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Soaring over 70 stories above New York City’s Upper West Side sits a “Five Star Living™” luxury apartment with panoramic views of Central Park and the Hudson River. By combining two apartments, the renovated space now boast over 5,400 sq. feet along with unparalleled amenities in a much sought-after Manhattan address; 80 Columbus Circle at The Time Warner Center.

To accommodate visiting friends and relatives, a partition was needed to temporarily divide the space into two separate living quarters. The Modernfold Acousti-Seal 932 provided the privacy and acoustic sound barrier required.

Challenge: The challenge was to integrate the panels with the apartment’s existing design and architecture.

Solution: Capital Craftsmen, a New York general contractor specializing in high-end residential construction, built custom mullions and mirror inserts for the Acousti-Seal panels perfectly matching the distinctive window frames. The mirror inserts creates an optical illusion of infinite windows, and extends natural light into the space with stunning cityscape views. The results are quite impressive, and it now serves as a sophisticated room divider with a custom-built recessed side panel that neatly conceals the stacked edges when not in use.dsc_6498

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Go GRAY –

Gray has become a go-to neutral for designers, thanks to its ability to bring sophistication and character to a space while keeping the mood tranquil. The soft shade particularly shines in the living room, as it allows art, furnishings, and other accents to take center stage. Whether it’s a relaxing Hamptons beach house or a modern Manhattan apartment, gray fits with any style of architecture and decor.

Here are a few living spaces from our portfolio exemplifying the gray backdrop. Maybe you will find the right shade for your next design project in this collection of inspiring rooms.

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Renovating a Bathroom? Tips to Save..

 

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New bathrooms come with a price. A mid-range bathroom renovation in NYC – replacing all the fixtures and tile – will run for about $25,000. A higher end renovation – changing the layout, adding heated flooring – would bump up that cost to nearly $75,000. With that said, there are still ways to keep costs down when renovating a bathroom.

LIMIT TILE USE

Tile installation is already labor intensive and purchasing large quantities of tile could skyrocket your costs. Top NYC interior designers suggest using tile only in the shower. A simple subway tile could go a long way. Another alternative; instead of using border tile, you can substitute with aluminium trim to hid unglazed tile edges.

LOOK FOR LEFTOVERS OR CLOSEOUT ITEMS

Why pay for an entire slab of granite when all you need is a small piece to cover the top of a vanity? Stone fabricators sell remnants of slabs for those in need of small quantities. Certain stores and online sites sell overstocked and/or discontinued lines for as much as 80% off.

LOSE THE MEDICINE CABINET

A mirror adds style to the space and opens up a wide choice of price options. You can also go as big as the room will support, so the space ends up looking bigger and more grand.

CONSIDER LABOR COSTS

Some material may cost less to purchase but cost more to install. Tile for example is labor intensive. An alternative would be wall panels. Overall, panels cost more, but they take less time to install therefore leading to an overall cheaper route that tile.

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Even the most premeditated renovation can spawn some regrets in the aftermath. And when you’re paying NYC prices, that’s definitely something you want to avoid if you can. Start by asking each of the professionals involved in your project to point out aspects that may bear rethinking.  If you are able to explain why a client’s idea may not be the best, 99 out of 100 times they will appreciate you for it. If you have a contractor that is always a  ‘yes man’, then sometimes it’s a red flag to stay away.” You should also run your plans by a real estate broker, who can point out mistakes that could potentially hurt you upon resale.

According to experts, here are six of the most common faux pas in the world of New York City apartment remodels –

1. Getting rid of the bathtub

If your apartment has just one bath tub, converting it into a walk-in shower may not be the best idea. Walk-in showers are not appealing to those families with children. Where will the baby get a bath? A more logical approach would be removing your shower curtain and adding a glass shower door instead. A glass enclosure gives off the feeling of a walk-in shower.

2. Installing modern flooring in a prewar apartment

If you own a prewar apartment, installing a bamboo floor or another modern alternative could be a mistake when it comes to resale. Although attractive and durable, staying true to the architectural details of the building may be best. If your oak or maple floors are in poor condition and cannot be salvaged, replace them with the same type of wood or something comparable. Stay away from pre-finished, engineered, or other materials like stone or tile either. These could depreciate the overall value of your apartment since many potential buyers are looking for prewar apartments with character and close-to original detailing.

3. Eliminating closets

Removing a closet in order to gain space in a bathroom or bedroom may seem like a good idea, but only if your apartment already has other closets. Often the apartments that are the easiest to live in and sell quickly are those with abundant close space. More living space seems appealing, however, buyers tend to desire storage and closet space. An uncluttered living area will go further than a bedroom with a few extra feet.

4. Ungainly tile

An 18″x 18″ tile in a stylish bathroom in a Home Depot or Lowe’s display (where the bath models may be made for suburbia) doesn’t mean it will work for your city space. Selecting a tile size that’s too large for a small apartment kitchen or bathroom could be a costly and messy error to fix. Buy a few sample tiles and lay them out on your floor to get a sense of scale and proportion. Hiring a designer could also help with selections while steering you in the right direction. He or she will not only suggest the appropriate size and material, but can draw the tile to scale on a floor plan so you can get an idea of what it will look like before the installation.

5. Turning a two-bedroom into a one-bedroom 

One of the most common renovation mistakes committed by New York apartment owners is removing a wall to enlarge a room–but losing a bedroom. It may look great on paper, but in reality, if you give up a room, be prepared to rebuild the wall before putting the apartment on the market, or it will be classified as a one-bedroom instead of a two-bedroom. This could mean two things: a more limited group of potential buyers and a lower asking price.

6. Combine two apartments in one awkward layout

Combining two apartment units may seem like no big deal, but a seamless transition is far from easy. More often than not, combining apartments results in an awkward layout with aspects many buyers will object to, like having to walk through a kitchen to get to the bedrooms, a bathroom in the wrong place, or all of the above and then some. Trying to recoup the investment of the two apartments plus the renovation cost is way more than the market can bear. With that, you also now have a maintenance bill covering two units making a resale almost impossible.

 

Renovating in NYC

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After the countless open houses, deals and negotiations; you have finally found the perfect home. A home where you can envision how you will make this space your own with the perfect Family Room, state-of-the-art chef’s Kitchen and blissful Master Bath. This is all just a simple plan away; or so you think. The key to your renovation is to stay engaged. Be prepared and have back-up plans but also take a step back and have faith and trust the professionals you’ve hired.

The renovation process in NYC is just that; a process. When contemplating a renovation, the first thing you should do is building management to retrieve an Alteration Agreement. This agreement will inform you of any/all rules pertaining to alterations within the building, such as:

1.) Renovation seasons – some buildings only permit construction when the building is more empty; typically during the summer months (July 1-Sept. 1) on a first-come-first-serve basis. The sooner you hire an architect and submit your plans to the board for approval, the better your chances are of moving ahead with your project this season.

2.)  Black-out periods – be mindful of what holidays prohibit work in your building. Account for these days in your schedule as building’s typically have a deadline for completion with a daily fine for every day you are past the substantial date of completion. 

3.) Wet-over-Dry restrictions – if you have plans of relocating your bathroom or kitchen, many buildings prohibit the relocation of such wet rooms above your downstairs neighbor’s living room or bedroom.

4.) Working permits – most apartment renovations in NYC require a work permit. The exception to this rule are ordinary repairs which include cosmetic upgrades (replacing plumbing fixtures or kitchen cabinets in the same locations). Once you intend on demolishing a wall, building a new wall or simply moving your kitchen sink to a different location, you will need a permit. And, if you need a permit, you’ll now need a licensed architect.

SELECTING PROFESSIONALS

The most common way to go about this is by the traditional word-of-mouth. Follow the recommendations of colleagues, friends and family. Once you have hired your architect, hiring your contractor is next. Of course, any recommendation is invaluable; however, architects typically have a list of contractors they like working with. Most buildings will also have a published list of approved contractors those of which who have done frequent work in the building and are familiar with the alteration rules.

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

In process of hiring your contractor; you may have several contractors who are in possession of your plans in efforts to competitively price out your project. It is very important to have a complete set of architectural drawings and specifications for every aspect of the project before negotiating a contract. Eliminate the possibility of allowances. Allowances in a contract can leave the client susceptible to unpredictable change orders.  In most cases, the terms of the final agreement will be set out in a standard A.I.A. (American Institute of Architects) and your contractor will bill periodically based on the percentage of the of the job completed. Contractors will also submit a construction schedule and conduct weekly site visits to ensure the project progresses according to the schedule. 

BOARD APPROVAL

Before starting work, you will need secured approval from the co-op/condo board. Providing plans, insurance certificates, licenses etc. must be submitted to the managing agent. Your plans will then be reviewed by another architect retained by the building to ensure they comply with building rules and building code requirements. 

WORK PERMIT

Once you have approval from the board, your architect can file and application with the Department of Buildings for a work permit. For most interior renovations, your permit can be obtained within 24 hours. 

FINISHING UP

Upon completion of major work, minor fixes such as paint touch-ups are typically required. Nearing completion, a punch-list meeting will be held to point out any items needed finishing by the contractor. Working under permits also require electrical and plumbing inspections before requesting a Certificate of Occupancy (Letter of Completion) from the Department of Buildings. Once you have that document in hand, there’s just one thing left to do: plan the unveiling party