September 16, 2009

Cast Iron Fence: We Can Rebuild It

Here's a fun guest post from a Clinton Hill brownstone owner...
The story: Our 130-year old iron fence was in terrible shape, barely standing at all—the last of the five identical houses in our row to have even pieces of the original. I had Vinnie from Italian Art Iron Works on Bergen Street out to look at it, and was still skeptical that it could be saved. It was missing 17 arrows and five of the seven post-end caps. Fortunately, previous owners saved 16 arrows, so at least we had those. Vinnie says to me, "You gotta spend-a the money." So I did. Here's a photo of Vinnie's guy putting the pieces together along with one of what it looks like now. But that spikey finial you see below was one of only two that we had. I scoured the salvage places, emailed photos to Olde Good Things and all the rest—nada. Vinnie ballparked that it could cost us $4,000 to have new ones cast—yikes!

And then...

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August 17, 2009

Gut Reno on Gates

When we saw this post go up on the Forum last week, we emailed the poster and asked to see more photos of the 5-story gut renovation he'd been performing on a brownstone on the eastern edge of Clinton. He obliged, along with a brief description below.

The project came about as a way to give myself a informal, tactile education in architecture and building. I was trained as an engineer but I always felt curious about the built environment, partly its appearance, of course, but moreso how it is put together and how it affects us psychologically, emotionally, and socially. I came across this building about two and a half years ago and it was a wreck - no working plumbing or electrical above the parlor floor, every window was shot as was every flight of stairs, all three roofs leaked liked sieves, and it was snowing in the top stairwell. Still, I loved the scale of the building and the details, and it was undoubtedly a big project, bigger than I could probably handle, which made it that much more enticing.

I collaborated on the design with Public, a firm from San Diego, California, where I lived before moving to New York. We knew getting light in the middle of the building was important, as was taking advantage of the building's stepbacks to create outdoor space. And we wanted to preserve some of the building's sweet ruin and add modern elements carefully and in balance with the building's delicate detail. This was probably the hardest and most time-consuming part, creating details in the language of modern materials and construction realities that didn't feel faux-historic or forced. Hopefully we managed to succeed in a few places - whether or not we did, I got my education, and opened up all kinds of possibilities in my head for what and how to build in a brownstone.

August 14, 2009

DIBS Refinishes His Facade

Reader, commenter and frequenter of Brownstoner after-work gatherings, daveinbedstuy today shares with us the tale of his recent facade renovation...

I recently had the facade on my brownstone refinished. It had been covered with 2-3 layers of paint and was crumbling badly on the garden level, primarily the stoop area. I got a number of estimates and the price range was wide. After a recommendation from a neighbor who owns a number of properties and has had work done by a local guy, I went with Millad from CTG Construction. He literally lives around the corner.

We had an extensive discussion about the work needed and both he and I came to the same conclusion independently that we'd try to save as much of the original flat stone as possible from the parlour level and the top floor. (For before, during and after photos, click here.) This would be in the best interest long term instead of chiselling ALL of it off. The lintels & sills for those levels howvere, needed to be completely rebuilt.

The first step was...

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June 26, 2009

Restoration of Slope Church Begins

OTBKB had an interesting post on Wednesday about the restoration of the Old First Reformed Church at 7th Avenue and Carroll Street. The restoration crew—30 teenagers and nine adults—came all the way from Ohio and have been camping out in the church. And this isn't the first time out-of-towners have chipped in to work on the church. Groups from Minnesota, Illinois and Ontario have come in recent years.
Volunteers from Ohio Begin Restoration of Historic Church [OTBKB]

April 29, 2009

Real Housewives: Simon and Alex's Renovation Revealed!

An hour before Simon & Alex's house renovation was unveiled on last night's new episode of The Real Housewives on New York, we stopped by their Cobble Hill house for a guided tour. The reality show couple livea in the lower duplex (plus renovated cellar) with their two kids and have two rentals upstairs. Enjoy the pics! Update: As a commenter points out, how funny was that to see Marty in the background of their housewarming party on the show last night!

April 27, 2009

Grand Avenue Haunted House Paint Job Starts

After appearing to have stalled out this winter, work has started back up again at 432 Grand Avenue, evidenced most obviously by the exterior paint job that's begun. Let's hope they can get this one to the finish line. Considering the interior was a gut job, we're not holding out for a big charm factor. Then again, remember what it looked like inside a couple of years ago? This should refresh your memory.
Grand Avenue Haunted House Gets Its Siding [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
Grand Avenue Haunted House Losing Its Skin [Brownstoner]
Gutting Begins at the Grand Avenue Haunted House [Brownstoner]
Inside the Grand Avenue Haunted House [Brownstoner]

April 22, 2009

Major Repairs Starting at 129 Congress Street

The five-story brownstone at 364 Henry Street at Congress in Cobble Hill may finally be getting the fix it needs, reports Lost City. The arrival of a bulldozer and some workmen heralded the impending structural work on the five-family house. According to one of the workers, the building won't be torn down, but the long southern wall will have to be entirely replaced. According to the building permit we looked up, DOB green-lighted some initial activity a couple of weeks ago: "Temporary shoring for south wall demo, installation of grade beam to support new exterior block wall to be detailed and erected later by others."
Wall Coming Down in Cobble Hill [Lost City] GMAP

March 30, 2009

'Our Victorian House' Hits the Market

Like many others, we've long been admirers of the detailed period renovation of an 1890s Eastlake house in Fanwood, New Jersey that's been documented on a blog called Our Victorian House over the last several years; in fact, we gave it a shout-out way back in 2005. So we were interested to receive a tip from a reader over the weekend that the now-completed project has been put on the market for $799,000. Even if you're not ready to move to the burbs, you've to check out the renovation play-by-play. It's awesome.

March 19, 2009

St. Augustine's Getting Unwrapped

After two years of restoration work, the scaffolding on St. Augustine's in Park Slope is being dismantled. According to a post on Here Is Park Slope, the Roman Catholic church at the corner of 6th Avenue and Sterling Place should be completely unveiled by the end of next week. The crowning jewel of the project will be the church's spire which has been given a new coat of copper. "Stay tuned for the reveal," writes HIPS. "I’m looking forward to finally seeing the church in all its glory from my roof." GMAP

January 22, 2009

Ultra Modern Reno on South Portland Avenue

Here are some very cool before and after shots of a renovation of a South Portland Avenue brownstone that took place in 2007. The architect was Field Lines Architecture, an Lower East Side-based duo with clearly modern leanings. We have to admit to mixed feelings about the whole thing: On the one hand, the finished product looks really amazing, what modern architecture should be; ~~on the other, the intact interior of a brownstone on the definitive brownstone block in the city was lost in the process. At least there are no Fedders boxes!~~ Update: The architects just sent in another view that shows how they did in fact maintain original details where they could. Great to see that our fears were misfounded! "We at Field Lines believe that the real magic occurs when palimpsest of the past are not erased but rather incorporate as unique opportunities for design," they wrote. Check out the new image on the jump.

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TOH Brooklyn Airing Tonight

The first installment of This Olde House's first foray into Brooklyn airs tonight, giving viewers a close-up look at the renovation of a three-family brownstone in Prospect Heights. “My first thought was, what took you so long?” said or Charles Lockwood, author of Bricks and Brownstone. In addition to the media attention, the owners are getting hooked up with Andersen windows and Kohler fixtures in addition to the free advice from the likes of Norm Abram.

January 13, 2009

Renovations: Plaster Molding Repair

A regular reader sent in these photos of his recent efforts to repair the plaster crown moldings in his Clinton Hill brownstone. Turns out that back around 1910 someone added a screen to the parlor floor. As part of this project, the reader recycled the screen by handing it off to a homeowner in Park Slope. Way to go!

December 30, 2008

Inside This Old House Brooklyn

Yesterday, Gothamist got inside the ongoing renovation of a 104-year-old brownstone in Prospect Heights that is the latest project for This Old House. The plan is to do a "preservation-minded restoration" of the detail-laden interior, while patching and repainting the brownstone facade. Part of the renovation will include installing a wrought-iron spiral staircase the owners found on the Brownstoner Forum. Lots more photos on Gothamist, including one of the happy family.
This Old Brooklyn House [Gothamist]
New York City House Project [TOH]

September 26, 2008

Grand Avenue Haunted House Gets Its Siding

The Grand Avenue Haunted House, which sevens months ago was stripped down to its studs, was finally clad in the wood siding to match its original look—and that of its recently restored twin next door. The guy who makes his living on the block by putting out homeowners' garbage and keeping their stoops and sidewalks clean told us he thinks it'll go for $2 million when it's finished. We're not quite as optimistic.
Grand Avenue Haunted House Losing Its Skin [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark
Gutting Begins at the Grand Avenue Haunted House [Brownstoner]
Inside the Grand Avenue Haunted House [Brownstoner]

September 23, 2008

The Restoration of Restoration Plaza

Restoration Plaza, an economic development initiative conceived as part of Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 (with then Senator Jacob K. Javits and Mayor Lindsay pushing it along), opened in the mid-1970s: 300,000 square feet of commercial space including the Billie Holiday Theatre, the Skylight Gallery, local businesses and non-profits, and plenty of chains (it was created by the nation's first Community Development Corporation, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation). Many count it a success; even so, it's getting an upgrade, courtesy of Garrison Architects (whose plans for Redesigning Grand Army Plaza came in third in the recent contest). Here's what they have planned: "Restoration Plaza will become an open, accessible, and vibrant place, filled with people and bustling with activity. Its open spaces will be lined with benches and plantings. Shops and galleries will be clearly visible from Fulton Street... At night it will... be busy with neighborhood residents and visitors attending performances and movies in the Plaza's cultural centers. The Plaza will be surrounded with light from the Wall of Fame celebrating the founders of Restoration Plaza and Bedford Stuyvesant's most influential citizens." The final phase includes a garden and a "Great Hall" for weddings and concerts.

September 2, 2008

Building Upgrades for Thin Wallets

The New York Times offers "cut-rate quality-of-life enhancements," for buildings, from "rewriting outdated rules, to making thrifty but high-impact aesthetic upgrades, to improving service through technology and training, to forging a stronger sense of community." Can't afford a new bathroom? Try giving the doorman a little professional development course, or get a building listserv of Web site for intra-co-op or condo communications. Buy some flowers, host a communal gathering, hire a virtual concierge or simply install a community recycling bin. None of this requires any scaffolding.
Thrift Ways to Upgrade a Building [NY Times]
626 Pacific. Photo by threecee.

August 26, 2008

Painful Side Effect of 4th Ave. Firehouse Reno

A reader sent in these photos of the Richardsonian Romanesque firehouse—Engine Company 239—on 4th Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets. Still in use, it's been getting an upgrade over the last year, but the improvements also yielded some losses. More from our tipster:

Considering that it was too small, and the floors were caving-in from the weight of the trucks, I would be the first to congratulate the city's decision to gut-renovate rather than demolish the structure. A huge, new glass-wall extension at the rear looks spectacular, without detracting from the historic facade in front. The facade, after all, was what made the building worth preserving. So, now the city has turned it's attention to the front, and what's the first to go? The magnificent triple-column piers that supported the limestone lintel. As they were removed on Thursday, even the construction workers taking them down were lamenting that the city didn't have the foresight to reuse these anywhere; not even in the firehouse itself. They were being so careful removing the sections, but they were unsure of what would, or could, happen to any of it, even the capitals . Tons of carved limestone went into the dumpster, for lack of a better plan. Although 'dumpster-diving' has been a popular past-time for Park Slope renovators for 2 generations, who was going to pull-out a 1500 lb. block?

Anybody been on a rescue mission there?

July 28, 2008

Massive Renos: Are They Still Worth It?

The cover story in the real estate section of the Times this weekend takes a look at that age-old question: How much sense does it make to buy a fixer-upper? One couple that bought a $625,000 three-bedroom in the South Slope sees it paying off. Their renovation budget was $35,000; they're on track to have finished the work within a few months of closing; and the pre-reno property was appraised at $100,000 more than they paid. Another buyer profiled in the story, however, slashed her down payment from 45 to 30 percent in order to have dough on hand for a renovation. The article notes that there aren't a huge number of fixer-uppers for sale in the city, but we wonder whether the weaker market means fewer people are willing to pony up for properties that need major overhauls. Does a buyer-driven market mean not as many people are settling for houses or apartments that need big renovations?
Reluctant Renovators [NY Times]
Photo by reclaimedhome.

July 11, 2008

Bird Blog: Week 9

Every week, Jennifer Mankins, owner of the Bird boutiques, tells us about the new 2,500-square-foot store on Grand Street in Williamsburg that she's getting ready to open. Last time 'round, workers sorted tons of waste, the bulk of which was recycled. This week, the HVAC, in all its heating and cooling glory, is reckoned with...

I needed to consider another, possibly big, expense for a space this size; the air-conditioning and heating unit referred to as the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning). I had intended to have the existing HVAC unit checked early on, and with the decision to go forward with LEED certification I couldn't wait any longer. We contacted the technician that Bill recommended, Valery Danovich, and he agreed to meet us on site and take a look. Based on the exposed ductwork, he initially estimated it to be a five-ton unit, smaller than I had hoped. But to be sure, he needed roof access to get a closer look....

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June 27, 2008

Bird Blog: Week 8

Every week, Jennifer Mankins, owner of the Bird boutiques, tells us about the new 2,500-square-foot store on Grand Street in Williamsburg that she's getting ready to open. Last we heard, interior demo was beginning. This week: Tons and tons of waste gets sorted!

After another week of demolition, the space was almost completely cleared out. The rest of the walls in the front half of the space had been taken down and almost all of the debris and recycling had been sorted. One of the most interesting things about doing a green demo and separating all of the waste is to see it all together at one time. Normally on a construction site, the demolition debris is taken out to the dumpster as it is torn down and then it is hauled when the dumpster is full, never giving a full picture of all the waste. Here, everything was sorted and kept on-site so that all the hauling could be done at one time. It was shocking...

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June 20, 2008

Bird Blog: Week 7

Getting started

Every week, Jennifer Mankins, owner of the Bird boutiques, tells us about the new 2,500-square-foot store on Grand Street in Williamsburg that she's getting ready to open. Last time 'round, the DOB granted the Bird crew work permits. This week, interior demo begins.

We finally had all the right information from all the right people – landlord signatures, proof of addresses, demo plans, the okay from the asbestos inspector, etc., - so our expeditor, Code LLC, was able to get the permit in just a few days. It was time to get excited, and we agreed with Bill that demo would begin the next Tuesday. But Monday night, I got a call from Stephanie. She explained that one of Bill's trucks had been tampered with (apparently there is real gold on the catalytic converters of Ford trucks?!?) and we'd have to put off the demo until Thursday. It felt a little anti-climatic after the long build up, but I guess I could wait two more days...

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June 6, 2008

Bird Blog: Week 6

Every week, Jennifer Mankins, owner of the Bird boutiques, tells us about the new 2,500-square-foot store on Grand Street in Williamsburg that she's getting ready to open. Last week, the search for an architect ended well. This week, it's all about the contractor beauty contest.

We narrowed our choice of demo contractors to two, Paul and Bill, and we asked our architect Ole to sit in on the second round of interviews. He was in the process of finalizing the demo plan. The demo plan details everything that is to be removed from the space, and it has to be filed with the city before a permit can be issued. Since the plans weren’t yet complete, the contractors originally bid on the job just by seeing the space. In order to compare each bid, I needed to review each contractor’s scope of work. Did they both include ripping up the tile floors in the back half of the store? Did both bids include taking down the dropped ceiling and the upper ceiling? Did both bids cover insurance, removal fees and container costs?

Even more interesting to compare, was how each contractor planned to handle the waste itself. Paul was planning to collect all the waste in one dumpster and then let the hauler (hopefully) sort out the recyclables, whereas Bill had an extensive list of recycling/salvage contacts including a metal recycler in nearby Greenpoint and Build it Green in Astoria, where he was planning to take any reusable/recyclable materials. I just kept asking myself, does a landfill really need two perfectly good wooden doors, handles and hinges included? How about three electric bathroom fans? 10 built-in speakers? An old Amana washing machine? Three toilets? Three sinks? Faucets? Light fixtures. . . . . ?

I had to decide what was more important...

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May 30, 2008

Bird Blog: Week 5

Every week, Jennifer Mankins, owner of Park Slope- and Cobble Hill-based boutiques Bird, tells us about the new 2,500-square-foot store on Grand Street in Williamsburg that she's getting ready to open. Last week, we heard about preliminary contractor interviews for the store.

In addition to the initial list he made for me, my architect friend Mike recommended I contact Jason Linde, another young, very talented architect that he had worked with on several projects. One good thing about Jason was that he was a one-man operation with very low overhead. He could give us high design without the extra costs associated with a full-service firm. The hitch? He lived in Washington, DC and would only be available to work part-time on the project. I know, I was crazy to even consider it, but good recommendations are few and far between, and he had a lot of retail experience including working on the new Barneys New York in Las Vegas. In preparation for our initial meeting, I started researching inspirational designs and materials. After a walk-though at the site with him, he agreed that we should demolish the existing interior before starting to design. It would be much easier to visualize the space once it was stripped down to its shell. Eventually, all roads led to the architect for the Farm on Adderley (above), the Ditmas Park restaurant....

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May 16, 2008

Bird Blog: Week 3

Mexico

Every week, Jennifer Mankins, owner of Park Slope- and Cobble Hill-based boutiques Bird, tells us about the new 2,500-square-foot store on Grand Street in Williamsburg that she's getting ready to open. Last week, Mankins wrote about examining the storefront she ended up renting.

It took a few weeks to hammer out the details of the lease. There were lots of issues to be determined, some easier than others. It only took a moment to decide on the hours of operation, garbage pick-up, real estate taxes and liability insurance coverage, but other issues proved to be more complicated. For instance, the matter of alterations. My landlord wanted written approval of the contractor I chose, as well as written approval for all structural and non-structural alterations, installations, additions or improvements made to the space. I thought this was excessive and could easily lead to my being in default of the lease, for something as small as changing a light fixture or repainting. The landlord is very reasonable, and I didn’t think I would have any problems, but I had to protect myself from being in default of the lease. What if the building was sold, and a new landlord wanted to kick me out and raise the rent? After much back and forth, we finally agreed that written approval would only be required on structural changes or changes with a value of more than $10,000. What next? A 10-step game plan that included compiling examples of inspirational spaces from around the world, like those above...

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May 9, 2008

Bird Blog: Week 2

Every week, Jennifer Mankins, owner of Park Slope- and Cobble Hill-based boutiques Bird, tells us about the new 2,500-square-foot store on Grand Street in Williamsburg that she's getting ready to open.

I'd like to thank everyone that read the first post and for all the supportive and encouraging comments. I would also like to clarify that the Williamsburg location will not replace the Park Slope and Cobble Hill stores. They will remain open. So…if you couldn’t tell from the first post last week, I was smitten with the space. I have seen lots of properties over the years, from dumps that I never even placed bids on to dream spaces where I could clearly envision the future of Bird. This was definitively the latter and I was trying hard not to get too excited. I decided I should call in the troops, to get second opinions. Not wanting to waste any time, I scheduled an appointment that weekend for my own “panel of experts” to visit the space with me a second time: my sister and my husband plus two good friends – an architect and a local commercial real estate broker/developer. The building was built right before the turn of the 20th century, between 1896 and 1898. After the jump, find out what the experts uncovered and how our rent negotiations went...

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Renovation