How Organization Can Transform Your Kitchen

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When people think about redoing a kitchen, their minds usually go straight to big-ticket items: new cabinets, new appliances, full gut renovations. But honestly, one of the most impactful changes we’ve made in our own kitchen didn’t involve tearing anything out at all.

It was about creating a dedicated place for the things we actually use every single day.

We added an organization cabinet that now holds our espresso machine, microwave, mugs, barware, and all those small appliances and tools that used to live… everywhere. And the difference was immediate. The kitchen felt calmer, more intentional, and way more functional without changing the footprint or blowing the budget.

A man in a gray sweatshirt stands in front of an open cabinet filled with kitchen appliances and bottles, in a cozy room with a dining area.

The truth is, clutter has a way of making even the most beautiful spaces feel unfinished. When countertops are crowded and storage is working against you, the room never really gets to shine. By giving everyday items a clear home, the entire kitchen suddenly feels designed, not just decorated.

A few go-to pieces that make kitchen organization feel intentional:

Under Sink Organizer

Plastic Pantry Bins

Drawer Organization Trays

Sink Caddy

OXO Good Grips POP 5-Piece Canisters

Large 3-Tier Bamboo Expanding Shelf

EQI Food Storage Containers (2 Pack)

Over The Door Pantry Organizer 

Nelko Label Maker

What we love most about this kind of update is how approachable it is. You don’t need custom millwork or a full renovation to get there. Sometimes it’s as simple as rethinking how you store things, consolidating appliances into one zone, and creating a setup that matches how you actually live. Coffee station, bar station, snack station, when things are grouped with intention, the space starts working smarter.

This cabinet also made our kitchen feel more personal. It reflects our routines: morning espresso, friends coming over for a drink, quick weeknight meals. That’s the kind of “redo” that lasts, because it’s built around real life, not just a trend.

If you’re craving a refresh but don’t want to take on a major project, start with organization. Clear the counters, edit what you don’t use, and give the essentials a proper home. It’s one of the easiest, and most affordable ways to make your house feel thoughtfully designed again.

Sometimes the biggest transformation isn’t adding more. It’s simply putting things in the right place.

Creating a Functional & Stylish Coffee Bar at Home

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If there’s one ritual we never skip, it’s our morning coffee. Whether you’re a latte lover, cold brew devotee, or just need that first cup to kickstart the day, having a dedicated coffee bar at home makes the experience even better. In a historic brownstone (where every square inch counts), a coffee bar can be both functional and stylish—a little corner that feels special while working seamlessly into your routine.

Choose the Right Spot

The best coffee bars don’t have to be big. A small stretch of counter, a freestanding cabinet, or even a tucked-away nook can work. Think about where you naturally make your morning cup, near the kitchen, in a pantry, or even on a parlor floor sideboard, and build around that flow. In our home, we keep the coffee bar in a dining room cabinet to save counter space in the kitchen. On the other hand, at our project, Rooted In Ridgewood, we will be doing a coffee bar in the primary bedroom so they can get their coffee right out of bed. 

Invest in the Essentials

A coffee bar is only as good as the tools you stock it with. Start with your machine of choice, espresso maker, drip coffee pot, French press, or pour-over.

Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine

CASABREWS Espresso Machine

Fellow French Press

MoMA Design Store Coffee Maker

Then add a grinder, kettle, and mugs you love to reach for.

OXO Coffee Grinder

Fellow Kettle

Hasense Coffee Cup Set of 4

Stackable Coffee Mug Set of 4

Design Within Reach La Faccia Mug

Laetitia Rouget Colombe Mug

Nespresso Milk Frother

Layer in Style

Here’s where the fun comes in. A coffee bar should reflect your personality and the character of your home.

Shelving: Floating wood shelves or glass-front cabinets for displaying mugs. We love using Shelfology and you can get 10% off Shelfology products when you use the code: AOA-BROWNSTONEBOYS.

Accents: Plants, small lamps, or antique trays for corralling tools.

Floral Ceramic Vase

Cordless Table Lamp

Marion Stone Dip Bowl

Metal Decorative Tray

Pizarro Miniature Still Life Paintings

Checkered Coffee Mat

Creating a coffee bar isn’t about carving out more counter space, it’s about elevating your daily rituals. In a brownstone, where history and modern life meet, a coffee bar can become a small but meaningful part of the home. It’s that perfect mix of function and style, and the best way to start the day.

Small Kitchen Renovation Ideas

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When it comes to prewar New York apartments, kitchens often tell the story of another era. Narrow footprints, minimal storage, and decades-old finishes are common, especially in rent stabilized apartments that have never seen a full renovation. That was exactly the case with influencer Hattie Kolp’s Upper West Side kitchen, where we stepped in to transform the once cramped space into a warm, functional, and timeless extension of her home.

Charming vintage-style bathroom with a gold faucet, built-in cabinetry, and decorative shelves. Elegant and cozy home interior design.

Renovating a Small Kitchen

Hattie’s apartment had incredible character, high ceilings, historic moldings, and prewar details that many dream of. But the kitchen told a different story: outdated finishes, no dishwasher, and limited counter space for someone who truly loves to cook. We set out to honor the prewar charm while reimagining the kitchen for modern life.

One of the most impactful upgrades was the introduction of deVOL cabinetry. Known for its craftsmanship and understated luxury, the cabinetry brought depth, storage, and a sense of permanence to the small kitchen. We paired deVOL Shaker Cabinets with a Calacatta Castana from MSI Surfaces, chosen specifically because Hattie loves to cook and needed a durable, easy to clean surface, the space instantly became more functional without sacrificing style.

Choosing the Right Kitchen Colors

While small kitchens benefit from light colors, Hattie wanted to avoid a sterile all white look. The solution came from Farrow and Ball’s Old White, a hue that strikes the perfect balance between warmth and freshness. By softening the cabinetry and wall tones, the kitchen feels inviting while also reflecting more natural light, making the space appear larger than it is. Here are some other colors that we think would look great in a kitchen:

See all of our favorite paint colors here. 

Spice jars on a shelf in a cozy kitchen with cream cabinetry and gold accents.

Space Saving Kitchen Renovation Details

Every inch matters in a New York kitchen, and the renovation leaned into thoughtful solutions to optimize the layout:

  • Integrated dishwasher: A long awaited addition that streamlined functionality without overwhelming the small kitchen. IKEA has an affordable integrated dishwasher that is compatible with custom cabinetry. 
  • Built in bench seating: In the narrow window nook, a custom bench creates a cozy dining spot while doubling as discreet storage.
  • Tiled flooring: Durable, easy to maintain, and visually grounding, the new flooring ties the small kitchen together. We love the FloorPops x Chris Loves Julia collaboration as a renter-friendly tile choice. 
  • Cabinetry hardware: Thoughtfully chosen knobs and pulls add a layer of polish, bringing character and cohesion to the compact space. We love the Hudson Cabinet Knob and Hudson Appliance Pull from Rejuvenation.

Each design element was chosen not just for beauty, but for how it would perform in a compact space day after day.

Kitchen Styling Favorites

Here are some our favorite items to keep a kitchen organized.

Glass Vase

Fruit Bowl

Tea Pot

Cordless Table Lamp

Soap Dispenser

Utensil Holder

Linen Napkins

Glass Canisters

Vintage kitchen sink with brass faucet and marble backsplash, cozy home decor inspiration.
Elegant kitchen setup featuring a brass faucet, marble backsplash, and decorative shelving.

A Small Kitchen That Feels Big

What was once an underutilized, outdated kitchen is now the heart of Hattie Kolp’s apartment. The space feels connected to the character of her prewar home while offering every modern convenience she had dreamed of.

For New Yorkers, and anyone living with a compact kitchen, this renovation proves that limitations can become opportunities. With thoughtful design, even the coziest kitchens can transform into the most beloved rooms in the home.

Check out our episode of Bagels With The Boys with Hattie Kolp to see the newly renovated kitchen and the rest of her charming Upper West Side apartment. 

What to Give a New Home Owner

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We recently heard a phrase that really stuck with us, “Homes have souls, too.” Nothing could be more true! The soul of a home lies in the art of it–the linens on a table, height etchings on a wall–the things and the lives we create within their walls that make them ours. Now, we’re not suggesting that you can wrap all of that up into a single house warming gift, but we think approaching it from this point of view can help narrow it down when there are SO many options. We’re breaking it down and showing you exactly what to give a new home owner to help them add a little soul into their home.

BRINGING WARMTH INTO THEIR SPACE

When we think of home, we think of a place where we feel warm, safe, and seen. The most obvious way to bring warmth into a space would be through flame, making a candle one of the most common housewarming gifts. While we’re not knocking the tried & true, we are suggesting you push a little further out of the box by thinking about warmth as a color, a texture, or a feeling of familiarity. Vintage items (like this print from 1stDibs (which by the way, is offering 40% off through mid March storewide) are a great way to warm a space through all three. Vintage colors & textures tend to feel worn, and as such, add a lived-in look to any space. Natural stone, though cool to the touch, has a grounding & earthly affect in a space that will simultaneously elevate & root the room’s style, so pieces like this sculpture make a great gift. When in doubt, we opt for a bespoke textile or a personalized piece of art.

collage of fine gifts for a new home owner including slippers, olive oil, kitchen towels, and a pasta maker

GIFTING TOOLS TO MAKE MEMORIES WITH

At least one person in your life prefers an “experience” to a physical gift, but we firmly believe you can kill two birds with one stone in this case. Try to put yourself in their home a month, a year, or ten years from now. What would they like to experience within their home in that time? Perhaps they’d love to host a pasta making night with friends, watch the birds fly around a feeder in their backyard, wave to their neighbors from a bistro set where they drink their morning coffee each day, or be the house on the block most known for its funky mailbox. If you don’t know the person well enough to know what type of experience they’d most desire, go with everyday luxury. Encourage them to find meaning in the mundane with a fancy olive oil, an invigorating soap, a plush pair of slippers, or a beautiful wind chime.

collage of fine gifts for a new home owner including art, lamos, pillows, soaps, kitchen towels, and a coffee maker

OTHER GIFTS WE LOVE

For The Living Area

Black Ceramic Spotted Vase

Large Travertine Knot

Balizie Brass and Travertine Decorative Table Sculture

Polished Brass Dish

Candle Holders

For The Bathroom

Tri-Tone Multi Candle Set

Metal Bathroom Accessories

Turkish Hand Towels

Colorful Shower Organizer

Unisex Bath Robe

Fount Society The Routine

For The Bedroom

Bamboo Duvet Cover

Organic Cotton Quilt Set

Ceramic Table Lamp

Cotton Fisherman Throw Blanket

Cowboy Kush Candle

Taper Candle Set

For the kitchen

Coppia Couple Glasses Set of 4

Cotton Fringe Napkin

Black Pepper and Hemp Candle

Espresso Machine

NEED SOME MORE INSPIRATION?

Check out how we styled our projects for more house warming gift inspiration!

Aubergine (eggplant) colored office space with white couches, bookshelvs, white stone coffee table, round purple built in chair and chandelier
Creamy colored kitchen with pot rack and open shelving
Light ficture hanging in a room above fireplace with books and green floral wallpaper

How to Style Your Kitchen Island

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Most all of our designs include a kitchen island, because in addition to being flawlessly functional, they’re also beautiful. Whether you’re opting for custom millwork, natural stone, or even a repurposed vintage piece for your kitchen’s center workspace, creating a beautiful space to gather and collaborate in the heart of the home is something special. Once you’ve built yours, here’s how to style your kitchen island!

all neutral clad kitchen with three hanging pendant lights, island, and leather seats

DON’T OVER DO IT

Whether we’re styling for a photoshoot or for our home, our philosophy is almost always not too much. Over-styling is a fast track to your space looking and feeling overwhelming, cluttered, and detracting from whatever design elements already exist within the room. Keep everything a simple as possible, either in volume or in style. If you’re bringing in a colorful ceramic or book, keep your wash station minimal. If you’re going to have smaller knick-knacks, keep them more neutral in color. Try to find balance somewhere between the two.

creamy kitchen with custom island and open shelving

CREATE A SPACE TO GATHER & COLLABORATE

The addition of kitchen islands into modern design was largely inspired by shift away from formal dining. Food is no longer prepared in seclusion and presented in a secondary dining space. Guests and hosts gather together in kitchens, make meals together, and congregate around the chef as food is prepared. This shift made islands the perfect addition to modern kitchens, providing a prep space where hosts could face their guests, especially if a hob stove is integrated into the design.

We encourage you to lean into this when styling your kitchen island, and provide spaces for guests to sit (we love these stools from Lulu & Georgia), have a drink, snack board, or even help with the food prep.

green kitchen with stone island and bar stools

SHOP STYLING ITEMS WE LOVE

Cook This Book

NYT Cooking No-Recipie Recipes

Dessert Person

Brass and Leather Tray

Ceramic Vase

Glass Vase

Fruit Bowl 

Glass Fruit Bowls

Tile We Love

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One question we get over and over again is, “Where is that tile from?!” The truth is, we have lots of go-to tile brands we use across different projects, from Zellige and mosaic to marble and more. We’ve rounded up some of the tile we love to give you inspiration for your next bathroom, kitchen, or backsplash! Plus, if you’re looking to do it yourself, make sure you have all our tiling essentials before starting your next big project!

blue tile against a lighter tile

RIAD TILE

From Terrazzo to natural stone, Riad has everything you need for an on-trend while timeless look. We’re especially looking forward to their forthcoming collaboration with Rejuvenation!

bathroom with large white tub and whoer wet space, green and white tiles alternate to create a stripe pattern, custom vanity to right with fluted detailing and large mirror above

ZIA TILE

This brand is certainly one of our most used brands by far. We’re especially partial to their range of zellige for its variety in color, dimension, and texture, but the truth is you really can’t go wrong with any of their options.

squiggle edge mirror with teal tile and black marble countertop

CLE TILE

One of our favorite options for outdoor or high texture spaces, Cle Tile has taken center stage in some of our most design forward spaces, including this crowd-favorite double vanity at Carroll Jardin.

double vanity with squiggy wavy terracotta tile

WANT MORE?

If you’re dying to know what tile we’re using, how we’re using it, and how you may be able to snag a discount code or two, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter! This is where we’ll be sharing all project details with direct links, exclusive codes, and more!

Bring Back Banquette Seating

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If you’re remodeling your kitchen, you may want to consider an alternative layout and bring back banquette seating. The unmistakably Parisian bistro inspired model was originally introduced as a way to maximize space and fit as many people as possible into smaller eateries, and the same can be true for your kitchen! If you love the idea but don’t know where to start, make sure to scroll all the way to the end for some of our favorite banquettes!

navy blue kitchen cabinets and a corner eatery

SEATING THAT FOSTERS COMMUNITY

When banquettes were introduced to the United States, the first place they appeared was in the classic American Diner. American restaurant owners wanted to create spaces where people wanted to gather, stay awhile, and of course, buy more food. These diners, for much of the 19th century, served as a “third space,” aka a place outside work or home where people could meet, talk, interact, and foster community. Banquette seating was the perfect way to accomplish this because it was comfortable, practical, and, almost by mistake, became an iconic part of diner culture as “booth” seating became the most desirable place to sit.

The same can be true for your home! We added a banquette in our Park Slope Paradise project for our clients who wanted to have a cozy, comfortable place to eat with their children. One of the reasons we love these for a family is because they promote comfort, closeness, and non-formality that should exist between family members. The idea is that kids will bring home friends, or sit down with their parents & be present with one another.

kitchen with blue cabinets and banquette corner seating

CREATING A COZY PLACE TO GATHER

The other alluring feature of a banquette is the inimitable coziness that comes with it. In our own home, we’re actually considering moving our kitchen island 6 inches inward to free up space to put in a large banquette of our own. Every time we have friends or family over, everyone ends up gathered in the kitchen along our island, which is fun, but also makes meal prep a little more stressful. By adding a comfy booth for everyone to pile into, they can sit a few feet away and we can have a true prep area that serves us both functionally and socially.

kitchen white and blue cabinets gold fixtures marble counter and backsplash

BANQUETTES WE LOVE

Novak Leather

Sevigne Corner Chair

Leandre Ochre Brown Love Seat

Dorian Upholstered Dining Bench

Stature 67″ Boucle Bench

kitchen island with three stools and blue and white accents

Furniture Design Details Trend Predictions

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One of our favorite ways to add personality to any design is through furniture design details. Overall furniture structures, like dressers, beds, chairs, etc. haven’t changed too much over the last one hundred years, but the design details are so indicative of what time period a piece comes from. Today, we’re sharing our furniture design details trend prediction for 2025 and sharing all of the elements we’re looking forward to including in our designs!

FLUTED FRENZY CONTINUE

In the last five years, fluted furniture has become a staple in big box furniture and bespoke pieces alike. We love how much texture and intrigue this detail adds in mill and stone work, and we think the movement will continue into reeded glass, upholstery and beyond this year with a major resurgence of stripes. From striped couches to curtains, pillows, rugs, and ceramics alike, stripes will be making a major comeback in textiles, tiles, and more!

bathroom with large white tub and whoer wet space, green and white tiles alternate to create a stripe pattern, custom vanity to right with fluted detailing and large mirror above

INTENTIONAL FURNITURE DESIGN DETAILS

Over the last decade, we’ve grown used to large, statement furniture featuring soft, bulbous edges and a heavier feel. Moving forward, though, smaller, detailed, sharper pieces make a comeback in sitting benches, stand alone reading chairs, and tables that lend themselves to a more airy, open space.

restored wood door casings and stairwell with vintage bench and potted plant

STATEMENT HARDWARE

We think people are ready to move away from minimalism and toward a more ornate style when it comes to hardware. Minimalism will get an upgrade with oversized hardware (perhaps, even intentionally oblong or asymmetrical in shape) paired with monotone cabinets for a modern look. On the traditional end, we’ll see a sway to art deco with opulent hardware (think brass birds), paired with darker wood.

vintage inspired bathroom door with wired glass and WC marker in gold lettering. Gold handle and open door leads to out of focus bathroom

Easy Ways to Remodel Your Kitchen

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A full kitchen remodel is a huge undertaking, but there are easy ways to remodel your kitchen little by little that make a huge change! 

CHANGE YOUR HARDWARE

Hardware like knobs and handles can completely change the feel of your kitchen. We love the look of a brass knob against bold or neutral colors for a really timeless yet sleek look. 

Bright neutral kitchen with open shelving

ADD A BACKSPLASH

A backsplash is a great way to refresh your kitchen and bring a little more color or texture to the walls. While tiling can be expensive and time consuming, a peel & stick backsplash can make a kitchen feel brand new and is a little more cost effective & easy!

Grey kitchen with tiled backsplash

UNDER CABINET LIGHTING

Simple under cabinet lighting, like these easy-install ones, can totally upgrade your kitchen plus eliminate the need for overhead lighting when you’re making your first cup of coffee in the morning!

Bright creamy kitchen with stools and apron hook

Adding Historic Charm at Carroll Jardin:

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Bringing Back Historic Touches and Adding Modern Details in a Brooklyn Brownstone

One interesting thing about older homes is that they often change a lot throughout their history. They undergo renovations and wear and tear from previous owners, along with changing tastes and sensibilities. 

Reviving Historic Elegance

At Carroll Jardin, we’ve lovingly restored some of the home’s most enchanting features that had been lost over the years. 

The marble fireplace mantel is a total standout piece, serving as a grand focal point in the kitchen. We decided to contrast this historic marble with some more modern marble in the countertops, hood cover, and backsplash. 

It was also important to us to bring back some character with ceiling mouldings. They add a touch of sophistication and draw the eye upwards. Many Brooklyn brownstones would have originally had ceiling moulding, inspired by Queen Anne and Victorian styles of the time. 

It’s such a pleasure to bring these details back to the space and work with some of our neighborhood’s most talented artisans who keep this craft alive. 

Modern Touches for Today’s Living

Balancing these historical elements are modern touches that ensure Carroll Jardin is not just a museum piece but a comfortable home for today (and the next 100 years!).

These sleek upholstered stools from Lulu & Georgia and dining chairs from CB2 bring a contemporary flair to the space. Their clean lines and neutral tones provide a perfect contrast to the ornate historical features.

Lighting is where we’ve truly married the old with the new. The Gubi Multi-Lite pendants, with their retro-inspired design, add a modern twist to the room, complementing the traditional elements beautifully. The Rosalie Aluminum sconces and further enhance this blend, casting a warm, inviting glow that ties the entire space together.

You may not even notice the final, extra-modern item we added to this historic home–the Frame TV from Samsung. We love using this TV in our projects because it fits in completely seamlessly. 

At Carroll Jardin, we believe in honoring the past while embracing the future. With thoughtful design choices, we’ve created a home that celebrates its heritage and is fully equipped for modern, Parisian-esque living. 

Follow along for more design inspiration and the stories behind our favorite pieces in Carroll Jardin! For a list of all the products used in this home, check out this blog. 

Step inside a Parisian-Inspired Brownstone in Brooklyn

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We’re answering all of your questions about this beautiful, French-inspired historic brownstone in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

A Parisian home in the heart of Brooklyn

Sometimes, you meet clients and immediately bond over a shared vision. When we first chatted with Hagar and Ziv, we learned all about their love for Paris and the sprawling facades of the limestone buildings along the Seine. Despite their differences, Brooklyn and Paris share a romantic aura that we knew would translate through architecture and design.

Finding inspiration in French design

Designing a historic brownstone 3,624 miles from the “City of Light” challenged us as renovators, restorers, and interior designers. We wanted to really capture the essence of Paris. We thought about what makes the city so iconic – its grand arches, sloping curves, modern and art deco features against classic architecture, soft stone colors, and rich neutrals. That led us to some beautiful paint color choices throughout the home.

  • Farrow & Ball Schoolhouse White – Walls throughout the house | Farrow & Ball
  • Sherwin Williams Alabaster – Ceilings throughout the house | Sherwin Williams
  • Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black – Stairs | Sherwin Williams

Furniture fit for the 16th arrondissement

As we were sourcing furniture for the home, we looked for a variety of new and antique pieces. The goal was to strike an eclectic balance of modern design with historic charm. If you have ever been inside a Parisian home, you may be familiar with this approach. It’s not uncommon to find a flat screen TV next to an antique chair that someone found at a nearby flea market, which also just “happens” to be from the 1800s. We selected materials like velvet, suede, marble, chrome, and light wood to evoke that unique collector’s vibe.

  • DWR X Sarah Ellison Muse Sofa – $4,995 – $3,996 | Design Within Reach
  • Brace Bloce Cream Chair – $1,699 | CB2
  • Rolland Armchair – $2,523 $1,181 | Soho Home
  • Santoro Round Green Agate Coffee Table – $1,099 | CB2
  • Channel Tufted Ottoman – $100 | Target
  • Carlisle Bedside Table – $1,395 | Soho Home
  • Sagebrook Home 22″ 4-Legged Accent Table, Black Marble, Nickel | Amazon
  • Jaxx Red Marble Side Table – $499 | CB2
  • Monte Ivory Performance Fabric Dining Chair – $429 | CB2

Attention to detail: tiles, textures, and fixtures

One unique challenge with designing this home was that it is a bit smaller than your typical Brooklyn brownstone. For example, Carroll Jardin is only three floors, including the garden level, whereas most traditional brownstones are four. With limited square footage, we wanted every detail to count. Hagar and Zev gravitated towards rich tones and blue colors, so we sourced samples from this world with character and intricate design. Here were the final picks:

  • Red Onyx/Colorado Calacatta Checkerboard – $Varies | Castelli Marble, Inc.
  • Zellige in Forgotten Turquoise – $Varies | Clé Tile
  • Square in Moroccan Sea Salt and Tea Ceremony – $Varies | Clé Tile
  • Fornace Brioni and Cristina Celestino Tile – $Varies | Clé Tile
  • Purist Sink Fauce – $524.10 | Kohler
  • Purist Rite-Temp Shower Trim Kit – $868 | Kohler

Lighting fixtures to tie it all together

The French excel at many things including, but not limited to, incredible lighting. If you have ever been to Paris, you have probably noticed that the lighting fixtures, indoor and out, are unmatched. From bespoke French design to antique lamps, they know how to find the fixture for any room. We sourced lighting that would create the perfect warm soft glow throughout all three levels.

  • Rizzato 43, Satin Brass / Opal – $Varies | Nuura
  • Ariel Fluted White Marble Sconce – $Varies | CB2
  • Meshmatics, Large Steel – $Varies | Moooi
  • Neptune Travertine Wall Sconce – $299 | CB2
  • Flos String Light with Sphere Head – $1,691 | Flos
  • Gubi Multi-Lite Pendants – $1199 | Gubi
  • Sputnik Light Feature – $73 | Amazon

Bringing this project to life has been a dream come true. Stay tuned as we share more products and our favorite items throughout the home! You can watch the full house tour on YouTube and read the feature in Architectural Digest.

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

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The Brownstone Boys stand in a kitchen, smiling as they proudly hold a tray of frosted cinnamon rolls.

Our new favorite tradition in our home on Christmas morning is making homemade cinnamon rolls. If your plans have changed this holiday season or you’re just looking for something to make we can’t recommend making these cinnamon rolls enough! Make sure to make some extra frosting… you will thank us later!

Merry Merry and lots of love (and good eats!), Jordan & Barry

A pan of freshly baked cinnamon rolls topped with cream cheese frosting sits on a stove, just like The Brownstone Boys would make, with a spatula resting on the edge of the pan.

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls 

adapted from ambitious kitchen

 

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • ¾ cup warm milk (whole milk or 2% preferred) (110 degrees F)
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons quick rise or active yeast (1/4-ounce package yeast)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup butter, melted (salted or unsalted…. whatever your preference is!)
  • 3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

 

For the Filling:

  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup butter, softened

 

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Instructions

  1. Warm milk to around 110 degrees F. You can do this by simply warming some milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Transfer warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix until well combined. Next stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to form.
  2. Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. If it’s TOO sticky (meaning it’s sticking to the bottom of the mixer, add in 2 tablespoons more bread flour.) If you don’t want to use an electric mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a well-floured surface
  3. Transfer dough ball to a well-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow dough to rise for 1 hour to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size. This may more or less time depending the humidity and temperature in your home.
  4. After dough has doubled in size, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 14×9 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a ¼ inch margin at the far side of the dough.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough, then rub the brown sugar mixture into the butter.
  6. Tightly roll dough up, starting from the 9-inch side and place seam side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can. You will probably need to cut off about an inch off the ends of the dough as the ends won’t be as full of cinnamon sugar as we’d want it to be.
  7. Cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife or floss. You should get 9 large pieces. YUMMMM!
  8. Place cinnamon rolls in a greased 9×9 inch baking pan or round 9 inch cake pan. (We lined our sheet pan with parchment paper as well, in case any of the filling ends up leaking out.) Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.
  9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and towel and bake cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. You want to underbake them a little so they stay soft in the middle. Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting. Makes 9 beautiful and delicious cinnamon rolls.
  10. To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cinnamon rolls and serve immediately. you might want to double this part… just saying Enjoy!

 

A tray of eight golden-brown cinnamon rolls with visible swirls, freshly baked on parchment paper—just like The Brownstone Boys would make for a cozy brunch.

A metal baking pan lined with parchment paper holds freshly baked cinnamon rolls topped with cream cheese frosting, placed on a stovetop—a sweet creation inspired by The Brownstone Boys.

The Brownstone Boys stand in a kitchen, smiling at the camera as they hold a tray of freshly baked frosted cinnamon rolls.

The Gates House – Reveal & House Tour!

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We are so thrilled and proud to share the Gates House with you. It has the more restored original features than any of our projects to date! Many many painstaking hours have gone into fully restoring them. It all takes time! This project has been over a year in the making! BUT it was worth the wait! We are excited for you to see the beautiful white oak floors with a Peruvian walnut inlay, the gorgeous woodwork and stained glass, the restored plaster tapestries, not to mention the custom painted kitchen cabinets and modern bathrooms. It’s truly one for the books! It takes a village to renovate in NYC and we’re very thankful for our wonderful partners, collaborators, and craftsmen who took part in this project. Most importantly, to homeowners Laura & Rebecca and their new born twin girls (yes our second set of twins if you’ve been following along) Welcome home!

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Building Custom Shelves and Cabinets- A Year in the Making

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Anyone who has gone through a major renovation might relate to having a project or 2 (…3 ‍♂️) saved after it’s finished. Our biggest saved project is the big empty blank wall across from our kitchen. We planned on installing cabinets on that wall but the old fireplace bump out complicates it. We didn’t want two disconnected cabinet units on both sides and felt we needed a design that minimizes the effect of the bump out. Over a year later we have finally tackled this project!

The Wish List

We desperately needed storage! We didn’t build a single closet on the parlor floor of our house. That left nowhere for the broom, vacuum, and or even Zuko’s enormous bag of food! We knew we needed some deep (ish) and tall cabinets.

We also didn’t have a place for our bar and ended up with bottles on temporary racks so that was important as well. Not too mention we haven’t even invested in nice wine glasses because we don’t have a place to store them.

Finally, we only have one upper cabinet dedicated for dry food storage and really just needed additional pantry space.

The Design

This was the hard part. We stared at the blank wall for more than a year before we figured it out. We made many sketches. We consulted designer friends. And we went through a lot of ideas.

The fireplace bump out and a radiator on the left side made it a difficult space.

These features always dictated the design. What helped us to figure it out was to ignore the bump out and radiator completely. Functionally we couldn’t ignore it but from a design perspective it solved the problem. We decided we would design as if it was a flat wall and then work it around the difficult features.

Overall the key elements of the design are a Scandinavian feel with flat front cabinets in a white oak veneer. There are tall 90” cabinets on the deep side, and cabinets & opens shelves spanning the middle and opposite side. The shelves and cabinets inconspicuously step back in depth over the fireplace bump out and seamlessly hide the radiator. It’s simple, but it accomplishes all of our goals. It gets us tall storage, gives us a place for a bar, provides ample pantry space, and minimizes the effect of the bump out. It’s a nice contrast to our grey shaker kitchen cabinets and white walls.

The Build

The entire wall including the fireplace bump out is all original masonry and has been plastered over many times through the years. As you can imagine that leaves the walls very out of plumb. We took a lot of measurements but also knew it was going to take a lot of tweaking during installation.

The cabinet construction is melamine interior boxes (to save a bit) and white oak veneer fronts, panels, and shelves. The hinges and push openers are from IKEA (also to keep the costs down, but we have used their hardware many times and trust the quality). We finished the white oak veneer with an extra matte clear polyurethane. The radiator has a grill at the bottom and the top for air flow.

So our vacuum and broom now have a home, our whiskey collection has room to grow, and Zuko even has his own shelf for treats! Equally as important we love the design and the way it integrates into the rest of our house. Now that this project is crossed off the list that only leaves a couple (…3…is the list growing?!) more!

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Budget Kitchen Cabinets With A High-End Look

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Kitchens are often the most expensive spaces to renovate. There are a lot of moving parts and pieces that add up quickly. Of those, often the biggest and most expensive is the cabinetry. There is a wide range of options and the sky’s the limit. Fortunately there are also ways to achieve a high-end look on a budget. Since that is where most of us are in our renovation stories that’s what we’ll talk about, although if you’re curious about custom cabinetry prices keep reading.

IKEA Cabinets and Custom Fronts

A very popular and perfectly great option to remodel your kitchen on a budget is to use IKEA cabinets. They are just fine and do a great job. There are also many ways to customize them to upgrade the look. IKEA has several door and drawer fronts that can achieve anything from a clean white Shaker look to a modern Scandinavian slab (more on that in a bit). What has become fairly popular, if not fashionable in its own right, and an even better way to achieve a higher end look, is to use IKEA cabinet boxes (the interior and frame) with more custom door and drawer fronts. If you haven’t heard, IKEA sells the boxes without the fronts so you’re not wasting money by not using them.

If you go with IKEA boxes and fronts you can get cabinets for an average kitchen for $2,000-$4,000. Even less if you don’t get the fronts. That number is deceptively low so keep in mind that there are many more components to your kitchen remodel, but for now we’re just talking cabinets.

IKEA’s cabinetry system is called SEKTION and depending on what fronts you chose they all have their own names. The SEKTION system is modular so you can even mix and match fronts for a 2-tone or multi-textural look. You can even swap out all of your door and drawer fronts with something completely different if you tire of your white shaker after a year or 2. Since the system is so modular and easily customizable, other companies now make upgraded solid wood custom fronts for IKEA cabinets in a vast amount of options. It is an upgrade so they will cost more, but it’s the part of the cabinet you see and it’s what will give you that custom look for close to IKEA prices. Check out ,,Semi-handmade and ,,Reform. You’ll find that using the custom fronts will cost about 20% more than the IKEA fronts but the payoff is well worth it to us.

Unassembled or Preassembled Wood Cabinets

For a similar price as ,,IKEA cabinets there are companies that make nice wood cabinets at a fairly low cost. You can even get them preassembled which can make it easier for you to install yourself in a DIY project. We have used the ,,RTA Store in the past and found that their cabinets were inexpensive (they often run 40-50% off sales), nice quality, and they provided free design and consultation services to piece it all together. You might pay $6,000-$8,000 for this option, including the doors, which is close to where you might end up with IKEA cabinets and upgraded custom fronts. There are many other cabinet companies with similar options. When we used them for our renovation, we upgraded the less expensive cabinets with more expensive hardware. It’s not necessary as there are a lot of low cost hardware options, but for us it added some bling to our kitchen that makes us happy and helped us justify going with the cheaper cabinets.

Custom Cabinetry

Now if you are curious how all of this compares to custom cabinetry here are some numbers. Custom cabinets are a luxury few can afford, but as the less expensive options can come close they won’t compare to the look of beautifully built millwork. Quotes we have seen for custom millwork are in the $25,000- $35,000 range. Or another way to price it out is $1500-$2500 per piece. There are also semi-custom options to explore if you want something in between. With all of the other expenses a kitchen renovation brings it can push your budget into eye-popping numbers.

Putting It All Together

We talked about the cabinet boxes but there are a few more options and components to consider for your kitchen cabinetry.

Inset vs Overlay

Inset Cabinet Doors are set into the cabinet frame and fit flush to the cabinet surface. Many of the beautiful Pinterest photos you might have seen could be inset. It’s a custom look and usually costs more than other options. Everything needs to fit very precisely, so this style usually isn’t an option in the less expensive category.

Full Overlay doors can achieve a similar look to inset since they completely cover the front of the cabinet providing that flat surface look. This is what you can get through IKEA or IKEA with custom fronts.

Partial Overlay doors are similar to full overlay except more of the cabinet can be seen between the doors and drawers. It is a more traditional and less custom look but it is also more forgiving for everything to fit together.

Door & Drawer Front Style

Shaker – Shaker furniture dates back to the 18th century. Shaker-style cabinetry has surged in popularity and is considered to have a modern look that is now becoming so common it’s moving toward traditional. It’s a clean, simple, and timeless look with one recessed panel in the center. A clean white shaker kitchen is a great option and is likely to not offend anyone. You can pop it up by moving away from white and painting the fronts with a custom color.

Slab – The simplest style cabinet fronts are flat slab panels. They are an even more modern look and current trend in kitchen design. The clean Scandinavian look is sure to be a head turner where a shaker kitchen will choose to sit in the background.

Raised Panel – You’ll find raised panel cabinets in very transitional or ornately elegant designs. Rather than the simple recessed panel of a Shaker cabinet, a panel comes back to surface level and can have various ornamentation. Since IKEA and the custom front companies will trend modern you won’t find many raised panel cabinet options there.

Other Components

An example of pre & post cabinets with toekicks and fillers installed.

Photo credit: Chris Loves Julia

To complete your cabinetry’s low cost high-end look you’ll need toe kicks, filler panels, and possibly molding. Custom cabinets will use much less of this since they will be built specifically for your space. These pieces are the key to making your off-the-shelf cabinets look built-in. It’s another area that the custom front option will greatly upgrade the IKEA version. The more substantial solid wood will have an elevated feel. Keep in mind that you will still need to get the toe kicks (custom versions fit on top of the IKEA parts) and hinges if you’re using custom fronts.

We installed low cost pre assembled cabinets in our kitchen and we love the way it turned out. At the time, we didn’t know as much about IKEA and custom fronts, and we would dare to say that if we could do it all over again we might have gone with that option. We would probably have saved some money and we could have customized the look even more. We’re certainly enjoying our kitchen (if you can’t tell!) and are happy to know that there are options for us budget conscientious folks who want that custom kitchen look.

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How We Found The Perfect Kitchen Faucet

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Our kitchen is one of our favorite spaces in our house. Although many people are moving toward traditional closed kitchens in a separate space to hide away any cooking mess, we are big fans of an open kitchen that allows for easy entertaining for the cooks! The center of our kitchen is a large island covered in a beautiful marbled quartz with a deep farm sink. The focal point of the island, and the absolute center of our kitchen, is a gorgeous show-stopping faucet.

Truth be told, we ordered several faucets before we settled on the one we ultimately chose. Our requirements were to have a pull down faucet with sprayer, in a matte brass tone (and the right tone), and something simple and elegant to fit into our kitchen design. The first few we ordered missed on one or more of those requirements. They were not the right finish, too clunky, or just not streamlined feel. We sent them all back!

We needed something that was modern, clean, and contemporary, but not too distracting since it was going to be the focal point of the room. We needed something that was a modern brushed gold or brass tone, but not something too shiny or too yellow toned. We needed something easy-to-use with great pull down technology and flexible retracting hose, not something clunky and difficult to manage. We needed something easy to take care of that cleaned up quickly and wouldn’t require extra maintenance. Finally, as you might know, we renovated our place on a tight budget and we needed a faucet that fit all of those requirements that didn’t break the bank.

So what faucet did we go with?

The Kraus Oletto Single-Handle Pull-Down Sprayer Kitchen Faucet in Brass!

It’s the perfect balance of everything we were looking for. It has a modern and clean style, it’s the right matte tone of gold (although it comes in various finishes), it’s easy to clean, and it functions beautifully!

One of our favorite features of this faucet is the QuickDock mounting technology. This is a really cool feature that allows you to install the faucet entirely from above the counter, as opposed to having to crawl underneath and mess around with screws and nuts and bolts while lying uncomfortably on your back in a small dark space. This is perfect since plumbing projects are usually not DIY for us. We felt really confident with the process and installation took minutes with everything included in the box: water supply lines, optional deck plate (which we didn’t use), and all mounting hardware.

Kraus built this faucet to fit into a busy lifestyle like ours with technology behind delivering a great daily experience. The finish helps prevent water spots and fingerprints so we don’t need to polish it after every use. The pull down glides in and out smoothly with the nice touch of a braided nylon hose that is flexible to pivot around our large farm sink. It makes normal daily tasks easier by providing greater mobility but won’t droop overtime. The entire faucet has a solid feel that makes it really nice to work with.

After weeks of back and forth with other faucets we knew this one was the right on as soon as we opened the box and we had it installed minutes later!

If you’re completely renovating your kitchen, or if you just want to do a quick upgrade to your fixtures (it can go a long way!), this Oletto faucet from Kraus USA in a brushed brass is a great choice.

Top 5 Hacks For An Inexpensive Kitchen Renovation

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Our budget was maxed out just on the construction expense for our renovation so we had to get creative when buying finishes. We managed to put together the look that we wanted on a much lower budget than anyone said we needed. The kitchen was an area where were able to save a lot so we thought we would share our top 5 inexpensive kitchen reno hacks!

Reproduce An Inspiration

Having a designer was definitely not in our budget (although we did have designer friends stop by for some friendly advice along the way). We found a kitchen design early on that we loved and planed to take a lot of inspiration from. You might have a few saved on Pinterest already, choose one or a few! No doubt your inspiration picture will be a kitchen with more expensive finishes. For instance, we loved the exact pendants in our inspiration picture, so we researched and found them. Unfortunately, we needed three and at $1,200 each they were way out of our budget (more about that below). We set out to accomplish a similar look and feel as our inspiration photo at a much lower cost. We did all of the design ourselves and felt confident with our inspiration photo as a guide. 

DIY Pendants and Lighting 

As we mentioned above the pendants in our kitchen inspiration photo were out of budget and we just didn’t see anything that we liked in our price range. Everything seemed a little too generic and we wanted something a bit more unique. So we decided to make our own pendants from parts we bought from a lighting parts wholesaler. If you’ve never wired a light before, you’re not the only one! We haven’t either, but there is a wealth of knowledge online and we were able to get it done. We love the way it turned out. The other lighting upgrade we were able to DIY was our under cabinet led lighting. Inexpensive and easy to install!

Easy Built-In Open Shelving 

We really wanted to incorporate some built-in open shelving. Custom millwork was just not in the cards for us. We went with all standard cabinetry. To accomplish and open cabinet look we got a cabinet finished on the inside, turned it on it’s side, and left the doors off. We built in a shelf and love the way it turned out. It looks built-in but for a fraction of the cost. We wanted a natural wood element as well so we left room for one floating wooden shelf as well.

Less Expensive Upgrade For Your Cabinets 

We used pre-finished and pre-assembled cabinets. Our cabinets are real wood but we got them inexpensively. We used the RTA Cabinet Store. We elevated them by upgrading the hardware. The hardware we went adds something bling and we also mixed and matched styles on different cabinets for more interest. It’s also possible to get lower priced cabinet boxes without doors from IKEA and upgrading the doors from a company like Semihandmade.

Counter Remnants 

One of the other big expenses in the kitchen can be counters. It’s also where you can really establish a higher end look. While we worked with an amazing stone company for our kitchen counters, we learned that going to a local stone fabricator and browsing through the remnants they have from other jobs is a great way to save. We did that for every other piece of stone in our place and can easily see it paying off big in the kitchen. You can get a really high-end marble, quartz, or other natural stone for a fraction of the cost. If the remnant isn’t large enough for all of your counters consider doing something different on an island.

There are ways to save on almost everything you’ll need for any renovation. These are just some things we thought of to drastically reduce the cost of finishes in a kitchen reno. Let us know if you have any other ideas!

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Let’s get Lit- Blending Modern Lighting With 130 Year Old Details

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In the 1880’s when our place was built it was most likely lit at night by kerosene lamps, candles, and possibly even gas lamps. We sometimes lose sight of that picture of what took place on these streets and between these walls so long ago: Roaring fires in the wood burning fireplaces, horse & carriages clacking down the cobble stone streets outside, and the flicker of gas lamps and candle light. Fast forward 130 years and our modern light fixtures are hanging from the same medallions (or at least in a similar spot) that those original fixtures hang. 

With that in mind we really had no intention of veering far from the original plan and adding recessed lighting to our place. We have original plaster moldings and ceilings in most rooms and we were happy to have regular light fixtures with no need or desire to have recessed lights that would require altering them. 

On the other hand, there are a couple of areas that in any restoration most people would want to modernize: Kitchens and bathrooms. So if we were going to entertain recessed lighting anywhere those would be the places. 

In the kitchen we made a game-time decision to drop the ceiling a few inches to solve a plumbing issue in the bathroom upstairs. We also installed an LVL beam in this area for support where a bearing wall was removed. The beam was drywalled and visible, so it separates the area where the ceiling would be lowered and makes it easily unnoticed. Even though our house was built in the 1880’s we wanted the kitchen to feel modern, inviting, and yes, well-lit. The lowered ceiling would give us the opportunity to add some recessed lights. Since we were already altering the ceiling and it is in an area that is being modernized we decided to add the recessed lights.  Just three, and we wanted to make sure they were as streamlined and low profile as possible. 

The ceiling only needed to be dropped a few inches and we didn’t want to go any further than that. We found some great 4” LED low profile lights from Nadair.  They can be installed with very little room and are only about a half inch thick. They are also sit flush to the ceiling so we liked how they would blend into the room. 

The other area that we wanted to be modern is our master bath (our guest bath has a vintage feel). We redid the ceiling to level it off because the ceiling that was there (not original) was noticeably slanted. The shower of our dreams that we built has modern charcoal hex tile and is glassed up with a frameless enclosure. We needed modern and low profile lighting as well. We installed one 6” Nadair LED slim recessed light in the center. It really completes the shower and bathroom. 

Even though we went out of our way to restore as much of the original features that we could, we modernized the places we needed to. Although recessed lighting doesn’t always fit into a Brooklyn brownstone, we felt it was a good opportunity to bring the place up to a modern standard of lighting.  We have nothing but respect for anyone who restores a 100+ year old building with attention to historical detail in every place, but for us restoring our place was also about making it comfortable and livable. So we are really happy with the modern feel of the kitchen and master bath, and creating a modern lighting plan there was an important as well.  

In other kitchen lighting news, some of the last things to be installed in our house are finally up. We couldn’t find the right pendants for our kitchen island that were in our price range, so we decided to build them ourselves! For these lights we didn’t want them to have too much of a modern feel. We wanted them to blend the modern kitchen with the historic mouldings and details. We bought each individual piece of the pendants, wired them, assembled the fixtures, and hung them. Our secret weapon was Antique Lamp Supply. They have thousands of different lamp and light fixtures pieces that can create pretty much any look. They also have some great how-to guides to help with the process. 

Finally, the last part of our kitchen lighting plan are some simple under cabinet lights from Nadair. They are low profile and easy to install. They complete the modern and comfortable feel of the kitchen.

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Closed Kitchen Comeback: Is An Open Kitchen Right For You?

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When we set off on our renovation journey one of the things on the top of our list was an open kitchen. We love the look of having a show-stopper kitchen being seen from the living area and we really wanted the easy flow and entertainment quality of having an open space. Most of the people we speak with who are in the middle of or about to start a renovation are looking for the same. But there are a growing number of people who are looking for a more traditional closed kitchen. 

For quite a while now, many designers, architects, and homeowners have been touting the benefits of open kitchens. But all that openness has been around for a while, and for some the pendulum is now swinging back the other way. The traditional feel and private space of a closed kitchen is again becoming more popular among renovators and house hunters.

There are benefits and drawbacks to both.

Open Kitchen
It’s safe to say that by far most people prefer the open kitchen. Whether that is from countless home renovation shows that create open living plans or just the way folks want to live, it’s the more popular option, at least for now. If you’re renovating with resale in mind it might be the way to appeal to the most buyers. 

The Pros

  • It’s gives the ability for anyone in the kitchen to be part of the activities that are happening in the living area.  
  • It creates a great entertainment space with easy flow to/from the “heart of the house“.
  • Makes the space appear larger by creating longer sight lines. 
  • It allows more natural light to flow through the space since walls are eliminated. 

The Cons

  • If you’re a messy cook, your mess can be seen by all guests in the rest of the living area.
  • Opening up walls and creating open plans are some of the more expensive renovation items.
  • It’s a departure from a tradition living plan if you have a historic home.

Closed Kitchen

Traditionally, not only was the kitchen separated from the living area by walls, it was often on a different floor. Many of the brownstones in Brooklyn had the kitchen on the garden level while the main dining and living areas were one floor up on the parlor level. “Closed” doesn’t mean claustrophobic or small. It just means that kitchen access is separates by walls and doors. A closed kitchen can still be large and beautiful. And food prep and cleanup is hidden from view.

The Pros

  • Food prep messes and cooking odors are confined to the kitchen. 
  • Closed kitchens can have more storage and countertop space since there are more walls.
  • If you are renovating with walls as they are this can be less expensive than structural considerations of removing them. 
  • It’s is a more traditional layout and the dining and entertainment experience is more formal.

The Cons

  • The cook is separated from the fun in the living area. 
  • The space can feel more closed off with less natural light (depending on your layout.)

What’s the right answer?

If you are renovating, then the world is your oyster. It’s completely up to you what works best for your family and whether or not resale is important. You may even feel that a closed kitchen is better all around and for resale for your home. That is beauty of renovating. You have the ability to create a space that works for you.

There are even ways to have the best of both worlds. You can have a pass through, pocket doors, a peninsula, or any other partial separation. 

We are loving our open kitchen and have already had the chance to enjoy the space and flow while entertaining friends. Whatever you choose just make sure to enjoy your space! 

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Sorting Through Kitchen Counters Options

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The kitchen is the heart of the house, they say. For us (and many folks) our kitchen is a big feature of our renovation. We wanted it to be big and open. We even sacrificed a powder room to get it. We wanted something that would be seen as a major feature. We also wanted a big island with seating because no matter how large or small it ends up being it is where everyone ends up hanging out. One of the most important features of a big and open kitchen are the counters and we wanted to get it right.

There are a lot of options out there for kitchen counters. We have experience we a few of them and we’ve researched and spoke to professionals about many of them. Depending on your design aesthetic, the durability you need, and the price point you’re targeting there is something out there for you. But how do you sort it all out? Here are some of our thoughts on some of the most popular options out there.

Marble 

Pros

We love a Carrara marble counter. From a purely aesthetic perspective it’s the top for us. Every time we see a big slab of Carrara in a house, restaurant, cafe…etc we melt a little. We used it in one of our prior renovations and for looks it did not disappoint. 

Cons

Marble can be susceptible to etching and staining. We wrote off the warnings that we heard when we chose it last time, and we shouldn’t have. So many glasses that were left on it left etched rings and even the smallest drops wine left stains. Lemon juice, tomato…I don’t think any liquid was safe. Maybe if we were harder on it or waited a few years it might have all evened out but we ended up selling it after only 2 years and had to have it re-honed and sealed before we did. …but it’s looks great! 

Quartz 

Pros

Quartz offers the beauty of a natural stone but since it’s engineered it is much more durable. It is resistant to staining, etching, heat, and scratching. It’s available in a wide variety of colors. These days the quartz that is made to resemble a natural stone does a great job of it. Even the cararra marble versions achieve a very close look to the real thing. 

Cons 

Although they are getting better and better most still have an artificial look. Marbling just isn’t the same as the real thing, although it’s developing a following of its own and the intention isn’t always to mimic the natural stuff. It’s also a little pricey, but with the increased durability- it can be worth it. 

Concrete

Pros 

Concrete counters can give an industrial look to your kitchen. They are edgy and have a crafted feel. They are versatile and can be created in any shape. They are durable and with the best of us can even develop a bit more character as they get older. 

Cons 

Concrete needs to be sealed regularly so there is some maintenance. As you can imagine, it’s also heavier than other options so additional support is sometimes needed. Also, because it is hand crafted, with a multi-step process, it can be a bit more expensive than other options.

Granite

Pros

Granite is a popular option. It comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. It’s durable and stands up well to wear and tear. 

Cons 

It’s popularity is a turn-off for a lot of people. For some it conjures up images of the suburbs. It also should be sealed regularly to resist staining so there is some maintenance. 

Stainless Steel

Pros

Stainless steel is an interesting option. It definitely creates a distinct look and has a commercial kitchen feel. It’s very durable and resists staining, scratching, and heat wear. 

Cons

It’s an expensive option. It also has the unfortunate side effect of creating a noisy kitchen. You’ve probably heard the sound as you dined in a candle lit hushed restaurant and the kitchen door swings open allowing the distinctive metallic clanging of pots and pans banging around on it!

There are others to check out too: Soapstone, butchers block, solid surface and some others are worth considering.

Our decision

As much as we love it, after our last experience with Carrara marble we wanted something a bit more durable with a bit less maintenance. But we didn’t want to sacrifice the look. Plain white counters just didn’t have enough character. So we found an amazing Quartz that reminds us of our favorite marble…. but we might actually like it better! We went with HanStone Quartz in the Montauk color. For us the key to the right quartz is finding one that does a good job with the engineered marbling. The one we chose has the soft grey undertones of Carrara, but still bright enough to contrast with our grey cabinets. Since it’s quartz it will be very durable so that we aren’t running around grabbing our guests drinks as they sit them on the counter. 

Our counters were just installed and our jaws hit the floor. They exceeded our expectations by miles. Unfortunately they are covered now for the next few weeks while we are finishing up the project. It’s one more thing (a big one) that we’re so excited about putting to use in just a matter of weeks now! 

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Kitchen Week!

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The past 2 weeks have been all about the kitchen. We removed walls and had the space prepped months ago so it’s really nice to see the finishes going in. 

The Plan

Our place had a a bathroom and bedroom across the back of the building where we wanted to put the kitchen. We removed several walls to open up the space, one of which required a 14 foot beam since it was a structural wall. The space is now open from the front of the building all the way to the back and across either side. The kitchen is 14 feet wide with a 7.5 foot island. 

Cabinets

We’ve had white cabinets in all of our previous apartments. They’re great and can make your kitchen bright and airy, but we wanted to do something a little different this time. It was an easy decision for us to chose a grey shaker style cabinet and we are so happy we did! They are all installed and look so nice! We got them from the RTA Store in upstate New York. They offer a wide range of options for not much more than IKEA kitchen prices especially you catch one of their sales. We went with a solid wood preassembled cabinet.  They were delivered with a few scratches but so far have been great to work with to get that resolved. 

We saved a bit by designing and measuring everything out ourselves rather than having a cabinet company come out to do it. Assembling cabinets is always a challenging job but we got them in pretty easy. The fridge panel was sent out too deep and too short (we got the tallest one and it was still too short). We got a little creative, cut a couple and it looks great. 

Appliances 

We could not be more excited about our Fisher & Paykel appliances arriving this week! We love their clean lines , flat panels and handles, and streamlined look. Having appliances delivered definitely means we are in the final stages of the project! We already know they are going to be beautiful.

Pantry & Storage

We have a lot of beautiful cabinets but we are still lacking storage. We always planned on building in additional storage on the wall opposite the kitchen, but the plan has changed several times. Right now it’s a blank canvas, but it’s challenging because there is an old fireplace bump out right in the middle, and a radiator on one side. Our first plan was to build a wall of cabinets and open shelves, but one of the things we needed the most is tall storage.  We’ve reconfigured it a few times, but the plan now is to move in and decide how to build this out as a future project. In the meantime, we’re looking for inspiration! Let us know if you have any!

Lighting 

Our kitchen lighting is already taking shape we installed some ultra thin recessed lighting over the kitchen from Nadair. We love it because it sits very flush with the ceiling. It blends in and very low profile and dimmable! We’re also putting in 3 pendants over the island that we’re assembling ourselves with with parts from Antique Lamp Supply. 

Counters and Backsplash

The stone slabs are ordered and template is being taken this week! We’re going with a light marbled quartz from HanStone Quartz called Montauk. The backsplash will be a white 2×6 handmade tile from Fireclay in a herringbone pattern.

We’ll finish it all off with a farm apron sink from Nantucket Sinks and hardware from Rejuvenation. We’ll update you once we make more progress on that. We can’t wait!  Subscribe below for updates and follow us on Instagram (@brownstoneboys)! 

Tiles, Counters, and Hardwood… Oh My!

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In the past 5 months a lot of demo and building has been going on, but the next few weeks are going to show the biggest transformation so far! That’s because we are now working on the stuff that you’re going to be able to see when we’re done! Work is finally happening for the tiling, hardwood flooring, and plaster.

It’s crunch time to make decisions on the surfaces and we’re on it! The last thing we want is a delay in the project if we can’t make up our mind, so here goes!

Hardwood Flooring

We bought the place with 3 1/4 solid white oak flooring with a white wash finish installed throughout. It certainly wouldn’t have been our first (second, third, or fourth) choice. We thought about taking it all out and getting something new, but it’s solid wood floors that are in decent shape. We decided to just fill in areas with the same floor (it’s a fraction of the price of any of the others we were considering), sand, and refinish them. We already sanded one of the boards that was removed with demo and once the awful white wash finish is off it’s beautiful white oak wood. We’re planning on just putting a matte natural finish on it to bring out the tone and make the place light and airy. Does anyone recommend a stain they prefer or love?

Kitchen Counters

We’ve already ordered our kitchen cabinets. The cabinets were one of the first items we ordered from the RTA Cabinet store. They have been sitting in their storage unit and are ready for delivery! The cabinets are a simple grey shaker cabinet. Picking out the kitchen counters was something that could wait, but we planned on a white quartz to contrast with the grey cabinets. Similar to our kitchen inspiration picture from Branca & Co. We found HanStone, the quartz company we wanted to work with, and noticed that their quartz with marbling is so beautiful. We’ve always been suckers for a carerra marble countertop. So we ordered a few samples and feel that we can’t go wrong with any of them! They are all in the white family but some have more marbling which gives them a slightly grey tone. We were worried that choosing one with too much marbling might make for a grey on grey effect with the cabinets…but one of them keeps standing out to us. Even though our cabinets are grey, we really like the one that looks the most like carerra marble. After a lot of consideration and asking many people their opinions, the one that we think we’re going to go with is the one with the most marbling with the carerra look: we have decided on the Montauk finish.

Master Bath

Our master bath inspiration photo sold us on this charcoal hex tile a while ago. Then we found Fireclay Tile. They have the most beautiful handmade tile. We knew we wanted to get our tile from them. We received an amazing sample package with several options included with finishes, tile shapes and the perfect sample of colors. They had the matte hex tile we wanted for the floor and the far shower wall. For the side walls, we wanted something white to contrast with darker tile. We also didn’t want something with too much of a pattern since the hex will be busy enough for the room. We decided to go with a simple 6×6 white tile laid in a brick pattern. We think it will go really well with our midcentury modern custom vanity. Especially with the contrasting grout color.

Guest Bath

Our guest bathroom is going to be brand new. There was not a bathroom at all where we’re building it. We really wanted to make sure it blended in with the rest of the house. Since our master bath has a bit of a modern look with the charcoal hex, we’re going classic in here. Maybe even a bit vintage. We’re doing matte hex florets on the floor with a matte 3×6 subway tile to chair rail height and bull nosed at the top. All from our friends at Brooklyn Tile & Design.

I’m not sure which one of these finishes we are the most excited to see go in! It’s all going to be so beautiful and we’re slowly getting packages by the day. We wish we had some after pictures to show you now. The first step of the tiling process (the mud layer) started just a couple of days ago and hardwood flooring starts this week. We can see the finish line now and finally seeing the finishes come to life. It’s going to be such a transformation. Check out our Instagram account for pictures and videos of the process!

Thanks for reading!