Albemarle Reno
All Systems, Go — Away? »
November 6, 2009
Welcome to The Albemarle Reno Blog
My husband and I, together with our intrepid architect, have been plotting and planning since we closed on this house on Albemarle Road in Prospect Park South about three weeks ago. We are first-time home-buyers who have rented brownstone apartments in Carroll Gardens and Boerum Hill since 1992. The renovation we have in mind is extensive. It includes restoring the kitchen to its rightful place (it was shunned to a back hallway in 1959 to make room for the owner-dermatologist's suite of exam rooms). Also in that era, the ornate, oval dining room slummed as a waiting room, while the walls, baseboards and molding throughout the house served as track for stapling miles of alarm system, intercom, phone and, yes, electrical wires. If you click through below, you can get a good sense of the beautiful house we are getting--but also the range of work that lies ahead. We're looking forward to documenting the project as well as benefiting from the input of the Brownstoner community as we go along.
There is much we love about this 1905 John Petit-designed beauty
the wrap-around porch, the woodwork,
the oval and round rooms,
the yummy molding,
the original fixtures,
and the straight-out-of-Edward-Gorey nooks and crannies.
But much of the remnants of its history leave us scratching our heads.
And post-closing surprises add up to a lot of scratch.
And away we go!
Photo of porch from Flatbush Gardener on Flickr
Comments
good luck, what a beaut.
Posted by: dittoburg at November 6, 2009 11:05 AM
Ok, that was the easy part.
Snarling and teeth-gnashing = 1/available cash.
Seriously, good luck. I'm looking forward to seeing this and hope the surprises are few.
Posted by: slopefarm at November 6, 2009 11:06 AM
thanks for sharing, this looks like it's going to be amazing!
Posted by: CG_ups at November 6, 2009 11:06 AM
What's the wiring like? Is it all Knob-and-tube wiring and do you have to replace it all?
Posted by: tybur6 at November 6, 2009 11:09 AM
I'm never one to be impressed by original details, but that molding is drop dead gorgeous.
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 6, 2009 11:10 AM
Wow! I'm torn between being green w/ envy & thanking my stars it's yours, not mine. What a job! But how terrific! Good luck - can't wait to see how it goes. Will you be working as your own GC w/ subs?
(And don't you want to throw out that chandelier w/ the glass globules? I'll take it down for you & haul it away if you do...)
Posted by: Arkady at November 6, 2009 11:10 AM
Beware! Montrose will outside snapping many pictures and salivating over your plants :)
Wonderful house! All the best to you-when are we all invited to dinner?
Posted by: bxgrl at November 6, 2009 11:12 AM
Viewing this from the safety of my keyboard and closed wallet, all I can see is beauty, beauty, beauty and fun, fun, fun! Wow. Best of luck to as you give the attention, care and love to this house that it so richly deserves. This is one restoration project that I'll be following religiously.
Posted by: Brooklynista at November 6, 2009 11:15 AM
This is my favorite house in the neighborhood! It is beautiful.
My husbands parents own a home up the street on Rugby Road, and we always walk our dog and baby past your home. We just bought a brownstone in Bed Stuy-which is going to be a doozy to reno, but we are excited! Good luck with your project, I bet it will come out great!
Posted by: Reidnic0815 at November 6, 2009 11:16 AM
So glad you're doing the blog. What a spectacular house! Look forward to following your progress. Best of luck.
Posted by: CarrollGardened at November 6, 2009 11:16 AM
"Yummy Molding"
:)
Posted by: Pigeon at November 6, 2009 11:19 AM
Best of luck, neighbor. We found similar doohickeys in our house just a block or so away. We found wiring for no less than three separate generations of alarm systems, servant call switches, panic buttons, and old-school fire sensors (the nippley looking thing above.)
Most of it just got ripped right out, but some of it really left us scratching our heads.
Welcome to the neighborhood. So happy that magnificent old house is going to get some love.
Posted by: guywithahouse at November 6, 2009 11:19 AM
If Montrose had a car, bxgrl would be right!
Congratulations on your (jealousy inducing) purchase. Wow.
Seriously, my old house loving heart is happy when masterpieces like this are bought by people who want to preserve them, not just own them for the location or square footage. I really believe owning a house like this is a serious responsibility, not only for your family's safety and comfort, but also in assuring that our architectural past is here for future generations. The detail in this house is amazing, and I can't wait to see more, as well as see how you incorporate 21st century neccessities with early 20th century craftsmanship. The fact that you are thrilled with the details, the odd spaces, and the quirks of the house leads me to believe we will be in for a great read.
Again, congratulations! More, please!
Posted by: Montrose Morris at November 6, 2009 11:26 AM
Thanks everyone -- especially guywithahouse for solving the mystery of the "nippley looking thing" -- tybur6, you'll get a peek at the electrics first thing next week.
Posted by: albemarle at November 6, 2009 11:27 AM
Omg, Gorgeous! Congratulations and best of luck. I can't wait to follow along with your blog. Arkady, I will fight you for the chandelier!
Posted by: Susan Elkins at November 6, 2009 11:38 AM
Welcome. Great that you're doing the reno blog. Walked by Halloween and saw the decorations - I guess you're moved in and there's plenty of rooms to shift around while you take on work in stages.
The house is great, but would seem overwhelming to restore and to maintain and heat. How're you gonna make use of all that space? A half a dozen more kids to go with the guy by the fluorescent lights?
Posted by: Bklnite at November 6, 2009 11:40 AM
Congrats and good luck. We owned a much smaller, but well loved home a few blocks down the road. The wiring in these places is just insane - and beware the asbestos wrap that no doubt lurks behind the walls when you demo. Have you thought about geothermal heating? Central air that is fuelled by your radiator system?
Posted by: Architerrorist at November 6, 2009 11:42 AM
Oh my good lord, it's GORGEOUS!! Congratulations and best of luck!!
Posted by: new2hood at November 6, 2009 11:49 AM
Very beautiful. Will be both a joy and a trial to restore. Wishing your family much good health and pleasure in your new home.
Posted by: vinca at November 6, 2009 12:23 PM
I don't quite grasp the intimidation factor. Most of what I see are low voltage alarm wires for door and window sensors, all of which can be ripped out in less than an hour, and an alarm panel that can also be tossed. Looks like you've also got some old buzzers to summons the hired help. The bigger job will likely be the electric, if it is has not been upgraded. What kind of service do you have coming into the house, and what kind of wire? K&T wiring, greenfield or grounded romex? The failing plaster looks like it's in the basement -- just rip it down. The big unfortunate will be all of the swiss cheese you'll be making in your walls pulling new electric, and insulating those walls. I doubt you have high voltage lines stapled to your molding.
Posted by: Zarathustra at November 6, 2009 12:50 PM
anytime, albemarle.
just walk around the corner and follow the sounds of jack-hamers and circular saws.
Posted by: guywithahouse at November 6, 2009 1:03 PM
Thank you for doing a blog, I can't wait to see your progress and the mysteries you uncover. I have done quite a bit of research on old kitchens and baths and would be more than happy to share what I've learned. I recently restored a house in Victorian Flatbush with nearly original kitchen and baths. It's awesome to see first hand how things worked and how people lived. The division of public and private spaces has changed a lot, I think with the loss of servants being common in middle class and upper-middle class households.
I also find it very interesting which elements let a place read as authentic vs. overly modernized. As a homeowner I want to avoid the renovations and fixture choices that currently look "period" but 10 or 20 years from now will look as dated as some of the restorations people did in the 1970s and 80s.
Posted by: BHS at November 6, 2009 1:05 PM
congrats. I hope you have a thick skin. Inevitably, especially given the historic nature of he house, some of your design choices will be criticized. Just keep firing away and don't let he haters get to you. And remember you're doing it for yourself, not anyone else.
Good luck!
Posted by: denton at November 6, 2009 1:39 PM
Oh, I have turret envy. My turret is sooo skimpy compared to that!
Posted by: rh at November 6, 2009 2:17 PM
I've admired the house ever since I was in the Dr's waiting room with a child many years ago. I saw the potential even then.
Posted by: yaakovdoe at November 6, 2009 2:42 PM
Love the post, the house, the photos, and the writing. Are you a professional writer?
BHS, what is this about restoring nearly original kitchens and baths? I didn't know that. What did you do? We're trying to do that too.
Posted by: mopar at November 6, 2009 3:53 PM
Does the house have vinyl siding presently? Can't rememember. If so, do you plan to shingle? Just curious.
Posted by: Architerrorist at November 6, 2009 4:28 PM
I saw this house just before it sold. It made me think of the underrated Hanks classic, "The Money Pit." The house has amazing potential. Good luck.
Posted by: slick at November 7, 2009 12:20 AM
I think it's aluminum. It's definitely not cedar shakes. There are lots of period photos of this house... Mary Kay has an archive, and so does the Brooklyn Historian, Ron Schweiger. You can see if there's any type of decorative shingle or missing exterior elements, if that's part of your plan.
Posted by: Architerrorist at November 7, 2009 9:57 AM
I looked at this house, at the end of the day we chickened out,too much work. I'm curious what's the initial budget?
Posted by: ditmasman at November 9, 2009 10:38 AM
It is beautiful, I can't wait to read your posts. I am almost as excited to read everyone elses' comments on your choices. I am hoping you are not too tired or too overwhelmed to write. How are you thinking about heating it?
Good luck.(as well as good workpeople)
Posted by: lauriec at November 10, 2009 9:19 AM
Welcome to the area I would like to recommand myself for your painting work i do great plaster work skim coating and very professional painting crew my company is GABRIELA PAINTING INC I CAN SAVE YOU LOTS OF MONEY. We can do this job by sections at a time my prices are great I also live in the area I have a house on Argyle road and Glennwood. No job is to small for us a room three rooms a bathroom. once again good luck and here are my contact numbers 718-331-3889 also gabipaintinc@aol.com
Posted by: max senises at November 10, 2009 11:33 AM
Good luck with starting and actually finishing such a big project... Can't wait to see the results....
Posted by: HOBOKENROCKS at November 13, 2009 12:46 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.