Wednesday, August 20, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Brownstoner offers us a look back at the beginning, middle and end of a terrific Brooklyn backyard remodel including some before and after pictures that really highlight the dramatic difference that landscaping and gardening can make. The property in question is an 1890's frame house in Greenwood Heights. There's a play-by-play narration to go with the pic's as well.
Greenwood Heights Gardening Project
If you're looking to go the next level in terms of home heating and cooling comfort, you could do a lot worse than check out Trane's new ComfortLink II Residential Communicating System. Not only to all of your HVAC components "talk" to each other, but you have full access via telephone to see what's happening while you're not at home. This promotes not only complete comfort in terms of the temperature of your home, it also increases energy efficiency. Charles & Hudson has the scoop directly from the manufacturer.
Trane's Components Keep You Cool and Connected
Air Conditioning Companies in New York
Remodelista's latest gallery makes the case for open shelf kitchens with many examples of why some homeowners are opting for the airy shelving that gives you easy access as opposed to closed cabinets. The spread includes a shot of Ione Sky's L.A. kitchen...Ione was the bomb in "Say Anything", wonder what John Cusack's kitchen looks like!
Open Shelving in the Kitchen
Kitchen Cabinet Companies in New York
Labels: 11813, Brooklyn Remodel, Gardening NY, Kitchen Cabinets, Landscaping New York, NY Air Conditioning, Open Shelves
Monday, August 18, 2008
Decorating a Dorm Room; Tips from Tom
The year was 1995, TLC's Waterfalls ruled the charts, the NY Yankees were at the beginning of their latest dynasty and a young man who would one day write the cityhammer blog was off to one of the few universities that were willing to give him a shot.
Admittedly, chasing girls, partying and affording text books were the priority back then and the decor in my dorm room showed it. There were posters (either Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs...I forget) and there was a nondescript pile of clothing, bottle caps and Doritos bags that made up the focal point of the room. The bed frames were standard-issue metal and the baby blue-painted cinder block walls only added to the prison cell-chic effect.
Looking back, it's all a blur, but that doesn't mean you have to go down that same tasteless road when you move in to your dorm room this fall. Obviously, there is little you can do to spruce up the common areas unless you want your fellow residents to think you're crazy, but your room can absolutely be your sanctuary.
AOL's got a great list of dorm decor tips up from Tom Kraeutler that are worth a look for anyone off to school or with a kid headed that way whom they wish to help.
Tom recommends solid color painted canvases or even stretched fabric over cork boards for wall coverings to add color. He also offers up an idea for wallpaper remnants and emphasizes the importance of getting the most out of your dorm room's space with furniture that can double as storage like beds with pullout drawers, ottomans that open, storage units that are built into the headboards or that go vertical.
Just because you're in a college dorm, doesn't mean you have to come back to a room filled with black-light posters and plastic Yaffa Block shelving. Although, there will be some nights that you get back to your room and the main concern will be how to stop it from spinning. Don't worry, we've all been there!
To read Tom Kraeutler's Dorm Decor Tips, Click Here: AOL Home Improvement
Labels: Dorm Decorating Tips, NY Interior Decor, NY Yankees, Spring Home Improvement Tips
Friday, August 15, 2008
Hottest Trends in Interior Design...At Least According to the National Association of Realtors
Reclaimed Wine Barrel Wood FlooringHere's the deal with the National Association of Realtors and their ability to prognosticate; we'll take their opinion on certain things, but the direction of housing prices and the real estate market, not so much. Of course, regardless of the carnage in housing, this is a group of real estate professionals, so we expect tons of positive spin. NASA would never issue completely factual reports on the cost/ benefit of our trillion-dollar space program nor would the guild of buggy whip manufacturers have predicted the demise of horse-drawn carriages during the rise of the automobile industry 100 years ago.
OK, now that that's off of our chests, the NAR has a cool website to go with Realtor Magazine and they've just put up a feature on the top 10 interior design trends they're seeing in homes across the country right now along with a slide show. On this particular subject, we think they're on the money.
Their picks are:
1. Let it Shine (Wire Mesh Fabric)
2. Bathrooms as Spa-Like Retreats (Custom Bathtubs, Waterproof Wireless Headsets)
3. Faux Wood Trim
4. Transform Garage Space (Floor Space for Kids)
5. Hot Hue Add Blue (Color of the Year Blue Iris)
6. Reclaim Wood (Wine Barrel Counter Tops and Flooring)
7. Food Faster Than Carry Out (High Speed Oven Wall Oven)
8. Green Seating With Style
9. Wallpaper Redux (Recycles Vinyl Wall Coverings)
10. Hybrid Heaters (Water Heaters)
Realtors are in houses and apartments all the time, from open houses in Manhattan high-rise luxury apartments to Westchester and New Jersey walk-throughs and they also know what renovations are helping homeowners sell. Pricing predictions aside, we'll take Realtor Magazine's word for it when it comes to design trends.
To see the whole feature, click here: Top Ten Design Trends
For a list of New York home improvement and design pro's who can help you attain these looks, visit cityhammer.com
Labels: Interior Design Trends, Manhattan Interior Design, National Association of Realtors, New Jersey Interior Design, Westchester Design
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Rockville Center, LI Photo by Joe ShlabotnikThe NY Post's Suzanne Zuckerman gave us a nice profile this week of Nina Freudenberger, a Long Island-raised interior designer who's worked on some very high profile projects, including the offices of Downtown Records (home of Gnarls Barkly) and the Atelier luxury high rise, where Lindsay Lohan enjoys taking photos with a knife to her friends' throats. Ms. Freudenberger discusses how her own style (a proclivity for pink) differs from the work she does for clients, which includes a "masculine bachelor modern" style. If she's out of your price range, you can also check out the profiles of other notable New York Interior Designers on cityhammer.com.
Interior Designer Story in the Post
There's a very cool online decorating tool on the Better Homes and Gardens website called Color-a-Room and Apartment Therapy took it for a test drive yesterday. This will allow you to visualize an entire color scheme for the selected room, including not only the trim and the walls, but the couches and throw pillows as well. Picking paint colors and combinations online has never been this easy.
AT on the BHG Color Tool
In the TV Decoder column of the New York Times, Brian Stelter covered the Rate My Space evolution from website to TV Show back in June. We're a little late on the mention, but both the site and the show are worth checking out. Essentially, visitors can upload their homes' interior photos and win prizes based on your votes. Just like American Idol, half the fun is in ogling some of the truly scary stuff people are showing off. Yes, Virginia, there is a "William Hung of Living Rooms."
Rate My Space Write-Up on NYT
Labels: 11570, Atelier, Lindsay Lohan, New York Interior Designers, Picking Colors, Rate My Space
Monday, August 11, 2008
Using a Storefront Contractor or an Independent Wood Flooring Guy in New York
Foyer by Highway Flooring of NJDear cityhammer,
I've put off the decision to do wood flooring in my house
for way too long, and I've finally decided to go for it. I'm not sure whether or
not to go with one of those flooring superstores or to have a professional that
my neighbor used come in to do the work. What is the main difference between the
two options?
Jaime in Nassau County
Jaime, the simple answer is that both would be ok provided you are dealing with someone reputable, but there are different pro's and con's for each.
Using a "superstore" or a storefront flooring place is very common and in New York, there are no shortage of places to go. Storefronts and showrooms are the best way to choose your wood flooring. They will have tons of brands, finishes, colors and other variables and you can literally put them on the ground and step on them to get an idea of how they'll look in your home. One tip would be to determine whether or not the room you are going to floor has a lot of sunlight or not. If it does, be sure to bring the wood as close to the front windows of the store as possible on a sunny day because the lights in a showroom may not give you the true look of the particular wood you are looking at.
An independent floorer, more likely than not, has to be really great at his job because he doesn't have the physical presence of a store to attract new business. Therefore, he's got to do a good job and rely on referrals, like the one from your neighbor.
Storefront contractors will typically have a higher price on the per-square-foot installation than a regular flooring guy, but you also have the added assurance that if something is damaged or done incorrectly, you can literally walk into the store and have it repaired, whereas with a flooring company in the phone book, you don't have the same certainty that you can track them down if you need to.
There are also some showrooms (think "warehouse" or "liquidators") where they are simply selling the flooring system, often at almost wholesale prices, and when it comes time to do the install, they will reccomend a professional to you. This strikes us as possibly the best of both worlds.
The first step is to go out to the stores and showrooms regardless, because to have someone bring 5 samples to your house is no way to pick the floor you're going to be living with for the next 20 years. Once you know the brand, style and color, it then becomes a matter of shopping around for installers and the store may be able to offer a very competitive price versus an outside contractor.
Staining and refinishing is another matter entirely, and for that, there are plenty of independent flooring companies with a much greater expertise than a store would have. A retail store is in the business of selling you new materials rather than restoring your old floor.
Good luck with your new floor, Jaime!
For a list of pro's in the New York area, click here: Wood Flooring in New York
For tips on shopping for wood flooring, click here: Shopping for Wood Floors in New York
For a list of pro's in the New York area, click here: Wood Flooring in New York
For tips on shopping for wood flooring, click here: Shopping for Wood Floors in New York
Labels: Nassau County Wood Flooring, New Wood Floors, New York Flooring, Wood Flooring Contractors NY
Friday, August 8, 2008
What's Up With All the Furniture Sale Spam?
Modern Stackable Outdoor Furniture from Jensen-LewisSo we've been inundated with email blasts about furniture sales from across the country in the cityhammer inbox...whatever, we're cool with promotion if the products are interesting. We thought we'd give a couple of these sales a shout-out going into the weekend...
First up, the Jensen-Lewis "Contemporary Bedroom Furniture" email, featuring the Stella Flat Panel Bed, which allows you to "indulge yourself, be in total harmony...bed features a flat panel headboard with attached nightstands that have recessed light panels." The Queen-size version is being shown for $2499. More interesting, however, is the egg-shaped modern outdoor furniture on the Jensen-Lewis homepage when you click the link in the email (see above image).
We also got a blast from The Elysee Collection, for those with a less-modern, more traditional look in mind. The big news (LOL) was that they're "Extending the Summer Sale Through August 15th", however, I'm certain you could call on the 16th and still pay only $572 for the Vercelli Chest of Drawers (marked down from $879).
Jensen-Lewis is located at 89 7th Avenue between 15th and 16th Street in Manhattan and they can be reached at (212) 929 4880 or visit he website HERE.
Sorry New Yorkers, The Elysee Collection is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (where believe it or not, a ton of American wood furniture comes from these days) but you can visit the website to place your order or just be inspired HERE.
You can also check out cityhammer.com for custom furniture designers in New York
Labels: 10011, Jensen-Lewis, Modern Bedroom Furniture, New York Furniture Designers, North Carolina Wood Furniture, NY Custom Furniture
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Jamaica Avenue, Queens Photo by Tony the MisfitGotta love The Fix column from the New York Times, especially Jay Romano's recent story on how important home staging is when trying to sell a home in a tough market. A lot of good details, and some stuff that cityhammer covered in our New York Home Staging Guide last month. Here's a great quote:
“Decorating a home is personalizing it, staging a home is depersonalizing it.”
- Barb Schwarz, President of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals
Home Staging from NYT
New York Home Stagers
This is a tough one...if you write a design and decorating blog, how do you control yourself and avoid buying every cool thing you come across? Apartment Therapy tackles this subject with great advice for design junkies and shopaholics everywhere. The rules for staying disciplined include "one-in, one-out" and "wait a week". Good luck and may the magnetic strip on your credit card remain untarnished by excessive swiping!
Resisting the Urge to Buy Design Stuff
Finally, lest anyone forget, The Property Grunt still rules with an iron fist. He's got Part 2 up of his Queens or Scarsdale series, where he shows you pic's of a home that could be in either place and leaves it open for guesses. This week, it's a McMansion inexplicably built on a highway! Nice house, frightening location. Take a guess, we're thinking Jamaica Estates in Queens.
Grunt's Queens or Scarsdale Challenge
Labels: 11432, Design Blog, Home Staging NY, Jamaica Estates, New York Home Stagers, Scarsdale
Monday, August 4, 2008
Get Ready for the Nicky Haslam Onslaught
As the design world prepares to receive his U.S. book of memoirs, tentatively titled "Writing on the Wall" next year, Nicky Haslam gives us a peak at what to expect with an upcoming Vanity Fair interview in the September issue. The article is entitled "Truly, Madly Nicky," and it is lengthy, comical and honest.
Who is Nicky Haslam? He was born the son of a British diplomat and descendant of an Earl in 1939, but became a world-renowned interior decorator, journalist and socialite. His exploits range from arriving in New York in 1961 and subsequently partying with Andy Warhol and the gang at The Factory, to becoming a rancher in Arizona. In between there were affairs, parties, incredible interior design work and a huge body of articles which helped Haslam rise to prominence in the mid to late 70's. Haslam wrote for The Spectator, The Ritz, and Vogue Magazine on subjects as diverse as architecture, decor and gossip.
Nicky Haslam has written some other books, notably his 2007 memoir which was published outside the US and is only available as an import, called "Redeeming Features". Those interested in interior designers will want to get a copy of his 2002 book "Sheer Opulence: Modern Glamour for Today's Interiors".
Who is Nicky Haslam? He was born the son of a British diplomat and descendant of an Earl in 1939, but became a world-renowned interior decorator, journalist and socialite. His exploits range from arriving in New York in 1961 and subsequently partying with Andy Warhol and the gang at The Factory, to becoming a rancher in Arizona. In between there were affairs, parties, incredible interior design work and a huge body of articles which helped Haslam rise to prominence in the mid to late 70's. Haslam wrote for The Spectator, The Ritz, and Vogue Magazine on subjects as diverse as architecture, decor and gossip.
Nicky Haslam has written some other books, notably his 2007 memoir which was published outside the US and is only available as an import, called "Redeeming Features". Those interested in interior designers will want to get a copy of his 2002 book "Sheer Opulence: Modern Glamour for Today's Interiors".
So grab yourself a copy of September's Vanity Fair and keep a look out for the official memoirs next year. Nicky Haslam is one of the most prolific and interesting designers ever and has led an incredible life that's sure to make for good reading.
Labels: Andy Warhol, Interior Decorators in New York City, New York Interior Designers, Nicky Haslam
Saturday, August 2, 2008
What's the Best Hedge Trimmer for the Money?
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Don't Get Caught in a Hedge Maze, Get a Trimmer...Happy August! Right about now, if you have a front lawn, backyard or any property with hedges or bushes, you're beginning to see the sloppiness as the summer sunshine and muggy weather conspire to send your flora into growth overdrive. For many suburban New Yorkers in places like Westchester and Long Island, there are no shortage of landscapers or gardeners to choose from.
That being said, for some, there is a certain satisfaction that comes from maintaining one's own garden and yard. If you fit into this category, below are three of the highest-rated hedge trimmers on the market at different levels of price and performance.
Craftsman 79957 Budget Electric Hedge Trimmer: Lot's of vibration but useful only with new growth, Dual Bladed, two-handed, guard against trigger failure and cord disconnection.
$58.99 at Sears.com
Little Wonder 2420 Pro Level Electric Hedge Trimmer: Quiet, can handle older growth and branches up to half an inch, less vibration makes for a not-as-tiring experience, great safety features, almost 9 pounds which is heavier than most corded electric trimmers.$249 at Toolking.com
Echo HC-160 Gas Hedge Trimmer: Can cut branches up to three quarters of an inch in diameter, comes with anti-vibration handles to ease excess vibration and fatigue, equipped with double-reciprocating blades which make for clean cuts through thick shrubbery and branches without the usual problems of slowing down or jamming up, wear headphones if possible and keep in mind the HC-160 weighs over 12 pounds...not recommended as a Mother's Day Gift!
Labels: Hedge Trimming New York, Long island Landscaping, New York Gardeners, NY Landscapers, Westchester Landscaper
Thursday, July 31, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Hamptons Photo by mborowickConfession time: we're not watching season 3 of HGTV's Design Star. Tried, but couldn't. Its not a bad show, its just too time consuming for too little "design". We love HGTV, but have found that Design Star is better absorbed in smaller chunks. Thankfully, HGTV has a Vlog (Video Log?) on their site with bite-sized video content so the casual fan can keep up week to week with what they've missed. The Design Star Blog is a nice alternative if you don't have that extra hour for each episode.
Design Star Video Blog
Remodelista's Steal This Look is one of our favorite blog series on the net. This time around they've got a kitchen with black slate counter tops and open white shelves that could go either way...mod or retro. Of course with a canvas that sleek and plain, the deciding factor as far as mod or retro would be what you put on that open shelving. Remodelista's got some interesting ideas like white pottery by Heath Ceramics or Bauer Bowls in different bright colors.
Steal This Look: Kitchen
Sad but true news from the Zillow Blog, they're reporting the foreclosure of a second Extreme Home Makeover house this week. The first one was a home in Atlanta that was featured on the show 3 years ago. The family used the house as collateral to start a construction business, but apparently it didn't work out. The news this week came out of Oregon that the homeowner lost a battle with cancer and the family can't afford to pay the $250,000 mortgage left, along with the utilities and taxes for the property.
Extreme Home Makeover Foreclosures
Labels: Design Star, Extreme Home Makeover, Foreclosures, HGTV, Mod Kitchen, Retro Kitchen
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The New York Times Goes Shopping for Design Books
The Pacific Design Center in LA, home of Potterton BooksEvery designer has different sources of inspiration, be it a color they saw at a runway show or the set design of a classic movie. In the case of Kelly Wearstler, a Los Angeles based designer, inspiration comes in the form of old, out-of-print design and architecture books she finds in specialty stores like Potterton Books (New York location is at 3rd Ave between 58th and 59th).
Potterton Books specializes in architectural books and in this New York Times article by Kimberly Stevens, Kelly Wearstler is shopping at the location in the Pacific Design Center in LA.
As a designer of resorts and residences, as well as accessories and home furnishings, Ms. Wearstler is also a healthy consumer of vintage books and discusses the concept of design book collecting being similar to buying works of art.
She found the illustrations and architectural renderings in “The Bathroom: A New Interior,” published in 1931, so inspirational that she designed a bathroom in her own home based on one of the drawings. And in “The Hermès Shop Windows,” she couldn’t get enough of the unusual finishes and hand-crafted objects. “I have these moments when I’m flipping through a book and a page is so visually compelling — an idea just strikes me,” she said.
To get an idea of some of the books she's into right now, check out the article: Click Here
Labels: 10022, Architectural Books, Books on Design, Interior Design, Interior Designers
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tools of the Trade: New York Interior Designers Use Punch! Software
CAD for the Home by Punch!What is Punch! Software? Very simply, its the top-selling software product for interior design, landscape architecture, cabinetry design and more. With Punch's programs like Home Design Platinum, Architectural Series 5000, and the Super Home Suite, professional designers can draft visual ideas and plans for almost every room in the house.
Punch! was founded in 1998 by a team of software executives who wanted to bring more realism and higher quality graphics to the interior design field in a software product for professionals.
Many professional designers in the New York area use Punch! for creating original designs that conform to the space available in a particular room and incorporate the materials they want to use to create the look they are aiming for.
Each program is different, but in some of the bundled packages, the user can do a "hollywood-style walk or fly-through" as well as design ceilings, try out trims and styles for mantels, see aerial and 3D views of each room, manipulate surface areas, add reflections to objects and floors to add realism, redraw on the fly, and much more.
The next time an interior designer or architect shows you a schematic or proposal for your home improvement project, don't be surprised if they've used Punch! to put it together.
To learn more about the software products and the company that makes 'em, Click Here!
Punch! was founded in 1998 by a team of software executives who wanted to bring more realism and higher quality graphics to the interior design field in a software product for professionals.
Many professional designers in the New York area use Punch! for creating original designs that conform to the space available in a particular room and incorporate the materials they want to use to create the look they are aiming for.
Each program is different, but in some of the bundled packages, the user can do a "hollywood-style walk or fly-through" as well as design ceilings, try out trims and styles for mantels, see aerial and 3D views of each room, manipulate surface areas, add reflections to objects and floors to add realism, redraw on the fly, and much more.
The next time an interior designer or architect shows you a schematic or proposal for your home improvement project, don't be surprised if they've used Punch! to put it together.
To learn more about the software products and the company that makes 'em, Click Here!
Labels: Interior Decor New York, Interior Design New York, Interior Designer NYC, Interior Designers in NYC, NY Architect
Thursday, July 24, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
The Midnight Cowboy on Park AvenueYet another opulent unit in 740 Park Ave has come on the market, this one is listing for $38 million right out of the gates. As usual, Curbed has the scoop and some pics. This one is owned by I-Banker Peter Huang, and its history fits right in with the legendary 1929 co-op's other storied apartments. Its a duplex, note the curved staircase, they don't make 'em like this anymore.
$38 Million Duplex on Park Ave
Maxwell's got a post up on hanging artwork in your house or apartment without "screwing it up." Not many people have been properly taught to do this, and of all the items you'd need a handyman for, hanging a framed photo or piece of art shouldn't be one of them. According to Apartment Therapy, the standard height is 57 inches "On Center", meaning the middle of the piece is at 57 inches height, the hook will be higher. They get this measurement as it is the average human eye-level.
Hanging Art According to AT
For a quick laugh, go check out what Super-Broker Noah Rosenblatt of UrbanDigs is calling the real estate economy these days. It seems they've given this particular recession a pet name, so as to distinguish it from other economic slowdowns of a different character. LOL, guys.
I Survived the ... of 2008
$38 Million Duplex on Park Ave
Maxwell's got a post up on hanging artwork in your house or apartment without "screwing it up." Not many people have been properly taught to do this, and of all the items you'd need a handyman for, hanging a framed photo or piece of art shouldn't be one of them. According to Apartment Therapy, the standard height is 57 inches "On Center", meaning the middle of the piece is at 57 inches height, the hook will be higher. They get this measurement as it is the average human eye-level.
Hanging Art According to AT
For a quick laugh, go check out what Super-Broker Noah Rosenblatt of UrbanDigs is calling the real estate economy these days. It seems they've given this particular recession a pet name, so as to distinguish it from other economic slowdowns of a different character. LOL, guys.
I Survived the ... of 2008
Labels: Duplex, Hanging Art, Historic Homes in New York, Park Ave Manhattan, Staircases NY
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Go Outside and Take a Walk with the Brooklyn Blogade
Prospect Park Boathouse Photo by Alexander H.M. CasconeIt seems that "Brooklyn's Backyard", otherwise known as Prospect Park is the place to be this Sunday. Two great Brooklyn-based bloggers are throwing a Brooklyn Blogade Picnic and inviting everyone down to see the park and what it has to offer.
Brenda from Prospect: A Year in the Park, will be giving visitors a guided tour starting at 11 am, followed by food and drink around the Music Pagoda. The guys from Dope on the Slope will also be on hand, and if you haven't checked out their blog, "Chronicling the Brooklynization of Two Tennessee Hillbillies," hook yourself up...great stuff.
Prospect Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, the same team that built Central Park in Manhattan, so if you haven't experienced it yet, this is a great excuse to head over.
What: Brooklyn Blogade Picnic In Prospect Park
When: Sunday, July 27th
Time: 12:00 noon - 3:00pm (walking tour @ 11:00 am)
Who: bloggers, prospective bloggers, their family and friends
Brenda's Prospect Park Site: A Year in the Park
Dope on the Slope: Meanderthal
More Details on the Blogade: Flatbush Gardener
Labels: 11215, Brooklyn Blog, Prospect Park Brooklyn
Monday, July 21, 2008
Real Estate Staging Guide for New Yorkers Now in the Tips Section
Staged Living Room by Another Look Home StagingWith reports across the local media that New York apartment sales are starting to slow to match the rest of the US, now more than ever, homeowners looking to sell should start to familiarize themselves with the concepts and methodology of home staging.
Hiring a professional stager in addition to a listing broker can help reduce your home's time on the market and can be instrumental in getting you closer to asking price.
There are different techniques for different neighborhoods and areas. Suffice it to say that a Manhattan or Brooklyn real estate stager is probably going to emphasize spaciousness and be concerned with differentiating your unit from the other apartments for sale in the building. On the other hand, a stager helping with a split ranch on Long Island or a colonial in Westchester will spend time working on how your home presents itself from the driveway on up.
If you're considering professional help for your impending sale or are just interested in learning more about stagers in the New York area, check out "I Want to Hire a New York Home Stager...Now What?", which was just posted to the cityhammer "Tips" section.
For a list of local Staging Pro's, click here: Real Estate Stagers in NY
Labels: Long Island Home Staging, New York Real Estate, Real Estate Staging NY, Westchester Home Stagers
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Battery Park City Photo by Brian BoydIf you're one of the lucky 17 people who've been able to sell a house or apartment over the last month, keep in mind that one of your most crucial concerns should be moving your valuables safely. With that in mind, check out Charles & Hudson's post on the subject. The jist is to move certain items yourself, like sports memorabilia and firearms...yes, definitely move your own firearms!
Moving Your Valuables / Find New York Movers on cityhammer.com
OK, so if youhaven't been able to sell, or you're just looking to boost your house's curb appeal. Here's a simple idea from Remodelista: House Numbers. In their lastest 10 Easy Pieces installment, you can see several fonts and styles to jazz up the front of your house and stand out from the rest of the block.
Lastly, moving aside, things could always be worse. Ask yourself how you would feel living in "The Smallest House in Toronto"? Pictures at The Home Crowd must be seen to be believed. Forget losing your house keys, what if you misplaced your house?
Labels: 10280, Curb Appeal, New York Moving Companies, Small House
Monday, July 14, 2008
Fixing Up Your House When You "Have To Sell It Now"
Yes, that's a Lamborghini parked next to a renovation dumpster...In the Personal Property section of the Wall Street Journal yesterday, we came upon a great article with tips for those who have to sell their houses now.
Among a group of seven ideas, "Fix it Up and Clean it Up" was probably the section most relevant to cityhammer blog readers and most worthy of passing on.
According to writer David Crook:
Buyers are taking your house out on a date. It has to make a good
impression.
Don't spend a lot of money -- absolutely no big-ticket renovations -- but
do see that everything is in good repair. And give the place a new paint job and
a general sprucing up. (Caution: This won't necessarily give you any pricing
advantage over less fixed-up places, but it will attract buyers and keep them
interested.)
As you get closer to the date that the house actually goes up for sale,
start moving out by decluttering the place. No buyer wants to see a house filled
to the rafters with other people's things. They want to imagine their stuff
filling the place. "Stage" the place with only enough furniture to make it look
livable; put the rest in storage.
Once again, we are hearing a clarion call for new paint jobs, home staging services, and of course, organization - subjects we have blogged about extensively.
That being said, it's interesting that while the WSJ is essentially speaking to real estate desperation, Murdoch's other financial bulwark, Barron's, ran a cover story saturday on the botoming of home prices loaded with both empirical and anecdotal evidence.
Whether you believe the housing market improves or declines from here, our message is simply that working with qualified home improvement pro's and home stagers in the New York area, you can distinguish your home from the rest of the "product" for sale in your neighborhood and thus, sell it quicker and at better prices.
For Help:
Read the full WSJ article here: How to Sell a House, When You Have to Sell It Now
Labels: Closet Organization in New York, Home Renovation in New York, New York Painters, Real Estate Staging NY
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Introducing...California Closets New York
Sport Garage by California ClosetsWe've done a fair amount of blogging about how important closet organization is, and now we're pleased to introduce California Closets New York, a new Featured Member on cityhammer.com.
With three showrooms in the NY Metro Area, California Closets is one of the biggest closet designers around . They specialize in everything from bedroom closets, walk-in's, built-in's, and custom home offices. metro area, California Closets is one of the biggest closet and storage design companies around
Their official cityhammer.com profile page is located here: California Closets New York
In Westchester, visit or call at:
16 Saw Mill River Road
Hawthorne, NY 10532
Telephone: 914-592-1001
Open from Monday – Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm, Saturday: 10:00am –
3:00pm
On the Upper East Side:
1625 York Avenue
New York, NY 10028
Telephone: 212-517-7877
Open from Monday – Friday: 10:00am – 6:00pm, Saturday: 10:00am –
3:00pm
Or in TriBeCa:
26 Varick Street
New York, NY 10013
Telephone: 646-486-3905
Open from Monday – Friday: 10:00am – 6:00pm, Saturday: 10:00am –
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Labels: 10013, California Closets, Closet Organization in New York, NY Closet Organizers
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Wood Flooring and Bathroom Design Ideas to Attract Buyers from Frontdoor.com
Urban Home Office by California Closets NYCHGTV appears to have a real estate site in beta right now and its called Frontdoor.com. Most of the content appears to be geared toward consumers either looking to buy or sell a home. Obviously this isn't new ground, but the fact that HGTV is involved leads us to believe that there will be a definite slant toward interior design and home decor.
We'll keep you posted, but for starters, there's a very comprehensive piece on Frontdoor.com about design ideas that get the attention (positively) of prospective home buyers. They list 10 ideas below:
- A Nice Entryway
- Hardwood Floors
- Fab Fixtures
- Beautiful Baths
- Countertop Considerations
- Steel This Idea
- Pre-Organized Closets
- Light Up
- Built-In Bonus
- Grass Is Greener
- Bonus: Furnish That House!
New York Kitchen and Bath
New York Closet Organizer
New York Carpenters
New York Wood Flooring
To read the article, click here: Frontdoor.com's Ten Things That Make Buyers Bite
Labels: HGTV, Home Design, Interior Decor New York, Kitchen and Bath NYC, Wood Flooring NY
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Happy July 4th to New York
Photo by Howard N2GOTOK, so the weather wasn't perfect, and thanks to absurdly priced commodities of every variety and the Wall Street/ Real Estate credit crisis, there's not much economic optimism for the remainder of 2008.
That's OK. Its holidays like July 4th that remind us how great it is to live, work and celebrate in New York, as last night's fireworks display viewed from the Brooklyn Bridge reminds us (above).
Happy Independence Day weekend from cityhammer.com!
Labels: Brooklyn Blog, Fireworks in NYC, July 4th
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Brooklyn Bridge Waterfall Photo by EpicharmusOutdoor storage can make or break the neatness factor of your backyard. Living in the Long Island or Westchester suburbs has its minuses, but one of the biggest pluses is how much space you gain and having the ability to enjoy a front or backyard in the spring and summer. The downside is that as you get comfortable, your stuff begins to sprawl out, almost on its own. Kid's toys only amplify this phenomenon, to the point where your backyard becomes strewn with the flotsam of a post-apocalyptic movie landscape. Remodelista has some great pic's of storage options we highly recommend for the homeowner who skews country in terms of design taste. These equestrian-inspired sheds and storage pieces are from Country Barn Collection of Santa Barbara and come in different shapes and finishes depending on the size or look you want.
Feedbins Become Toybins
Speaking of sheds, check out the pre-fab shed that became an electrified office space at Apartment Therapy. They picked up a great post from Lifehacker featuring a man with a new baby who needed more work space than the house could provide. Phone lines and a paint job did the trick and now he's ready for 8 hours a day of uninterrupted Sudoku...jk.
Shed Becomes Office
We love our pets like children in this country and New Yorkers and their dogs are as symbiotic as any two species you find in nature. This closeness can and will lead to the occasional urine stain on a wood floor, no matter how good the training or how frequent the walks. How do you clean the odors and stains from your pets out of a wood floor? Charles & Hudson has a helpful piece on what to do and what not to do when treating wood floors in this situation.
Pets' Wood Floor Stains
Feedbins Become Toybins
Speaking of sheds, check out the pre-fab shed that became an electrified office space at Apartment Therapy. They picked up a great post from Lifehacker featuring a man with a new baby who needed more work space than the house could provide. Phone lines and a paint job did the trick and now he's ready for 8 hours a day of uninterrupted Sudoku...jk.
Shed Becomes Office
We love our pets like children in this country and New Yorkers and their dogs are as symbiotic as any two species you find in nature. This closeness can and will lead to the occasional urine stain on a wood floor, no matter how good the training or how frequent the walks. How do you clean the odors and stains from your pets out of a wood floor? Charles & Hudson has a helpful piece on what to do and what not to do when treating wood floors in this situation.
Pets' Wood Floor Stains
Labels: Backyard Storage, Cleaning Wood Floors, Making a Home Office, Sheds NY, Suburbs Long Island
Monday, June 30, 2008
Dep't of Consumer Affairs Cleans House: Massive Unlicensed New York General Contractor Sweep
Late last week, the DCA (Department of Consumer Affairs) announced the conclusion of a major investigation and clean-up operation of unlicensed home improvement professionals in New York City. Working closely with authorities in both Nassau and Suffolk County, the DCA conducted both routine inspections and undercover investigations resulting in a crackdown of monumental proportions. Over 700 violations were issued and more than 130 vehicles were seized.
Based on statistics provided by the DCA, there are currently over 10,800 licensed home improvement professionals in New York, which is a staggering 70% higher than the total five years ago.
Here at cityhammer.com, we're very impressed with the decisive action taken by the regulators. The primary reason for cityhammer.com's very existence is to help consumers in the New York area find quality home improvement companies. With almost 11,000 licensed contracting firms in New York to choose from, it is amazing that the unlicensed guys were still able to conduct business, but it appears the DCA has had enough. They've received over 900 consumer complaints in the last year.
Always keep in mind that no matter how low a job is priced or how friendly a voice over the phone is when giving you an estimate, hiring a licensed and insured general contractor is the priority. Because this is the case, we strongly suggest checking references, asking for licensing information and reading reviews before entrusting your home to anyone.
For a list of contractors in the New York area, including licensing and liability information, reviews and references, click here: New York General Contractors
Visit the NY Department of Consumer Affairs
Labels: Contractor Reviews New York, DCA, Licensed Contractors NYC, New York General Contractor
Thursday, June 26, 2008
De-Cluttering and Closet Organization
The Last Time Living in a Junkyard was Funny was in the 1970'sCould you get rid of all the extra junk in your home and stick with 100 things that you truly need/ want? That's the challenge that blogger Dave Bruno has set out for himself and according to Red Eye (Chicago Tribune), its inspired people around the nation to de-clutter their lives and whittle down their belongings.
Even the pro's are taking notice and weighing in on Dave's quest. Below is a quote from Nadia Geller, an interior decorator and host of TLC's "Date My House":
"Times are tough right now, and people feel like they need to downsize and live a little simpler...We are now realizing that it no longer makes us feel better when we buy something new, especially if we can't afford it. Gas is higher, food is more expensive and it's not really a great time for over-consuming and having too many things."Here at cityhammer.com, we're big fans of de-cluttering and organization, especially when it comes to cabinets and closets, but sometimes you just have too much stuff to organize, no matter how many shelves you install. If that's your sitch, then let Bruno's challenge inspire you to pare down your stuff...you probably won't miss most of what you get rid of anyway!
Professional Closet Organizers in New York
Read the article on Red Eye: Living With Less
Visit Dave Bruno's Blog and Follow His Progress: http://www.guynameddave.com/
Labels: De-Cluttering, Interior Decorators, NY Closet Organizers
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Photo by felixmolterEarlier this week we blogged a bit about the emergence of home stagers or real estate stagers and their addition to the cityhammer.com remodeling directory. We forgot to mention how gruesome the flip side of that coin can be. Every day on Real LI, the fantastic real estate blog run by Valerie Kellogg, Laura Mann and Ellen Yan for Newsday, we get a first-hand look at rooms and homes that are un-staged. The homeowners were either too lazy or had decided to throw caution to the wind, and decided to submit as-is photos with unmade beds, garbage strewn across the floor, or hanging pieces of wall paper. The team at Real LI dutifully posts these pics in their "Retake This Photo, Please" series which is good for a chuckle just about any day of the week.
Retake This Photo, Please
In a timely New York Times piece, Rachel L. Swarns reports on the state of the rental market in the US. It seems that President Bush's "Ownership Society" has taken a pretty big hit since its peak of home ownership in 2005 as many families are left with few alternatives but to rent. Even this is proving to be a difficult prospect because rent rates have not declined with home prices. According to the article:
The percentage of households headed by homeowners, which soared to a record 69.1 percent in 2005, fell to 67.8 percent this year, the sharpest decline in 20 years, according to census data through the end of March. By extension, the percentage of households headed by renters increased to 32.2 percent, from 30.9 percent.This got us thinking about design tips for all of these new renters, and if the trend continues, we think we'll see even more design concepts that are more temporary in nature begin to bubble up into the American consciousness. Here are a few Design Tips for Renters.
Rise in Renters
Wood beams are the discussion du jour at Brownstoner's Forum. A homeowner who was unhappy with the layer of plaster coating his exposed beams in a few rooms has stripped them down to the wood itself and is now wondering if that wood needs some type of treatment. Surely, an experienced New York carpenter would know the answer...if any treatment is necessary at all.
Exposed Wood Beams
Labels: Carpenters in New York, Design Tips for Renters, Long Island Home Staging
Monday, June 23, 2008
Calling All New York Home Stagers...
Does Your Block Look Like This?Home staging, or real estate staging is said to be more of an art than a science. That said, ever since its beginnings in the 1970's, the home staging profession has been steadily gaining a larger recognition among not only real estate industry pro's, but the general homeowner populace at large. In response to growing demand for staging help and services in our current "buyers' market" for real estate, cityhammer.com has just added a category for Real Estate Stagers in New York.
Are you a home stager serving the NY, NJ, or CT area? Post your profile on cityhammer.com, New York's #1 Remodeling Directory! CLICK HERE
There's a widely accepted maxim in residential real estate that a buyer decides whether or not they would buy a home within 8 to 10 seconds of walking in the door! If that is actually even close to being true, then home staging could make a huge difference in terms of getting you that great first impression.
Stagers will typically employ tactics as simple as depersonalizing a room (hiding family portraits and vacation souvenirs) to more advanced techniques involving lighting, more neutral paint colors and even renting furniture to fill out an empty room, thus "enlarging" it in the eyes of a prospective home buyer. If you live in a condo or co-op in Manhattan, hopefully you have a nice lobby to help with the concept of curb appeal. If you own a house on Long Island or in Westchester, a stager will help with the clutter in the front yard or tell you what kind of impression the house is making from the street.
What kind of companies will you find in the Real Estate Stagers section on cityhammer.com? You will see specialists like Savvy Staged Homes of Upstate New York, interior design firms like ReDesign Works of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and even real estate brokers, who have gone the extra step and added a home staging education to their arsenal of services.
Whether you are selling a home or plan to in the near future, we recommend getting some estimates from home stagers, who can help you get closer to asking price and put your house in position to sell faster than other properties that haven't been optimized for a sale.
Labels: Curb Appeal, Interior Designer NYC, Long Island Home Staging, Real Estate Staging NY, Upper East Side, Westchester Home Stagers
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Washington Post on Apartment Therapy
Run, don't walk to read the Washington Post interview with Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, the majordomo of Apartment Therapy. If there is any truth to the saying, "Necessity is the Mother of Invention", then Maxwell is a living embodiment, having turned his first 265 square foot, New York City apartment into a livable one-bedroom largely through his prowess as a designer.
He started out in 2001 as a design business to help others make use of their apartments' living space, and three years later, apartmenttherapy.com was launched to relay his ideas and expertise to an even larger audience. Apartment Therapy now reaches 1.5 million visitors a month in cities from LA to Boston to San Francisco to Miami. There are also two AT books out which are a must-read when embarking on the design or decoration of a new apartment.
The article, written by Terri Sapienza, covers some great topics, such as design blogs and books, the use of color, common mistakes made in small apartments, and temporary design tips for renters.
When asked about his biggest design mistake ever, Maxwell reinforces the importance of taking accurate measurements:
"The worst one was early on and a great lesson for me. I didn't measure the room I was working on closely enough and ordered a few pieces of furniture that ended up being way too big and looking ridiculous when they arrived. Luckily, I called the manufacturer immediately and was able to return the pieces. But ever since then I always measure very carefully before placing a furniture order."
AT also has some interesting stuff lined up for the end of the year, so if you're already a fan like we are, or you want to read more, here's a link: AT in Washington Post
Labels: Apartment Therapy, Design Tips for Renters, Interior Design New York, New York City Apartments