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Worst Real Estate Photo Awards

April 11, 2008 RH 3 Comments

As many of you know by now, my real day job is photography. I cringe when I see bad real estate photos. If it’s a high priced listing, I get really irate. But today I’m just going to kick back and have a good laugh at the expense of these poor saps who can’t use a camera.

$249k: Log Home

Does the scary ax murderer come with the house? This home was listed under Long Island. It is located in Delaware County. A bit of a stretch. Interior shots include deer hides hanging from a balcony. You know that guy out front enjoyed gutting them with his own two hands! Nice house though.

$210k: 2 BR Coop, Mill Basin

OK, TAKE-THE-FRIGGEN-PLASTIC-OFF-OF-THE-CABINETS!

$899k: 2 Family in Park Slope

Oh look, this house has a toilet. Actually, the photos aren’t bad at all. I just had to get this in here because it’s a 2 family brick on 8th Street for under $900k. What’s the catch? Find out….open house this Sunday.

$479k: 2 Family FSBO, Crown Heights

Again with the toilet! What, it would’ve killed them to lower the lid? You just know it’s a guy taking the picture.

Philadelphia listings

This agent listed under NYC. “Had it with NY rents? Buy Philadelphia!” I think she looks cute and the photo is sweet. But that pose! Is it her high school year book photo?

$689k: 3 Family, Bed Stuy

How lazy do you have to be to not pick up a few tools, throw them in the bucket and move the friggen bucket out of the frame? I mean, really! This is the same guy with the toilet lid photo. Just give up, Mark. Why get out of bed in the morning? Must be a huge effort.

Ladies, doesn’t this look like that one night stand you had when you were too drunk to remember anything? This shot is plastered all over his Hudson Valley Craigs listings, but I was bummed to find out it looked sharp on his website. So I can only partially mock. Informative blog too.

I’m not going to post this last photo. Click on link to Craigs if you have good bandwidth. They just need a little lesson in screen resolution is all.

Tweaking for the Brooklyn Flea

April 11, 2008 RH 5 Comments

Tarnished? Yeah, so?

Last week I did ok at the Brooklyn Flea, but not phenomenal. It was nobody’s fault but my own as 20,000 people came through and some vendors actually sold out.

My mistake? I thought people would want a finished product. I made sure to bring only clean, refurbished handmade items. And I charged for them. But I think many people were looking for the bargains. I know that’s I do.

So I picked up a ton of small junky items this week. I’m going to display them, all dusty and sh*t and price them at less than $20. I don’t mind parting with pieces when I haven’t put in the time and effort. I’m having more fun hunting down these goodies than restoring antiques anyway.

Come visit! Bishop Loughlin Memorial HS in Fort Greene, on Lafayette Ave. between Clermont and Vanderbilt Ave. Booth C-5.

I’m not rewiring and it’s so freeing!

How easy to pack fabric and linens!

Virtual Faucet Creator

April 10, 2008 RH 1 Comment

Create your dream faucet! California Faucets offers online design software that allows customers to choose any handle, spout and finish they desire. You can start from scratch or modify an existing faucet.

Once finished, you print it out and bring it to a dealer, where they order your custom design. It would be even better if you can just shoot it off to them via the internet.

I don’t need a faucet at the moment but I want to do it just for the heck of it.

Via Materialicious

Urban Gardens

April 9, 2008 RH 3 Comments

I’m trying to get some Spring excitement going here. What’s more inspiring than planting a garden? Or if you live in an apartment….a window box or potted plant.

Since I don’t know a thing about plants (except how to kill and eat them), I’ll point you in the direction of some other fabbo blogs.

Check out the window boxes on City Dirt

Botany for Horticulturists at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens by Flatbush Gardener

Spring Cleaning from The Bark Tree. Posted in March, but it’s still chilly, so good for April too. I guess.

Zero VOC Paint at Home Depot?

April 9, 2008 RH 4 Comments

You know the green building movement has taken off when Home Depot starts selling no VOC paints. Fresh Aire Choice is the latest zero VOC paint to hit the market and it’s being sold exclusively through that orange big box store.

Now I don’t know my paint science, but the company claims that chemicals are put back into other paints once the color is added. Fresh Aire technology uses a pre-measured ColorFresh™ colorant pouch which dissolves into the paint base without expelling any chemical odor.

The paint comes in 65 colors and is Green Guard certified.

Via Leed Pro

Reclaimed Forum

April 8, 2008 RH

Ever notice how nothing ever happens on the forum? No? That’s because you never visit. Because nothing ever happens. But I’m still trying to make it work, goddammit. I just posted a couple of new listings for people, but feel free to post your own. Categories: Salvage, Events/Sales, Pets, Sustainable Living, Real Estate and General. What are you waiting for?

1930’s Dining Room Set: $500

New York City College of Technology Division of Continuing Education

Home Design and Green Design Courses: Spring 2008

An ongoing series devoted to city people who live in and love their urban homes

Anatomy of a Brownstone: Green Roofs, Green Homes

A seminar devoted to the art and science of sustainable homes, NYC style

Saturday, April 26 Atrium Amphitheatre 300 Jay Street

2 sessions, (morning and afternoon) $40

10 am to 12 pm 300 Jay Street, Downtown Brooklyn

2pm to 4pm

Forum post/course schedule

Brooklyn Flea: And So It Begins

April 7, 2008 RH 6 Comments

Emilia will be working with me every Sunday.

The coldest day of the year didn’t keep people away from the Brooklyn Flea. What happened to the sun yesterday?! Man, was it cold out there!!! So, that’s my excuse for this semi lame post you are about to read. I didn’t get around the whole market to take pics and interview vendors as I had planned because I just wanted to sit under my moving blanket, which is what we were using to prevent hypothermia.

We finally nabbed a couple of VERY WORN Carhartt coats from Eddie. We looked like we were homeless and probably scared people off, but we were warm. Eddie was there with his Dad (a 70 something year old man who looks 30). So Eddie would be Lamont to his Dad’s Fred?

I’m sure Brownstoner will post how many folks came through, but sometime during the afternoon I heard that the count was at 9,000 and they were expecting it to hit 15,000 by the end of the day. Not bad for a first day with arctic temperatures.

We had fun. Made some dough. Met a bunch of cool people.

Apologies for all the concussions caused by our sign being too low. We realized it was actually the tent that wasn’t fully extended. Oops.

So whom did I meet?

The Silver Nest divas.

There are a handful of sane commenters on Brownstoner and Debii and Suzanne of Silver Nest are 2 of them. I’m the third. I’ve known them online for awhile. Emilia had the pleasure of working with them at the Salvage Fest last year, but it was my first time meeting them in the flesh.

Reclaimed lamps from Silver Nest

Silver Nest (website under construction) offers four lines: Silver Nest, an amalgamation of things from reclaimed objects, original photography of architectural detail on pillows, and other objects. Jenny Sparrow, figures, faces, dolls, etc worked into jewelry, shadowboxes, decorative boxes, etc. Sewing Diva is mostly pillows. Blatherscat Lighting, vintage table lighting, cleaned up, often rewired, with new shades, etc.

The Moss & Ash chicks were cold too.

From their website: “Moss & Ash was born out of Annabel and Anna’s desire to share their ability to turn frumpy grandma nightgowns and muumuus into fashionable, fresh, and affordable vintage clothing. They re-make old, outdated dresses into one-of-a-kind pretty pieces, selling them with various vintage accessories that culminate in the edgy, yet feminine look that they both embrace.”

“The Bowling Alley Guy”

Couterevolution. Jim Malone crafts countertops, tables and benches out of reclaimed wood from bowling alleys. Bowling alleys began phasing out real wood for lanes in the 1980’s and Jim salvages these vanishing resources. Cool stuff!

Revere Sugar Refinery, Red Hook by Bob Marvin

Got to meet Bob Marvin of the Fort Green Photography Association. He’s the 4th sane commenter on Brownstoner. That leaves room for just one more. Bob does some fine black and white prints and still gets to work in the darkroom, which is a dying art. I didn’t get a chance to get over to his booth, but I was lucky enough that he stopped by mine. Next week, Bob!

Vintage fabrics from Repro Depot

The Silver Fox vendors woke up at 2am to come down from Albany.

Monday Linkorama

April 7, 2008 RH 3 Comments

For the first time in the history of Reclaimed Home (all 7 months), I did not write my posts the night before. Enjoy these other blogs and we’ll get back to you momentarily (probably by 8am). Apologies to the early morning breakfast crowd.

Exposed Vs. Unexposed Brick: Charles and Hudson

Pizza Tour of Brooklyn: OTBKB

Cleaning Up The Neighborhood: Bed Stuy Blog

Yestermorrow “Tool Camp”: Renovation Therapy formerly known as I Love Upstate

Composting Toilet: Bob Vila

Recycled Driftwood Horses: Groovy Green

Gearing Up For Brooklyn Flea

April 4, 2008 RH 6 Comments

Kick ass sign by Emilia

Anyone who has been paying attention knows that I’ll be joining Brownstoner’s Brooklyn Flea every weekend as of this Sunday. It will be a coming out of sorts as I’ve only had an online store presence (and Craigslist).

Before my photography career got off the ground I sold jewelry made from my photographs. I was a street vendor, then graduated on to markets (Tower and Columbus), street fairs and crafts shows. So, yeah, this is a step backward (to the 80’s). But sometimes that’s not a such bad thing. I’m looking forward to being creative again and not having to kiss client buttocks.

In preparing for the flea, I’ve taken over EVERY room in two houses. (See photos below) If I earn one penny on Sunday, I am RUNNING, not walking to get a work/storage space. And I’m hiring some help! So keep your fingers crossed for me. No better yet, come buy some sh*t!

The original plan for the Reclaimed store was to represent other artisans. However, I got worried about relying on them to fill orders when they couldn’t even return my calls. So, now I’m selling antiques and vintage fixtures and furnishings. Some restored or reconfigured, some “as is”. I’ll throw in functional (and non functional) art as I get to it. I have tons of vintage black and white NYC photos that I’ve already started playing with. I’ve got a light fixture fetish because they’re easy to restore and schlepp. So, plenty of those. Price points: Industrial hooks and antique drawer pulls starting at $8.00 up to $1350 for sink vanities.

Brooklyn Flea will take place every Sunday from 10am to 5pm—rain or shine—starting April 6, 2008, at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, on Lafayette Ave. between Clermont and Vanderbilt Ave. Look for Reclaimed Home at the Clermont fence, 5 vendors in from Lafayette. That’s where we’ll be this Sunday. Don’t know if it’s the same every week. Come say hello!

BTW, got the wheels. Don’t come a knockin’!

Trial run of new tent. The dogs liked it.

Bed Stuy living room. Renovations halted.

Beacon living room. Fixture rewire center.

Another fetish: mannequins and scary dolls.

Still needs to be rewired.

Too lazy to take good photo and upload to store.

I Have A Dream

April 4, 2008 RH 5 Comments

I know. This is a house blog. And I promised myself I wouldn’t get political. But this being the 40th anniversary of the MLK assassination, I’m inspired to publicly endorse my man, Barack. So support OB! Do it for me. Do it for you. Do it for the country. Do it for the King. (not Elvis)And I promise…I’ll try not to get political too often.

Senator Obama photo

Oval Office photo

Park Slope Homes Under $1Mil

April 3, 2008 RH 3 Comments

We tend to ignore Park Slope on this site because we deal with affordable housing and the Slope is anything but. We’re also not big fans of what it has become in recent years. Manhattanized, suburbanized, homogenized. How can a place be both Manhattan and suburban at the same time? Ah, grasshoppers, the new Manhattan IS the suburbs. Look at all those damn chain stores!

If you simply MUST live in Park Slope, it’s possible to do so on a budget. No, you won’t find an immaculate brownstone in prime Slope. You CAN find crappy new construction on 4th Avenue, tiny doll houses near the Gowanus and places that need lots of work.

We’ve chosen 2 family listings (all but one) because rents in PS are as out of control as home prices. Let the tenants carry your mortgage.

$719k: 2 Family New Construction

$729k: 2 Family Duplex

$799k: Single Family

$945k: 2 Family

$999k: 2 Family

Local Reclaimed Lumber

April 3, 2008 RH 2 Comments

It’s not like there’s a reclaimed building material megastore store in every neighborhood. Using second hand lumber is a labor of love. The day we launched we did a post on reclaimed flooring resources, but it was internet based. Since then, we’ve been trying to find local…and less expensive….wood.

Craigslist has been the best resource. If you go this route, you really need to start thinking about your project months in advance and check the postings religiously. The listings exist, from someone who ordered too much flooring to someone taking up a subfloor to someone tearing down an entire house. You should be able to transport the material at the drop of a hat and be willing drive to CT and NJ. It can be a full time job.

M. Fine Lumber is located right here in Brooklyn. They are not some new fancy pants green building supply company. They’ve been in business since the 1930’s and carry all sorts of recycled wood.

Build It Green in Queens is a re-use store. You would have to be extremely lucky to find 500 sq ft of wide plank flooring here. But keep in mind that wood studs and molding don’t grow on trees and yet they can be found here. As well as used electric boxes, cabinets, etc. (Editor’s note: Ok, I know that studs and molding ARE trees. Poetic license.)

The Old Barwood Site is for serious builders. These are whole barns up for sale. National listings but there are a few in upstate NY and PA. If you’re working on a huge project with a contractor, perhaps you can talk the contractor into it. Too much to take on for a simple DIY job.

The Borscht Belt: Then & Now

April 2, 2008 RH 9 Comments

My family did the Catskills well into the 80’s. During the 70’s, they left me at a bungalow colony with my grandmother summer weekdays while all my Goyishe friends were at camp. We had family reunions at the big hotels until that whole generation moved down to Florida.The first year of my marriage (1988), the in-laws were invited to one of these reunions. They’re probably still haunted by the memory of it. Proper Dubliners integrating with a bunch of loud mouth New York Jews for the entire weekend. It wasn’t pretty. My immediate family alone is enough to scare anyone off, but the cousins make us look GOOD!

20 years later, we’re still married and you know what? At least my family realizes they’re nuts. I’d rather wear it on my sleeve than sweep it under a rug.

Anyway, The Borscht Belt….yeah, I’m getting to that! I was all set to do a post on the abandoned hotels, but now it looks as if some of them are reopening.Continue reading The Borscht Belt: Then & Now

UK Kicks Buttocks in the Salvage Dept.

April 2, 2008 RH

Feeding my toilet fetish.

I’m so tired of doing a salvage search and coming up with UK sites. We need to get our acts together on this continent. What does England have that we don’t have? An interest in preserving historic detail, that’s what!

I’m only speaking of Britain. I visit Ireland often and it’s a damn shame what’s happening there. McMansions scattered around the countryside. Yuck! On a recent visit, I schlepped the hubby all over Dublin looking for salvage shops I had researched online before the visit. Every one of them was gone. Guess I should have called beforehand. D’uh!

Anyway, check out some of these British resources if you want to get depressed that we’re stuck here in Toll Brothers Country. I know we have some great salvage places across the states, but our homes just aren’t as old as they are there.

Period Living magazine is just chock full of ideas and resources.

Salvo Web. I did a post on them before, because they do have a smattering of US listings.

Salvo Fair 2008 takes place in June.

Cox’s Architectural Salvage

Monger’s

Rent-A-Dog

April 1, 2008 RH

I can’t remember a time in my life that I didn’t have a pet (or several) in my home. My mother and I took in cats when I was young. My brother was more of a turtle, tarantula, iguana type of guy. Interesting…he’s still alittle, um, “eccentric”. When I travel without my pets I miss them terribly. And if there’s a cat or dog at the place I’m staying, I tend to temporarily adopt them.

Now there’s hope for people like me. No, it’s not “Animal Rescuers Anonymous”. It’s Flexpet. People who don’t have time to care for a full time pet can rent a companion when they need to. The trained and healthy rescue dogs are between 3-5 years of age and can be adopted if you’ve fallen in love. Membership of $279.95 contributes towards full care of all the dogs. Steep, I know, but that’s one visit to the vet for me.

The “Canine Ambassador Program” is offered to hospitality businesses. Hotels can have dogs meet, greet and walk with folks like me who get lonely on vacation.

Flexpet has locations in NYC and LA and has many other cities in the works, both in the US and abroad.

Mother in law with allergies coming to visit? Rent a pet! Need a pick up aide? Rent a dog! Want to push out annoying roommates or tenants? Rent a loud yappy mutt!

Via NY Times

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