Fixer Upper Friday: 2BR Convertible to 3BR for $525k in The Plymouth in Jackson Heights

Via StreetEasy

This week I profile a Fixer Upper extraordinaire. This home at 35-20 82nd Street, #41, has an unusually flexible floor plan that could allow an owner to add both a third bedroom and a second bath. As 3BR/2BA homes in this Jackson Heights neighborhood are going for upwards of $850k, there's about $300k of instant equity on the line for some lucky buyer, and that could fund a pretty swell renovation. Let's take a look.

My Visit to the Semihandmade Showroom in NYC

Having decided to go with statuary marble for the backsplash, the rest of the kitchen design fell quickly into place. To keep this renovation budget in line, I hope to make IKEA cabinets work for me. As I really dislike IKEA cabinet doors, this will require sourcing custom doors to fit IKEA cabinets. First up: A visit to Semihandmade in NYC.

Classic White Shaker + Marble Kitchen

I met today with the good folks at Semihandmade. This company makes door fronts that fit IKEA cabinets — they even drill holes for the hinges. So brilliant! Now I can go with affordable IKEA cabinet boxes, with their cleverly designed interior fittings that I love, but I have a better option when it comes to the door fronts. I can even get real wood shaker fronts, so I'm not locked into ultra modern slab fronts if I want to use IKEA. After seeing the Semihandmade doors, I think I've made my decision.

Thanksgiving Table DIY Place Cards Craft

Happy Thanksgiving! This will be a quick post. As American's across the land are basting turkeys and bringing out the good china, I thought I'd share a quick place cards craft. All you need is some fall foliage and gold spray paint. Ready? Let's get to it.

Oh Yes, IKEA Can Do Upscale Modern Kitchens!

via Houzz

I paid a visit to IKEA on a rare day off, hoping I'd have better luck grabbing the attention of one of the kitchen staff on a weekday than a weekend. I didn't realize I was visiting right smack in the middle of IKEA's thrice-annual Kitchen Sale. Even for a weekday morning the place was mobbed with frenzied folks hoping to start a kitchen in time to lock in the 15% off. Waiting for my name to be called, I had ample time to walk through all the model kitchens and take note of things, such as the scale of the kitchen islands and smart cabinet organizers. There are things I definitely want, like the under-sink recyclables pullout and the drawer within a drawer silverware pullouts, which will allow me to do all deep drawers and no doors. It wasn't until I got to the doors, that the IKEA cabinet line gave me pause.

Two Open Kitchen Designs Using IKEA Cabinets

Now that I've weighed the pros and cons of the galley kitchen, considered knocking down walls for an open concept kitchen, and grappled with the budget, I'm starting to think about cabinetry options. Cabinets can eat up 50% of the budget, so I'm looking to bring those costs down. First stop, IKEA.

Calculating the Budget for My Dream Kitchen Renovation

Now that I've decided to open up walls, it's time to grapple with the budget for this renovation. When I renovated my Brooklyn kitchen back in 2006, I'd just sold my previous home and rolled over the equity into the new place. I was feeling flush, so I'm embarrassed now to say that I didn't set a budget. Rookie mistake!

Recycled Kitchens That Are Worth It — Just for the Appliances

Since the day I first set eyes on our home, I've been casually stalking recycled kitchens. Today I came across one that would be worth it for the appliances alone. And the fact that I can turn it down made me realize that I've come to a decision about our kitchen. And the decision is to go big — as in walls are about to come tumbling down.

Cottage Style: How Shake Shingles Weather Over Time (PHOTOS)

We've achieved a big renovation milestone this year — the summer cottage is now completely reshingled, from top to bottom. Replacing the old vinyl siding with cedar shakes was an eye-popping improvement, but an expensive undertaking. 

Fixer Upper Friday: Turn This 2BR/1BA in the Fillmore to a 2BR/2BA With Open Kitchen

via Streeteasy

Hey, I'm back with more Fixer Upper spotting. So, I don't often cover a home that's been advertised without photos, but 83-10 35th Avenue, 2G caught my eye because it's so undervalued for the area. Is this home in estate condition? Very likely. Do the co-op financials bear an indepth look? Certainly. But considering that another 2BR/1BA this size in this building sold for $685k just three months back and that this one is asking $489k, I'd say it bears a look-see. There's about $200k of instant equity on the line that some lucky buyer could pour into their reno and end up with a home designed to their own personal specs. The floorplan of the G line is available on Streeteasy:

Recycled Luxury Zen Bathroom for Less Than $2,500

While stalking a recycled kitchen on Green Demolitions this week, I came across some great deals in the bath section. Two never-used Lefroy Brooks deep soaking tubs for under $1,000 — and one is the lovely Zen Tub. (The wooden feet alone retail for more.) Then I saw that the tub would pair really well with an Alape floating vanity, marked down to $950. This got me falling down a designer rabbit hole. Could we kit out a whole dreamy Zen bathroom for under $3k just shopping markdowns at reuse stores? Why, yes, we can! Even less!

Fixer Upper Friday: Dunolly 2BR Reconfiguration

StreetEasy

Hey, I'm back with another installment of Fixer Upper Friday. Today I'm looking at a 2 BR at 34-21 78th Street, 2J, in Jackson Heights that caught my eye. The home, which just hit the market asking $450k, is located in the Dunolly Gardens, a massive six-building co-op that actually takes up an entire city block. Other 1100 sq ft 2BRs in the building, like this one in the E line, have been selling for as high as $615k, thanks to a coveted second bath. Looking at our floor plan, a clever reconfiguration has the potential to not only open up the kitchen but also add a second bathroom, creating a valuable master suite. Let's take a look!

Fixer Upper Friday: Roosevelt Terrace 2 BR

Typical terrace at Roosevelt Terrace via RedFin

Hey, I'm back with another installment of Fixer Upper Friday, scouting a 2 BR at 35-31 85th Street, 4h, in Jackson Heights. This home is located in a four-building co-op down the block from where we live, so I get to see quite a bit of it and I can tell you that the outdoor spaces are sweet. I'm going to breeze right over the photos in the ad on StreetEasy and instead show you this of a neighboring home in the same co-op that gives a better taste of how great this home could be. Can't you just see yourself sipping a latte or glass of wine here? Righty-ho, then — let's jump right into the floor plan, where the potential to open the kitchen into something spectacular is pure Renov8or gold.

Modern Chair for the Bedroom (Update)

The bedroom makeover has dragged on, while I search for the right mid-century style bedroom chairs and rug. But I'm one step closer this week. The rug I'd been stalking at West Elm was just reduced half price, so I snapped it up. The Margo Selby Zig-Zag Stripe Kilim Rug ($299) makes a big color statement and that's going to help decide the chair. Possibilities include a surprising newcomer — a lounge chair ($250) from the new Target + Dwell collaboration. What do you think? Does it beat out gorgeous red Blu Dot chair (that's 4x the cost)? I'd love to hear opinions!

The Life-Changing Magic of Folding Clothes Into Origami

If anyone had foretold I'd be folding my sweaters, jeans, and, yes, even undies into origami in a quest for a more organized home, I'd not have believed it. Yet, here I am. Remember last year's breakout book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? It prompted a slew of riveting "clutter" photos all across the web and spawned the hashtag #KonMari — now a verb, as in "I KonMari'd my closets." But does it really work? I put it to the test. 

Float Mount Frame Hack for Large Canvas Paintings

You know how some people have good parking karma — a spot always opens up for them just when they need it. Well, I have good artwork karma. I've been collecting art for most of my life and have had some unbelievably good large-scale canvases fall into my lap. Though I've acquired many large canvases for free, framing them can be costly, so I'm excited to share with you this easy DIY hack to create a simple float mount frame.

Barn Light for the Cottage Porch

Ashley Brooks Designs / Barn Lighting

Mom and dad are visiting with me at the cottage, and we have a few projects up our sleeves. I've long wanted to replace our rear porch light on the deck, and with Dad the electrician on premises, now seemed as good a time as any.

  

Mood Board for a Black and White Bathroom

One of the first things I like to do when I'm designing a bathroom is bring all of the elements into Pixlr as layers and move them around without worrying a lot about distortion and proportion. It's fun, and it's often surprising what I discover. Take the black and white bath we're working on...

Factory Doors and Encaustic Tiles Make a Strong Statement in the Bath

The Bower Birds

I'm advising a friend on a design for a master shower in her new home, and so much has changed since I designed our own bathroom just three years ago, I can't wait to share some exciting finds. 

Is IKEA Hacking Itself? Sneak Preview of the 2017 Catalog!

There’s lots for an inveterate hacker to love in the new 2017 IKEA Catalog. While images reflect a new urban-industrial vibe, with a muted color palette to match, what hasn't changed is the utilitarian design and affordable prices. There's a new herringbone wood countertop, Cadovius-inspired storage system and free-standing minimalist kitchen to name just a few.  (Photos via IKEA)