Custom carpentry is customization in the literal sense, which means that our craftsmanship allows us to create, alter and adapt based on personal or individual specifications and not from a handful of cookie-cutter options. This works best through our close consultation with the customer, and the more the customer knows about what he or she wants, the better it is for both contractor and patron. At Alan Michael Carpentry, we help our customers share a vision of what they want and need in their impending construction and remodeling project. The clearer their vision and understanding, the better we can assist them in realizing their dreams step by step.
Consultation and the resultant design plan prior to onset the job are critical so both the carpenter and customer are ultimately satisfied with the finished project. We work best with the home or business owner who thoroughly checks us out to ensure that our credentials are valid through previous customers for whom we have worked. It’s not so much about you telling us how to do it. That’s our job. But the clearer the picture you give us of what you want, whether it is a renovated kitchen, a totally reinvented bathroom, or a custom closet, the more satisfying our joint venture will be.
“The more you can tell me what you want, the better I can break down the costs,” owner and founder Alan Bowes has said of that ongoing relationship with each customer. “It means better quality, less time correcting things that may not have been clear, and the happier we both are.”
We are familiar with the building trends and historic architecture of the 500 square miles of Westchester County and the rest of New York’s Hudson Valley. Our renovation and building projects reflect the unique tastes of you, the customer, while exemplifying the strengths of your community and neighborhood. Our proximity to Metropolitan New York gives us an appreciation for a wide assortment of building styles in both contemporary and traditional neighborhoods.
Our Signature? Quality of Labor, Materials
Because of what many desire as a one-of-a-kind renovation or addition, custom carpentry relies on the products and materials we’ll need from project to project to achieve this, and they can be significantly different from one contractor to another. It’s not unusual for custom carpenters to have a signature look to their projects, and some of it has to do with the building products they prefer. The best signature, however, goes to the very heart of customization, and that is the quality of labor and the craftmanship our customers recognize in every job we do.
One thing that should be taken into consideration when hiring a custom carpenter in woodworking projects such as bathroom and kitchen renovations is that they usually involve multiple trades in close quarters. Such projects require compatibility in working with electricians, plumbers, and tilers being taken into consideration before work on the project even begins.
Because of the assortment of building features and architects in the Tri-State Area and New York City itself, we are called upon to bring our experience and expertise to residential, commercial, and cultural construction settings. They run the gamut from houses to apartments and townhouses, and we have to work and communicate with, not just other contractors, but engineers, architects and designers as well.
As custom carpenters, we strive to bring a unique and personalized look to every project.
https://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7107.heic00Jeremyhttps://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/logo.pngJeremy2023-04-12 18:07:362023-04-12 18:09:21Fundamentals of Custom Carpentry: Customers the Key
Good bones bring new life to a kitchen, bathroom, and a central foyer
“After” photos by Michael Hnatov for Sweeten
“I’m shocked by how long it took us to renovate,” the owner of this Westchester, New York, home said. “You know what they say about having kids, though: The days are long but the years are short.”The house, at 5,500 square feet, was also large, and in great, if not quite stylish, condition. It felt livable, and that’s why these finance execs-cum-parents of now high-school-age daughters put the finishing touches on their renovation nearly a decade after buying it.
The single-family house, built in the early 1960s, is like many in this Westchester County suburb. Its layout featured a formal entry hall and a dedicated dining room, plus a finished basement that boosts the total square footage. When the family of four and their pets moved into the home, it had just received a round of pre-sale renovations.
The kids were in elementary school. “We always knew we’d update it and make it more our style at some point,” the owner said, “but we weren’t in a rush.” They’d lived happily in Manhattan for 15 years, and then in a rental in Scarsdale for three more before committing to the new home. “We wanted,” said the owner, “to live in our home long enough to find a clear vision.”
When the goal of the project crystallized, it was fairly simple: They wanted to preserve the home’s great bones and traditional features—including old hardwood floors, large windows with a diamond grill pattern, some stained-glass touches—and blend in a modern-classic feel. Some plans were solely functional.
The bathrooms, which had not been renovated since the home was built, were outdated and slated for a full redo. But the rest of the house would get a gentle, progressively modern update that would play off and enhance what was already there.
“We were excited about the job as a whole,” the owner said, but “relieved to know we could do a lot just by just adding a few touches.” In the end, they did a bit more than that. The home’s spacious foyer, already a stunner, got a dramatic makeover, featuring daring large-slab marble tile and a deco-style beaded chandelier. Those bathrooms got their gut-jobs, redone with glass-walled showers, gleaming fixtures, and statement lighting.
The mudroom received a sleek redesign, with functional storage, and whimsical bright-blue penny-round floor tile. And the kitchen received a playful update, with a painted hardwood floor, a boldly mirrored backsplash, and a wraparound marble overlay on the existing peninsula providing a stylish second life for the high-end cabinetry that was already there.
The process, the owner warned, was grueling at times, especially since the family of four lived in the house throughout. “We expected some inconvenience—especially since we have a dog and a cat—but it was a big challenge,” the owner said. “Towels and blankets under doors went a long way, but dust found its way around.”
Despite inconveniences, the project also bore happy surprises, like the ugly, thin carpet in the office that lifted to reveal a beautiful parquet floor. The Sweeten contractor cleaned it up and stained it white, which markedly opened the space. “We now have three rooms with different patterns of wood floor,” the owner says. While to some this might sound like a nightmare scenario, these little-bit-of-everything-loving homeowners find the mixed-up style “very cool.”
Because one never knows when a gorgeous discovery will save the contractors a few days’ effort, this homeowner suggests taking time to map out the renovation process in detail, with contingencies. And ask for the tough love you need to maintain your timeline: ordering deadlines for materials so you’ll have them before they’re needed; assignments for moving things around the house as work carries on.
“Our contractor,” the homeowner says, “was patient and thoughtful about what needed to be ordered. More important, he completed work on time, if not early. He was easy to work with, responsive and flexible. We also knew that, should that attitude change, Sweeten had our backs.”
Opportunities for efficiency and satisfaction can be found by playing an active part in the project, the homeowner said. Living in the house throughout the process, he says, allowed the family to see it day-to-day. “My favorite part,” he said, “was watching the rooms finish one by one and seeing the larger picture slowly emerge.”
In the end, he said, the family stayed close to their budgeted figures and felt real satisfaction in the job’s completion. “It’s great to be done and the house finally feels like our home,” he said. “The vision we had came together, and now we can build on it with details like family photos and objects we love.”
https://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/MHP_6091-scaled.jpg17042560Alan Boweshttps://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/logo.pngAlan Bowes2019-11-21 20:05:382019-11-21 20:08:01A Traditional House Remodel Offers a Dose of Modern
In 2005, a condo conversion gave Felix the opportunity to buy an apartment in the Williamsburg building where she had rented for three years. Although she considered renovating the spacious but “grim” rental-grade bathroom at the time, she procrastinated…for over a decade. It wasn’t until 2016 that she pulled the trigger, but the results were well worth the wait. With a bright new master bathroom, a brand new extra powder room, a washer/dryer closet, and an entryway closet, the project incorporated clean lines and Scandinavian-inspired design throughout the new spaces that blended seamlessly with the loft-style apartment.
In early 2015, Felix started thinking renovations again. She now had a daughter, Nova, and while the 1,500-square foot apartment provided plenty of space for the duo, the bathroom update was long overdue, and storage space in the entryway was lacking, so a new closet was also in order. A powder room would be a much-appreciated addition, given that they had room for guests and a third bedroom might be added down the line. Last—but certainly not least—Felix wanted to include a washer/dryer to the scope of her project.
Now you might be wondering why a whole year lapsed between Felix posting the project, and the project breaking ground. This is a story of perseverance paying off: Sweeten Expert Alan, who Felix chose from several Sweeten matches, patiently checked in with Felix over the course of the next dozen months as she updated and changed the details of the renovation. “We were laughing about it, because it was really just shy of a year of us meeting [for the first time] and me pulling the trigger,” Felix recalled. “That was really why I went with him—he stuck with me through the procrastination!”
Once Felix signed on the dotted line, things picked up pace. Alan was helpful in the planning stages by assisting her in decision-making about layout, materials, and finishes. She would send him links and he gave feedback about whether a choice might work. Felix and Alan also worked together to carve up what once was open, under-utilized space right outside of the original bathroom. They physically mapped out where walls would go for the new half-bath and closets, and worked with the building’s condo board and architect to review the plans and work through permit filing requirements. Inside the existing full bath, they decided to keep both the sink and the toilet in the original location, but moved the tub slightly to make room for an extra linen closet behind the bathroom door.
Felix’s original vision of a “Scandinavian feel” was brought to life through gray and white finishes with wood and colorful accents. In the full bath, Felix chose a gray slate tile for the floor, to contrast against the white bathtub, toilet, and vanity. For the walls, she chose a matte white subway tile from Nemo Tile, intending to lay it horizontally, but changed direction when she realized that the tile fit perfectly along the tub when laid vertically. A glass partition maintains the overall minimalist look. Alan’s team recessed a large mirrored medicine cabinet into the wall, providing ample storage. Felix also appreciated that the understated palette of the permanent fixtures meant that she could change out bright hooks and towels without having to worry about clashing colors.
In the powder room, Felix carried through the same minimal design and materials, with wall-mounted fixtures that maximize floor space. Although the decision to wall-mount the toilet complemented the overall design, it was borne of necessity: during demo, Alan discovered that a steel beam ran through the floor where the toilet would have stood, making it impossible to run the necessary plumbing. He made use of his extensive network and had a different model delivered with minimal delay.
The steel beam beneath the powder room was the only major obstacle in a process that otherwise went smoothly and quickly, with Felix and Nova displaced from their apartment for just under two months. Alan’s team cordoned off the renovation zone to keep dust from invading the rest of the apartment, and kept it tidy throughout the duration of the project. While construction was underway, Felix would stop by the work site daily to check in and to answer any questions the team had. “But pretty much Alan knew what I wanted,” Felix explained. (This may have had something to do with the fact that they had been talking about this project for 12 months!)
Now that Felix and Nova have moved back into the loft, they are thoroughly enjoying the updates. In particular, the stacked washer/dryer has been a “life changer,” and they now have space for coats as well as odds and ends like the vacuum cleaner in the new entryway closet. The baths provide a spa-like experience with plentiful storage, but remain beautifully simple. Felix loves her new space but does have a minor regret—she wishes that she had had the foresight to hang the medicine cabinet in the full bath a bit higher so that she could open the doors without knocking over bottles sitting on the back ledge of the sink. Overall, however, Felix found the renovation process to be “surprisingly easy,” even for a first-time renovator.
Here’s what you need to know to elevate your lower level
Flipping your dark (and maybe damp) basement into an actual living space can add a lot of square footage, not to mention value, to your home.
Almost all existing basements have a good shot at turning into a play area, media room, or even another bedroom and bathroom. Several factors, such as current ceiling height, local egress regulations, and insulation needs will influence how long your timeline will be and what it will cost.
The good news is on average roughly 70 percent of what you put into your basement renovation will be recouped in the value added to your property, according to REMODELING’S 2017 Cost vs. Value report. The median budget of a basement renovation in the U.S. for 2017 was about $70,000. Sweeten contractors have done projects for far less (and also far more).
There are also no deal breakers according to our Sweeten contractors. Any problem—bad plumbing, lack of natural light, high humidity, a low ceiling—can all be sorted to make your basement happen. It will all depend on how much you are willing to pay. “It’s a balancing act to how much you want to put into the house before you exceed what value it brings,” said Alan, a Sweeten contractor. “You also have to decide if cost value is important to you or is it more important to have a home you want to live in.”
Here, Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with vetted general contractors, outlines what you need to consider when sketching out a vision for a basement remodel:
Ceiling height
While building regulations vary from town to town, contractors say the height requirement for the ceiling will be between six and seven feet. About 50 percent of basement jobs require the floor to be dug lower to allow for additional ceiling height. This involves cracking open the existing concrete floor, which is usually one to two inches thick, removing the excess dirt and re-laying the concrete.
Second form of egress
If you envision more of a living space than a laundry and storage area, a second exit will likely be necessary. To be comfortable and have no problems with building inspectors, you will need that second form of egress, such as a window or a door with steps leading outside to ground level. That usually means digging down to make an open passageway on one side of the building so there is a way to get in and out.
Plumbing
Often, homeowners will add a half or a full bath to their new basement space. The plumbing for this likely goes under the concrete flooring. This will help avoid flooding if any of the pipes burst. As your future basement living space will probably be below the sewer lines, a pump will be required to get waste out. Of course, adding a bathroom will also add to the budget, but for many, the convenience is worth it.
Size
How much square feet you will be able to add to your basement is another factor to consider when it comes to the cost and value it adds to your house. The smallest basement renovation can add only 400 square feet of living space and be used only as a kids’ play area. The typical size of a basement space is about 1,000 square feet. And don’t forget, if you have equipment such as your home’s boiler in the basement, a mechanical room could take away a few hundred square feet from the livable space.
Waterproofing and insulation
Basements are known to be damp and account for the majority of your home’s indoor moisture. On top of the general humidity in your basement, flooding could also be an issue, so pay attention when it rains next. Rain and leaks tend to be a big source of water issues that you don’t have to deal with in the rest of the house.
The answer to this common problem is often insulation and waterproofing. And there are intelligent products that can help. If a conversion involves a bedroom, which is a room where many hours are spent, it is ultra important to keep toxic mold at bay, which is fed by moisture. In-wall products like CertainTeed’s MemBrain is an accessory to regular insulation that allows the buildup of moisture to escape while preventing moisture from entering in the first place. Its 2-step process will add a few extra days to a renovation timeline. Their SMARTBATT requires a shorter installation process for spaces like a rec room, which you likely won’t spend as much time in as a bedroom. As a one-step insulator, it blocks moisture from entering when it senses humidity at a low level in its cavity.
Even with these intelligent products, insulation requires multiple products and systems to stay on top of heat, cold, and humidity, according to Ted, a representative from CertainTeed. This could mean using spray foam to fill in cracks and seal windows and doors, as well as typical insulation products.
Ventilation
To prevent toxic mold, the humidity of living spaces should be below 60 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s why ventilation, along with insulation, is important. Relying on natural air flow from windows is possible, but its subject to the weather and seasons. Extending your home’s existing HVAC system will help ventilate the basement area. However, the ideal situation is to remove the humidity. Exhaust fans installed into the wall or window that push damp air out while circulating the remaining air around the entire house are recommended. This system can either turn on when the lights are switched on or be equipped with sensors that switch the fans on once humidity gets above a certain level. A humidifier could also be used, but be prepared to pump that waste water up to the sewer lines.
Renovating your basement might be the easiest way to add another floor of living space to your home. Like any home construction project, there’s much to consider. But in the end, your home will increase in value and your quality of life (think noisy kids with their own playroom, or your noisy friends around a home bar with football on the big-screen TV) will improve.
For Sarah, who works in finance, and Becky, who works for a media company, the kitchen renovation was some time in the making. Sarah had been living in the one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment since 2010 (with Becky joining her in 2013) and had her sights set on overhauling the kitchen from the get-go.
A previous renovation had tiled off the kitchen, chopping up the open living space and giving guests a clunky raised border to trip over. White appliances and heavy cabinetry were outdated, and the kitchen’s generous square footage wasn’t all that useful for hosting or entertaining. Great space to stand around in, but not much else.
At the start of the project, Sarah envisioned limiting cabinet installation to one wall and contemplated adding an island, but after a design consultation, she decided to re-work the game plan. Thankfully, Alan was up for anything. “Alan’s really a nice guy, super trustworthy and very patient,” Sarah said. “He was willing to wait throughout that time while I was re-designing things.” The new plan was worth the hold-up: they would tear out the L-line of cabinetry and use multiple variations on open and closed storage on each of the walls and in a central island. Plus, they geared up to create a new entry connecting the kitchen to the hallway, improving the flow around the apartment.
Becky and Sarah found inspiration from a previous project for the striking white-on-wood contrast that now unites the new space. “I had redone my radiator covers and my windowsills with white Caesarstone slabs and I thought it would look nice to match that,” Sarah said. Her original vision paired the white stone composite with gray cabinets, but after looking through Ikea photo pairings, a warmer, walnut-inspired wood started to feel like a better match.
To give the Ikea base cabinetry some added oomph, Sarah chose custom doors from California-Ikea-one-upper Semihandmade. Semihandmade also provided coordinating custom paneling for the new island – a gorgeous detail with the stark white waterfall countertop. The island’s added storage freed Becky and Sarah to be more adventurous with other cabinetry choices. They skipped an upper line of cabinets on the most visible wall and went with slim open shelving made from recycled wood. White globe pendants and sconces from Schoolhouse Electric are anchored on an intricate porcelain backsplash tile from Stonesource; the tile’s folded paper-style pattern adds another level of visual detail in barely-there-beige.
The floor is where Alan and his team really earned their oats. The kitchen floor now matches the rest of the apartment’s original tongue and groove parquet—thanks to Alan’s painstaking work to cut and stain new flooring to match the original (and no longer available) planks.
The finished product looks amazing, and Sarah now has some hard-earned wisdom to share. “I probably could have timed the delivery of everything better,” she admits. The summer-long process paused when the cabinets beat the doors’ arrival by a few weeks, and delivery of a few additional custom pieces dragged until January. Her advice to future renovators: temper your eagerness to get started, knowing that your patience will pay off with a more reasonable timeline (and with all of your packages in place).
https://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/SWEETEN_Becky_Kitchen-05.jpg10901600https://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/logo.png2016-11-28 18:02:072016-11-28 18:04:40Clinton Hill Kitchen
A one-bedroom in a coveted West Village condominium designed by famed architect Emery Roth offered a multitude of positives to a new Manhattan buyer: Impossibly desirable location, soaring ceilings, deep closets, residential amenities, and a quiet retreat for work or play. But this lovely home’s kitchen was relegated to a tight little galley, and though the finishes were once beautiful, the dark and heavy cabinetry blocked light and cut access to the living and dining rooms. Eric, the new owner, came to Sweeten to find a contractor who could smoothly navigate the management requirements in this pre-war building and bring a serious carpentry and craftsmanship approach to flow and finishes in the kitchen.
Making real design changes to a pre-war pad can prove rather daunting – many of Manhattan’s most sought-after buildings have deep historical roots, celebrity architect imprints, and cautious alteration agreements that limit updates. Eric saw an opportunity to open up the kitchen in his new place and posted his renovation project on Sweeten — we matched him with Sweeten Expert Alan, a cabinet and millwork specialist who could also manage strict building requirements and oversee all aspects of the project.
For Alan, designing new custom cabinetry to lighten the space was the easy part. Finding a way to incorporate more natural light and reconnect the rooms was the primary challenge. Eric had hoped to take down the entire wall separating the kitchen and living room where the paneled fridge stood, but the building’s interior pipes stood in the way, so the crew decided to open the wall with a large pass-through instead. The team also planned to replace floors throughout the apartment and targeted the old-school linoleum in the kitchen as a starting point.
Alan stripped the black and white linoleum squares and laid white oak planks down in their place, finished with a glossy clear stain throughout the entire apartment. The cabinets were torn out and replaced with a detailed custom oak set, mostly constructed and completed onsite. Incorporating a lot of glass into the design, Alan created open, closed, and shelving variations in a combination of natural-stained and painted white finishes. The new pass-through provides light from the kitchen window and the living room windows in both directions, and Alan played up the new light with windowed display cabinets above the counter and bar.
To make the partial wall and new footprint more functional, Alan moved the refrigerator to the adjacent wall and constructed a food pantry to mimic the rest of his oak cabinetry, finished with heavy metal hardware and pulls. Ivory Caesarstone countertops replaced black granite, and an undermount brushed stainless steel sink with matching faucet were installed. Because the kitchen’s back wall is so visible from the living room, the team went with a neutral, luminous glass-tiled backsplash and open shelving above the sink. New stainless steel appliances, including a hefty gas burner, contrast with the warm wood and are easy to keep clean. Alan took Eric’s vision for more light very seriously, adding a number of under-cabinet and recessed sources, as well as a striking ceiling fixture centerpiece. As a bonus, Alan constructed a bar counter on the living room side of the pass-through, perfect for open entertaining.
https://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/SWEETEN_Eric_Kitchen-07.jpg37355605https://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/logo.png2016-11-28 17:25:582016-11-28 17:25:58Custom Woodwork in Manhattan Kitchen
Megan and Ryan moved into their one bedroom co-op on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 2012 after deciding that the apartment’s crumbling bathroom (an almost-dealbreaker that nearly scuttled the sale) would be their first renovation project to tackle as new homeowners. Megan, who works at the United Nations, and Ryan, who works in personal finance, knew they needed to replace the discolored tiles that previous owners had attempted to cover in paint. The vanity, a bizarre combination of sink overhang and unnecessarily narrow cabinet storage, was cracked and beyond salvageable. And the window, a great asset in a Manhattan bath, had been painted and sealed with uneven tile – more or less negating its value in the room.
The task ahead was clear, but Megan and Ryan felt daunted by the lack of information on bathroom renovation costs and didn’t know where to start. Scroll down for the full set of before and afters, and a quick rundown of this Upper East Side bathroom renovation.
Megan and Ryan set out to solve three main issues:
1. Tile work was a mess…discoloration, uneven grid work, and paint remnants meant everything needed to go.
2. Storage was non-existent. Did that vanity come off the factory line that way or was it hacked together at some point!? Unclear…!
3. The overall feel was out of sync with the couple’s style – a point of distraction in an otherwise crisp home.
The couple partnered with Alan Michael Carpentry to move in a new direction with three key plans:
1. Remove the tub and replace with a glass shower.
2. Achieve a clean and consistent look with beautiful materials and a crisp, light color palette.
3. Make the most of the small space with significantly expanded vanity storage.
Megan and Ryan consulted with Alan throughout the process to understand their options for better utilizing the space. Alan helped them select a new sink console with more accessible drawer storage from Pottery Barn to best fit the bathroom’s available width and depth. Alan also built a marble-topped shower ledge, partly to provide extra utility and partly to conceal piping that extended from the sink through the tub.
Megan ran with her love for Carrera marble, selecting four coherent but distinct tile types from Nemo: classic white subway tiles to line the full bath, Carrera pencil tile installed in an unexpected and especially beautiful herringbone pattern, and two Carrera hex tile picks in large and small sizes. A new medicine cabinet, a schoolhouse-inspired wall mount lighting fixture (both also from Pottery Barn), and a more central electrical outlet have made the room far more functional and stylish for the couple. Alan completed his work with Moen shower and sink faucets and a simple Kohler toilet.
Three Modern Baths and Two Custom Built-Ins in One, Sweetened Upper East Side Condo
There is something undeniably delightful about a great bathroom before and after — this week, we have three! It’s possible that I love to live vicariously through other folks’ bathroom renovations because the depths of despair in the “before” photos appear to know no bounds; New York City sure seems to have more than its fair share of aged, beige tiles, peeling laminates, and harsh lighting all piled into miniature rooms upon which dwellers make endless daily demands. Despite the obvious space limitations, the bathroom can be the ideal place to showcase beautiful design and materials precisely because there is so much to fit into a typically tiny space. Hard-working fixtures and finishes are forced to play nicely together as they compete for square inches, and a bathroom renovation somehow feels contained — a great before and after bath serves as a reminder that every home has to make space for basic bathroom essentials. Even the tiniest of urban baths can do so stylishly.
Here, three full baths complete an Upper East Side family’s condo renovation. Scroll down to see how design duo Sweeten Experts Lauren and Adam and Sweeten’s expert general contractor Alan worked together to create modern and simple baths throughout this home, and take a bonus peek at the custom millwork that brought similar form and function elsewhere in this uptown Manhattan renovation.
In the master bath, Lauren and Adam worked to balance two competing values: the bath itself is the largest of the three, with plenty of room for his and hers sinks, a sizable window, and a full tub, but the condo’s owners wanted to create a sense of privacy and make room for more storage. To take advantage of the bath’s spacious footprint but minimize sight lines into the master bedroom, the designers left the layout of the room generally intact, swapped in high-end tiles and custom cabinetry, and split the tub into a standing shower with a bench and expanded shelving.
Here, 6″ Carrera marble hex tiles create an understated geometric floor foundation, evoke the feel of a refined version of the identically shaped black asphalt pavers that ring Central Park, and are complemented by simple white subway wall tiles from Heath Ceramics. Alan’s millworkers built the vanity with white-lacquered cabinets and drawers and inverted the medicine cabinet, previously wall-mounted and hanging over the sink counter. This subtle detail really stands out: Lauren and Adam chose a walnut inset ledge to line the vanity mirror, creating a slightly recessed niche and allowing for an additional lighting strip to sit just inside the top line. The Toto toilet, Duravit sink, and Lefroy Brooks sink and shower faucet fixtures complete this clean-lined look
In the second bath, Lauren and Adam found ways to balance continuity with diverse details by using 6″ square Carrera marble floor tiles and by making the shower the centerpiece of this room with luminous green Heath subway tiles on the inner shower walls. White subway tiles from Daltile, lined with neutral gray grout, complete the shower surround. The underlying footprint of this bathroom was altered to meet the owner’s suggestion of relocating the entry door – a move that allowed Lauren and Adam to focus the viewer’s eye on the shower details, add shallow storage shelving behind the newly-converted closet door, and take advantage of the narrow niche next to the shower stall to warm up an impeccably-tiled room with open cedar storage shelves and a compact cabinet. I can not get enough of that tiny oil-rubbed bronze door knob – the owners sourced both the knob and the vanity lighting fixture from Rejuvenation. The bathroom sink, chosen for it’s asymmetrical corner counter, is from Pozzi Ginori, and the plumbing fixtures have been outfitted with Grohe.
In the third bath, Lauren and Adam continued to rely on subway tile but added variety and character with a cubed navy floor tile from Mosaic House, a red cedar inset vanity ledge and cabinet, a gently-squared Duravit tub and sink set, Grohe plumbing fixtures, and a wall-mounted Rejuvenation vanity sconce, identical to the light selected for the second bath.
For one final example of the beautiful design and flawless execution that accompanied this project, look no further than the intricate built-ins that now line the master bedroom and the family’s living room. Lauren and Adam worked closely with the condo’s owners to make the most of these wall-to-wall units. The owners came to the table equipped with sketches and inspiring images, and had specific proportion requests in mind for each piece. While they intended to use the living room shelving to house the tv, they were smart to focus on a design that would minimize the appearance of the tv by placing it alongside other interesting items, and by slightly off-setting the tv area so that the tv is not the focal point of that wall. The team played with ideas like incorporating a bar area or bench seating, but ultimately created a piece that houses books and media and art without overtaking the room.
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In the master bedroom, Lauren and Adam designed a full-wall custom built-in that is unbelievably functional and simultaneously well-integrated. With no visible pulls or hardware, it is easy to miss all of the elements that the wall now accommodates: a workspace by the window, storage cabinets, deep drawers, and hanging wardrobes — all concealed by lacquered doors and inset handles. The workspace has pocket doors that open and slide back toward the wall, which gives the owners the option to keep the desk open or slightly sectioned off from the rest of the room.
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Many, many thanks to Sweeten Experts Lauren, Adam, and Alan for this insider’s look at the design and craftsmanship throughout this home. So fun to see a renovation that included everything AND the kitchen sink! We are beyond psyched that we were able to bring this team together — if you are thinking about similar projects or feeling inspired by the transformations in each room of this home, post your project on Sweeten and let us help you find the right designers and general contractors for your space.
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Last summer we began a full gut renovation of a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment on the Upper East Side. The owners passion for cooking put a lot of emphasis on the design and function of a galley kitchen. Incorporating thoughtful storage space, easily accessible small appliances and enough room for state of the art commercial grade range, this kitchen has just about everything. See the whole article on the Sweeten.com website. domain check Take a look…
Have a bland porch? Weeds growing through your patio? A neglected deck? A little spring cleaning and some simple additions – a hanging swing, some mood lighting, a vintage find or two – are all it takes to transform an ordinary outdoor space into an open air living room that adds value and comfort to your home all year long. Read more
https://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/enjoyable-space.jpeg207243https://alanmichaelcarpentry.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/logo.png2014-07-10 12:42:542015-11-17 14:08:48Make Your Outdoor Space Work for You
Fundamentals of Custom Carpentry: Customers the Key
/in Blog, KitchensCustom carpentry is customization in the literal sense, which means that our craftsmanship allows us to create, alter and adapt based on personal or individual specifications and not from a handful of cookie-cutter options. This works best through our close consultation with the customer, and the more the customer knows about what he or she wants, the better it is for both contractor and patron. At Alan Michael Carpentry, we help our customers share a vision of what they want and need in their impending construction and remodeling project. The clearer their vision and understanding, the better we can assist them in realizing their dreams step by step.
Consultation and the resultant design plan prior to onset the job are critical so both the carpenter and customer are ultimately satisfied with the finished project. We work best with the home or business owner who thoroughly checks us out to ensure that our credentials are valid through previous customers for whom we have worked. It’s not so much about you telling us how to do it. That’s our job. But the clearer the picture you give us of what you want, whether it is a renovated kitchen, a totally reinvented bathroom, or a custom closet, the more satisfying our joint venture will be.
“The more you can tell me what you want, the better I can break down the costs,” owner and founder Alan Bowes has said of that ongoing relationship with each customer. “It means better quality, less time correcting things that may not have been clear, and the happier we both are.”
We are familiar with the building trends and historic architecture of the 500 square miles of Westchester County and the rest of New York’s Hudson Valley. Our renovation and building projects reflect the unique tastes of you, the customer, while exemplifying the strengths of your community and neighborhood. Our proximity to Metropolitan New York gives us an appreciation for a wide assortment of building styles in both contemporary and traditional neighborhoods.
Our Signature? Quality of Labor, Materials
Because of what many desire as a one-of-a-kind renovation or addition, custom carpentry relies on the products and materials we’ll need from project to project to achieve this, and they can be significantly different from one contractor to another. It’s not unusual for custom carpenters to have a signature look to their projects, and some of it has to do with the building products they prefer. The best signature, however, goes to the very heart of customization, and that is the quality of labor and the craftmanship our customers recognize in every job we do.
One thing that should be taken into consideration when hiring a custom carpenter in woodworking projects such as bathroom and kitchen renovations is that they usually involve multiple trades in close quarters. Such projects require compatibility in working with electricians, plumbers, and tilers being taken into consideration before work on the project even begins.
Because of the assortment of building features and architects in the Tri-State Area and New York City itself, we are called upon to bring our experience and expertise to residential, commercial, and cultural construction settings. They run the gamut from houses to apartments and townhouses, and we have to work and communicate with, not just other contractors, but engineers, architects and designers as well.
As custom carpenters, we strive to bring a unique and personalized look to every project.
A Traditional House Remodel Offers a Dose of Modern
/in Blog, Kitchens, ResidencesGood bones bring new life to a kitchen, bathroom, and a central foyer
“After” photos by Michael Hnatov for Sweeten
“I’m shocked by how long it took us to renovate,” the owner of this Westchester, New York, home said. “You know what they say about having kids, though: The days are long but the years are short.” The house, at 5,500 square feet, was also large, and in great, if not quite stylish, condition. It felt livable, and that’s why these finance execs-cum-parents of now high-school-age daughters put the finishing touches on their renovation nearly a decade after buying it.
The single-family house, built in the early 1960s, is like many in this Westchester County suburb. Its layout featured a formal entry hall and a dedicated dining room, plus a finished basement that boosts the total square footage. When the family of four and their pets moved into the home, it had just received a round of pre-sale renovations.
The kids were in elementary school. “We always knew we’d update it and make it more our style at some point,” the owner said, “but we weren’t in a rush.” They’d lived happily in Manhattan for 15 years, and then in a rental in Scarsdale for three more before committing to the new home. “We wanted,” said the owner, “to live in our home long enough to find a clear vision.”
When the goal of the project crystallized, it was fairly simple: They wanted to preserve the home’s great bones and traditional features—including old hardwood floors, large windows with a diamond grill pattern, some stained-glass touches—and blend in a modern-classic feel. Some plans were solely functional.
The bathrooms, which had not been renovated since the home was built, were outdated and slated for a full redo. But the rest of the house would get a gentle, progressively modern update that would play off and enhance what was already there.
“We were excited about the job as a whole,” the owner said, but “relieved to know we could do a lot just by just adding a few touches.” In the end, they did a bit more than that. The home’s spacious foyer, already a stunner, got a dramatic makeover, featuring daring large-slab marble tile and a deco-style beaded chandelier. Those bathrooms got their gut-jobs, redone with glass-walled showers, gleaming fixtures, and statement lighting.
The mudroom received a sleek redesign, with functional storage, and whimsical bright-blue penny-round floor tile. And the kitchen received a playful update, with a painted hardwood floor, a boldly mirrored backsplash, and a wraparound marble overlay on the existing peninsula providing a stylish second life for the high-end cabinetry that was already there.
The process, the owner warned, was grueling at times, especially since the family of four lived in the house throughout. “We expected some inconvenience—especially since we have a dog and a cat—but it was a big challenge,” the owner said. “Towels and blankets under doors went a long way, but dust found its way around.”
Despite inconveniences, the project also bore happy surprises, like the ugly, thin carpet in the office that lifted to reveal a beautiful parquet floor. The Sweeten contractor cleaned it up and stained it white, which markedly opened the space. “We now have three rooms with different patterns of wood floor,” the owner says. While to some this might sound like a nightmare scenario, these little-bit-of-everything-loving homeowners find the mixed-up style “very cool.”
Because one never knows when a gorgeous discovery will save the contractors a few days’ effort, this homeowner suggests taking time to map out the renovation process in detail, with contingencies. And ask for the tough love you need to maintain your timeline: ordering deadlines for materials so you’ll have them before they’re needed; assignments for moving things around the house as work carries on.
“Our contractor,” the homeowner says, “was patient and thoughtful about what needed to be ordered. More important, he completed work on time, if not early. He was easy to work with, responsive and flexible. We also knew that, should that attitude change, Sweeten had our backs.”
Opportunities for efficiency and satisfaction can be found by playing an active part in the project, the homeowner said. Living in the house throughout the process, he says, allowed the family to see it day-to-day. “My favorite part,” he said, “was watching the rooms finish one by one and seeing the larger picture slowly emerge.”
In the end, he said, the family stayed close to their budgeted figures and felt real satisfaction in the job’s completion. “It’s great to be done and the house finally feels like our home,” he said. “The vision we had came together, and now we can build on it with details like family photos and objects we love.”
Williamsburg Loft
/in Blog, Kitchens, ResidencesIn 2005, a condo conversion gave Felix the opportunity to buy an apartment in the Williamsburg building where she had rented for three years. Although she considered renovating the spacious but “grim” rental-grade bathroom at the time, she procrastinated…for over a decade. It wasn’t until 2016 that she pulled the trigger, but the results were well worth the wait. With a bright new master bathroom, a brand new extra powder room, a washer/dryer closet, and an entryway closet, the project incorporated clean lines and Scandinavian-inspired design throughout the new spaces that blended seamlessly with the loft-style apartment.
In early 2015, Felix started thinking renovations again. She now had a daughter, Nova, and while the 1,500-square foot apartment provided plenty of space for the duo, the bathroom update was long overdue, and storage space in the entryway was lacking, so a new closet was also in order. A powder room would be a much-appreciated addition, given that they had room for guests and a third bedroom might be added down the line. Last—but certainly not least—Felix wanted to include a washer/dryer to the scope of her project.
Now you might be wondering why a whole year lapsed between Felix posting the project, and the project breaking ground. This is a story of perseverance paying off: Sweeten Expert Alan, who Felix chose from several Sweeten matches, patiently checked in with Felix over the course of the next dozen months as she updated and changed the details of the renovation. “We were laughing about it, because it was really just shy of a year of us meeting [for the first time] and me pulling the trigger,” Felix recalled. “That was really why I went with him—he stuck with me through the procrastination!”
Once Felix signed on the dotted line, things picked up pace. Alan was helpful in the planning stages by assisting her in decision-making about layout, materials, and finishes. She would send him links and he gave feedback about whether a choice might work. Felix and Alan also worked together to carve up what once was open, under-utilized space right outside of the original bathroom. They physically mapped out where walls would go for the new half-bath and closets, and worked with the building’s condo board and architect to review the plans and work through permit filing requirements. Inside the existing full bath, they decided to keep both the sink and the toilet in the original location, but moved the tub slightly to make room for an extra linen closet behind the bathroom door.
Felix’s original vision of a “Scandinavian feel” was brought to life through gray and white finishes with wood and colorful accents. In the full bath, Felix chose a gray slate tile for the floor, to contrast against the white bathtub, toilet, and vanity. For the walls, she chose a matte white subway tile from Nemo Tile, intending to lay it horizontally, but changed direction when she realized that the tile fit perfectly along the tub when laid vertically. A glass partition maintains the overall minimalist look. Alan’s team recessed a large mirrored medicine cabinet into the wall, providing ample storage. Felix also appreciated that the understated palette of the permanent fixtures meant that she could change out bright hooks and towels without having to worry about clashing colors.
In the powder room, Felix carried through the same minimal design and materials, with wall-mounted fixtures that maximize floor space. Although the decision to wall-mount the toilet complemented the overall design, it was borne of necessity: during demo, Alan discovered that a steel beam ran through the floor where the toilet would have stood, making it impossible to run the necessary plumbing. He made use of his extensive network and had a different model delivered with minimal delay.
The steel beam beneath the powder room was the only major obstacle in a process that otherwise went smoothly and quickly, with Felix and Nova displaced from their apartment for just under two months. Alan’s team cordoned off the renovation zone to keep dust from invading the rest of the apartment, and kept it tidy throughout the duration of the project. While construction was underway, Felix would stop by the work site daily to check in and to answer any questions the team had. “But pretty much Alan knew what I wanted,” Felix explained. (This may have had something to do with the fact that they had been talking about this project for 12 months!)
Now that Felix and Nova have moved back into the loft, they are thoroughly enjoying the updates. In particular, the stacked washer/dryer has been a “life changer,” and they now have space for coats as well as odds and ends like the vacuum cleaner in the new entryway closet. The baths provide a spa-like experience with plentiful storage, but remain beautifully simple. Felix loves her new space but does have a minor regret—she wishes that she had had the foresight to hang the medicine cabinet in the full bath a bit higher so that she could open the doors without knocking over bottles sitting on the back ledge of the sink. Overall, however, Felix found the renovation process to be “surprisingly easy,” even for a first-time renovator.
Basement Renovations
/in BlogHere’s what you need to know to elevate your lower level
Flipping your dark (and maybe damp) basement into an actual living space can add a lot of square footage, not to mention value, to your home.
Almost all existing basements have a good shot at turning into a play area, media room, or even another bedroom and bathroom. Several factors, such as current ceiling height, local egress regulations, and insulation needs will influence how long your timeline will be and what it will cost.
The good news is on average roughly 70 percent of what you put into your basement renovation will be recouped in the value added to your property, according to REMODELING’S 2017 Cost vs. Value report. The median budget of a basement renovation in the U.S. for 2017 was about $70,000. Sweeten contractors have done projects for far less (and also far more).
There are also no deal breakers according to our Sweeten contractors. Any problem—bad plumbing, lack of natural light, high humidity, a low ceiling—can all be sorted to make your basement happen. It will all depend on how much you are willing to pay. “It’s a balancing act to how much you want to put into the house before you exceed what value it brings,” said Alan, a Sweeten contractor. “You also have to decide if cost value is important to you or is it more important to have a home you want to live in.”
Here, Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with vetted general contractors, outlines what you need to consider when sketching out a vision for a basement remodel:
Ceiling height
While building regulations vary from town to town, contractors say the height requirement for the ceiling will be between six and seven feet. About 50 percent of basement jobs require the floor to be dug lower to allow for additional ceiling height. This involves cracking open the existing concrete floor, which is usually one to two inches thick, removing the excess dirt and re-laying the concrete.
Second form of egress
If you envision more of a living space than a laundry and storage area, a second exit will likely be necessary. To be comfortable and have no problems with building inspectors, you will need that second form of egress, such as a window or a door with steps leading outside to ground level. That usually means digging down to make an open passageway on one side of the building so there is a way to get in and out.
Plumbing
Often, homeowners will add a half or a full bath to their new basement space. The plumbing for this likely goes under the concrete flooring. This will help avoid flooding if any of the pipes burst. As your future basement living space will probably be below the sewer lines, a pump will be required to get waste out. Of course, adding a bathroom will also add to the budget, but for many, the convenience is worth it.
Size
How much square feet you will be able to add to your basement is another factor to consider when it comes to the cost and value it adds to your house. The smallest basement renovation can add only 400 square feet of living space and be used only as a kids’ play area. The typical size of a basement space is about 1,000 square feet. And don’t forget, if you have equipment such as your home’s boiler in the basement, a mechanical room could take away a few hundred square feet from the livable space.
Waterproofing and insulation
Basements are known to be damp and account for the majority of your home’s indoor moisture. On top of the general humidity in your basement, flooding could also be an issue, so pay attention when it rains next. Rain and leaks tend to be a big source of water issues that you don’t have to deal with in the rest of the house.
The answer to this common problem is often insulation and waterproofing. And there are intelligent products that can help. If a conversion involves a bedroom, which is a room where many hours are spent, it is ultra important to keep toxic mold at bay, which is fed by moisture. In-wall products like CertainTeed’s MemBrain is an accessory to regular insulation that allows the buildup of moisture to escape while preventing moisture from entering in the first place. Its 2-step process will add a few extra days to a renovation timeline. Their SMARTBATT requires a shorter installation process for spaces like a rec room, which you likely won’t spend as much time in as a bedroom. As a one-step insulator, it blocks moisture from entering when it senses humidity at a low level in its cavity.
Even with these intelligent products, insulation requires multiple products and systems to stay on top of heat, cold, and humidity, according to Ted, a representative from CertainTeed. This could mean using spray foam to fill in cracks and seal windows and doors, as well as typical insulation products.
Ventilation
To prevent toxic mold, the humidity of living spaces should be below 60 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s why ventilation, along with insulation, is important. Relying on natural air flow from windows is possible, but its subject to the weather and seasons. Extending your home’s existing HVAC system will help ventilate the basement area. However, the ideal situation is to remove the humidity. Exhaust fans installed into the wall or window that push damp air out while circulating the remaining air around the entire house are recommended. This system can either turn on when the lights are switched on or be equipped with sensors that switch the fans on once humidity gets above a certain level. A humidifier could also be used, but be prepared to pump that waste water up to the sewer lines.
Renovating your basement might be the easiest way to add another floor of living space to your home. Like any home construction project, there’s much to consider. But in the end, your home will increase in value and your quality of life (think noisy kids with their own playroom, or your noisy friends around a home bar with football on the big-screen TV) will improve.
Clinton Hill Kitchen
/in Blog, Kitchens, ResidencesFor Sarah, who works in finance, and Becky, who works for a media company, the kitchen renovation was some time in the making. Sarah had been living in the one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment since 2010 (with Becky joining her in 2013) and had her sights set on overhauling the kitchen from the get-go.
A previous renovation had tiled off the kitchen, chopping up the open living space and giving guests a clunky raised border to trip over. White appliances and heavy cabinetry were outdated, and the kitchen’s generous square footage wasn’t all that useful for hosting or entertaining. Great space to stand around in, but not much else.
At the start of the project, Sarah envisioned limiting cabinet installation to one wall and contemplated adding an island, but after a design consultation, she decided to re-work the game plan. Thankfully, Alan was up for anything. “Alan’s really a nice guy, super trustworthy and very patient,” Sarah said. “He was willing to wait throughout that time while I was re-designing things.” The new plan was worth the hold-up: they would tear out the L-line of cabinetry and use multiple variations on open and closed storage on each of the walls and in a central island. Plus, they geared up to create a new entry connecting the kitchen to the hallway, improving the flow around the apartment.
Becky and Sarah found inspiration from a previous project for the striking white-on-wood contrast that now unites the new space. “I had redone my radiator covers and my windowsills with white Caesarstone slabs and I thought it would look nice to match that,” Sarah said. Her original vision paired the white stone composite with gray cabinets, but after looking through Ikea photo pairings, a warmer, walnut-inspired wood started to feel like a better match.
To give the Ikea base cabinetry some added oomph, Sarah chose custom doors from California-Ikea-one-upper Semihandmade. Semihandmade also provided coordinating custom paneling for the new island – a gorgeous detail with the stark white waterfall countertop. The island’s added storage freed Becky and Sarah to be more adventurous with other cabinetry choices. They skipped an upper line of cabinets on the most visible wall and went with slim open shelving made from recycled wood. White globe pendants and sconces from Schoolhouse Electric are anchored on an intricate porcelain backsplash tile from Stonesource; the tile’s folded paper-style pattern adds another level of visual detail in barely-there-beige.
The floor is where Alan and his team really earned their oats. The kitchen floor now matches the rest of the apartment’s original tongue and groove parquet—thanks to Alan’s painstaking work to cut and stain new flooring to match the original (and no longer available) planks.
The finished product looks amazing, and Sarah now has some hard-earned wisdom to share. “I probably could have timed the delivery of everything better,” she admits. The summer-long process paused when the cabinets beat the doors’ arrival by a few weeks, and delivery of a few additional custom pieces dragged until January. Her advice to future renovators: temper your eagerness to get started, knowing that your patience will pay off with a more reasonable timeline (and with all of your packages in place).
Custom Woodwork in Manhattan Kitchen
/in Blog, KitchensA one-bedroom in a coveted West Village condominium designed by famed architect Emery Roth offered a multitude of positives to a new Manhattan buyer: Impossibly desirable location, soaring ceilings, deep closets, residential amenities, and a quiet retreat for work or play. But this lovely home’s kitchen was relegated to a tight little galley, and though the finishes were once beautiful, the dark and heavy cabinetry blocked light and cut access to the living and dining rooms. Eric, the new owner, came to Sweeten to find a contractor who could smoothly navigate the management requirements in this pre-war building and bring a serious carpentry and craftsmanship approach to flow and finishes in the kitchen.
Making real design changes to a pre-war pad can prove rather daunting – many of Manhattan’s most sought-after buildings have deep historical roots, celebrity architect imprints, and cautious alteration agreements that limit updates. Eric saw an opportunity to open up the kitchen in his new place and posted his renovation project on Sweeten — we matched him with Sweeten Expert Alan, a cabinet and millwork specialist who could also manage strict building requirements and oversee all aspects of the project.
For Alan, designing new custom cabinetry to lighten the space was the easy part. Finding a way to incorporate more natural light and reconnect the rooms was the primary challenge. Eric had hoped to take down the entire wall separating the kitchen and living room where the paneled fridge stood, but the building’s interior pipes stood in the way, so the crew decided to open the wall with a large pass-through instead. The team also planned to replace floors throughout the apartment and targeted the old-school linoleum in the kitchen as a starting point.
Alan stripped the black and white linoleum squares and laid white oak planks down in their place, finished with a glossy clear stain throughout the entire apartment. The cabinets were torn out and replaced with a detailed custom oak set, mostly constructed and completed onsite. Incorporating a lot of glass into the design, Alan created open, closed, and shelving variations in a combination of natural-stained and painted white finishes. The new pass-through provides light from the kitchen window and the living room windows in both directions, and Alan played up the new light with windowed display cabinets above the counter and bar.
To make the partial wall and new footprint more functional, Alan moved the refrigerator to the adjacent wall and constructed a food pantry to mimic the rest of his oak cabinetry, finished with heavy metal hardware and pulls. Ivory Caesarstone countertops replaced black granite, and an undermount brushed stainless steel sink with matching faucet were installed. Because the kitchen’s back wall is so visible from the living room, the team went with a neutral, luminous glass-tiled backsplash and open shelving above the sink. New stainless steel appliances, including a hefty gas burner, contrast with the warm wood and are easy to keep clean. Alan took Eric’s vision for more light very seriously, adding a number of under-cabinet and recessed sources, as well as a striking ceiling fixture centerpiece. As a bonus, Alan constructed a bar counter on the living room side of the pass-through, perfect for open entertaining.
Marble Bath
/in BlogMegan and Ryan moved into their one bedroom co-op on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 2012 after deciding that the apartment’s crumbling bathroom (an almost-dealbreaker that nearly scuttled the sale) would be their first renovation project to tackle as new homeowners. Megan, who works at the United Nations, and Ryan, who works in personal finance, knew they needed to replace the discolored tiles that previous owners had attempted to cover in paint. The vanity, a bizarre combination of sink overhang and unnecessarily narrow cabinet storage, was cracked and beyond salvageable. And the window, a great asset in a Manhattan bath, had been painted and sealed with uneven tile – more or less negating its value in the room.
The task ahead was clear, but Megan and Ryan felt daunted by the lack of information on bathroom renovation costs and didn’t know where to start. Scroll down for the full set of before and afters, and a quick rundown of this Upper East Side bathroom renovation.
Megan and Ryan set out to solve three main issues:
1. Tile work was a mess…discoloration, uneven grid work, and paint remnants meant everything needed to go.
2. Storage was non-existent. Did that vanity come off the factory line that way or was it hacked together at some point!? Unclear…!
3. The overall feel was out of sync with the couple’s style – a point of distraction in an otherwise crisp home.
The couple partnered with Alan Michael Carpentry to move in a new direction with three key plans:
1. Remove the tub and replace with a glass shower.
2. Achieve a clean and consistent look with beautiful materials and a crisp, light color palette.
3. Make the most of the small space with significantly expanded vanity storage.
Megan and Ryan consulted with Alan throughout the process to understand their options for better utilizing the space. Alan helped them select a new sink console with more accessible drawer storage from Pottery Barn to best fit the bathroom’s available width and depth. Alan also built a marble-topped shower ledge, partly to provide extra utility and partly to conceal piping that extended from the sink through the tub.
Megan ran with her love for Carrera marble, selecting four coherent but distinct tile types from Nemo: classic white subway tiles to line the full bath, Carrera pencil tile installed in an unexpected and especially beautiful herringbone pattern, and two Carrera hex tile picks in large and small sizes. A new medicine cabinet, a schoolhouse-inspired wall mount lighting fixture (both also from Pottery Barn), and a more central electrical outlet have made the room far more functional and stylish for the couple. Alan completed his work with Moen shower and sink faucets and a simple Kohler toilet.
Upper East Beauty!
/in BlogThree Modern Baths and Two Custom Built-Ins in One, Sweetened Upper East Side Condo
There is something undeniably delightful about a great bathroom before and after — this week, we have three! It’s possible that I love to live vicariously through other folks’ bathroom renovations because the depths of despair in the “before” photos appear to know no bounds; New York City sure seems to have more than its fair share of aged, beige tiles, peeling laminates, and harsh lighting all piled into miniature rooms upon which dwellers make endless daily demands. Despite the obvious space limitations, the bathroom can be the ideal place to showcase beautiful design and materials precisely because there is so much to fit into a typically tiny space. Hard-working fixtures and finishes are forced to play nicely together as they compete for square inches, and a bathroom renovation somehow feels contained — a great before and after bath serves as a reminder that every home has to make space for basic bathroom essentials. Even the tiniest of urban baths can do so stylishly.
Here, three full baths complete an Upper East Side family’s condo renovation. Scroll down to see how design duo Sweeten Experts Lauren and Adam and Sweeten’s expert general contractor Alan worked together to create modern and simple baths throughout this home, and take a bonus peek at the custom millwork that brought similar form and function elsewhere in this uptown Manhattan renovation.
In the master bath, Lauren and Adam worked to balance two competing values: the bath itself is the largest of the three, with plenty of room for his and hers sinks, a sizable window, and a full tub, but the condo’s owners wanted to create a sense of privacy and make room for more storage. To take advantage of the bath’s spacious footprint but minimize sight lines into the master bedroom, the designers left the layout of the room generally intact, swapped in high-end tiles and custom cabinetry, and split the tub into a standing shower with a bench and expanded shelving.
Here, 6″ Carrera marble hex tiles create an understated geometric floor foundation, evoke the feel of a refined version of the identically shaped black asphalt pavers that ring Central Park, and are complemented by simple white subway wall tiles from Heath Ceramics. Alan’s millworkers built the vanity with white-lacquered cabinets and drawers and inverted the medicine cabinet, previously wall-mounted and hanging over the sink counter. This subtle detail really stands out: Lauren and Adam chose a walnut inset ledge to line the vanity mirror, creating a slightly recessed niche and allowing for an additional lighting strip to sit just inside the top line. The Toto toilet, Duravit sink, and Lefroy Brooks sink and shower faucet fixtures complete this clean-lined look
In the second bath, Lauren and Adam found ways to balance continuity with diverse details by using 6″ square Carrera marble floor tiles and by making the shower the centerpiece of this room with luminous green Heath subway tiles on the inner shower walls. White subway tiles from Daltile, lined with neutral gray grout, complete the shower surround. The underlying footprint of this bathroom was altered to meet the owner’s suggestion of relocating the entry door – a move that allowed Lauren and Adam to focus the viewer’s eye on the shower details, add shallow storage shelving behind the newly-converted closet door, and take advantage of the narrow niche next to the shower stall to warm up an impeccably-tiled room with open cedar storage shelves and a compact cabinet. I can not get enough of that tiny oil-rubbed bronze door knob – the owners sourced both the knob and the vanity lighting fixture from Rejuvenation. The bathroom sink, chosen for it’s asymmetrical corner counter, is from Pozzi Ginori, and the plumbing fixtures have been outfitted with Grohe.
In the third bath, Lauren and Adam continued to rely on subway tile but added variety and character with a cubed navy floor tile from Mosaic House, a red cedar inset vanity ledge and cabinet, a gently-squared Duravit tub and sink set, Grohe plumbing fixtures, and a wall-mounted Rejuvenation vanity sconce, identical to the light selected for the second bath.
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For one final example of the beautiful design and flawless execution that accompanied this project, look no further than the intricate built-ins that now line the master bedroom and the family’s living room. Lauren and Adam worked closely with the condo’s owners to make the most of these wall-to-wall units. The owners came to the table equipped with sketches and inspiring images, and had specific proportion requests in mind for each piece. While they intended to use the living room shelving to house the tv, they were smart to focus on a design that would minimize the appearance of the tv by placing it alongside other interesting items, and by slightly off-setting the tv area so that the tv is not the focal point of that wall. The team played with ideas like incorporating a bar area or bench seating, but ultimately created a piece that houses books and media and art without overtaking the room.
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In the master bedroom, Lauren and Adam designed a full-wall custom built-in that is unbelievably functional and simultaneously well-integrated. With no visible pulls or hardware, it is easy to miss all of the elements that the wall now accommodates: a workspace by the window, storage cabinets, deep drawers, and hanging wardrobes — all concealed by lacquered doors and inset handles. The workspace has pocket doors that open and slide back toward the wall, which gives the owners the option to keep the desk open or slightly sectioned off from the rest of the room.
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Many, many thanks to Sweeten Experts Lauren, Adam, and Alan for this insider’s look at the design and craftsmanship throughout this home. So fun to see a renovation that included everything AND the kitchen sink! We are beyond psyched that we were able to bring this team together — if you are thinking about similar projects or feeling inspired by the transformations in each room of this home, post your project on Sweeten and let us help you find the right designers and general contractors for your space.
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Transforming an Uptown Kitchen
/in Blog, KitchensLast summer we began a full gut renovation of a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment on the Upper East Side. The owners passion for cooking put a lot of emphasis on the design and function of a galley kitchen. Incorporating thoughtful storage space, easily accessible small appliances and enough room for state of the art commercial grade range, this kitchen has just about everything. See the whole article on the Sweeten.com website. domain check Take a look…
http://blog.sweeten.com/inspiration/five-design-tricks-transform-uptown-kitchen/
Make Your Outdoor Space Work for You
/in BlogHave a bland porch? Weeds growing through your patio? A neglected deck? A little spring cleaning and some simple additions – a hanging swing, some mood lighting, a vintage find or two – are all it takes to transform an ordinary outdoor space into an open air living room that adds value and comfort to your home all year long.
Read more