We're about a month out from closing on a 1,200-square-foot loft in Downtown Brooklyn with three bedrooms and two baths. The layout and finishes are fine and inoffensive, but we've got some money to redo the kitchen and master bath so the apartment is both beautiful to ours tastes, and useful.
This is the main focus of the project. Reconfigure one wall of appliances + peninsula into an L-shaped kitchen with an island. Redo cabinets, countertops, and light fixtures. Maximize storage solutions, counter-space, prep space, etc., because we both love food and love to cook and will use this room a lot. Potentially replace appliances as needed.
We would like to save money using IKEA cabinetry, but using either paint or non-IKEA fixtures to give it custom look. We love subway tile, the mixture of white and wood, and industrial finishes.
Install new sink and vanity. Add small ramp between walk-in closet and bathroom. Potentially install new flooring and tile on walls. We're looking to get the most bang for our buck here.
From the get-go, we had a really good feeling about Steve. He was immediately communicative and friendly — like a guy you'd want to hang out with. The last thing we wanted was a contractor who we couldn't get ahold of — with Steve, we knew we'd be eliminating that variable. Steve presented a couple of solid layouts for our kitchen, and together we whittled them down to the one that made the most sense. He encouraged us to take design risks—extending a wall of cabinets a bit farther than we originally thought possible—and was supportive of our choices for finishes, fixtures, and overall look. Throughout the process, he was clear about how various requests would change or add scope, and was continually in touch with us with updates. Steve was also patient with us as we worked to get condo board approval (a real pain). Once the process finally started, he and his crew were great. They tried to make the process as least disruptive as possible, they did the work quickly, and they proved obsessive about details. You can tell that he stands by his work — he favors quality and things that are done right. (To that end, he got us a great price on real wood cabinets, and discouraged us from cheaping out.) As construction went on, Steve would be continually checking in to make sure everything looked in order. He also helped achieve some design solutions for tricky things, including a last-minute revision to the original layout (not a huge deal), a challenging desk area with a wood top, and lighting on a particularly weird ceiling. Overall, we're thrilled with the results and we plan on hiring Steve to do our bathroom renovation down the line.