Every creaky stair, every painted-over wood surface, every sealed-off fireplace – they all have stories of eras gone by, waiting to be uncovered and loved again!

For us, unearthing the original beauty of wood or stone is way more than just a makeover. It’s not about just scratching off old paint and slapping on a new finish–it’s a meticulous process of revealing the past and repurposing it for the present. 

Today, we’re peeling back the layers on three of our favorite restoration adventures: marble fireplaces, staircases, and floors.

A note: before you get started, be sure you are working in a properly ventilated area and taking all necessary safety precautions, including PPE like a respirator and gloves, and testing for lead paint. Always consult with a professional if you have any questions or concerns! 

Stripping the Stairway

Staircases can often be a focal point of a historic home, like an old brownstone, with intricately carved handrails and classic designs. However, in most of the homes we work on, these have been painted over or stained during past renovations–in some cases, several times. 

Our task is to uncover the craftsmanship beneath the layers to restore these antique beauties, step by step.

In cases where a staircase is coated with a liquid varnish, we turn to Benco’s B7 stripper, the secret sauce of our stripping repertoire. Wearing protective gear to prevent contact with the potent chemical, we coat the staircase in the stripper and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

The really satisfying part follows–using a paint scraper and cheesecloth, we scrape away the varnish, revealing the stunning wood underneath. A thorough clean-up with denatured alcohol and steel wool ensures we don’t leave any crevice unattended. 

Once the rails and carvings are bare, we give the woodwork a light sanding to remove any raw or rugged texture. Then, it’s ready to be sealed. 

Whether our clients prefer a fresh coat of paint or a clear coat to accent the natural wood, we love watching a staircase be reborn, revealing skilled artistry and that timeless elegance.

Marble Fireplace Restoration – A Stone Cold Stripping Show

Marble fireplaces can lend an air of historic grandeur and elegance to a room–when they aren’t buried under layers of paint! Luckily, our paint-stripping method works as well on stone as it does on wood.

For painted surfaces, we first bring out our trusty heat gun. We gently sweep the tool across the surface and avoid lingering too long in one spot. Once the paint begins to bubble, we keep moving, stripping away the layers of paint and grime. This is a slow process, requiring patience and a steady hand. Then it’s time to apply Peel Away (for a surface other than wood!)

Next comes the (satisfying) labor of love–peeling off the melted paint with a metal putty knife and applying denatured alcohol to dissolve any residual grime. It’s incredible to watch the layers just fall off.  

A vigorous scrub with a stripping pad helps get into tight crevices and corners, removing the last traces of old paint. The reward? A stripped-down, paint-free marble fireplace, waiting to be reintroduced to the world.

Getting Down on the Floor 

Stripping a floor can seem daunting due to the large surface area, but it’s well worth the effort. When flooring is original to an older home and the floors are too thin to be sanded, we find the best method is to strip!  To make the task manageable, we heat-gun the floor in sections, creating distinct working areas.

Then, we apply the chemical stripper and let it work its magic for 10-15 minutes and the real labor begins. We get down on our hands and knees to scrape away the melted layers of history. 

The final cleanup involves wiping the floor down with denatured alcohol and scrubbing it with steel wool. We definitely recommend knee pads for this task! 

After the complete renovation is done, we seal the wood using a clear water-based polyurethane or matte-finish tung oil, which offers protection while letting the original tone shine through. If you are working on outdoor areas, we recommend a marine-grade finish for added protection.

The Final Product 

The process may seem daunting, but when you see the final outcome–the historic beauty of your home revived–it’s all worth it. In every restored detail, there’s a blend of past and present that makes your home uniquely yours. Stripping and refinishing a staircase or floor honors a home’s history and makes it ready to enjoy for years to come. 

And remember, whether you’re a homeowner or a restoration enthusiast, handling stripping chemicals requires utmost care and safety measures. Seek professional assistance if needed.

It’s more important now than ever to have flexible spaces in our homes. That guest bedroom might need to double as an office. Maybe you don’t have a dedicated space for dining but still need a place to eat. Or maybe you host guests occasionally but don’t need a separate bedroom that is unused the rest of the time. This is true for most people no matter how much space you have. 

This past year, we worked on our largest project to date. A unique building that started it’s life in the late 1800’s as a carriage house. Once horses no longer trotted the streets of Brooklyn it was turned into a garage and then a junk shop. We transformed it into a modern day carriage house home for a family of 4. It was the largest undertaking we have worked on to date and was an absolute dream to help this family transform this historical structure. When we initially met Heather & Rene (the homeowners) and we began discussing their needs for the space we discovered that even though the house would be big for Brooklyn standards with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, one common conversation kept recurring. They needed to make the most of the space. They are hosts. They have a very large family located throughout the states (including Puerto Rico!) and as they built their forever home they needed space to host large groups of family that doubled as space the family of 4 could use when they weren’t hosting. They didn’t need a 4th bedroom 365 days out of the year, but they wanted space for working, watching TV, and spending time together as a family. We wanted to make sure they could squeeze it all in. 

The solution was designing rooms that were completely flexible and using furniture that transforms for multiple uses. During the holidays their home turns into a 6 bedroom house. When not hosting they have 3-bedrooms, all they need for a family of 4, with a family room perfect for snuggling in to watch TV and a family game room with kitchenette and access to roof terraces. How did we do it? By using the perfect pieces of transforming furniture from Resource Furniture. 

The family TV room with a full bathroom is on the first floor of the house where the living room and kitchen are as well. Just past the interior courtyard the much of the house is built around there is a door that is usually left open. On any given day if you walk into this room the first thing you will see is a comfortable and beautiful couch and shelving unit. It looks built into the wall it sits on. You might be invited to plop down on the couch and pillows and pull the throw up over your legs to watch TV in this cozy space. What you might not realize is that this entire unit transforms into a comfortable queen bed complete with a REAL mattress (not a foldable one that comes out of a couch). Hidden behind the couch in the shelving unit is a wall bed that very easily pulls down to become a comfortable place to rest for the night. It’s the Swing from Resource Furniture. One of our favorite features is the way everything can remain in place on the shelf as it lowers to the ground. Swing is a vertically-opening wall bed with a queen bed and a nine-foot sofa with retractable chaise. It provides the choice of an L-shaped or straight sofa configuration. The Swing Chaise is easy to open and operate and integrates seamlessly with Resource Furniture’s shelving and closet systems.

In this home we have another completely transforming space for you! On the top floor 2 levels up from the ground floor, past the floor of 3 family bedrooms, is a family game room flanked by roof terraces on both sides. It has a kitchenette, a full bathroom, and foosball table…a paradise! Once you come up the stairs and take in the beautiful light flowing in from 2 sides, the next thing you might notice is a wall of shelves that look built-in. On them are displayed family photos, books, items collected from travels, and some life with some plants. Next is one of our favorite things to show people in this entire house. Hidden on the right side of the shelves is a small lever. If you slide it down and pull gently the entire book shelves begins to rotate around. As you continue to spin the shelves around everything just remains in place. Nothing has to be removed from them making the transformation very fast and easy. Eventually the shelves have completely rotated so that you no longer see them or any of their contents. Instead there is a queen mattress that is tucked away and ready to be pulled down into place in a simple tug with one hand. Once the bed is pulled down into place 2 night stands can slide out from under the mattress. In about 30 seconds our beautiful shelves full of family photos and books is a comfortable and inviting bed you would have never known was hiding inside of it. This is the LGM from Resource Furniture. 

LGM is a rotating wall bed with a queen-size bed, pull-out nightstands, and a full-height bookshelf system. It’s available with optional cabinet doors for closed storage, or an optional five-foot fold-down desk which our unit does have. So with this piece of furniture this room can have 3 uses. Primary it’s used a family game room with an attractive shelving unit. It’s second most frequent use is as a home office by flipping up the desk built into the LGM. Finally on the occasion they are hosting a large group it becomes a full guest suite with a kitchenette and full bathroom. We envy any guest that get to stay in this space with such a comfortable bed and 2 roof terraces!

We are still struck when we enter these rooms set up as family spaces that they can also be bedrooms and we are equally as struck when we enter them set up as bedrooms that it can be family spaces. That’s the secret to making a successful multi-functional space. Designing it in a way that it feels fully committed to the use you currently need for it and then again when it transforms. You don’t want your family space to look like it might also be a bedroom and vice versa. Resource Furniture does a beautiful job of that. We also appreciate that they spend as much time making their furniture beautiful as they do making it functional. So you aren’t sacrificing design for the ability to make the furniture transform. 

We talked about 2 spaces that we made multi-functional with Resource Furniture but the possibilities are endless. We had an absolute blast visiting one of their showrooms seeing all of the amazing flexible pieces of furniture. Our minds were racing with ideas for all kinds of spaces big and small. We pictured a small studio that can be a bedroom, a living room, a dining room, and an office all using these amazing pieces of beautifully designed furniture. Multi-functional spaces and transforming furniture are one of the biggest and necessary trends we see taking over in 2023. 

Recently we took a trip to one of our favorite places, High Point Market! As the world’s largest furniture market it’s an obvious draw for us, and we’ve loved visiting in the past to see the vast array of vendors, designers and manufacturers. It’s a great place to get inspired, with companies from around the world specializing in home furnishings and decor assembling to show off their latest and greatest items. The event takes over the whole town of High Point, North Carolina, so there’s no shortage of things to see and do. While in the past we’ve explored the Market on our own, this year we were honored to be chosen as part of the High Point Design Influencers Tour! We were able to tour the event along with some old friends and new friends (aka our fellow design influencers!) and got exclusive access to a selection of manufacturers and retailers to tour their showrooms and see some of the great stuff they had to offer, and we’d love to share them with you!  #HPMKT #designinfluencerstour

Anna Elisabeth is a fantastic line of textiles curated with designers in mind. Though part of Greenhouse Fabrics, the Anna Elisabeth branch prides itself on being woman owned and operated. We got to see some of their beautiful and high quality textiles, and the colors and patterns filled our heads with potential uses! We loved the collaboration she had with Crypton Inc.! Crypton Inc. is another textile company, this time with high performance fabrics in mind. From commercial projects where fabrics need to hold up to the wear and tear of hundreds of uses, to residential uses helping to minimize the risks of wearing and stains. They also keep sustainability in mind, having been awarded Greenguard Gold Certification, and manufacture here in the U.S. Not only are their textiles built to last, they’re beautiful too, with a variety of colors, patterns and textures. We also learned that they provide textiles to other furniture companies, including 85 that were at High Point Market too!

Debrah’s International Co. Ltd is a home furnishings company that uses its global presence as inspiration for the variety of furniture styles they design. With a diverse international team they’ve developed a reputation for quality in their signature European American Fusion style. Though they have over 100 stores in their native China and are marketed in over 130 countries, we were able to visit their first showroom in the US, newly opened right here at High Point.

Dorel Home’s variety of brands cover multiple categories of furnishings, from bedrooms, to offices, even entertainment solutions and children’s furnishings. We loved meeting Mr. Kate and seeing their gorgeous new collection with Dorel and even eyeing Paris Hiltons exclusive collection.

Hooker Furnishings is one of the nation’s largest furniture companies, manufacturing and importing for residential, hospitality and contract markets through their many brands, like  Hooker Casegoods & Upholstery, Sam Moore, Bradington-Young, H-Contract, Shenandoah Furniture, and Sunset West.

Interhall and the Suites at Market Square are both must-see stops. They’re great places to see a variety of smaller vendors with stalls offering furnishings, lighting and decor, you never know what you might find there! We were blown away with Stowed and already looking forward to shopping their items for future projects!

Jaipur Living is a global brand focused on handmade textile based items, like their beautiful rugs, throws, pillows and throws. The Jaipur Rugs Foundation also supports 40,000 artisans across India! The curated tour we had by their creative director had us inspired. Each room highlighted different textiles in the most beautiful colors, tones, and textures. The quality is unbelievable and hearing the back story of how the rugs are made was very special.

Rowe Furniture offers a wide variety of upholstered seating options to fit any space, from sofas and sectionals to chairs and ottomans! They also offer their furniture in hundreds of upholstery options to suit any style or use.

Sherrill Furniture Company is native to North Carolina, and employs local furniture makers to create their beautiful handcrafted pieces. By blending traditional American craftsmanship with modern manufacturing techniques and design, they’ve created a wide array of beautiful furnishings.

The MT Company is a custom upholstery manufacturer that’s family owned and operated and based in High Point. Through their brands Michael Thomas Furniture, Miles Talbott Furniture, MT Outdoor, The Joe Ruggiero Collection and Washable Wonders, they offer a wide array of pieces and styles.

Theodore Alexander creates beautiful, unique furniture built by artisans and master craftspeople. They collaborate with multiple renowned designers to create beautiful, curated designs. 

Universal Furniture encompasses the Universal Furniture, Miranda Kerr Home, and Coastal Living brands, which together create gorgeous designs for a variety of tastes and uses.

Varaluz prides themselves on creating their unique light fixtures and furnishings out of eco-friendly and recycled materials. Their artistic team based in the Philippines takes these materials and craft them into lighting and furniture that cover all sorts of styles. 

Whalen Furniture offers a wide selection of quality built furnishings. From freestanding furniture for the living, dining and bedroom, to bathroom vanities to entertainment and closet organization. They even have Scott Home collection designed in collaboration with the Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott!

This blog post is sponsored by Home Depot

** GIVEAWAY CLOSED*** Congratulations Gabby Anderson

What’s the smartest thing you can do this Holiday season? Join us in turning your home into a smart home! If you’re like us, your home is a place that you want to feel protected, especially once it’s filled with all those holiday presents! We knew there was an easier way to make our home more connected. So we’re working with Home Depot this holiday season to turn our home into a smart home. From seeing who is at the front door to seeing who is stealing our packages 😫, and of course just playing music and getting recipes in the kitchen, we have some of our favorite items!

And now the best part!? We’re giving away a $500 gift card to Home Depot that you can use to buy any of the items! Winner will be selected via this BLOG POST on Sunday, 12/19.  Good luck friends! 

Here’s our favorite picks to make our home a smart home this holiday season:

• Google Nest Mini

For us, waking up in the morning listening to our favorite jazz song gets us ready for the day! With our google nest mini we ask google to alert us of traffic, play our favorite song, and let us know how to dress for the day according to the weather. All from before we get out of our bed 😄! Meet the 2nd generation Nest Mini, the speaker you control with your voice. Just say “Hey Google” to play your favorite music from Spotify, YouTube Music, and more. It sounds bigger and richer with more power and more bass. Ask your Google Assistant for help, and get the best of weather, news, or almost anything. Hear your personalized schedule, commute, and reminders. Set timers and alarms. And even turn on the lights. Nest Mini is compatible with thousands of smart devices, like lights, thermostats, and locks, from brands you love. It blends right into any room on a coffee table, nightstand, or wall.

• Nest Hello – Wired Smart Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Camera 

We get a lot of packages. And most of the time, we aren’t home to receive them. With our Smart Wi-fi Video doorbell we can communicate with our delivery companies and also see who is at our door anytime we want! The Nest Doorbell is the battery-powered video doorbell that works with any home. See what’s happening at your door from anywhere, and get alerts about important activity, like a visitor or package delivery.1 And because it’s wireless, you can install it yourself. View live HD video, replay video recordings, talk to visitors, and more – all from the Google Home app. The Nest Doorbell (battery) requires a free Google Account and is not compatible with the Nest app or the home.nest.com site.

• Google Nest Learning Thermostat

We always install Nest thermostats in all our renovation projects. They’re sleek, they’re efficient, and now they connect to all our other Google products. We love how everything connects together! Reduce energy use and save on utility costs with the Google Nest 3rd Generation Smart Learning Thermostat. Smart features such as Nest Leaf ensure that your home is at an energy-efficient temperature. It automatically regulates your home’s temperature based on your schedule.

• Nest Cam + Floodlight 

By far one of our favorite new features. Our security was a little wishy-washy. But now with our cam + floodlight we can be greeted to our home with bright light during a dark winter night and we can access the camera history to see anyone that might be entering the home when we aren’t there. Here in New York package theft is a major problem. Having the floor light come on when someone approaches our house has prevented it, and we have the peace of mind knowing that if any of our packages walk off we’ll have it alllll on video! You better believe we have our camera set to capture Santa delivering our presents! Nest Cam with floodlight shines a brighter light on what’s happening at home. The smart security camera detects important activity and knows the difference between people, vehicles, and animals. It automatically turns on the lights and sends you an alert.1 View live HD video, replay video recordings, talk to visitors, and more – all from the Google Home app. Nest Cam with floodlight requires a free Google Account and is not compatible with the Nest app or the home.nest.com site.

• Nest Hub Gen 2

We sometimes need a little time to talk to others (and not just each other!). We have our hub station located right next to our kitchen range so we can keep company with Google. Asking google to play our favorite mix on Spotify, or asking google to stream our youtube channel, or even check on who’s at the front door, we have a new friend! And we’re so thankful! Meet Nest Hub 2nd Gen from Google, the smart display that’s the center of your helpful home.1 Stay entertained with shows, videos, and music.2 Control your compatible devices with a tap or with Google Assistant. And wake up easier with a Sunrise Alarm.

• Nest Cam IQ Indoor – Full HD Wired Smart Home Security Camera

We’re away for most of the day. Which means Zuko (our 85 lb. Silver lab) is usually toying around until his dog walker comes. We are so curious to see how Zuko spends most of the day. And now we can! These beautiful (and discreet) indoor cameras are a wonderful way to know what is happening inside our home at any minute. Nest Cam IQ is the best-in-class indoor security camera with crisp HD video and advanced algorithms that can identify when someone’s in your home, alert you, and zoom in on their face.

Our home is more secure and more connected than ever. We feel safer and many of our daily routines have gotten easier.

Now, it’s time to enter your chance to win a $500 Home Depot gift card to get smart for the holidays with smart home devices for you and for gifts for your loved ones! Make sure to check out our instagram post and ENTER in comments below!!

Happy Holidays Friends!

xo,

Barry & Jordan

This post is sponsored by Garrett Wade Tools

Tis’ the Holiday Season and this one we hope is going to be very special! If you’re like us, shopping for gifts is always a stressful situation. We’re guilty of being last minute shoppers which always adds an extra layer of stress that can easily be avoided. Most of all, we want the gifts that we get for our friends and family to be unique and useful. This year, we’re ahead of the game and making sure our shopping list is completed on time! Earlier this year we worked with Garrett Wade for our annual Block Clean Up and we told ourselves back in April we had to keep them in mind when it comes to Holiday shopping. Garrett Wade is our secret weapon! Not only do they have the nicest tools for all our DIY friends, but they have a wide array of beauty, lifestyle, home accessories, and games for any age. We truly are in love with everything they have and hope you have fun shopping our holiday gift guide.

Here are some of our favorite items in a gift guide that we’re so excited for this year

For the Cook in You – Items for the kitchen

1,Gourmet knife set- if you’re like us, our cooking knives are dull. These knives are aesthetically beautiful but they’re durable and work amazingly. From cutting onions to cutting cheese. They have a knife set that has serrated and regular blades to make cutting easy!

2. Stoneware Beverage Keg- no matter who comes over we always want a beverage available! This helps us eliminate small batch portions and allows our guests to serve themselves. Super cute to display on our open shelves year long!

For the DIY In You- Tools and Supplies

3. Heavy duty screwdriver set – our screwdrivers have been with us for over 10 years! The wear and tear was a little unbearable so it was time to upgrade with some that will last a lifetime. And who said tools can’t be beautiful! 

4. GelDome Flex Knee Pads– call us crazy but this is probably the item we’re most excited for! Our knees will thank us but we promise these will get the most use. For painting, tile work or just household items the knee pads are tremendously helpful to have around home!

5. Leather tool bag– this beautiful bag is designed perfectly and Jordan is excited to have it to bring to all our job sites to store tools for projects or items we need for styling a finished space! It’s also made in the U.S.A

6. Vintage tool box- If you’re like us you have tools laying around the house everywhere. Barry loves a tool box and was very excited when he came across this beautiful vintage tool box. Durable and cute this box will last us a lifetime and we’re excited to store it in our new workroom basement. We can easily bring with us to jobs and we’re hoping we will now know where our hammer is!

For Everyday – Our Favorite personal items

7. Waxed tote bag– Jordan carries a canvas tote with him every single day! You can only imagine with all the dust we are around how incredibly dirty the tote bags are. This bag is beautiful and designed to be indestructible!

8. Small beard Natural Horn Comb- grooming is an important part of everyone’s daily life. And men- you should take care of that facial hair! This comb is perfect for smaller beards and Barry’s excited that Jordan isn’t the only one with a beard brush.

9. Brush (or Jordan’s beard brush)– for those with a thicker beard (Hi Jordan!) or some really great hair (Jordan wishes) this brush is super durable and anyone will feel luxurious using it! Highly recommend for any sex!

Happy Holidays friends! We hope this holiday gift guide helps you find unique gifts your loved ones will love! We hope your shopping adventures are fun and exciting!

The weather is changing and we’re coming into the rain and snow season. New York City recently had a record amount of rainfall in one hour during a tropical storm then a week later that record was shattered by a second storm. The amount of water was something our homes and cellars just never had to deal with before. It seemed like half the cellars in Brooklyn and most of Queens were flooded. After the first storm many of us thought, ‘good thing this doesn’t happen often’, but after dealing with almost twice the amount of water only a week later it probably means it’s something we need to be better prepared for. Many people who have never had leaks before had waterfalls in the basements! So now we’re all asking the question, how do I prevent this from happening again?! 

Truth be told, it can be difficult to determine where water intrusion is happening, but what you can do is take action to direct water away and try to seal things up as much as possible. Here are some smart precautions you can take. 

Redirect 

One of the first things you might want to do is make sure water is going where you want it to and not where you don’t. If water is pooling in your backyard you might want to regrade so that it flows away from the house. You can also add a drain that connects to the sewer line to move water out of the backyard so that it doesn’t flow down to your cellar. 

Instead of looking down, look up! Sometimes the issue is on the roof. If water is not draining properly through the gutter spout and into the sewer it might be cascading down the back of your house. That makes it much easier for it to find a way in or just overwhelm the waterproofing. 

If you have redirected water away from your house and made sure it is draining properly, it’s time to start waterproofing. 

Access Hatch

The front and rear access hatch is often where water can leak into your cellar. Some hatch covers are made of plywood and roofing material and don’t do the best job. Consider having a steel hatch door installed. They will cement it into the walls so that it is water tight. If you already have a steel door and it is leaking, check the corners. The concrete can deteriorate in that area and may need to be patched.

Foundation Walls

If water is coming in through the foundation walls (often this happens in the back but sometimes in the front as well) it could be a big job! As your house settles cracks can form and mortar in the joints can open up. This can allow water to enter. You might also want to check any penetrations of the foundation wall. The sewer pipe, water main, and electrical service come through the wall and may be allowing the water intrusion. You may see wet streaks on the foundations walls or water pooling or marking the floors and walls. Repointing the mortar or sealing up the openings with hydraulic cement may solve the problem. It can be a bit of trial and error. 

Usually most water intrusion comes through the back foundation wall since the side walls are mostly shared with another house and the front typically has concrete preventing water from saturating the soil. In the back is where the water has better access to the foundation walls. One of the most effective ways to solve the issue is to excavate the outside all the way to the bottom of the foundation wall, then a waterproof barrier or sealer can be applied to the outside of the wall. This can prevent most water from penetrating the wall.

Slab

The slab can also be the problem. Some homes have a rat slab (a very thin layer of concrete poured over the dirt floor.) Moisture could be coming up through it, especially if it’s cracked. A new slab might help your basement feel a bit drier. 

Be Prepared 

No matter how much waterproofing you do, things can change, the house can settle or mortar can continue to deteriorate. Also, even relatively watertight walls can absorb water from the soil outside and then transfer it inside. This can make the air become more humid. Since your cellar is subterranean it’s an area that should be ready to deal with moisture. A dehumidifier will help remove excess basement humidity. Make sure any building materials are mold and mildew resistant. Usually the floor of the cellar is below the sewer line so make sure you have a sump pump that can remove any water that might find its way in.

You may need to try a combination of methods. Redirect water, repoint and seal up cracks, and take further waterproofing precautions if necessary. After two record breaking storms that brought more water than we’ve ever seen before a week apart, one thing for sure is that this is an issue we will need to deal with again in the not so distant future. It’s time to take some action and be as prepared as we can. 

Thanks for reading! Subscribe below for updates and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

Buying a home that needs work can give you the opportunity to design a space that works and looks exactly how you would like. You can choose the layout, pick the finishes, improve the functionality, and make a home that you and your family can enjoy to its fullest. When we set out on our renovation journey this is exactly what we wanted to do. The chance to restore an old home and make it better for us and the next generation. There are many options out there from light to full gut renovations, but what should you consider when buying a fixer upper? 

Budget

The sales price of the home is only half the story. To understand if it’s the right place for you, you will also have to figure out the renovation budget. This should include hard costs for the construction, materials, and finishes as well the soft costs for the architect, engineers, and filing. You may even want to budget for a place to live during the construction (see below). As you consider this along with the scope of work (also see below), you will be able to determine the budget. It’s very important to understand these costs before pulling the trigger on the purchase. You don’t want to buy a house that ends up needing $400,000 of work when the purchase price only leaves you with a renovation budget of $200,000. It might not be the one for you. 

Timing

Buying a home that needs a full gut renovation could mean that it will be quite a while before you are actually able to move into it. In New York, getting through the architecture & design process, filing with the city, and the full construction to completion may well take a year. 

Living arrangements 

Usually it’s not possible to live at home during most renovations. We definitely don’t recommend it, especially if it’s a big renovation! Not only can it be quite uncomfortable but it could slow down the work considerably if the contractor has to work around people living in the house. This could actually end up increasing hard and soft costs. We also don’t recommend having a hard deadline to be out of your current living situation and needing to be moved into your newly renovated home. It can create a very stressful situation if any unexpected things arise that could delay the project. Make sure you have a safe and clean refuge away from the construction. 

Scope of work

The biggest consideration when buying a fixer upper is what the scope of work will be. Do you want to remove walls and completely reconfigure the rooms? Do you need to fully replace all of the electrical, plumbing, and mechanicals? Are you adding hvac? Are there beautiful original details to restore (we hope so!)? Are there major structural issues that need to be addressed? You will likely want to have an architect or contractor (or project manager like us!) go with you to assess what the potential renovation costs will be before you move forward. 

What should you look for when viewing a fixer upper?

Every old house has a story to tell. Look for unique features that you can bring back to life. Tall ceilings and big windows are beautiful features that new construction buildings usually don’t have. Ornate woodwork that has been painted can be stripped and restored. Marble fireplaces can be polished. We love to see stained glass, plaster mouldings, and ceiling medallions. They are all things that you are only going to see in an old house. Maybe it’s the ideal location that can’t be beat. Or even the potential for great outdoor space. Whatever draws you to an old home, it can be a rewarding process to give it a new lease on life. The road to the finish line may be long and the ups and downs can be stressful but in the end you’ll have a home that you’ll love. get there, it can be extremely rewarding to build your own home. 

Thanks for reading! Subscribe below for updates and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram.

How to Get Professional Results Yourself with the 3M Wall Repair

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by 3M.

We like to move our art around and change it out for new pieces regularly. So, we often end up with holes in the wall that we need to repair. Time to patch them up! 

We found the perfect product to get a professional job quickly and easily! The 3M High Strength Small Hole Repair, All-In-One Applicator tool is literally the only thing we needed to repair our nail holes. 

How to use the 3M High Strength Small Hole Repair All-in-One Applicator

It’s really as easy as 1,2,3:

1. First, we squeeze the spackle out and spread it into the hole we were repairing.
2. Then we used the other side of the tool as a putty knife to smooth it out.
3. We let that dry and sanded it with the built-in sanding pad.

It seriously couldn’t be easier. Not having to gather a bunch of different tools and then clean them all after saved a ton of time.

We also found some other holes around the house we repaired too. This spot hiding behind our vestibule door was a bother us for over a year! Now it’s fixed! 

The 3M High Strength Small Hole Repair Kit comes with multiple tools, including a 3″ putty knife, primer enhanced spackling compound, 4″ drywall repair screen and sanding pad so we were able to patch these holes and get professional looking results!

These products are a game changer. We don’t have to hunt around the house for multiple tools because it comes with everything you need. We also don’t need to guess at the best type of spackling compound for each repair, it’s all ready for us to use.

We will always keep these on our tool shelf.

Thanks for reading! Subscribe before for updates and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

Whether you have original windows or tragically cheap replacements like we do, there will come a time when you’ll need to replace them (or possibly restore them). It’s not something that is done very often so if you are going through it, chances are you have never before, and you may never again. So we thought a complete guide to replacing windows might be helpful. 

Where Do You Start 

One of the first things you will likely want to consider is if you are replacing your windows as part of a larger renovation project or just as a stand alone project. The main difference is that in a larger renovation you may want to use new construction windows rather than replacement windows. If you are removing interior mouldings and trim in a renovation project you can replace the windows brick to brick, with new brick moulding and a new frame. This option requires removing the interior trim and interior finishing work needs to be done. The advantage is that you can get a slightly larger window, with more glass and more light. You can also avoid having to use flashing around the windows on the exterior, but more on that below.

Replacement windows are smaller than the full opening and designed to sit within the existing frame.  It’s a much less invasive installation process so it is what you’ll want to do if you just want to replace your windows without a lot of other peripheral work. Since the windows are installed on top of the existing window frame, the new framing will need to be covered by flashing. Flashing is a material (often sheet metal or aluminum) that is used to weatherproof around the window and to cover the exposed framing. 

Window Material 

There are quite a few options out there for window material but we are going to focus on 3: vinyl, aluminum clad wood, and wood. 

Vinyl

Vinyl windows get a bit of a bad rap. The technology only became popular in the 1990’s and has improved dramatically since then. You might be familiar with some that were installed many years ago and there are some that are poorly constructed and may not have lasted very long. But there are great vinyl windows that may sometimes be the best option for your project. Vinyl windows are very low maintenance so they don’t require regular upkeep. They come in many colors and finishes and do a pretty good job of replicating a wood look. A well constructed vinyl window can do a great job of insulating. Their biggest drawback for most people are the aesthetics. While they have gotten better, putting a vinyl window on a traditional home like a Brownstone feels a bit wrong. They might be better for modern installations. 

Aluminum Clad Wood

Usually referred to as wood clad or just clad, Aluminum clad wood is the best of both worlds. They have the beauty of wood on the interior and the durability of aluminum on the exterior. They also have the advantage of the insulating qualities of wood. It’s a very durable and long lasting option. There is very little maintenance needed since the exterior is clad with aluminum. 

Wood

Wood windows are beautiful. The look of wood is considered the most high-end and of course what the original windows would have been made of. For that reason anyone who is restoring a historic home and wants to be true to the home’s origins would want to use wood. In fact, if your home is in a landmarked area you will likely have to use wood windows. Wood is a great insulator since it’s excellent at inhibiting the transmission of cold and heat through the frame. The drawback to wood windows is that they require regular maintenance. They need to be painted and sealed throughout their lifetime.

Ordering Your Windows

You can hire a window company to come out to measure, order, and install your windows. If you are doing replacement windows this is likely what you will do. If your window installation is part of a larger renovation project then your contractor might be doing the install. They will measure and they may order the windows, or they may rely on you to order them. Once they arrive your contractor will install them.

Lead Times 

You should check with the window supplier for specific lead times, but generally you can expect anything from 6 weeks to 16 weeks, and some custom windows may even take longer. Currently lead times are affected by Covid and they have been unpredictable, so order early! 

Installation 

Your installer will move through your home and remove one window at a time and install the new one. They will insulate around the window frame. Sometimes flashing is used on the outside (especially with replacement windows) to cover the visible frame. On the inside often a piece of trim covers the exposed part of the frame (for replacement windows). Installation for an entire home might take a few days depending on how many windows you have. 

Design and Functionality

There are several design options besides the window material. They will come in various colors and hardware options. You can even choose to have grid lines or not to have grid lines. For functionality you can have single hung (one operable sash), double hung(two operable sashes), or casement windows (one pane of glass that tilts open, sometimes with a crank). 

New windows can dramatically transform your home. They can give a face lift to every room and the exterior. New windows will also make your home more energy efficient and more comfortable. 

It was important for us to set the right mood in our Speakeasy Werkroom. We needed great vintage items, unique pieces, and even some building materials. And with only a few weeks to complete the project we needed them fast! Sourcing all of the items could have taken a lot of time and money, both of which we didn’t have in great supply with such an ambitious project. Our secret weapon to get so many interesting items quickly, easily, and inexpensively was eBay.

In the past we have gotten many unique vintage items on eBay so we knew we would be able to find everything that we need. We found fireplace mantles, light fixtures, and even a pair of brownstone doors! 

 We have shown you the major components to our basement renovation but we thought we would walk through all of the touches that really make the space special. All sourced from individual stores on eBay! One of our favorite things about shopping on eBay is that many times we are able to shop with small businesses. We even shopped some stores here in Brooklyn from our couch in the evenings when we were spending our days working on the project. So we felt good about supporting local businesses and sellers here and afar. What is more fun than vintage shopping from home!? 

One of the most important things in the room is the long work table and chairs. We had a vision of a table with mismatched vintage chairs all around it. We needed several and so that was the first thing we searched for. In just a few minutes we had all of the chairs we needed in our cart! 

One of our favorites is this antique vintage industrial drafting stool from eBay seller Jims Odds and Ends. We love the metal piping and brass detail. And it’s adjustable. We have already had fun moving it around the room and using it in different areas. 

The great vintage industrial green office chair on the other side of the table is from eBay store Savings American History. It is a fun mix with different color and texture than the others. 

Another great find is the vintage office desk chair from eBay store Antique Goods. It’s got the perfect vibe for the room and we really like the character that it shows so that there is no mistaking that it is vintage! 

It was really fun to search for all of the unique accessories that created a vintage speakeasy feel. We needed a lot of stuff to fill the space and we needed it quick! We love the pieces that we easily found on eBay and we even saw many other items we still have saved that we’re going back for later, all have been added to our wishlist!

A fun antique stapler from Pickers Paradise By Yardin King, a vintage apothecary jar from Just a Guy Selling Stuff, and soda crate from 123ieasa complete the look of this open shelf on our apothecary style cabinetry.  

We wanted some items to have imperfections to bring some authenticity into the space. We found this Consumers Biscuit Manufacturing wood crate from eBay seller Cardboard Memories that is from 1909! It’s damaged but we didn’t shy away from it! 

How perfect is this vintage photo from the prohibition era roaring 20s of a group of girls drinking beer from eBay store Tribupedia Vintage Images!

When we saw this 1933 Brooklyn Eagle newspaper from Steve Goldman Historical Newspapers we HAD to have it! The article on the left is titled, SPEAKEASY’S ARE DOOMED…we beg to differ. 

We found some great decor items to complete our sitting area. Grounding out everything is a really nice jute rug from eBay store Vi5474. And the small side table from eBay store Styles of Lighting is the perfect size for this petit nook. 

Another trick for us is using ebay for hardware! Whether it’s for doors or cabinets – eBay has a mix of everything from vintage to new! We found some vintage solid brass cabinet pulls from Whispering Wind Clearance Center that are perfect for the cabinetry. 

We also are obsessed with the new door knobs for the two vintage swing doors from eBay store from Simpson Products. The knobs are white porcelain that really pop on the matte black doors. 

We have gotten a lot of vintage light fixtures on eBay over the years. We love old office lamps and vintage floor lamps. They are a great way to bring a mix of old items into a design. The tiny pull chain vintage wall sconce from Wineferb Collectibles right at the entrance is one of our favorites. 

Finally, we were in need of some building materials. We were surprised to easily and inexpensively find them on eBay as well.  The recessed lights are from the TorchStar eBay Store. 

Wait! Last but certainly not least, our RuPaul’s Drag Race inspired laundry room would not have been complete without this Hollywood vanity mirror from Appletree Oz. Proof that you really can get anything on eBay! 

We have been able to easily find unique vintage pieces, old house parts, items that were out-of-stock at stores, and even building materials on eBay. Shopping local small businesses near and far from the comfort of our couch, and often late at night since we worked long hours on this project. All of these items really made our Speakeasy Werkroom special.

Thank you ebay for #gifting our Werkroom items. Each item (whether vintage or new) adds to the overall vibe we were originally designing with. Each piece from ebay adds the perfect touch to our new speakeasy. We are so thankful!

You can watch the full reveal video on our YouTube. Subscribe below for updates and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

We’re going to keep this real folks…. Week 7 is absolutely terrifying! Just so we are clear we have 8 weeks total! So we are one week away from the reveal. With less than a week to complete this space, while our list seems to be getting longer and longer, we have been making steady progress. Nothing like a little motivation and a couple all-nighters to get the speakeasy done! We can see the finish line, but boy oh boy does it seem like such a far way to get to!

One of the biggest transformations this past week was the installation of the tin ceiling from American Tin Ceilings! We were worried the tin ceilings would make the space feel smaller buI it actually gave the space a larger and more cozy feeling. The tin also gives the space a more finished feel. They have so many patterns and colors to choose from, but we went with a classic New York feeling pattern in extra white with a satin sheen so it bounces some much needed light around the space. It is made to install right over the drywall with tongue and groove install for a nice even finish. We got it mostly installed in just a few hours and now just have to go back and do some trim.

Another big development is the installation of the vintage doors…with chicken wire glass! This is one of our favorite design tricks to add some vintage charm to a room. We got our doors at a local salvage yard and altered them to fit our space. We cut the openings for the glass panels and added some trim to hold it in. We got her chicken wire glass cut at a local glass shop. Now we just need to paint them! Black! Installing the doors and cutting each one to size took way more time than expected and really took up the majority of our week. It was well worth it!

Racing to Finish

This is a big week ahead! We’re installing the stair slats. They are just about ready to go up. They will act as our handrail and will really add some drama to the room. They’ll be stained walnut to match the curved slat wall and the furniture. It’s taking a bit longer because we are adding a steel rod to the center to stiffen them up a bit and prevent any warping. 

We’ll also be completing the cabinet install. The lower cabinets are set, the carrara marble counter is in, and now we just need to mount the uppers, put the glass in, and add some trim. Easy huh!?  Other than that there are several light fixtures to install, a whole lot of paint to get on the walls, floors to finish, and an endless amount of finishing details. So the big question at this point is…….WILL WE GET IT DONE?!

You better have answered yes! We can’t wait to start sharing all our sponsored items and finishes going into the space. We’ve talked a lot about the build (catch each week below) but starting this week, we’re going to share so many details about all our wonderful sponsors for the space who are truly going to make this room so beautiful! We have a mix of vintage and new coming into the space from ebay, the most beautiful lights from Alora Lighting and Blueprint Lighting NYC (each with such different style and character), a wallpaper from Spoonflower that also made us cry when we opened, furniture (and decor) from a new favorite Apt 2b. and a rug from the Chris loves Julia collection from Loloi Rugs.  Oh did we mention there might be a custom neon light from Custom Neon!? How is this all fitting in the space!? Make sure to follow all the updates on instagram and stay tuned for next week’s big reveal post.

We’ll see you on the reveal side folks! Thanks for all your continued support…. We got this! Make sure and check out the other 19 featured designers. While we’re scared to take a look at all their progress we feel so supported and loved by each and everyone. We are so excited to see their spaces.

If you’re wanting to take a look back to see how we got here, check out our past ORC posts

One of the most prominent features in our basement renovation is the beautiful wall of custom cabinetry our friend Ethan Abramsom (@TheBuildWithEthan) is building for us. They will be one of the first things you see when you step into the space and they will be painted one of the brightest pops of color in the room. We finally have the cabinets onsite and this week we have been working hard to prep the space to fit them in. One of the best things with custom cabinetry (and working with Ethan) is he takes the design and excels in making them really high quality and really unique. 

We decided to go with an apothecary style design. We have a row of lower cabinets with a Carrara marble top. The uppers will sit directly on the Carrara top, but will be set back about 5”. The uppers will have glass panels that we are going to fill with vintage glass. We want something with some character and movement. Now we just need to get to our local glass shop ASAP and make sure they will be here in time. Since our design has a vintage feel we went with a paneled style of cabinet front but we added a curved detail (great idea from Ethan!) to tie in some of the other curves in the room with the arches, and curved slat wall…which by the way is looking amazing next to the new cabinetry.  The cabinetry also serves the purpose of hiding our electrical panels. On one side we will have floor to ceiling cabinets to conceal the electrical panels for our work space. 

All cabinetry was painted a smokey green. In fact, we went with a color called Green Smoke from Farrow & Ball. Right in the center of the wall of cabinetry is going to be an open shelf stained in a walnut color. Whats going above the walnut bookshelf is something we’re most excited for…. stained glass!

If you’ve been following our ORC journey (check out last weeks post here!), you know we have been looking for the perfect piece of stained glass. We visited about three local salvage yards & antique shops looking for the perfect piece. Unfortunately, the only one we liked was through one of our sponsors, ebay , but unfortunately the lead time was 8-10 weeks. So we quickly had to shift gears. It was at this same time, we walked into one of our new renovation projects and saw the absolute most perfect piece of stained glass and the homeowners asked us if we knew anyone that wanted it. WHAT A COINCIDENCE! We are so thankful for Heather & Rene and now we have the perfect piece of stained glass. The thing we love about this piece are the colors. Also this piece has lots of curves in it which is a nice play from the curves in the arches. 

Now let’s talk about the install of the stained glass. We are going to put it above the walnut bookshelf and are going to backlight with an LED strip. Our basement doesn’t have any natural light, but we are doing our best to work with that instead of fighting it. With the LED, our hopes are to give the illusion of a some natural light in the space. This piece of stained glass is a little narrower than we originally planned on which is actually going to work towards our advantage. After it’s framed, we are going to incorporate some of the 1×1 slats from the curved wall onto both sides of the stained glass. Yessssssss, we are so excited for this now!

What you can save from a demolition on a historic home is quite fascinating and we have two more pieces from this same renovation that we are so excited to bring into the speakeasy…. more windows! 

Between the top secret laundry area (we’re not revealing space until Week 8) and the work room there are two original areas in between the structural posts. We thought this was another area to get creative around. We are using repurposed windows from that same renovation project where we found the piece of stained glass to give the illusion of more windows (and natural light!) in the space. After weighing in on the pro & cons of each set of windows we have decided to use two very vintage window with different glass in each sash. This adds some texture and it also fits the theme of our 1920’s NYC speakeasy. To give it some extra character, we are going to add gold chains to the top of the windows and make them openable!

It’s hard to believe that we’re in week 6!  Our list is very long and we only have 2 more weeks to go! What’s next you ask? Well, we must paint the doors and get them installed, we need to get our glass order together, painting the floors are next and then we can start finally with all the pretty finishes. We have some really exciting things coming in that you will not want to miss.  Make sure to follow us on Instagram, and check out our YouTube channel for all the updates! 

If you’re wanting to take a look back to see how we got here, check out our past ORC posts

It rained the entire Memorial Day weekend here in NY. We had grand plans to take a bike ride through the city and enjoy the first couple days of the official kickoff of summer. Our plans quickly changed given all the rain that we were predicting. And boy, are we glad it did! This forced us to be home the entire week and more specifically get to work on our basement speakeasy! Because of this we have some very exciting updates. The clock is ticking but we have some HUGE items checked off our list:

The Million Dollar Wall aka Our Slat Curved Wall

We had to build a room for the basement mechanicals to separate them from the rest of the space. We incorporated this curved wall into the design to create a more spacious feeling. Taking the hard angle off that wall and using a soft curve gives us more square footage to work with, but also eases the eye down the short hallway. It also gives a better view to the vintage windows we are installing to give the impression of natural light into the space. Finally, to create a feature we lined the curved wall with 1×1 pine* slats. With the cost of lumber these days, the magic plywood is our saving grace! These slats will be stained a rich walnut color to match the rest of the wood in the design. A special thank you to Monica Mangin for naming our wall- genius!

Arch it Up

On the other side of the room another key feature is taking shape. There is a row of structural columns down one side of the space. The columns need to be there so we wanted to make sure they were inviting in the space, and to make sure and create the feeling we want in the room. We are creating arches in between each one. We are losing a little bit of precious ceiling height, but we think it’s worth it! The loss in height is easily outdone by the cozy character the arches bring to the space. We know the ceilings are low and we can’t change that but we can go with it and make the room a more intimate space. 

What’s next:

• Windows – Our basement doesn’t have windows. It’s dark an a fact we cannot change. So we are giving our speakeasy workroom a feeling that we hope will help us not notice. We are introducing a lot of glass, and even windows into the space. There will be 2 vintage windows that lead into our super top secret speakeasy within a speakeasy (following along for the reveal!). We are using vintage doors with obscure glass leading in and out of the room. And finally we will have cabinetry with glass paneled uppers. 

• Cabinets –  Speaking of cabinets…another key feature of the space is beautiful custom millwork by our friend Ethan Abramsom (@thebuildwithethan)! We are so excited for this! We are going apothecary style. We’ll have paneled lower cabinets topped with a slab of carrara marble. The uppers will sit setback on the carrara slab and will have clear chicken wire glass panels to show off all of our beautiful samples we are going to store there. 

• Doors – If you have followed us for 5 minutes you will know that we love using vintage doors. We have 4 beautiful reclaimed vintage doors that we hope will give this newly built out space an authentically old world feel.

• Floors – The highest priority we have for our floors is for them to not remove any of the ceiling height we have. So we are going to work with the concrete slab that is already there. The best thing for us to do is sand, stain, and seal them. We are  hoping the finished concrete floor will complete the look of the space while maintaining every inch of ceiling height we have. Jordan is fighting me on painting the floors checkered but I think I might win this battle. What do you think? The goal is to rent the sander this week and prioritize this.

If the next week brings as many updates as this weekend we might even finish early. 🤣🤣🤣 Just kidding, we are going to need every second of time we have before the big reveal on June 28th! Until then, tune in next week for an update! Subscribe below and we’ll let you know when it’s up!

If you’re wanting to take a look back to see how we got here, check out our past ORC posts

Where we’re at… The Build

It’s always exciting starting a demo and kicking off construction on a project. Anticipation builds throughout the design process, and it always feels like a relief to see progress starting on the work. Definitely not the most glamorous phase for many but this is the stuff we live for! A time to start new and see a space cleared. Since we were storing a lot of stuff in our basement we spent a solid week going through it and giving it away or throwing away what we didn’t need. It wasn’t a small job as a collection of garbage had been collected. We actually had to call a dumpster over from one of our job site to physically get everything loaded out or else our local garbage men would be collecting basement trash for a good couple months. The space was finally a blank slate and now we have started the building phase!

The first thing we did was start framing out some of the new walls. The existing walls in the basement are nothing special, just your traditional stone foundation.  We were too excited to see the space start taking shape. We have the new wall that will hide the gas meters, water main, and sewer already framed! We also furred out the longest wall in the space. The columns where the arches will go are really helping us finally visualize the space.

Originally we were going to leave our pipes exposed where the plumbing from upstairs is coiled into the basement ceiling. Given we are going to apply a tin ceiling to the basement space, unfortunately we need these pipes cleared now. We are going to pause for a bit on the framing to move these lines so that they are out of the way. Once we get moved we can continue framing, ideally we get to this by the weekend.

Full Speed Ahead

We feel like we made a lot of progress in the first week of construction, but we have so much work to do that we are planning on getting even more done in the next week. We are planning on completing the plumbing and electrical work, sanding down the concrete floors, and finishing the framing all by early next week.

In the meantime, so much amazing stuff is arriving! We are excited to see the 4 vintage doors onsite that we’ll be installing in the space. We received a phone call yesterday that the tin ceiling palette from American Tin Ceiling will be delivered today, and we have a stack of drywall ready to go up! The millwork has already started to be built offsite by our local woodworker (and friend!) The Build with Ethan! This is so exciting because it can be installed quickly once it’s delivered. Now, we just need to land on the perfect color! Any ideas!? We’re still thinking about something in the green family…

We’re also so excited to be working with ebay on furnishing our speakeasy space! We must finalize the furniture and decoration items that will help officially give the feel of a 1920’s NYC speakeasy so we must place our order this week! There’s no room for procrastination on our end anymore!

Make sure and check out what the other 19 featured designers are up to with their spaces. They are keeping us motivated each and every day throughout this challenge!

If you’re wanting to take a look back to see how we got here, check out our past ORC posts