restoration Archives - Page 3 of 4

Grand Entrance

July 8, 2011 RH

I was just looking back on some old Flickr photos of my Bed Stuy renovation and realized that I never blogged about my fabulous parlor floor hallway. (Nor various other little projects)

That’s the before shot you see above. The previous owners “renovated” the house. Oh please, don’t get me started. Everything in the hallway was painted a glossy shit brown…the bannister, the newel post, the doors and the molding.

We took the double doors down and stripped and repaired them. They were in pretty bad shape and needed some fill in material. The back door with that badly home made transom was switched out for an antique door that actually fit into the frame.

Ah, but my pride and joy is that newel post! The one that was there when we bought the house consisted of four pieces of plywood boxed together with a Home Depot doodad on top. We found a gorgeous salvaged newel post that would have been original to a brownstone of this era and replaced it with that. The post was stripped and stained to match everything else.

The Victorian light fixture and ornate radiator were also salvaged finds.

This stuff doesn’t really take much design skill. It’s kind of just like putting back what was taken out.

Sullivan County Homes Under $30k

June 22, 2011 RH

Think you can’t afford a second home? What if I told you you can grab one for as low as $15k? Yup. I’m not saying it’s the most desirable house in the most desirable area, but you can make it a sweet getaway.

Don’t even THINK of grabbing that house above for $15,000. I want that one. Looks like an old farm house but it was actually built in 1970. This could be a plus, as it sits on 2.31 acres and old farm houses are almost always right on the road. So it’s possible this house is set back a bit. It’s located in Monticello. Last time I was in Monticello, I was about 12. No kidding. It was kind of crappy back then, although it’s a beautiful landscape. Anyway, who cares about any of this? The. house. is. $15k.

This listing doesn’t give much detail. I guess the agent couldn’t be bothered to even take a picture for her commission on the $29,900 list price. Looks good from that angle. It’s a 2594 square foot four bedroom in Hurleyville, NY. I think I have an idea of where that is. Nice hikes and all, but not much going on culturally. In fact, I do believe that if you’re not an orthodox Jew, you may feel a bit out of place. On the other hand, if this is a flip, a 4BR would be a selling point.

Yeah, I know. It looks like a trailer. But hear me out. It’s actually a 1950 ranch on 4.9 acres. divided into 2 parcels. Still with me? Good. Take a look at the interior shots. There’s something to work with here. Can you see your mid century fab getaway? Are you seeing the fifties kitchen? Oh, I didn’t mention that it’s in Neversink and includes lake rights and three outdoor sheds.

**When you’re looking at distressed properties, please keep in mind that you may encounter wildlife living INSIDE of the house. Try not to freak out. Where boots and bring a flashlight (although, if the realtor doesn’t have a flashlight for abandoned homes, they should be fed to the wildlife).

The House as Art

June 21, 2011 RH

A psychic once told me that I was going to become an interior designer. She said I see the way the fabric in a curtain hangs and I look at that as art. I was like “No, you’re nuts. I’m a photographer.” Well, about 25 years later, I realized that she wasn’t so far off.

There are two kinds of people in life. Those who want a completely finished home that just needs furnishing and those who see a fixer upper and get excited over the possibilities.

Up until a few years ago, I thought everyone wanted to have control over their own renovations. Sure, it takes up your entire life for a few years, but you forget all about it once it’s over. I wouldn’t want a nanny raising my (non-existent) baby. Why would I hand my house over to someone else?

Someone recently asked me “Why”? What is it that makes me walk into a chippy paint, crumbling, derelict home and fall in love?

Hmm.

Each home is a history lesson. Much like the Tenement Museum is one of the most fascinating places to me, a home forgotten in time takes me back to that era. These home are over 100 years old. Perhaps it’s my mission in life to preserve the past before some eejit rips everything out and installs sheetrock, engineered flooring and Home Depot molding. (I just puked in my mouth thinking about that.)

It’s a blank canvas. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a “creative”. I always see things and want to change them. I still have difficulty comprehending that not everyone is right brained. Is it like being psychic, where you have to develop that skill? If so, I should be working on my left brain capabilities because I’m sorely lacking in those areas.

Anyway, blank canvas. So, I walk into a house and I see the finished product. It’s kind of like being a photographer. I envision the end result and work backwards from there on how to make it happen.

“But HOW? HOW do you just walk in and envision everything finished?”

I don’t think I’m creative genius who comes up with completely original ideas. My memory sucks, but I must retain visuals from homes, museums and magazines that my brain recycles for each potential project. Well, there ya go! That’s something everyone could do. Start visiting house museums, go on house tours, travel, save images (the 2011 version of magazine clippings).

Adding, not taking away. Lookit. Say you buy a place that has been renovated, but it’s not your taste. You choose this place because the house that needs too much work scares you. But now you’re stuck ripping out that pink granite countertop and those hollow Home Depot composite doors. And what are you going to find underneath it all? How do you know the previous owner didn’t cover up rotting wood or leaky pipes? You don’t. And you’re adding NEW materials to the landfills.

With a fixer upper, you can look at the bones of the place. The original lines of the building. The intricate details and plaster curves that are no longer produced. Try to salvage that stuff! Something can’t be saved? Yeah, it goes in the landfill, but it was made 100 years ago, not 10.

Any questions??

Craigslist Building Materials

May 3, 2011 RH 7 Comments

Never underestimate the value of Craigslist when it comes to renovating your home. You can find anything from free studs to $1 Italian ceramic tile to reclaimed flooring at half the cost of outlets.

People often have leftover material from projects or they recycle the stuff they rip out. A short list of things I found on Craigs include…

1. Claw foot tub. Free
2. Glass mosaic tile counter and backsplash. $50
3. Finished walnut flooring for BR and hallway. $400
4. Like new cherry kitchen cabinets for entire kitchen. $500

How much does a marble kitchen countertop cost? $2000-$3000? $125 bucks for that 18×48 slab above. Yeah, you still have to cut it, but if you want a marble counter and it’s beyond your budget, this is one way to do it. I may actually give them a call as I’m looking for marble to use as window sills.

Reclaimed 1700’s pine wide plank flooring. No price and it looks to be a factory or lumber yard, so don’t know if it’s a bargain. Retailers charge $6 and up (way up) per square foot for this stuff. I think we paid around $10 many years ago, plus shipping.

This antique sink top includes the faucets and undermount sink for $200. Is that a fabulous bargain? Eh. But it’s one stop shopping since you don’t have to go out and find the fittings for the counter. You can sit it on top of an old dresser or antique wrought iron sewing machine base, as I’ve done in the past.

Retailers will charge something like $.65-$2.00 per used brick, but you can always find someone giving ’em up for nothing. This pile of used bricks is located in Poughkeepsie, NY. There are 250-300 of them. Sometimes you have to travel a bit to get something for nothing, so make sure it’s a whole bunch of something!

Old House Museums in the Boroughs

April 18, 2011 RH 3 Comments

Looking for something to do now that the weather is willing to cooperate? Hey kids, here’s an idea that’s fun and productive! Visit an old house museum. Get your inspiration from historic homes on a Saturday and start ripping into your house on the Sunday. (Some of these places are only open on weekdays, so you’ll have to call in sick.)

In Manhattan. FYI, did you know you can take a tour of Gracie Mansion? I never even considered that. Shipping merchant Archibald Gracie built this “country home” in 1799. It went through a few incarnations, including the Museum of the City of New York, until 1942. Fiorello La Guardia was the first mayor to move into Gracie Mansion.

Also, check out Manhattan’s only remaining lighthouse!

In Brooklyn. The Lefferts House has been right under my nose all these years and yet I’ve never been inside. This is one of the few remaining farmhouses in Brooklyn. The period rooms reflect daily life in the 1820’s and what finer backyard than Prospect Park?

In Queens. King Manor Museum was home to Rufus King, one of the first senators from New York. The house opened as a museum in 1900 and today, programs focus on King’s role in the antislavery movement.

In The Bronx. The Edgar Allan Poe Cottage is currently closed for restoration, but I’m including it here anyway because Poe is too cool to pass up. Poe spent the later years of his life in the 1812 cottage. He wrote such poems here as “Annabel Lee” and his wife Virginia actually died in the cottage.

In Staten Island. The Alice Austen House Museum is a Victorian Gothic cottage overlooking the water near on Verrazano Narrows. Austen was one of the first female photographers in America. The museum features Austen’s images as well as those of contemporary photographers. Plus, it’s a great old house.

Replacement Windows

March 23, 2011 RH 15 Comments

Oy, we knew window replacements would be a pricey pain the arse, but we thought we would get away with 2 quotes tops and be on our way to setting up the next project.

The windows in our brownstone are those horrible 1980’s vinyl type. This winter felt like we left them wide open. They are DRAFT-TEE!

Ok, so here’s what we learned about historic-but-not-landmarked windows.

There are two ways to install new windows: Replacement or Brick to Brick. Now, replacement (which is what the vinyl are) would be dead easy and really inexpensive, but there’s no point replacing crap with crap.

Brick to brick is the way to go. Why? Because the installer takes out the entire frame and insulates the empty pockets where the window workings once were. Right now, that is what is creating the draft more than the actual windows. An added bonus is that the window will be a few inches larger and look much nicer. More window, less clad.

Fine. Unfortunately, our windows aren’t straight rectangles. They have a lovely eyebrow at the top. Yes, it’s lovely. But it also means we need custom windows if we want to go back to the original look. Which we do. They will be wood and they will cost anywhere from $2000-$5000 apiece depending on the window location (they vary in size) and who’s doing the quote. That is x 7 not including the rear windows.

The rear windows are pretty straightforward and there are no shutter pockets, so it looks like we can get away with replacements. Aluminum or fiberglass is better than vinyl. They can be made with a wood veneer interior to match the front windows.

And what about window manufacturers? Marvin is top of the line and pretty much one of the only companies we can use because of our silly-shaped historic windows.

Kolbe supposedly makes a nice product, not as expensive as Marvin. People seem to poo-poo Pella and Anderson. Pella has a more modern look to them anyway.

The window guy who’s coming to do a quote later today was talking about LePage Windows. The Canadian company does custom windows that are less expensive than Marvin. Website looks promising and I’m especially loving the French casement design (pictured above) that won’t work in a brownstone.

Finally, the installation matters as much as or more than the windows. You can have the finest quality window in the world. But it ain’t gonna keep you warm if it’s not tight in the frame.

So, there’s your Windows 101. More to follow when we actually buy and install said windows.

DIY:Plaster Medallion Repair

March 21, 2011 RH 2 Comments

The broken plaster medallion came out of a Park Slope brownstone restoration about four years ago. I purchased a bunch of architectural salvage from these folks who were updating (raping) their historic home.

Fast forward to this past weekend. I finally repaired it.

Now, if you’re thinking I’m going to give you expert advice on how to successfully repair ornamental plaster, think again. A word of caution…this was all trail and error. So, I’ll share with you the mistakes I made so you don’t have to go through it yourself. Deal?

I couldn’t really find any DIY posts on this subject and I found out there was good reason. It’s a job for a skilled professional. The best article I found was from the government historic preservation site.

Ok, so DIY….

Well, my first idea which I thought was so brilliant, was to build a mold. I went to the useless Pratt Art Supply Store where not one of the four employees I asked knew anything about molds. Hello, art supply store? Know your merch! But I digress.

The resin mold might have worked fine if I wasn’t too lazy to build the perfect support to house it. Ah, but I was. I did a half ass job and the liquid mold dripped out. What was left of my mixture in the cup did harden quickly, so I’m thinking it may have work better if I let it set first to a jello-like consistency. But alas, I didn’t and the thin coat that was on the medallion was impossible to get off.

Take two. I’ll sculpt it myself.

I’ve never worked with Plaster of Paris before. Love the pre-mixed stuff too much. It took me a few tries of mixing the plaster to get it right. FYI, that shit hardens immediately! The trick is to a) use ice cold water and b) hit it with a spoonful of vinegar to retard the drying process. You still need to work fast, but at least it’s within the realm of possibility.

The mixture in the photo below was way too thick. It dried completely within like 2 minutes, leaving me no time to work.

Ok, this is where you might not want to take my word as gospel. Do your own research because I haven’t a clue if this is the right way of doing it. I just know that my medallion hasn’t fallen apart yet.

I started from the back. I had to support it somehow. I didn’t have fiberglass mesh in the house and this metal screen was just sitting there staring at me, so I figured WTF? It’s stiffer than mesh. Um, kind of like re-bar, right? I dipped paper joint compound tape into the plaster and used it to “paste” the screen backing. I also built it up on top of the tape. Think plaster cast or paper mache.

The next step was to build it up and start to shape it. Since sculpting is not my forte, I figured there would be some sanding involved.

Here’s the first glob. That took some hand sanding until I realized I could cheat with a Dremel tool. The Dremel worked great! One more application of plaster and some more sanding did a good enough job.

Oh, this is the unbroken side I was trying to replicate. Not bad for my first attempt at this stuff, right? Please be kind if you know I totally did it the wrong way. Just humor me.

Goodbye, Dream Home

December 14, 2010 RH 2 Comments

In a few hours we’ll be closing on the sale of our Beacon house. Don’t get me wrong, I’m elated that I’ll have one less headache. You know the saying “The more you own, the more it owns you”. We’ll take weekends off instead of working on the house and we’ll buy toys for ourselves because we won’t be paying two mortgages. It’s all good!

I can’t help but feel a bit melancholic though. This was our dream house and it took us a long while to arrive at a place where we were able to afford our perfect house. We thought we would stay forever. We stayed for six years.

So, goodbye huge backyard. Goodbye spectacular antique woodwork. And stained glass. And awesome wrap around porch. So long, pocket doors. Turret.

It’s not you that we’re leaving, House. Don’t feel bad. As of today, you’ll get a fresh blast of love from someone new. If we could transplant you to Brooklyn, we would. But alas, it isn’t to be. We needed to be back in the city at this time.

We are fortunate enough to be living in another architectural dream of ours: The Brownstone.

But between you and I, House, Queen Anne Victorian trumps narrow brownstone living any day of the week.

I’ll miss you! 🙁

PS: I’m keeping the logo.

10 DIY Tools To Be Thankful For

November 23, 2010 RH

1. That razor blade holder thing for paint removal.
2. Cordless drill. Oh honey, I’ll never take you for granted.
3. Tape measure with marked fractions. Because I don’t know how to read it otherwise. Yup, there, I’ve said it.
4. Duct tape. You know why. When you can’t fix it….
5. Swiss Army Knife. Well, I don’t really use it around the house, but I carry it with me and it does come in handy at work.
6. Center punch. That little thing comes in handy!
7. Staple gun. Almost as versatile as duct tape.
8. Foam paint brushes. So environmentally unfriendly, yet so unbelievably convenient.
9. Metal snips. Because you can use them to trim bushes too.
10. Hammer. Of course, I wouldn’t forget you, my dear old friend.

Garage Face Lift

August 30, 2010 RH

So, the Beacon house has been on the market for nearly four months now and we are freaking out, man! We’ve decided to give it one more month (maybe two) since the summer was sort of a dead zone and then we’ll have to think about renting it out until the market picks up again. That being said, just when we’re about to give up, it looks as if we may have a few interested parties. Fingers crossed!

The plan over the weekend was to go up to Beacon and ready the exterior for winter, should we end up keeping it or should the new owner take over during the cold months. The front of the house was painted when the new porch was put in, but the rest of the house is screaming for a paint job. (BTW, what ever happened to people who think it’s romantic to work on an old home? Are we the only ones left?) No, the two of us didn’t repaint our entire house over the weekend. We did scrape and touch up the worst bits. Now it just looks patchy but maintained, instead of neglected. At least this way, if it doesn’t get painted until next Spring, the clapboard isn’t rotting away.

The garage face lift was just that. Like an aged has-been getting her face pulled tight when her neck remains wrinkled and saggy, the garage now looks better at first glance. We’re not trying to fool anyone. The structure needs complete rehabilitation at best or needs to be torn down and rebuilt. The waste of half a day and the leftover paint was decided upon when we realized that this is the first thing people see when they pull into the driveway. So, now at least it looks like a charming dilapidated shed instead of a total eyesore. Smoke and mirrors. Curb appeal. Whatev.

Salvage Fix: Awesome Chandelier

July 13, 2010 RH 3 Comments

See, this is why I shouldn’t leave the house. I go out looking for some restoration materials and I come back with a light fixture that I don’t need.

Roy Vaccaro has lots of iron work and other goodies at his outdoor spot near Gowanus Lowe’s. I went looking for some marble for my window sills (Eddie Hibbert, if you’re reading this, you never called me back!) and ended up falling in love.

Check out that baby below! It’s big and heavy and has griffins and lions. How could I not buy it? The husband says it may be too heavy for our ceiling and I said “You make it work.” Cue whip sound.

Roy had many cute lights, but I had to close my eyes and keep moving.

So, what do you think I paid for it? Huh? Huh? It’s about 2 feet tall and is missing one dangly piece. Of course it needs rewiring.

Lefferts Manor House Tour on Sunday!

May 21, 2010 RH

When people think of the antique housing stock Brooklyn has to offer, they usually think of the brownstones. Or the Victorians in Ditmas. But Lefferts Manor historic district in Prospect Lefferts Gardens is all that and more. It has been described by NYC Landmarks Preservation as one of the finest “enclaves of late 19th- and early 20th-century housing in New York City”.

Tucked away right in the heart of Brooklyn, it’s what us old timers used to refer to as Flatbush, along with a gazillion other neighborhoods. The housing stock consists mainly of single family homes that were never used as rooming houses because of a covenant.

The 2010 house tour, sponsored by The Lefforts Manor Association is this Sunday, May 23rd from noon to 5pm. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

There are nine homes on the tour ranging in various architectural style and interior design. It’s an excellent way to steal ideas for your own home projects! If that’s not enough for you, there will be music, refreshments and wine.

This Is Not My Beautiful House

May 6, 2010 RH 3 Comments

After a grueling final week to get the Beacon home on the market, it’s finally listed on MLS. The house has never looked so good. Yesterday was the broker’s open house which had a really good turn out.

The open house was called for 12-2pm and so my schedule went something like this:

4:30am. Wake up. Cawfeeeee.

5:00am. Paint spot on kitchen wall that was spackled the day before. Paint some patches in the bathroom.

5:30am. Clean cat pee bathroom. Bleach the shit out of it.

6:30am. Shower.

7:00am. Oooh, I stink again! What can ya do?

7:15am. Clear tools and ladders from kitchen. Vacuum new white grout that was never sealed and will be gray grout by end of week.

8:00am. Take out screens and storm windows in preparation for the window cleaner.

8:30am. Cawfeeee break. Call broker to delegate refreshment duty to him.

9:00am. Window cleaner arrives. We discover that the top windows that are covered by the storm windows won’t open. He can only clean the bottoms.

9:30am. Discover the bathroom drain is leaking since I pushed the pedestal sink too hard while cleaning cat pee. Throw a sheet down and pray the contractor comes on time today.

10:00am. Clean the rest of the kitchen without water because it’s not hooked up.

10:30am. Ah, Dimas the contractor has arrived only a half hour late! Quick Dimas, leak! Backsplash! Shelf!

11:00am. Dust and clean the rest of the house with the help of Dimas and his assistant, John.

11:30am. Jon of JonCar Realty arrives with the desserts. Dunkin Donuts and Sam’s Club. Really?

12:05pm. Change out of painting clothes while the first realtor arrives. Must dress like an orthodox Jew on this hot day because I have paint all over my arms and haven’t shaved my legs in like a decade.

2:30pm. Discover a large pubic hair on white bathroom floor after last realtor leaves.

Flickr house photos

Hallway, Bedroom, Guest Room, Bathroom

April 26, 2010 RH 3 Comments

Got to add a few more rooms to the “finished” list over the weekend. We still have plenty of work to do, but as far as we’re concerned, the house will be ready to go on the market by next weekend! Hopefully, we’ll have something that resembles a kitchen by then.

They Said It Couldn’t Be Done

April 19, 2010 RH 4 Comments

Four months ago we embarked on a major renovation to get our Beacon house on the market by Spring. April 30th is the target date. We went over room by room, taking up some floors and taking down some walls. Nobody thought we would be ready in time, including (especially) the broker.

“That’s a tall order!” “April?! Good luck!” “That’s impossible.”

Ha! They don’t know who they’re dealing with. We are rocking this house and kicking it’s gorgeous ass into shape! So much so, that we have to get out of here quick because it’s so museum-like that’s it’s no longer habitable by slobs like us.

Behold the three downstairs rooms that are totally finished. Yeah, I know you’ve seen them, but I changed stuff around and took new pictures. All but one of the upstairs rooms will be finished today. It’s just a matter of me cleaning them up enough to take pictures.

Yes, we moved the dining area to the room just off the kitchen. Makes more sense than the way we had it.

Go ahead, tell us how great we are. Pat us on the back.

Oh, and PS: Dimas the contractor? Ever since he and his assistant John read my blog post about how slow as shit he is….they picked up the pace!!

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