodeling. Yet as the pandemic wore on, life returned to (some) idea of normal and home remodeling once again became a topic. It was top of mind for homeowners who had already started a remodel before COVID-19 spread. Homeowners who had only considered remodeling also started to plan their projects in earnest.

However, when it comes to remodeling, COVID-19 has impacted material costs and changed the supply chain. Sweeten outlines what a homeowner might expect to encounter while taking on a remodel during COVID-19, and how to navigate those obstacles to get your renovation plans back on track.

Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering guidance, tools, and support—for free.

We’re noticing our homes in new ways, every day

Homeowners now spend more time than ever at home. Flaws that were merely annoying with that bathroom or kitchen are now magnified. Homeowners who only wondered if their home was ready for a remodel now know.

This need isn’t just imaginary, either. More people at home means that renovation is a necessity. Even if only a couple of people live there, everything in the house is being used more often.

Savings from 2020 allow for renovations in 2021

The pandemic has hit many people hard—the job market, businesses, people’s health. Some homeowners have been lucky, and employers have found ways to keep workers employed from home.

However, there is a rare upside to the COVID-19 pandemic for some Americans. Many homeowners’ expenses have shrunk dramatically. What has contributed to this? With less driving, gas and vehicle expenses drop. Less dining out and entertaining means lighter credit card bills. Vacation plans have been canceled.

This has caught many experts by surprise, too. The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies had previously predicted a slowdown in home remodeling in 2021. But as 2020 wore on, the group revised its prediction. They now indicate that home remodeling is going stronger than ever, with a projected uptick in home renovation and repair spending from 2020 to 2021.

Indeed, at Sweeten, we saw an increase in home renovation projects. Our fourth quarter saw 110% growth year-over-year from 2019 to 2020. The trend is continuing into 2021 as well, with 99% growth for January 2021 vs. 2020. We attribute this growth to homeowners realizing their homes need to be so much more than a place to just sleep. More than ever, we’ve needed our homes to provide us space for work, play, self-care, and recovery.

Act fast, or prepare to wait for building materials

Homeowners intent on remodeling may find themselves blocked due to a severe slowdown in the supply of materials. In many sectors, the manufacturing of building materials drastically slowed or came to a complete stop. Even if manufacturers are functioning again, they are doing so at a reduced capacity due to social distancing.

The pandemic shows how much the U.S. depends on overseas building products like lumber, roofing, and windows. For one, many homes’ kitchen and bathroom remodels use ceramic and porcelain tile. However, over 81% of U.S. tile comes from China, Mexico, Spain, Italy, and Brazil. Both Spain and Italy were hard hit particularly by COVID-19.

Home centers are ordering up to 300% more product due to the high level of DIY home repairs and remodels. This has a significant impact on the supply chain for builders.

Pro tip: Don’t wait! For homeowners interested in renovating, it’s smart to schedule and sign with a contractor to lock in your material prices. If you do wait, prices will only continue to go up.

Labor lag-time is a reality

Soon after the pandemic hit, over 25% of building projects came to an immediate halt or were delayed, according to an industry group. For any homeowner thinking of a remodel, this means that all other projects in the queue must come first.

Even materials that are acquired and on-site do no good unless there are workers to install them. Workers who have had to tend to family members affected by COVID-19 have left the workforce or even the U.S. At the same time, other workers who are eager to work have filled in the vacuum.

Tips on handling your COVID-19 remodel project

The future is unclear, but one thing is certain: COVID-19’s effects are long-lasting. Even after vaccines are widely dispensed, there will be an effect in building and remodeling. Here’s what proactive homeowners can do to position themselves well for a remodel during COVID-19 recovery.

Book a contractor now

The desire to remodel has increased, and in many markets, demand outstrips supply. If you delay speaking to a contractor, you’ll have even more orders jump into the line ahead of you. With vaccines being widely distributed, there will only be more people booking a contractor. Begin setting up appointments to meet general contractors for site visits.

Conduct virtual site-visits

Sweeten offers a streaming video conference on the platform. The virtual site visit replaces both the general contractor’s walk-through of the property and the face-to-face conference between contractor and homeowner.

If done effectively, it can give the contractor enough information to begin drawing up an estimate. This allows for both parties to safely review the renovation project virtually, without meeting in person.

Take note: a physical site visit will need to be done at some point for the contractor to take their own measurements and account for every detail. Virtual site visits are a good option, however, if an initial in-person site visit isn’t possible or safe.

Expect higher costs, but shop smartly for savings

Some experts predict that home remodeling not only will take longer but will cost up to 50% more than in pre-pandemic times. Don’t worry: this gives motivated homeowners the chance to shop for items on their own. Make sure to seek the best possible prices out there, and select your contractor carefully.

Make the most of your space with clever design

Speaking early on to a general contractor or designer will help you solidify your ideas. Hone your design with care and avoid waste.

The transformation of under-utilized spaces is a trend here to stay. Basements, attics, or garages are performing in new ways. At Sweeten, we’re seeing attics turn into places for children to learn and play. Basements are mostly getting turned into gyms. Garages are becoming studios or offices that could be rented out in the future.

With multiple family members at home during the day, the installation of glass panels has gained traction. People aren’t looking for visual separation—they need acoustic separation when working from home.

Outdoor spaces and outdoor kitchens will be popular. It’s unknown if we’ll still be social distancing through the summer. Being able to host the whole event outside, not having to run back and forth inside, makes the event a better experience.

Ready to find licensed, vetted general contractors for help with a remodeling project?

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ADUs or accessory dwelling units can transform into home offices, living space for family or as a rental, or a retreat.

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 How the COVID -19 Pandemic May Affect Your Home Remodel appeared first on Sweeten.

(Above) A Sweeten homeowner turns the garage into a living room

The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to take a hard look at our homes. Many were grateful for the security and comfort our homes offered. But many more made note of the features that their homes lacked. At a time when almost half of the workforce was working from home and schools relied on distance learning, renovation projects became top of mind. 

But the renovation mindset may be a little different going forward. Jean Brownhill, the founder and CEO of Sweeten discussed the current state of renovation on Design Time, a podcast hosted by Domino editor-in-chief Jessica Romm Perez. One trend they discussed is the emergence of practicality and functionality.

Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering guidance, tools, and support—for free.

Everyone’s goal is to make their finished project picture perfect. But to actually live in the space, other things may be more important. Here are some top projects Sweeten saw grow in popularity over the last year.

Top COVID-19 renovation projects

Creating new living areas

With people spending so much time at home, they adapted their living spaces to new uses. Many people upgraded their outdoor living areas by adding outdoor kitchens and other living spaces. Also, it wasn’t clear if a vacation away would be possible, so outdoor living space became more important. It also makes it possible to socialize with others if indoor entertaining isn’t an option.

Because health clubs and gyms were closed, many people looked for ways to squeeze a workout space into their living areas. People adapted spare rooms or unfinished areas like basements to create home gyms. 

Kitchen and bathroom remodels still in the spotlight

Kitchen and bathroom renovations are still popular. Although kitchens have always had many uses, their multitasking ability became more important during the pandemic. Kids often did their remote learning there, and adults used them for makeshift home offices. That’s in addition to the regular cooking, eating, and cleaning that goes on in a kitchen. The National Kitchen and Bath Association reports that in addition to upgraded appliances, there was an increase in requests for easy-to-clean surfaces, video watching ability, and device charging stations in the cook space. 

Bathrooms became personal sanctuaries more than ever before. After a few weeks that turned into months into the pandemic, people came to value self-care more than ever. Even those who had not considered bath renovations undertook them to improve on their self-care routine. 

Some bath update trends include oversized showers that feature multiple spray heads and body sprays, as well as a steam option. Voice commands can activate preset water temperatures and start music from a personal playlist. Ventilation fans do more than removing moisture: some have LED lighting that helps prevent mold growth. Others feature multi-color lights to change the mood of the room. Many spa-like features can be controlled by smartphones. 

One thing that most renovations had in common was ease of maintenance. You can renovate a space that looks great, but you have to live in it. “I think that is one reason why porcelain tiles and planks are so popular,” said Jean. “They are easy to clean and they can be made to look like any material. “

Reworking existing spaces

By now, we can relate to how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our work habits. The typical household can get hectic with everyone vying for counter space where they can work, as well as computer time. The problem was frequently solved by setting up work and play areas throughout the house.

Jean mentioned the trend of installing temporary glass panels in the home. These solve the noise problem that happens when someone is on a video call while someone else is unloading the dishwasher, other people are having a conversation, and kids are running around playing. Panels and interior windows give people acoustic separation. “We’re not looking for visual separation, but what we do want, and need, is acoustic separation,” she said. 

A closet organizing system that lets you store things neatly and efficiently may be of more use than a room straight out of the pages of a magazine. “As someone doing a renovation, you don’t rise to the level of your goals so much as you fall to the level of the systems you put in place,” said Jean. While we usually want our homes to look fashionable, the emphasis for homes was on function for 2020. 

Using unused space

As floor plans were reconfigured, any unused or underutilized areas became prime real estate. Guest bedrooms became home offices or study lounges. But the real stars were spaces like basements, attics, and garages. 

Attics became playrooms for children. Basements were also used as play areas, but many were converted to home gyms. Some drywall and flooring, and maybe a little weatherproofing, turned these storage areas into useful living spaces.

In some places, such as Los Angeles, people are adding ADUs. An ADU is short for accessory dwelling unit. It is a new living space added to an existing building. Garages are being converted to home offices, but also studio apartments. The apartments can be rented out in the future. 

The pandemic presents new reasons to think creatively about our living spaces. Although we hope the pandemic will stay a once-in-a-lifetime event, we can all take cues from these COVID-19 renovation projects to inspire our own spaces at home.

Looking for a licensed, expert general contractor to help you with a renovation project?

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Renovations can take place at any time of the year. Here’s what you need to know about financing your remodel.

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 These Design Trends Took Off During the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Sweeten.

Kitchens are tight spaces, so, it helps to thoroughly plan every square foot before starting a remodel. Kitchens also are complex spaces where many elements must meet code. Supply and drain pipes compete with wires, ducts, and cabinets. The kitchen is not the place for last-minute, informal planning. Where should you start when considering different kitchen layout ideas? 

Simply: homeowners should consider using the most common layouts found in kitchens. There are many benefits of starting with a tried-and-true layout in your kitchen: smooth traffic flow, and less wasted space. Additionally, kitchen functionalities—sink, stove, fridge, and dishwasher—will end up in sensible places. Ultimately, this saves money for routing plumbing and electrical work. Below you’ll find renovations by Sweeten homeowners with kitchen layout inspiration.

Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and secure payments—for free.

Island kitchen layout

(Above) Sweeten homeowners Anthony and Jeremiah’s kitchen island renovation

An island kitchen layout combines a kitchen island with other layouts. These may be an L-shaped, U-shaped, or one-wall kitchen layout. The kitchen island is separate from the main counter area.

Many kitchen islands are counters only, with no water or cooking action. If a service is added to the island, it’s usually a cooktop. Large island kitchens may have a cooktop and a second sink for prep work.

Kitchen islands may be used less frequently than the owner had originally imagined. So, it helps to add one of those services as a magnet. Or, some homeowners extend one end of the island for use as an eating bar.

PROS

• Additional counter space
  
• Less expensive (you can even use a mobile island)
  

CONS

• Difficult to bring water supply and drainage to an island
  
• Takes up a lot of space, so a large kitchen is required

U-shaped kitchen layout

(Above) Sweeten homeowner’s U-shaped kitchen remodel

A U-shaped kitchen layout expands the L-shaped layout by adding an extra wing. Instead of two counters, the U-shaped kitchen has three counters arranged like a U.

With the U-shaped kitchen, various functions can be better spaced out than with the L-shaped layout. So, the leg of the L-shape that has the fridge, sink, and dishwasher can be broken up. The U-shaped kitchen’s third leg might contain the fridge.

For a U-shaped kitchen, you’ll need to have enough floor space available, but not too much. If the space is too small, the kitchen is cramped. If it’s too large, it takes longer to walk from one area to another. The National Kitchen + Bath Association recommends that no leg of the work triangle be less than 4 feet or more than 9 feet.

PROS

• Utilizes the third wall
  
• Spreads out kitchen services
  

CONS

• Difficulty correctly sizing the kitchen
  
• Center must be kept free of obstacles
  

One-wall kitchen layout

(Above) Sweeten homeowners Tiffany and Chad’s single-wall kitchen

With the one-wall kitchen layout, all of the kitchen tasks are combined on a single counter against one wall.

Since they are all in a line, design is mainly a matter of deciding the order of the functionalities. Usually, the sink and dishwasher are next to each other to share the water supply and drain lines.

Of the 6 kitchen layout ideas, the U-shape works perfectly for smaller homes such as condos or apartments. However, you’ll want to keep the layout fairly short. This avoids too much movement from one end to the other end.

PROS

• Squeezes kitchen into tiny space
  
• Keeps plumbing and electrical in one area
  

CONS

• Too much walking if the layout is long
  
• Little counter space
  

Galley kitchen layout

(Above) Sweeten homeowners Sheilaja + Sergio’s renovation

Galley kitchens have two counters that run parallel to each other. The counters are divided by a single aisle. Galley kitchens’ namesake is the kitchen found on boats. True to the inspiration, the aisle is usually narrow.

With galley kitchens, often one leg is devoted to the stove or cooktop and counter space. The other leg is usually the home’s exterior wall and has the sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator.

Galley kitchens do a great job of confining the workflow to a tight space. Just make sure that the cabinet, fridge, dishwasher, and oven doors don’t conflict with each other.

PROS

• Tucks kitchen away, off to the side
  
• Short traffic pattern
  

CONS

• Poor layout for multiple people in the kitchen
  
• Doors may conflict or open into each other
  

Peninsula kitchen layout

(Above) Sweeten homeowners Dalal + Frans’ renovation

A peninsula kitchen layout is a U-shaped layout that has a counter extension. Located at either end of the U shape, the extension partially juts into the kitchen. The result is generally a G-shape.

This kitchen usually retains its activities in its U-shaped section. The extension then becomes a breakfast bar or eating counter. 

The outer part of the extension can take two or three chairs for eating. The inner (kitchen side) is less functional. Most of it becomes a blind-corner cabinet that’s difficult for storing items. One solution is to install a lazy-susan, swing-out, or pull-out in that corner.

PROS

• Utilizes the end of a run of cabinets
  
• Room for eating saves on the need for chairs and table
  

CONS

• Creates another blind-corner cabinet
  
• Short counter
  

No matter the size of your home, there’s a kitchen layout that’ll fit the space. Keep in mind the kitchen activities that are important to your lifestyle, plot the best layout and flow, and get ready for your dream cook space.

L-shaped kitchen layout

(Above) Sweeten homeowner Amanda’s renovation

An L-shaped kitchen layout has two counters laid at a 90-degree angle to each other. Often, one counter is longer than the other counter.

The L-shaped kitchen layout usually divides the kitchen activities across the two legs of the L-shape. One leg may have the refrigerator, sink, and dishwasher. The other leg may have the stove or cooktop, plus a majority of the counter space for prep work.

There are many reasons that an L-shaped kitchen layout is a good idea for your home. For one, L-shaped kitchens are flexible enough to fit in kitchens of different sizes. For another, this layout lends itself perfectly to the concept of the kitchen triangle. With this, the sink, stove, and fridge are arranged in a triangle for better workflow.

PROS

• Flexible, works for many kitchens
  
• Good use of the kitchen triangle
  

CONS

• Large kitchens can get too spread out
  
• Difficult to find space for counter eating

Start with the right kitchen layout ideas

Cooking in a space with the right floorplan can prove to be the result of a well-planned kitchen remodel. With workflows in mind, everything from preparing ingredients to cleaning up can be done in a more streamlined fashion. The “work triangle” reduces the number of steps needed to move between the appliances. By having the right design, you are on your way to an enjoyable cooking experience.

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

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

Frequently asked questions about kitchen layouts

How to design a kitchen layout?

Designing the right kitchen layout is dependent upon the homeowner and the home. When choosing a kitchen layout, the homeowner first has to recognize what space they are working with. They should also think about what they need in their kitchen, and what will be the most useful to them. Would it be best for the kitchen to have an open layout? Or, should it include an island or peninsula? The homeowner has to think of the pros and cons, but also what is actually possible. A small galley kitchen is not going to fit a big island, while a big L-shaped kitchen might look empty without one.

What is the best layout for a small kitchen?

A galley layout, one-wall layout, or peninsula layout work all well for small kitchens. A galley kitchen can be tucked away in tight spaces, and there is a short traffic pattern. Including a peninsula in the kitchen means that there does not have to be room for a table and chairs. Stools can be added to the peninsula in order to make a tabletop. A one-wall kitchen layout makes it so everything in the kitchen can be compact on one side, and may open up into a living area. 

The post 6 Kitchen Layout Ideas, Fit for Homes of Any Size appeared first on Sweeten.

(Above) Brooke and Paul’s Sweeten kitchen renovation in Pelham, New York

UPDATED: Read our most up-to-date Westchester County Kitchen Remodeling Costs and Bathroom Remodeling Costs

There’s no doubt that Westchester is a picturesque place to live—the luxury of space and peace with the bustle of New York City a quick trip away. Some recent buyers and established homeowners alike feel it would be even more idyllic if they had their dream kitchen, whether it’s renovating a new home or fulfilling a long-desired wish to upgrade. The first step is often the stumbling block: determining the budget.

The national average for a basic 200-square-foot kitchen renovation is $63,829.  Westchester County has a slightly higher average kitchen renovation cost landing at $65,651 or $328 a square foot, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Let’s break that budget down into bite-sized pieces to help you get closer to your dream cooking and entertaining space.

DESIGN

This is an important line item in your budget, especially if your vision involves a layout change. That could involve moving load-bearing walls and gas lines. The NKBA estimates design fees eat up about four percent of a kitchen remodel cost. Sweeten designer Maryana, who has done work in Westchester, said it’s more realistic to put away 15 percent of your budget for design if you’re in the mood for a major layout change.

If you’re giving your kitchen more of a makeover than an overhaul, it’s possible to work closely with an experienced general contractor on the design and forgo a designer. Statistics from the NKBA show that the majority of homeowners relied on a general contractor and only 22 percent used a designer. Chuck, a Sweeten contractor who works in Westchester, has found that many clients in the county take a hands-on approach to design and often don’t use a designer or architect. However, an architect’s services will be needed if plumbing or gas lines are moving, there are structural changes, or if a landmark property is being renovated.

PERMITS

Building permits are handled by the building department of each individual town within Westchester County. “Individual” is the key word here because methods of calculations can change dramatically.

In Rye, the most of the expensive area in Southern Westchester—the median price for a home is $1,380,000—it’s no surprise that building permits are calculated based on the cost of a renovation. For every $1,000 in your kitchen remodel budget, that’s an additional $17 for your building permits. That average $64,000 kitchen overhaul will cost at least $1,088 in permits. If plumbing and electrical permits are required, that’s an additional $200 a pop (for a less extensive renovation, these permits may not be necessary).

In the township of Peekskill, building permit costs are at the end of a minor mathematical equation. Multiply the square footage of your project by $150. Then, multiply that figure by 0.10. For a 200-square-foot kitchen, that’s $3,000. So take a moment to look at how the building department of your township calculates permits.

APPLIANCES

At Village Appliances in Westchester, a budget appliance package (fridge, oven, dishwasher and microwave), can go for under $5,000. However, Joe Gagliardo, the owner of Village Appliances, doesn’t sell too many of those. The majority of customers either go for a package in the $5,000 to $8,000 range or in the mid-price range of $18,000 to $22,000, which will get you brands such as General Electric and Electrolux. The high-end price spectrum will deliver brands such as Viking and Miele for a four-piece suite (fridge, range, hood, and dishwasher) at a price ranging from $17,000 to $26,000.

At Bilotta Kitchens, clients often buy in the $12,000 to $15,000 range for an appliance package, according to senior designer and CKD Randy O’Kane. This will get you brands such as Thermador, Sub-Zero, and Wolf. There’s always room to mix and match, but brands do offer a discount or throw in items like blenders, toasters and hoods for free if you go with the same brand for your appliances, Randy said. “It is the heart and soul of a kitchen,” she said. “Cabinets are great, but it is all about cooking.”

Installation can cost between $500 and $1,000, and that price will depend on how much work your contractor has already done. If water lines have not been run or outlets are not in the necessary areas, that could push up installation costs, Joe said. For those after custom range hoods, then plan for the $2,000 and $8,000 range.

(Above) Tracey and Brian’s Sweeten kitchen renovation in Pelham Manor, New York

CABINETS

Cabinets and hardware (think handles and knobs) are a big-ticket item on every kitchen remodel cost budget. They typically take up 30 percent of costs, according to NKBA. In a basic kitchen renovation, that’s $6,000. For a major overhaul worth $60,000, cabinets cost almost $20,000. What typically makes a big difference in cabinet cost is whether you want custom, pre-fabricated or a mix of both. Something pre-fabricated from IKEA or Home Depot will cost around $130 a linear foot. Custom jobs can shoot up to $2,000 a linear square foot. However, with that higher price, there is more freedom in deciding your kitchen layout. You can also get a better warranty with custom cabinets. Semi-custom cabinets generally are about 50 percent cheaper than full custom.

Or do what Sweeten founder and CEO Jean Brownhill did in her own kitchen renovation: the recycled customized option. “I scoured Renovation Angel’s website and purchased a used-but-high-end kitchen for about $10,000, which is what I could have spent on cabinets alone,” she said. “A complete kitchen included appliances and cabinetry.” Jean then customized the cabinets to fit her space, which often meant filler panels were wider on one side than the other, or building a soffit was necessary. “It was like working on a jigsaw puzzle in order to make the kitchen look like it fit in the space,” she said. “But I was okay with these kinds of imperfections in exchange for essentially getting a premium kitchen on an Ikea type of budget.”

COUNTERTOPS

At Westchester Kitchen and Bath, quartz is overwhelmingly the most popular countertop, according to showroom manager and designer Donna Magnotta. “It’s heat-, stain-, scratch-, and bacteria-resistant,” she said, “and it’s maintenance-free.” Natural stones, like marble, need routine staining and sealing. Quartz starts around $85 per linear foot and is on the mid to high-end of the price scale, which includes the cost of fabricating and installing. Laminate starts at $20 a linear foot, but is rarely purchased, Donna said. Granite is next up the ladder at about $35 a linear foot. On the high end, natural stones start at about $120 a linear foot.

LIGHTING

Kitchen lighting isn’t a big budget line item. It takes up on four percent of total costs on average. The end price, of course, will always be determined by your tastes. In a $20,000 kitchen, that’s only $800. For a major remodel in the $60,000 range, lighting costs look closer to $2,400.

PLUMBING

On an average remodel, plumbing costs are about the same at $800. If there is a layout change to your Westchester kitchen, then that will likely add to your plumbing costs, which also includes gas lines. And the more you alter the basic layout of your space, the more your kitchen remodel cost will increase for materials, labor, permitting, and inspections.

FLOORING

For a budget, Westchester’s Suburban Floors has a vinyl Karndean-Knight Tile that is $3.50 a square foot that is “still very durable and stylish,” said Emily Carpentieri, the store’s owner. The price per square foot does not include installation. On the higher end is cork or wide-plank wood flooring. These go for $8.25 to $15 a square foot. But vinyl floors in the $5 to $7 range is Suburban Floors’ biggest seller. “These would blow your mind how real they looked,” said Emily.

LABOR AND INSTALLATION

Construction labor can change depending upon your Westchester zip code. The costs are less expensive the further you are from NYC. For Peekskill, labor costs are 22 percent higher than the national average, according to Fixr.com. Dobbs Ferry comes in at 40 percent higher and Croton-on-Hudson at 27 percent higher than the national average. The kitchen renovation cost in Rye could have a labor budget 55 percent above the national average. To compare, the labor cost for a kitchen renovation on the Upper East Side is 77 percent higher than the national average.

Don’t forget installation for appliances, cabinetry, plumbing, and electrical. These typically take about 17 percent of a budget, which is about $3,500 for an average kitchen. And as mentioned above, factor in $500 to $1,000 for appliance installation.

At the end of the day, renovations are like fingerprints—no two are alike. That includes their budgets. Here’s how one Sweeten renovator in Westchester allocated their $56,620 renovation budget:

Renovating your kitchen in Westchester County? Sweeten can help!

Post your kitchen renovation project on Sweeten and you’ll get matched with vetted and licensed Westchester County general contractors, for free.

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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 Kitchen Renovation Costs: Westchester County appeared first on Sweeten.

Over the last year, we’ve looked at some gorgeous NYC home renovations and we’ve rolled up our sleeves to get to the bottom of more technical questions like the costs of landscaping, flooring, kitchen and bath renovations. For each of these blog posts, I get to talk to experts and homeowners about their experiences, and I’ve learned that no two home renovation stories are alike. I have also learned that virtually every homeowner plods through the same muddled process to plan and understand the work ahead, and virtually every homeowner has to face down the same mistakes before gleaming new surfaces are revealed. This week, we surveyed a small slice of our 300 Sweeten experts with a very open-ended question:

“What are the most common things you find yourself explaining to homeowners who are starting the renovation process?”

You would think we’d see a wide range of responses from these experts, and you would be wrong. 25 experts, who represent a broad group of design and build skill sets, revealed the top 3 mistakes homeowners make when planning renovations in NYC.

1. Tick tock, tick tock

More than 25% of our experts talked about how hard it is for homeowners to plan for the timeline of the project. Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking solely about the physical labor required, but the majority of projects involve a variety of stages before a hammer touches a single nail. The irony here is that in some cases, physical labor is actually the least time-intensive part of the project.

As you are planning your project, be sure to think about time needed for design, Department of Building approvals, condo and co-op approvals, ordering and lead times for materials, site staging, debris removal, and adjusting to factors behind walls and under floors that you can’t forecast until the work begins. A classic example: Clinton Hill homeowner Diane spent months getting approvals, ordering materials, and putting up with tiles and a toilet sitting in her dining room while she handled all of the prep work for her bathroom renovation. Once the actual project began, Diane had a brand new bathroom in less than two weeks.

2. Approvals

40% of our experts highlighted how often homeowners underestimate approval steps when planning a renovation. While this topic is closely tied to the first mistake that homeowners make, this specific aspect of timing was the single most commonly reported misconception.

Between demanding co-op boards and byzantine Department of Buildings requirements, homeowners can spend three to four months navigating paperwork and reviews. Many homeowners are initially most worried about the cost of the project and then find themselves paralyzed and frustrated when they realize that the start of the project is weeks or months away. When I re-did the floors in my East Village apartment, I made the epic mistake of assuming that my building’s management company could process the straightforward approval request in a few days time. As new wood planks were being hauled into my living room, I learned that a required insurance certificate had not yet come through, and the crew had to turn around and walk out the door until the paperwork was in place a few days later. The actual work was done in three days flat. The approvals? Probably three weeks of calls and emails and considerable pleading (whining, really) before a final thumbs up.

3. Camping out

Homeowners often forget to make the right plans for living through the work itself. Almost 15% of our experts pointed out that homeowners fail to think through the implications of living without a bathroom or kitchen or stairs while work is underway, or forget to account for children and pets when planning for the temporary inconvenience of the renovation. Especially in space-deprived NYC homes, homeowners need to realistically plan for the disruption, assess whether they can stay in the space until the work is done, and budget for alternate accommodations if essential spaces will be blocked off. If you are planning a transformative renovation project that will last beyond a few days, or your project entails gutting walls and floors that will expose significant dust and materials, you should expect to live elsewhere until the work is done. I have found that most homeowners prefer to visit the site daily to check on progress and provide visual feedback, so you may not want to leave town altogether. But do consider budgeting for alternate accommodations and maybe even a few days off from work so that you can be available.

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Thanks, as always, to our Sweeten experts for their insight on these roadblocks! Despite all of these pitfalls, I have yet to meet a homeowner who isn’t totally and completely psyched about the finished work. With the right planning and realistic expectations, Sweeten experts can help you navigate all of these steps. If you are thinking about getting a renovation started, post your project on Sweeten and let us introduce you to renovation professionals who can get your project done.

If you are a veteran home renovator, I’d love to hear about any mistakes you made along the way in the comments below!

The post Top 3 Mistakes Homeowners Make When Planning Renovations in NYC appeared first on Sweeten.

Since none of the finishes or fixtures in the apartment are worth saving and the layout is somewhat awkward, without a real kitchen or closet space, the best strategy is to gut the interior and begin with a clean slate

The apartment would benefit most from a more open layout, to bring light from the rear windows deeper into the interior. In addition there are some practical considerations. There’s the need for a real kitchen, with adequate counter space and storage. There’s the need for closet and storage space. And it’s best to keep the kitchen and bathroom located where they are, close to the existing plumbing, gas and sewage lines.

The design can go in many different directions, depending on the owner’s lifestyle and priorities. Here are some basic ideas:

FOR AN ENTREPENEUR

For someone with her own business, or who sometimes works from home, this scheme builds an 8′-0″ long work station along the right side of the apartment. It has a continuous wood work counter, drawers and file cabinets below, and shelving on the wall above. From here the owner can sit and work without distractions. When she’s done, she can clear her things from the counter and the space stays tidy and well-organized, separate from rest of the apartment.

The entire apartment remains open. At the back is the living and dining area. At the middle is a bed and a clothing closet. At the front, near the entry, are a galley kitchen, the bathroom, and linen and coat closets

FOR A FASHIONISTA

For someone who cares deeply about fashion, this scheme has a walk in closet with plenty of room for her to keep her clothing and a place where she can get dressed in the morning. The closet has racks for garments and shelving for shoes, bags and accessories. There’s a window for natural light, and room for a chair and a vanity table or standing mirror too.

The remaining space in back becomes a sleeping alcove. The center of the apartment becomes a living area, with built in bookshelves and cabinets. At the front, near the entry, are a galley kitchen, the bathroom, and linen and coat closets

FOR A GOURMET

For someone who likes to cook and entertain, this scheme has a full-size kitchen and a formal dining room. The double galley kitchen provides plenty of counter and storage space, and room for two or three people to be cooking and prepping at one time. The dining room is large enough to seat six or eight people.

The back becomes a living area with a fold-out bed. At the front, near the entry, are the bathroom, a clothes closet and a linen closet.

Any of these layouts could be converted to a proper one-bedroom by closing off the sleeping area. This is something that’s possible but that I would try to work around. Closing off a bedroom might make the rooms, especially those near the entrance, feel small and dark.

This apartment has a footprint that lends itself to many different layouts. I’m very excited to see what choices the owner will make as she sweetens the space!

The post Sweetening the Layout: Fort Greene Apartment appeared first on Sweeten.

This one bedroom prewar apartment is on Clinton Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The building is located brilliantly, on a lovely residential block close to the subway station, shops and restaurants. The apartment is on the second floor and faces a quiet rear courtyard, with three large windows that let in lots of light.

The apartment has been unoccupied for many years and looks as if it hasn’t been remodeled in about forty years. It has its original wood floors, crown and base moldings, and window trim, although they’re in poor condition. The building has masonry walls and a hot water heating system with cast iron radiators. The original wood windows have been replaced with insulated aluminum windows.

The bathroom is roomy but has an awkward layout. The fixtures, wall tile, and floor tile all need to be replaced, and there’s a gaping hole in the ceiling.

The apartment has no real kitchen, just a freestanding stove and sink near the entry. The plastic laminate cabinets are in bad shape and there are no counters. The refrigerator is currently in the living room.

It would be easy to look at this apartment and turn away. The floors, walls and ceilings all need to be repaired and refinished. It has no closets or built in cabinets. The small side windows look out onto light wells.

But a closer look at the plan reveals that it’s actually quite wide, 14 feet, which allows for some flexibility in the layout. It would be possible to reconfigure the kitchen and bathroom so that they’re more accommodating and more functional. The windows at the rear of the apartment are quite large. They bring in a lot of light and overlook a quiet space. The entire layout could be opened up to bring more light from the back windows into the center of the apartment.

This apartment is in a great location and has a generous footprint. It would benefit a great deal from just a little bit of sweetening!

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My old boss used to say that for every project an architect has three equally-important priorities: cost, quality and schedule.

As I began my remodel, maybe because of my background in design, quality seemed paramount. Cost was the second concern. Because I had other places to stay during construction, time was the final consideration.

As I moved through the project, though, cost became the overriding concern. Initially, flushed with optimism, I made payments for materials and services without a fuss. But as the project moved forward and the total cost crept closer and closer to my limit, I became increasingly suspect about spending money and searched more passionately for less costly substitutions.

This was especially true for the smaller, more ornamental elements. I spent a little extra money to get a faucet set for my bathroom sink from a high end supplier. But I didn’t order the supplier’s matching toilet paper holder and towel bars because I couldn’t justify the extra expense for such simple pieces of hardware. I returned a beautiful towel shelf I had ordered because, when the time came to install it, it felt too opulent. Instead of ordering kitchen cabinet pulls from the supplier I bought them in bulk at a hardware store.

I was especially alarmed by surprise costs, which came fast and furious at the end of the project. My building management company mailed me an invoice for the cost of their “Architectural Review,” which they had not told me about. I had to order extra wood panels from the cabinet supplier to complete the installation. And I needed a myriad of small, last-minute items from the hardware store like a shower curtain rod and a lever for my toilet tank. Each time I pulled out my credit card I winced.

As in many other things, what helped most was to step back and take a larger view. The remodel was an investment that would ultimately increase the value of my home.

The post Breaking the Bank appeared first on Sweeten.

Architects tend to be perfectionists and also indecisive, which is a dangerous combination. In the architecture offices where I worked I spent hours locked in conference rooms with colleagues agonizing about the height of a baseboard, the profile of a window mullion, and the location of a light switch.

These are details that aren’t important to a client and don’t often affect the overall impact of a project. But architects agonize over things like this; it’s part of what they do. For my kitchen remodel I spent hours deciding between different cherry wood stains, different shades of white paint, and different cabinet door knobs.

In the end details that I thought were highly important were not carried out. For my bathroom I thought it was crucial to reproduce the tiny 1/32″ tile grout joints from the original walls. A typical ceramic wall tile grout joint is 1/8″ but I felt that this size joint was simply too wide, too crude, and that it would detract from the beauty of the tile. I even had a bad dream about it. In this dream I returned to my bathroom after a week-long holiday and found my shower walls finished with 1/2″ tile joints. I awoke with a start!

In the end, almost as a comeuppance, my bathroom was completed with 1/8″ grout joints. This was entirely my own fault. The tiler began his work very early one morning, before I or the site supervisor could speak to him. I’ll never forget walking onto site that day and seeing all the tile laid out on my bathroom walls, absolutely beautifully, and set apart with 1/8″ spacers. The mason was beaming. He turned to me and said, “Look at how much I’ve completed already.” I couldn’t ask him to redo the work; he’d done exactly what was expected. So instead I took a very deep breath.

In the end the bathroom walls turned out beautifully. The cream-colored grout that we had selected in order to miminize staining brought out a golden hue in the glaze of the tile. The original 1/32″ joints that I had wanted had created a colder, more clinical surface. The 1/8″ joints, which I had abhorred, gave the entire room a warmer, more welcoming feeling.

The post Which Shade of White? appeared first on Sweeten.

Whenever someone tells me they’re starting a home remodeling project I tell them the three things that I’ve learned in my fifteen years working as an architect. 1. It will cost more than you expect. 2. It will take longer than you expect. 3. It will turn out better than you expect.

Yet when it came to my own remodel didn’t want to accept that second bit of wisdom. Each of the contractors I interviewed told me that my remodel would take three weeks, and I believed it. In the end it took seven full weeks to complete the construction work. This is through no fault of the contractor’s. There were some surprises during demolition and construction that required extra time to handle.

I was lucky because a number of friends invited me stay at their places while work was being done. And my parents live just an hour outside of New York. I knew that I could stay with them for as long as required and commute into the city each day to monitor construction. At first this “homelessness” was sort of fun, like a series of small vacations. I got to explore different neighborhoods in the city: the Upper West Side, the Lower East Side, Union Square and Park Slope. I spent quality time with friends and a lovely, relaxing week with my parents.

But after two weeks the novelty of being a vagabond wore off. Before beginning demolition the contractors had sealed off my clothes closet with blue tape to prevent dust infiltration, so I was limited to the clothes I had packed in my suitcase. And I had packed very badly, throwing together casual summer clothes in a rolling suitcase. Then the weather turned and I was invited to some more formal parties and I found it impossible to dress properly. I wore paint-splattered jeans to a chi-chi fashion industry event, and flip-flops to a dinner date.

I’m a creature of habit; a disciplined environment helps me to remain focused and productive. This apartment remodel disrupted every aspect of my life, it shook up my routines of sleeping, bathing, dressing, eating and socializing. The resulting sense of displacement, both physical and emotional, was unnerving and entirely unexpected.

Mid-way through the project, after demolition was complete and before finishes and fixtures had been installed, was the most difficult time. At that moment it felt as things would never return to normal, that I would be rolling around that suitcase forever.

The post On The Road appeared first on Sweeten.

I visited Kuwait, briefly, in 2006 and the entire place felt as if it were immersed in a dust storm. I couldn’t see clearly more than ten feet in any direction because of sand motes suspended in the air. On top of this there was a sharp, dry smell, as if from distant fires. I sensed that the place had seen terrible destruction. My home feels a little like that right now.

As I write this I’m sitting at a dust-coated desk, in my dust-filled bedroom, brushing dust off my keyboard, and breathing dust into my lungs. I’m perpetually brushing my clothes and rinsing my hands, unable to feel that they’re clean.

Contrary to what I expected, demolition was not the dirtiest stage of the remodel. Demolition produced debris that could be piled up, bagged, and left at the curb. It’s the final woodwork, plasterwork, and sanding that has been more difficult to control. They release a fine dust that clings to every surface and makes it difficult to see from one end of a room the other. Just as my remodel is reaching completion, I’m enveloped in a blinding construction fog.

The construction workers have been careful about keeping my furniture covered, sealing off my closets with blue tape, and cleaning the site periodically. But there might not be no escape from this fine dust, which finds its way behind doors and drop-cloths, into cabinets and storage bins.

I’m not a fastidious housekeeper. The ceiling-high piles of debris in my living room after demolition didn’t bother me so much. Nor do the footprints on my carpets or the wear on my floors. But this construction dust is disconcerting because there seems to be no escape from it. Looking back, I should have sealed off all the floors, furniture, and closets in my apartment very carefully before construction began. It would have saved me some worry and a whole lot of cleaning.

The post The Fog of Construction appeared first on Sweeten.

But when I began my home remodel I seemed to abandon all of these practices. I began with a bang, creating a binder with carefully labeled sections for existing conditions drawings, design sketches, product specifications, and reference images. I carried this binder with me as I shopped for products, packed it in my suitcase when I traveled, and left it on an end table right by my desk, so that I could reach it at any moment.

But before long I had much more information than could be stored in the binder. Piles sprang up around the binder, on top of it and on the floor below, piles of plumbing fixture catalogues, cabinet specifications, and outdated drawings. Eventually tile samples and paint chips found their way into these piles, and then cost estimates and invoices. The piles got higher and started spilling into one another and then into other, unrelated piles in my bedroom, piles of unsorted mail and trashy magazines. As a result there are no real project files for my home remodel project, only project piles.

When working in an office I keep a typed project directory, which lists the contact information for all the contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers on a project, and update the document weekly. For my home remodel I just slipped all the relevant business cards I had collected in a plastic sleeve, although I believe that there are still a few important ones swimming around at the bottom of my purse.

Most of my communication with vendors and suppliers was through email, and most of my communication with my contractor Martin and his team was over the phone. Although I prefer email contractors always seem to prefer the phone. (Since my contractor Martin and the site supervisors, Brian and Joe, are Irish, it is always a pleasure to answer the phone and hear their lovely brogues, regardless of what they were actually saying to me.)

There were no scheduled site meetings but almost every morning I met with Brian and Joe and we talked about what work would be done that day and what steps would come next. They followed the drawings carefully but called me whenever they had specific questions. (Which way should the medicine cabinet door open? How thick is the kitchen countertop?) Martin came to the site about once each week, often after work hours, to review progress and discuss the schedule. Because it was a small remodel and a small team, this informal way of working worked well.

That is not the case with my record-keeping. Maybe because this project is so close to me, so personal, I abandoned my office habits and tried to manage it in a less regimental, hands-on way. It’s not something I would recommend. Keeping good records is the only way to track decisions and costs accurately. For my next remodel project, I’ll be sure to bring a more professional attitude to doing filing and paperwork.

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It was startling to see these two rooms, which I had used for eight years and knew so intimately, suddenly disappear. Objects that had seemed like fixed realities of my daily life (my rusting medicine cabinet, my noisy fridge, my perpetually clogged sink) were very simply removed and discarded. It made me understand that interior design is an ephemeral art. No doubt years from now I, or someone else, will be ripping out the appliances and finishes I’m installing now for altogether newer and more fabulous ones.

After demolition was complete I expected that some fundamental character of these rooms would be revealed, that I would be able see their proportions and dimensions more clearly. But demolition made it even harder to see the rooms platonically, as empty spaces ready to be fitted out. It exposed their gritty structure and infrastructure. Behind the tile wainscot in the bathroom there were chaotic layers of cement blocks, mortar, plaster and lathe. Behind drywall in the kitchen there were overlapping plumbing, electrical and vent lines, and a rough infill of cement block and plaster. Demolition did not inspire my faith; it did not excite me. It exposed the rough, unpretty stuff that my building was made of, and the dense maze of existing utility lines. So much of the wall behind my kitchen sink had been removed to squeeze in new plumbing and drain lines that I wondered whether it might fall over. And, for just a moment, I wondered seriously why I had begun to remodel.

The post Hey, Where Did My Kitchen Go? appeared first on Sweeten.

Just the way in which the four contractors submitted their bids was revealing. Only two contractors submitted a bit on the date I had requested. One actually submitted his three weeks afterwards, apologizing that he had been out of the country. All of the bids were sent via email. Most were in PDF format but one was entirely written within the body of the email in a florid, bright blue font. One bid arrived from an email address that I didn’t recognize; the contractor had asked his wife to type up his estimate and she had sent it to me from her personal email account.

All the contractors broke out costs, listing subtotals for different materials and types of work. But each one broke them costs out in a different way and to a different level of detail. I’m certain that each one understood the scope of the work and considered it carefully as he prepared his bid. But each of the bids itemized work in a different way so that no easy comparison could be made.

For example, all contractors listed “Electrical Work.” But Contractor A listed a total price for work in both the bath and kitchen. Contractor B listed separate prices for work in the bath and the kitchen. And Contractor C listed the prices to relocate or install each individual outlet, switch, appliance and light fixture.

Of course for each bid the total construction cost was the first number that I saw and the number that stayed with me. But I wanted to make sure that I was making a fair comparison and made an ExCel spreadsheet, as I would for any other architecture project, confirming that each contractor had included each work item shown in the drawings. (There is something deeply reassuring to me about using ExCel; it makes me feel entirely grown-up and rational.) I wrote back to each contractor, asking him to confirm that his price included each item in the scope of work.

In the end, though, I chose a contractor using both my heart and my head. This remodel was important to me and that I wanted to work with someone I liked, someone I felt comfortable speaking with, and someone I would be comfortable having inside my home. So I chose Martin. He had made the strongest first impression and also submitted a competitive bid. For me this very important decision was an easy one.

The post It’s Not All About the Benjamins: Choosing a Contractor appeared first on Sweeten.

To help make such an important decision, a decision that more and more homeowners are faced with, there just aren’t good resources to turn to. Unlike finding a plumber to unclog the sink or a roofer to fix a leak, it doesn’t feel right to turn to Yellow Page listings, retailer recommendations, or even word of mouth to find a contractor to remodel your home. There’s too much money and time involved and too much that could go wrong. That’s one reason I’m excited about Swee10, because it brings homeowners a reliable database of local contractors, with details about their experience and photos of completed projects. And it gives contractors a chance to review drawings and photos or remodel projects to find ones that would be right for them.

Because I’m an architect I was able reach out to colleagues who specialized in residential work for references. I gathered contact information for four contractors who had worked successfully with colleagues on small-scale remodels similar to my own. This gave me confidence that I could not make the “wrong” decision, that no matter which contractor I selected, they would complete the work responsibly.

But meeting each of the contractors, who were all men, was a little bit like playing “Mystery Date.” I mailed each one drawings of the new kitchen and bathroom design and a stack of product specifications. Then I met each of them individually to show them through my apartment. Although I interviewed them carefully I was most strongly impressed by their personalities, by who they were as men rather than contractors. In the end it was their character rather than anything in particular they said regarding the remodel work that mattered most.

I liked all the contractors I met. Each one was punctual and courteous, and articulate and knowledgeable about residential interior work. But there were some red flags. One man had a bearish, paternal, Old World sort of personality. He continually bragged about his accomplishments, both personal and professional. And he continually told me what I wanted to do. “YOU WANT a stone shelf in the bathroom,” and “YOU WANT a glass tile backsplash.” What I really wanted to do was respond, “Well, actually, I’m an architect and what I want is what I’ve shown in the drawings.”

Another contractor was at the opposite end of the confidence scale. He was painfully reserved and careful not to offend. He nodded his head in agreement to all that I said but revealed little of what he thought until I asked him outright. It seemed as if it would be difficult for him to face problems directly or deliver bad news, as contractors are sometimes required to do.

When I met Martin, the contractor I am working with now, he impressed me with a balance of pragmatism and idealism. He spoke freely and also listened. He had reviewed the drawings beforehand, but referenced details and products he had used in other projects to make suggestions.

In addition Martin is married to my friend Kristin, a warm and wonderful person. I liked him automatically, irrationally, by association. Although the conventional wisdom is that one should not do business with friends I felt that in this case it really didn’t apply. I called an architect that Martin had worked with before and received an excellent recommendation. Although I still needed to review bids from all the contractors, I had a hunch that I would be working with Martin.

The post Mystery Date: Meeting the Contractors appeared first on Sweeten.

When I began the design for my kitchen the only thing I knew for certain was that it would have dark wood cabinets.

This was in part a nostalgia for the large, eat-in kitchen of my childhood home, which had heavy plywood cabinets with a thickly varnished walnut finish. Although these cabinets weren’t pretty they’re still strongly wound up with my idea of “kitchen cabinet.” (Interestingly, my mother didn’t share my nostalgia and tried to steer me towards lighter-colored woods.)

I found a cabinet supplier who offered sturdy, reasonably-priced, cabinets. I chose cherry wood because the grain is straight, fine and regular, but agonized over the finish. The cherry came in a range of brandy, cranberry, and nut-colored stains. I scrutinized my samples at every opportunity, struggling to select the right one. Finally, after seeing full-size cabinets at the supplier showroom, a finish called “Coffee” (at the far left in the photo) jumped right out at me. Although dark it was luminous, with undertones perfectly balanced between red and yellow.

While my head was addled with micro-shades of wood stain my superintendent Daniel gave me some crucial input. He mentioned that the original layout for my kitchen, which has an “L”-shaped counter, was a double galley, with counters along two opposite sides. When Daniel took me to see an original kitchen in my apartment line it immediately made a lot of sense. There was almost twice the counter and cabinet space, the sink was closer to the building water and drain lines, and it provided access to the window and the radiator beneath it. I drew up a floor plan immediately.

Once I’d selected the cabinets and a layout the other details came together quickly. Because of the tight space I was limited to 24″-wide appliances, which focused my search. Although I selected appliances with a brushed stainless steel finish and contemporary details, I still wanted the room to have a traditional feeling, in keeping with the whole apartment.

I chose a “Shaker” cabinet door style that straddled the line between Contemporary and Traditional, and a sink faucet, ceiling lights, and cabinet door pulls that were similarly styled, all in a satin nickel finish. I found a grey ceramic tile for the floor and a pale blue-grey paint for the walls that both brought out the warmth of the wood.

I wanted stone countertops because the natural variation in the material adds depth to an interior. My preference was absolute black granite: it was durable and had fine markings and a classic look. But I didn’t like the typical dark, polished surface; it felt too severe for the room. Instead I selected a softer honed finish, which was not as dark (not as “absolute”) but similarly simple to maintain.

The final element to fall into place was the backsplash. I was afraid that stone or ceramic tile might weigh down the narrow space. Then one afternoon I visited my friend Bonnie, an interior designer, and saw her elegant bronze mirror backsplash. It caught light from the windows and offered soft reflections. I thought that this would open up my kitchen nicely and add just the right bit of sparkle. The next morning I visited a glass supplier to get an estimate, and my kitchen design was complete.

The post Sweetening the Kitchen: It’s All About the Cabinets appeared first on Sweeten.

I kept the layout virtually the same. The only change I made was to move the showerhead and tub controls to the short side of the tub. I decided to reglaze my tub and reuse my sink and toilet, which were both in good condition. I selected a 3×6 white wall tile with a crackle glaze that was very similar to the existing one. And I proposed to regrout and reuse the existing 1″ white hexagonal tile floor. I chose a new medicine cabinet, towel racks, and sconce light that were very similar in size and spirit to the original ones.

There was a design change just before demolition. My contractor Martin thought that it might be difficult to regrout the joints in the floor tile cleanly and suggested that we replace it. I selected a floor tile identical to the existing one and placed an order.

There was another surprise during demolition. After removing the existing floor tile, which I had thought was original, we found an installation of identical tile just below it, with several large cracks running through it. We decided to rip this out in order to install the new floor tile on a new stable, level mortar bed.

I had specified a white crackle glaze wall tile because it was the closest that I could find to the original tile. But the new tiles were just slightly more cream-colored than the bright white original ones. When holding one sample tile against the original wall this was not discernible. But as we unpacked the new wall tile the difference became quite powerful. Instead of the cool white palette I had in mind, the palette of the original bathroom, the palette now shifted towards something softer and warmer.

I chose wall and floor grout colors that were sand-colored, to emphasize the warmer tone of the new wall tile and also minimize staining. And I chose a pale lavender color to paint the walls, to give the room a slightly antiquated, almost Victorian feeling.

The design evolved during construction, in response to site conditions and the new materials, so that the remodel became more than a straightforward replication. I feel that I rolled with the punches admirably, responding to the character of the new wall tile and choosing a new floor tile and grout colors quickly and judiciously.

But throughout the project I had lingering doubts about clinging to the old bathroom design. As much as I loved my bathroom, I also wondered if it would be better to develop a new palette of finishes, to try to do something entirely different.

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