Wash, Dry, Fold

You picked the peaceful blue walls and don't they look fab?

The glitches of the new system are fixed and the paint you voted for in August is dry!

It’s silly just how excited some of us are over the new laundry room. There is just something gratifying about seeing all those gleaming machines lined up in nice neat rows. Aside from the 2 additional washers and 2 additional dryers, each machine is sparklingly new. New lighting, seating, added folding space, more carts- it’s just a stark change from the dingy laundry room of yore.

The best part? This upgrade will make our coop money! Yearly, the new contract is expected to bring in thousands of dollars for our reserves. It’s just a great upgrade all around.

Click on an image to see it larger.

You picked the peaceful blue walls and don’t they look fab?

My rugs, getting dry!

The washers doing the washing.

In My Dreams…

This shows only half of the kitchen. No, I'm serious, half!

In my dreams I live in Dominick and Juliette’s apartment. I walk around on those flawless dark wood floors and make macaroni and cheese in that gorgeous kitchen. My pasta is in the dark wood cabinets (who would have guessed Ikea?!) and my cheese and milk are stored in that massive stainless steal refrigerator. The perfectly coordinated stone counter tops, the equally perfect backsplash…  In truth, I don’t know how to cook. But in their kitchen, I would give it a shot.

The bathroom is also the stuff of dreams. Huge. Huge. Huge. Cararra marble floors in a basket weave pattern and a massive tub. They removed the original shower stall which was separate from the old tub. In its place they put the new sink cabinet. They also changed the direction of the bathtub and installed the new massive one. Seriously, we could have a coop party in Dom and Juliette’s tub (if only they would let us!)

As you can see from the images, the dining room is also really spacious. The openness of the apartment as a whole coupled with the dark wood and earthy colors really lends to a sense of elegance and serenity.

It wasn’t so long ago that this apartment was a total disaster. Want to know how bad? Take a look at 4C, the two bedroom for sale right now. That place is a palace compared to what Dominick and Juliette got when they bought theirs. I remember a faux house-eave (complete with roof tiles) above the window in the kitchen, the bathroom smelled (use your imagination), the floors were scratched and the walls were pock marked. They have done wonders! If anyone were ever to question the potential of the apartments in our building, I would point them right to Dominick and Juliette’s door.

Click on the images to view them in detail!

A view of the marble topped vanity

I heart this bathroom!

This shows only half of the kitchen. No, I’m serious, half!

Spacious and elegant dining.

The dining room

Bano, Bagno, Bains, Bathroom

Baby Alex demonstrates how to open a drawer!

My very favorite part of Robin and Brian’s bathroom is a built in “drum set” that Baby Alex made out of a nearby lid and the toilet seat. The acoustics of the space are amazing and Alex’s percussion skills are pure rock n roll. My second favorite thing about the bathroom is the sink vanity which Robin had made out of an antique cabinet and the ceramic sink bowl she had commissioned in South Carolina. The rustic bowl and the distressed cabinet are a brilliant combination. It looks more like a piece of furniture than a bathroom sink, which makes for a more welcoming salle de bains.

The floor tile was purchased in Bay Ridge at Classic Tile, I can vouch for the selection and reasonable prices there. Robin knew she wanted penny round tile in brown. They had it in stock. It looks great against the white tiles on the walls and the green accents in the room. A bold choice, but Robin is a set designer and knew exactly what she was doing. And, the results are fab.

Robin and Brian also added a shower niche, hotel style wall-hanging blow dryer, luggage rack style towel holder, and beautiful new faucets and knobs. I have to admit, I wanted to try out the blow dryer… But not as much as I wanted to take a turn on Baby Alex’s toilet drums.

Click on an image below to see it larger!

The great sink fashioned from an antique cabinet and custom ceramic sink bowl.

The super brown penny rounds!

The shower niche was installed after putting in a slightly smaller bathtub.

Shiny! Pretty!

A potter in South Carolina created this sink to Robin’s specifications.

Baby Alex demonstrates how to open a drawer!

Two! Count them, two bedrooms!

Remember, wallpaper can be removed (and buried in a shallow grave)

The news finally came. It’s about three years too late for me, but maybe not for some other would-be homeowner with a lot of vision and a huge reserve of elbow grease.

Available for purchase is apartment 4C,  a front facing two bedroom. The last time this happened Dominick and Juliette scooped it up before we could even put in an offer! And if you could see what they’ve done with theirs, you would be knocking down the sponsor’s door to get a chance at this one.

I have to be frank about a few things. This place is a mess (so was the one Dominick snagged). There is mismatched, outdated, and very smelly carpet covering every inch of floor. The kitchen is the stuff of nightmares. There are “details” which can only be fixed with a sledgehammer. Finally, there is wallpaper. Not the chic damasks of today’s interior design world but the old, stained foiled type from days of yore. And it is everywhere. The layout is not as nice as the other two bedrooms in our building, but still… two bedrooms! Two very large bedrooms at that.

All that said, I bet that hideous carpet is covering a beautiful, barely-touched hardwood floor. I had just such luck with my apartment. The kitchen is a challenge but one I would give a kidney to take a go at. The wallpaper? A little steam and fabric softener, and it’s gone forever. The bathroom is a $10k-15k job, but oh, what a bathroom! Tub and separate shower!

Anyone who walks in there right now is sure to be aghast. But, if you close your eyes and plug your nose, you can imagine the absolute palace this place could be.

The price? I called David, the sponsor, today to talk to him about that. When asked, he told me “It’s very expensive,” which is what he says about every apartment. He said “$430k.” Yes, he was serious. So, hours later, I am typing this up when someone knocks at my door. It’s David! Interestingly, I have open on my computer the comps in the area, which I planned to share with all of you.  After looking at the comps and listening to me go on and on about the fact that any offer which comes even close to $430k will fall apart at appraisal, he agrees to lower the price.

We agreed on $390k, “But, no lower!”

I’m still not certain that it would appraise at that price. Plenty of comps are less and many of them are nicer and in buildings without Floridian peach and green lobbies. However, David might be willing to deal. Any would be buyer should bring comps with them when they meet with David and be willing to haggle.

Asking $390k

Maintenance roughly $630

Work to be done: Endless

Finished product: Priceless

It's not pretty now, but you just wait!

It's the larger of the two bedrooms.

Comps are below…

http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/detail/44-1567079/11218-BROOKLYN-NY-USA/2-beds/CO-OP-type/PRICE-LOW-sort/44-1565872–44-1567079–2926-DP90606339–46-1025316–44-1565004–46-1121527–4099-DP90516297–1434-202S–36-B2164364C–44-1560609-ls/20-t

http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/detail/44-1565872/11218-BROOKLYN-NY-USA/2-beds/CO-OP-type/PRICE-LOW-sort/44-1565872–44-1567079–2926-DP90606339–46-1025316–44-1565004–46-1121527–4099-DP90516297–1434-202S–36-B2164364C–44-1560609-ls/20-t

http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/detail/46-1025316/11218-BROOKLYN-NY-USA/2-beds/CO-OP-type/PRICE-LOW-sort/44-1565872–44-1567079–2926-DP90606339–46-1025316–44-1565004–46-1121527–4099-DP90516297–1434-202S–36-B2164364C–44-1560609-ls/20-t

Olga’s Jewel

Olga's bedroom blazing with orange and rusty reds.

Somehow, I never expected a zen inspired apartment to be hidden inside our prewar building. It simply didn’t occur to me. Thinking about it later, I should have guessed. Of course Olga’s fifth floor apartment is an eclectic mix of Asian benches, Tuscan color, Venetian plaster, and mosaic tile! It makes sense that a talented massage therapist and artist would transform her space to reflect her world view. It’s her very own global bazaar. Olga is transforming her apartment into a uniquely personal space, which she proudly refers to as her “palace in a shoe box”.

Olga purchased her apartment in the Fall of 2005 and has been steadily personalizing it ever since. Creating nooks above doorways for added storage and opening walls. Every corner and edge in the entire place has been “rounded” to give the walls an old world stucco feel. Her apartment is a work in progress. Even from the areas which remain unfinished you can see Olga’s vision. And, it’s a darn good vision.

The Venetian plaster on nearly every wall lends to that old world feel. Olga used colors that most people would shy away from. Shades of orange, bright greens and lapis lazuli  blue. Does it work? Absolutely. She has managed to use color in a way that is inviting, calming and at the same time energizing. So very Olga.

When planning this post, she told me to stop by in the afternoon. “That’s when the light show begins”. She wasn’t kidding. The sun beams into her apartment and sets all the jewel tones ablaze. By the end of my visit, I was having some serious sparkle envy.

Finishing details on the bedroom radiator.

Beautiful blue ceiling pattern.

Old School Charm

The large foyer is now an elegant dining room, for six

Inspired, and a little bit jealous. I feel it every time I walk into Nancy’s fourth floor apartment. It’s not just the size, with it’s foyer-made-dining room and two bedrooms. It’s not just the layout, with its well placed rooms and windows on three fronts. This apartment is a beautiful, sophisticated, and welcoming home.

Being a sponsor tenant has its limitations. Nancy cannot remove one of the kitchen walls, as she would like to. She can’t renovate the bathroom either. A busy mother of two, she has done an amazing job by simply using paint and her cosmopolitan sense of style. “You know I just throw things together” she told me when I asked to feature her place. I have known her for years now, and she’s just being modest. She didn’t spend a fortune to make her place nice, but it looks like a million bucks.

The foyer, which houses an impressive dining table for six, has jet-black chandeliers hanging from above. The walls sport an icy blue paint job and display a mix of black framed family photos and mirrors. I have had many a home cooked meal at her table, often by candle light and on perfectly chosen china. It’s these details which make her home such a great place.

A charcoal navy accent wall brings attention to the living room. Modern vintage paired with sleek contemporary, add a splash of classic. Plush rugs line the floor and the lighting is soft and welcoming. Nancy isn’t one for clutter, her accessories are well chosen and well placed. An elegant vintage desk where she works from home, as a commercial real estate broker, was a yard sale find.

She made this place great without investing a lot of money. I wish I could parade people considering our building through her apartment. She used nothing but old school effort and a great sense of style. This space is an inspired example of the potential the apartments of 140 East 2nd hold.

Bedroom, complete with crib. The image captures only half of this room!

Livingroom- Somewhat out of focus! (I'm a total amatuer.)

The smaller of the two bedrooms is actually much larger that it appears.

Ann’s Detailed Refinish!

Inspired by a pass through in another apartment, Ann's living room is now warm and open.

When Ann told me that she had stripped the door frames in her apartment to expose the metal, my first thought was that it was a very cool idea. My second thought, that it must have been a massive pain in the keester to do. “The frames were a real pain to strip” confirms Ann, who purchased her back facing one bedroom in May of 2007. She used a combination of a heavy duty heat gun and chemicals to do the job. After a day dedicated to the task herself, she decided to leave it to a professional. The results are a wonderful industrial detail you would expect to see in a high end Tribeca loft.

She didn’t stop with the door frames, Ann refinished the doors, original hardware and the hardwood floors too. She has left her her mark on every inch of this place and it shows. The kitchen boasts custom made hard wood cabinetry. It’s absolutely beautiful. New eco-chic recycled glass and concrete counter tops, and a freshly tiled floor. The bathroom has marble, subway tiles and a new tub, sink and cabinetry.

The next thing on her list? A back splash in the kitchen. She’s waiting patiently until she finds the perfect fit. Ann is considering stainless steel, how cool would that be? There is detail and craftsmanship put into her apartment. I’m sure when the right back splash comes along, it’s going to have been worth the wait.

I was in Ann’s apartment just a few days before she went into contract. At the time, I managed to snap a few pictures. Below are some before and after images of the amazing changes she’s made.

Every door in the apartment has been refinished.

The metal of the door fame has been stripped, the door refinished.

Earth friendy counters and custom cabinets.

New base moldings and refinished hardwood floors

Re-glazing, Not Replacing.

Sink from the 1940s

When we closed on apartment 1G a few years ago, it needed help. When I say it needed help, you will have to understand that it needed it desperately. The walls had huge pock marks, the kitchen was a mess, there was dirty mauve carpeting throughout… And then there was the bathroom. I used to describe it to friends as the place Freddy Krueger was born. They laughed at me. That is until they walked into the bathroom.

Finished to look like plaster coated shag carpet, the walls and ceiling were made up of thousands of gravity defying stalactites! The floor tile was cracked and stained. Areas missing tiles had been filled in with concrete. It was the most depressing bathroom I have ever seen. Worse than a rest stop on a highway. Worse than a Starbucks in the Village. The good part? Yes, there was a good part… The original 1940s sink, toilet, and bathtub! Chipped and stained, these babies were a dream come true. They don’t make them like they used to. The cast iron tub is huge! Large enough for an adult to lay down in, deep enough for the water to come up to your ears! To replace that tub for something of equal size and quality would have cost thousands. The sink? Simple mid modern design and virtually unavailable today.

I remember the day we finally had the tub and sink re-glazed. It took a lot of research to decide on a contractor. Reading reviews, comparing warranties. We had renovated the entire bathroom already. Subway style field tiles for the walls, Carrara marble hexagons for the floor, the paint was dry and new bathroom accessories had been installed for months. When the glaze was finished, I couldn’t believe the difference. It was difficult to picture what it had looked like before. Freddy Krueger who?

Re-glazed tub, in a renovated bathroom!

Apartment 4R

The living room of Apartment 4R

This is the image posted on various sites listing apartment 4R for sale. You can see the wide archway which opens the kitchen (where the photographer is standing) into the living room. This apartment is in pretty good shape for a sponsor apartment and has lovely natural light. The wood floors are in nice shape. Overall, this space has a great feel to it.

The kitchen has linoleum tiles, which could be easily and cheaply upgraded, or removed all together. As they are, they aren’t bad at all. There is space to add in loads more cabinet and counter space if someone decided to.

Two large closets in the hallway provide added storage.

The bedroom has windows on two walls, letting in light. The room has two narrow but deep closets. It’s a large bedroom, easily fitting any size bed and still accommodating multiple dressers.

The bathroom is unattractive but in working condition. A buyer would want to renovate, but might choose to live with it for a while.

The sponsor is asking $290,000. I’m told prices are negotiable.

Circa 1928

This is the view from the middle of the road on East 4th Street, looking toward Ft Hamilton Parkway. The bell tower in the back ground is to be torn down in just a few short years, making space for the larger brick and stone church which stands there today.

What seems to be a grocery, today is the Oak and the Iris. And the doorway on the right? In today’s world, that’s our very own Scott Reed’s art studio!