Interiors & Renovation

From Funky to Fabulous: 5 of Brownstoner's Favorite Renovation Stories

From agonizing over whether to keep the vintage bathroom tile or gut an otherwise perfect house that has termites, renovations are no easy feat for the mind or the wallet. Sometimes you end up with a better brownstone, and sometimes you just end up with a great story.

by Hannah Frishberg

03/25/2016 3 minute 0

Here are Brownstoner’s favorite reno tales:

1. Bed Stuy Reno: Renovating and Decorating a Brownstone on a Budget
It seems that every time a brownstone is listed as a House of the Day, the debate begins. How much will it cost to renovate and decorate? Estimates of $500,000 and over a million are common numbers thrown around. But what about those of us who want to renovate a brownstone and aren’t sitting on that kind of cash?

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2. Creative Couple Transforms Crown Heights Wreck Into Colorful Family Home
It took only six months for one couple to transform a horror-film-worthy wreck of a brownstone into a space worthy of a New York Magazine cover. From the jungle-print wallpaper in the master bedroom to a polka-dotted living room, this Crown Heights space is tastefully quirky from top to bottom.

brooklyn home renovation — Photo by Edrei Rodriguez

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3. A New House That References the Past in Windsor Terrace
A somewhat mysterious party wall in a Windsor Terrace house ended up taking a renovation in some surprising new directions. Tax records pegged the house as late 19th century, but clues hinted that it might date from the mid-19th century or even earlier.

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4. Designer Battles Termites and Neglect to Renovate Narrow Carroll Gardens Home
When Jessica Siegel and her husband saw a “for sale” sign in the window of a narrow four-story Carroll Gardens home, they immediately called to make an offer. And were initially outbid.

brooklyn-home-renovation-2 — Photo by Jessica Siegel

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5. Gut Reno Transforms Bed Stuy Brownstone Wreck Into Charming Condos
It’s the thing in Brooklyn these days to convert chopped-up brownstones back into single-family homes. Rarer is the instance when a homeowner beautifully transforms a single-family brownstone into condos.