Name: Maxwell & Ursula
Type of Project: Light renovation of a rental apt
Location: Soho, NYC
Type of building: Two bedroom apartment
In the past year I've moved more than in all the previous decades in my life, and right now I'm in the process of moving to a new apartment where I will gain a second bedroom for my daughter who is growing quickly. This is the plain jane before, but I want it to highlight our new Renovation Diary program where we're helping people to improve their homes directly and they are sharing all their hard work with you.
The Renovation Diaries are a new collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. Go to Renovation Diary Archive page.
From Maxwell:This rental apartment is a hand-me-down from a friend. It is spacious with a decent rent, but really run down (you can't totally tell from the pics!). The kitchen, bathroom and interior bedroom are particularly depressing. The landlord gave me one month of free rent to put money and time into fixing it up, which is allowing me to see how much I can do and flex my design muscles. Over the next few weeks you're going to see how a little bit is going to go a long way, and the big thing I want to do it fix and clean up all the old, run down elements to give it back some of the energy that it has lost over time.
Here is my design checklist for optimal health on a rental budget:
• Refinish and stain the floor
• Lay new wood floor over kitchen tile
• Add more track light fixtures along ceilings in living room, kitchen and bedroom
• Remove old upper cabinets and install commercial stainless shelving
• Replace stove and hood (landlord paying for that)
• Replace countertops with affordable carrera marble
• Install new carpeting in the two bedrooms
• Regrout bathroom tileI am trying hard to get this done in the next three weeks, but it's challenging to move quickly here in NYC as two contractors have already told me that they're too busy. I'm afraid this is a small job that may not be very attractive AND the contractors in the NYC area are all working full tilt due to Storm Sandy reconstruction this past fall.
I'm very much hoping to get it done and be in before the middle of March. Wish me good luck.
Meanwhile, check out these three Reno Diary projects that are moving along and consider submitting your own. These are the gallery views of their projects so far, check them out and click through so you can go right into the midst of their projects.
• Seth and Allison's Kitchen Reno in Ventura, California
• Andi's Kitchen Reno in San Francisco, California
• Claire and Jeffrey's Kitchen Reno in Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Sounds like a lot of fun and hard work, too. Enjoy the process, flex those muscles of ideas and brawn, and we'll be along to appreciate and cheer you! www.peacefulones.blogspot.com
the Renovation Dairy program sounds great. Where does the herd stay? Do you have to walk them daily? Maybe a post about knitting booties to muffle their hoofsteps?
Maxwell.. Can't wait to see what you do. Looks like a fun blank canvas and in SOHO, no less! I lost my heart to soho many years ago.. and despite living here in seattle now, a part of it remains there! Congrats.. all the best.
SOHO, NYC??? Who cares what the inside looks like..!! haha, j/k. Sounds like a fun project! Can't wait until I see the end result.
"the Renovation Dairy program sounds great. Where does the herd stay? Do you have to walk them daily? Maybe a post about knitting booties to muffle their hoofsteps?"
kirstlambert
What the heck is that all about????????
Good luck Maxwell, can't wait to see how it turns out!
Is the track lighting for artwork or to illuminate the space. Please tell me it is for artwork. Ceiling lighting, alone, of any kind makes a home look like a hotel lobby. Definitely not welcoming and homey. Even for SOHO.
that kitchen has a great layout. can't wait to see how it turns out.
This looks like a really great apartment but I just can't wrap my head around spending so much to improve someone else's property. I would nix the floor refinishing and countertops. On the other hand, I'm sure you will pull it all off in 3 weeks and do an incredible job.
@riffraffa - The post originally contained a typo that read "Renovation Dairy program..."
How might one apply to have their renovation diary-ed?
p.s. @kirstlambert I was with you. <3
HWF in the kitchen is often a bad idea. add many layers of marine grade sealant. also carrerra in the kitchen stains very easily. depending on the amount of slabs you need, and your cooking style, you may get a rocking deal on a remnant/mistake slab from an installer for the sink area and then install butcher block or do your own cast in place concrete for another area.
if you are looking to tile or use sheet metal for your backsplash, moving the outlets to the underside of cabinet/shelf in a surface mount box gives a really clean look.
lighting wise, there are really great [and cheap] LED lights you can mount just about anywhere for spot lighting counters/shelving or even placing in a 'lamp' that has no outlet as some are even battery operated, so easy.
is the carpeting a sound thing or a comfort thing? a decent pad is extremely helpful in either event, but if it is just comfort, area rugs may help with the time crunch, and especially for your daughter, be easier to switch out as her tastes change with age.
good luck
Is it legal in the US to have a bedroom with no windows? In Australia and the UK 'habitable' rooms have to have windows- otherwise it becomes a utility room. Still i'm sure you will turn it into a great space (though the kitchen and bathroom are the stuff of nightmares!) Love the windows in the living area though.
one more idea for the bathroom floor, either a bamboo mat [with large river stones around the edge], or an outdoor carpet cut to fit [world market has awesome ones on sale] can totally change the tone of the room.
Good luck with all of this!
Think about using some sort of "pick up" carpet tile (like FLOR) for the bedrooms. You can take it with you or sell it pretty easily. Much more easily than rolled carpet floor.
I would leave the wood floors as they are. If you go dark with stain, every speck of dust shows. Instead I would put wood in the bedrooms instead of carpet. Maybe there is even wood under the carpet. I had carrerra marble in the kitchen and it not only chips, but stains. When we moved, I put in Cesarstone and it is a workhorse and always looks good. I have granite too but quartz will always get my vote.
Very curious about the wood flooring over the tile. We live in a rental (galley kitchen) with horribly ugly cracked tile. I didn't know you could put flooring over tile! (I've resorted to swapping out indoor/outdoor runners to cover the tile as much as possible, but they start to look bad very quickly with 2 little kids running around spilling things.) Can't wait to hear more and see the results!
ooh one more idea for the bathroom - plexiglass. my brother has a bathroom where they put a plexi embedded with bamboo over the counter and caulked it in. you can get all kinds of cool plexi and caulk it in place. i'll try to shut up and get out of your project now.
Don't you recognize a typo in the original post?
I'm sure you'll do an amazing job Maxwell. This light (or two?!) might help in the dark master bedroom. I once made something similar behind a large, frosted glass window in a bedroom with no outside window. (I need light to wake up in the mornings.)
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Hf3470-Wake-up-Light-White/dp/B003XN4RIC
I don't know if I would put marble counters in a rental kitchen - ours were scratched up and stained after one season of house guests. Granite or stainless steel are much harder wearing. Ditto above comments about wood flooring in a kitchen, dark stained floors and carpet tiles. Track lights are a great choice, especially if there is not much ceiling height - they look unfussy and modern, and do the job well.
Hello fixitchick -
I love Hardwood floors in the kitchen... soft on the legs (while standing cooking), easy to clean, doesn't show dirt - drop something and it doesn't break... looks awesome. I say go with Hardwood Maxwell! Timeless and wonderful! Also, it will allow for the whole space to feel more open since there will be no visual break in the view.
Can't wait to see this diary come together. Good Luck!
Maxwell's March Cure; will be interesting to follow & maybe help me with my straggling January Cure projects and tasks. My place is going to be one of several stops for our local Home Tour in March. Not everything will be as I'd like, but it'll do.
We also had a good experience with hardwood in the kitchen. We had bamboo and no issues with moisture or spills. It looked nice and felt good to stand on. My mom has maple and it also has worn well in the kitchen.
For the bathroom, a coat of paint will do wonders. You can't see the lighting, but new fixtures might help. Or even just different bulbs. It looks dark and dank in the photo.
Woo-hoo, Maxwell, we expect great things from you, oh AT guru!! ;^)
As New Yorkers, I suspect the kitchen won't get the workout some other folks would give it, but I have to agree with those who worry about carrera marble. Staining, chipping -- not so much for YOU but for the next tenents after you... Maybe Cesarstone or Silestone that looks a lot like carrera would be safer... just a thought.
Good luck, in any case!
I realize that the photo may be misleading but the hardware floor looks beautiful to me!
Anyway, good luck with the reno, I am anxious to see how it all turns out. Hope you will enjoyliving there.
"affordable carrera marble" what is that? :)
Am about to embark on my NYC reno myself and finally locked down a contractor... good luck!
Can't wait to see what you come up with Maxwell!
Just a few thoughts for you though...
On my monitor, your floors look like they are maple; are they? From what I know about maple, maple is a very tight grained wood, and does not accept stain well, so I would hesitate about trying to stain it.
My first thought about the kitchen was whether the landlord would let you get rid of the pass-through, and open it up so that you could have a proper extended bar counter with seating. It would also let more light into the kitchen, which would be a big issue for me.
About the kitchen flooring... have you considered a poured resin floor? It too is comfortable underfoot, but unlike a wood floor, is easy to clean. I think you could then make an argument for using poured resin in the bathroom, for the sake of consistency. It would be a great product to try out and feature on AT; it's quite popular in certain places in Europe, but not known here. (Then, you could retile the bathroom with simple inexpensive 4" tiles. A bright Mondrian color palette would be fun, but plain white would be fantastic. As for the existing fixtures... we've bought brand new white bathroom fixtures on Craigslist for a pittance; they'd be really easy to change out. Here I am, renovation your entire bathroom!)
As for lighting, I can just see a large Mooi Mooi Random Light hanging in the dining area... perfect!
Also, don't overlook anglepoise lighting as a possible solution... It can be turned to point up at the ceiling to create a lovely ambient glow, or turned down as task lighting. A row of them in the kitchen attached to your wall shelf, like so (see below), would be lovely.
http://www.maisondunord.dk/Gornitzka.html
We stayed in the Maison du Nord (called the Hotel du Nord, and run like a b&b at the time). The owners are a couple of married designers from Copenhagen. Their kitchen cabinets, which they designed and had made with a special matte stain, was particularly beautiful, practical and inexpensive. Their summer residence is very AT, and they share many stylistic similarities to your work Maxwell.
Note the main kitchen, here. The counters are quite impervious, and yet matte.
http://www.maisondunord.dk/The_Printshop.html
Can't wait to see what you come up with Maxwell!
Just a few thoughts for you though...
On my monitor, your floors look like they are maple; are they? From what I know about maple, maple is a very tight grained wood, and does not accept stain well, so I would hesitate about trying to stain it.
My first thought about the kitchen was whether the landlord would let you get rid of the pass-through, and open it up so that you could have a proper extended bar counter with seating. It would also let more light into the kitchen, which would be a big issue for me.
About the kitchen flooring... have you considered a poured resin floor? It too is comfortable underfoot, but unlike a wood floor, is easy to clean. I think you could then make an argument for using poured resin in the bathroom, for the sake of consistency. It would be a great product to try out and feature on AT; it's quite popular in certain places in Europe, but not known here. (Then, you could retile the bathroom with simple inexpensive 4" tiles. A bright Mondrian color palette would be fun, but plain white would be fantastic. As for the existing fixtures... we've bought brand new white bathroom fixtures on Craigslist for a pittance; they'd be really easy to change out. Here I am, renovation your entire bathroom!)
As for lighting, I can just see a large Mooi Mooi Random Light hanging in the dining area... perfect!
Also, don't overlook anglepoise lighting as a possible solution... It can be turned to point up at the ceiling to create a lovely ambient glow, or turned down as task lighting. A row of them in the kitchen attached to your wall shelf, like so (see below), would be lovely.
http://www.maisondunord.dk/Gornitzka.html
We stayed in the Maison du Nord (called the Hotel du Nord, and run like a b&b at the time). The owners are a couple of married designers from Copenhagen. Their kitchen cabinets, which they designed and had made with a special matte stain, was particularly beautiful, practical and inexpensive. Their summer residence is very AT, and they share many stylistic similarities to your work Maxwell.
Note the main kitchen, here. The counters are quite impervious, and yet matte.
http://www.maisondunord.dk/The_Printshop.html
P.S. Maxwell, you are the last person I would expect to spell carrara marble incorrectly.
I would say save your money on refinishing the wood floors- I think they look great.
Instead, use that money to either open up the kitchen to the living room (if the landlord lets you) OR get rid of the double sink/cabinet in the bathroom and get something less outdated. The sink area is the first thing you see when you enter the bathroom and having an updated version and a new light fixture would do wonders in there.
I am excited to see how it turns out!
"Maxwell and Ursella" sounds like a really fun kids' book. They would be interesting characters.
Anyway, best wishes on this project! Hope it goes smoothly. Looking forward to watching your progress.
I think I would lodge in a tree for the chance to live in New York - this apartment has plenty going for it. Can't wait to see how it turns out!
I can't wait to see this place transformed. You and Ursula will be very happy there for sure. Good luck!
Hope you'll enjoy living there.
I would be interested to know what the budget for this project is. It does bother me that some of your choices for materials are on the expensive side, yet they do not seem best suited for purpose, IMHO. I've renovated a few kitchens, and wood flooring has always been a big no-no. We've had the (costly!) experience of having to replace beautiful oak planks that warped after rain leaked into our living room through French doors (our fault, we weren't vigilant about keeping drainage channels clear), and I've lost count how many times our machines have flooded the kitchen in EVERY place I've had, without exception. The money might be better spent on new cabinetry (drawers are more efficient, and I like your idea of stainless open shelving), task lighting, new faucet, things that will enhance your cooking experience. As for the rest of the house, a coat of bright white paint will freshen things up no end (perhaps paint the trim a dark colour to add interest and give the impression that the walls recede). The thing I would definitely change would be the bedroom carpet, which is grim. Have you considered Marmoleum? Not cheap, but natural, hardwearing, easier to clean than carpet, and comes in a wide range of colours. This is an interesting post - the constraints and discipline required when renovating a rental property really force us to consider function, and is extremely relevant for homeowners, too. I look forward to seeing the finished results!
Tutorial, please!
I will echo the other posters who have said that the tenant is making the mistakes you always see on those house flipping shows. They have pie in the sky wishes, blow the budget, and end up with a half finished job with many cut corners.
Personally, I would nix the carrerra marble countertops as well as the stainless steel shelves. The downside of carrerra has been discussed above and no future tenant wants open shelving. It either looks messy or is non-functional. Both big negatives in a small NYC apartment.
A good alternative would be a full complement of cabinets from Ikea and laminate or silestone/caesarstone countertops. I would re-tile the kitchen floor and skip the hardwood in the kitchen as well as the stained hardwoods. Save the money for a new vanity in the bathroom. And a little paint can go a long way, especially in the bedrooms.
I'm in my second hardwood floor kitchen. I don't get all the negativity. It's been fine and I cook every day. As long as you don't leave water pooled on the floor you won't have any problems, and I wouldn't leave water on the floor so I'm good.
My last house had wood floors that really needed refinishing, including in the kitchen where there were some bald areas where the finish had completely worn off. I personally rather liked the worn patina, that's why I never refinished it. (I did rub in a little teak oil from time to time as well as Bona Hardwood Floor Refresher.) Just like antique wooden furniture, sometimes a little distress adds to the character of the room.
I suppose Maxwell is probably held to a higher standard that I am.
@ Aussie - I am currently house hunting in the US and according to my realtor, you can't advertise a room as being a bedroom unless it has a closet and at least one window. Dunno if that rule is different for renting?
The more I think about it, the more I realize that poured resin would be perfect in the bedroom too instead of carpeting -- easy to clean, comfy, maintenance free, and gorgeous. High gloss white, or a subtle color, would be so beautiful. A fun product to try out for AT too!
Agree with @Boston_kat. All too often (and I've been guilty of this myself), we can get carried away when planning a renovation, and all thoughts of context and functionality fly out the window.
Re carrera marble - nice cool surface, good in Italian farmhouse kitchens, bakeries and chocolate shops.
Hey, you guys, that's freaking Maxwell, you're giving advice to. He's the resident expert here and he'll do whatever is best for him. Don't you think he has connections to the best and the brightest? Jeesh!
Best wishes, Maxwell, I know you'll create a wonderful space.
aussie and fizzfizz.....the problem with a windowless bedroom is egress....if there is a fire there is only one exit rather than two....i know people who have lived through apartment fires and they were saved by having a window as an exit
@BellaB "Don't you think he has connections to the best and the brightest?"
Yes, and the temptation could be to indulge in flights of fancy. I am very interested to see how the utilitarian aesthetic is put into practice here!
Windowless bedrooms aren't legal in NY but builders get around that by calling them "home offices." People use them as bedrooms a lot.
Windowless bedrooms BC where I live. I would not feel safe sleeping in a bedroom with no windows.