Video: Inside the Gates Renovation Blog

Wow Greenpointer, that’s a GREAT way of getting more reno bloggers to open up their homes on camera: criticize my “performance”! Well done. Thanks for sharing.

Anyone who knows me knows that’s how I talk, (not so) funny asides and all. Like it or don’t like it, I don’t know you so I don’t care much. But it’s me. It was an extra-nervous me, but me. And for the record, many people who know me have told me that I write the blog just like I talk too. I think it was a compliment.

As for your other oh-so-clever insult, that’s something I can change, but you’ll always be a jerk.

My husband was the first one to bring up the idea of a home theater, but he didn’t have to convince me. I took an unfair jab at him over the garden floor’s future big TV. I had always wanted a big TV down there too. But I did not want a big TV in the guest room, and after months of arguing with him about it (and losing) I let my sarcasm get the best of me. I’m usually the one in the house pushing for more electronic toys.

I never used to see the desirability of a home theater, until we had kids. Before that, we saw lots of movies, on a whim, whenever, wherever. Good ones, bad ones, it was all fun. People talking in theaters has always bothered me, though. It’s just rude.

After we had kids, going to the movies became a much bigger deal, and every time our experience was ruined – by someone talking on a cell phone, a crying baby, a couple who just had to discuss every plot point right there in the moment, or the idiot who had to constantly ask the woman he was with what had just happened – it pushed me closer to wanting to rent movies at home instead of seeing them in a theater, where we have no control over the experience.

Renting movies at home loses something, though. The sound isn’t as good. The picture is small. The experience isn’t all-encompassing – there are too many things to focus on other than the movie, and it’s hard to get swept up in a story.

Besides, going to the movies has gotten to be very expensive. The babysitter (whom we have to book at least a week before, taking any kind of spontaneity out of the picture) charges $15/hr plus car fare home. Dinner and a movie will run $85-$100 just for the babysitter. I’m a non-drinking vegetarian, so I’m a pretty cheap date, meaning dinner at a moderate place will “only” be about $30-$50. We have to book the movie tickets online ahead of time – there’s no way we’re going to hire a sitter and then risk not getting tickets. So that’s $26. Let’s say for the sake of argument that we just had dinner and don’t buy any refreshments at the theater (although you can see from the video that that isn’t always the case :-). So now, we’ve spent $141-$176. If we’ve taken a cab to the theater or bought popcorn and drinks, you can see very easily how a casual night out costs over $200.

So now, here we are, in the theater, for the first time in six months. We’ve chosen our movie carefully, knowing that we won’t be seeing another one for quite a while, and we don’t want to waste the evening on a dud. Just as we’re getting into the story, the couple next to us gets into a fight. Or starts simulating sex. A hair gets on the projector’s lens and dances around for ten minutes. Somebody comes in late and walks up and down the aisle for 20 minutes trying to find his friends. And of course, someone who didn’t want to pay $100 for a babysitter brought the baby, who starts crying every time someone onscreen gets shot.

That’s why I want a home theater. So that I can put the kids to bed, invite over a few friends who are well mannered enough to know how to watch a movie with other people, microwave some popcorn, and relax.

I’m not sure what the suburbs have to do with it. I’ve been to movie theaters in the suburbs, and people are just as rude. If you’re saying that we’re not entitled to use our home in a way you don’t think is appropriate for Brooklyn, do what you want with your own house. We’re doing what we want with ours.

Our brownstone is 20′ wide. The home theater would be in the back parlour, which stretches the entire width of the house. Plenty of room. Seats on one side, a projector overhead, and a screen that comes down from the ceiling. Add some speakers and blackout curtains and we’re in business. But that’s a long way off. The parlour floor will most likely be done last, after the other three floors, the backyard, the facade, the roof, all of the windows, and whatever else breaks between now and then.

As I’ve stated in the blog, we’re not going to discuss the specifics of how much the house and the reno are costing us. Suffice it to say that the reno is costing about double what we had originally budgeted/naively hoped for. Our contractor is more expensive than what we wanted to pay, and we ended up doing more extensive work in some areas than we had wanted to. But after hearing all of the horror stories about what others have gone through with their deadbeat, no-show, incompetent contractors, I know we made the right choice. Not only is he a good contractor, but he’s a good guy. You can’t put a price on that.

where on gates is the house, bedsty or clinton hill?

is a brownstone?

i too question how they will have room for a theater with seats in a real parlor.

I would really like to know how much you paid for this because your renovational price must of brought this to the roof. I guess you think it’s worth it????

Yes it is clinton hill hardware And yes- they have helped me fix countless things.

Nice touch with the Velvet Underground-y music in this one, Mr. B.

Couple more points:

Gustavo doesn’t indicate where his True Value store is located! It looks like Clinton Hill Hardware to me, but shouldn’t that be a part of his advert?

Congrats to homeowner on some very cool work (sliding wall–nice!) and great-looking bath. You’re some brave folks. It’s very cool of you to share your rehabbing experience with the world.

I, too, like Elfa shelves, and it’s worth noting that Container Store used to have an annual Elfa sale in February where the stuff was marked down a full 30%.

Also, I kind of like your Flintstones facade, in a way–it’s like your lux pad inside will be camoflauged by the funky stone exterior.

Only thing I don’t understand: What was that about wanting to install a home theater, complete with seats, in your rear parlor? You’re going to do that AND let hubby put a huge flat-screen downstairs? I don’t even get the appeal of built-in home theaters in giant mansions, let alone a townhouse. That’s just me. Cheers.