December 29, 2008
Happy 2009 from BROOKLYN!
Happy Holidays to everyone! I am Karen Shen, first-time house-owner, renovator and blogger. It's hard for me to believe that we are already past the half-way mark in our super-accelerated, 4 1/2 month renovation. Kevin and I are still in shock that our house was chosen to be on TOH! We are honored that ours will be the show's first NYC project in its 30-year history and hope it will set a positive precedent for more TOH NYC projects in the future (and bring some good buzz to Brooklyn!)
So far, the whole experience has been pretty overwhelming, but totally thrilling, full of surprises and, we know in the end, worthwhile...
Our house has been transformed from top to bottom, inside and out, in the past 2 months. Some of the changes have been dramatic and very apparent, while others are hidden in the house's infrastructure. Here are before/after photos of our Living Room. It took my breath away to see it opened up―without the added wall and full bathroom with tub for the first time. The not so obvious changes, including new, sturdy beams around the spiral stair, cellar ceiling and whole rear of the mud room are equally important for us. It's a wonderful feeling to know that the old, rotted bones of our house have been replaced, improved and given new life by our amazing general contractor, Michael Streaman of M.R.S., Inc. and his team.
We feel very fortunate to have our project in the dedicated, experienced and incredibly skilled hands of Mike, and his subcontractors, including the Gitli brothers of Aladdin Plumbing and Vinnie Verderosa of Super-Charged Electric. Thank you to Mike, Randi, Erik, Vinnie and their crews, who have been working above and beyond on our house so we can sleep a bit a night (when our baby allows us to) and focus on the hard decisions of choosing finishes.
TOH has played a big role in this area as we have been able to get fantastic design advice from the show's interior designer, Carole Freehauf, who has fine-tuned the floor plans and design finishes of our houses' 3 kitchens and 4 1/2 bathrooms. It's been a lot of hard work meeting deadlines and focusing on a ton of stuff at once (and trying to still read to the kids once in a while and shop for Christmas), but we will soon be able to enjoy viewing completed rooms as the finishes are installed. I can't wait to see and share them with you!
(11) Comments
Comment on this BlogHow have the neighbors responded to the all the commotion and parking issues?
Can't wait to see the house! Thanks for letting us all see the process.
Karen, We viewed the pictures of your home in the magazine, we can see how you fell in love with it. We are enjoying watching the progress, I have shared the site with the New England clan, and be sure Kingston keeps us updated on the progress. As long time "This Old House" fans this is so amazing. Sue
Looks very exciting! Two things:
What are the dimensions (width, length) of your building? And do you know when your renovation will be on the This Old House show? And on what channel? I'm sure a lot of people in Brooklyn will be interested in following it.
Martha:
Shows start airing in New York around mid February. Keep an eye out for it! (On both channels 13 and 21, but the schedules may differ for different PBS stations.)
YAY, Brooklyn! About time This Old House recognized that the borough of Brooklyn has the nation's largest stock of 19th century row houses. Exciting that they chose yours! I'm a Brooklynite too - have renovated several properties here many times over - and I have a brand new blog for people who love old houses. It's called casaCARA: Old Houses for Fun and Profit
(http://casacara.wordpress.org) and I cover an orbit from Brooklyn to Philadelphia to the Hudson Valley to the North Fork of Long Island - but there is and always will be a huge dose of Brooklyn content. Please check it out, Karen (and everyone else!) and I will follow your progress as well!
Darn - i meant casacara.wordpress.COM!!!!
can you change that in the post above? I would appreciate it!
Darn - i meant casacara.wordpress.COM!!!!
can you change that in the post above? I would appreciate it!
congratulations, karen. you have an amazing house that will be even more amazing when the guys finish. I am very jealous of all the beautiful woodwork. Enjoy your house it is a beauty.
Looking forward to seeing this project on TV...
Dear Karen and Kevin:
Greetings from the Commonwealth of Kentucky!
I know this house as I had spent my childhood years in it! I am thrilled that you decided to to keep and maintain the period architectural appointments to the house. So many brownstones in Brooklyn have been gutted with no appreciation of their interior beauty of parquet floors, pocket doors, stained glass, crown moldings, intricate hardware, casework, etc., which give them their timeless charm and elegance.
Hope to get a personal tour of the house when my husband and I visit my family in March just a few "doors down from you" and across the street!
Thank you for bringing new life to the house, now your home, while respecting its original beauty.
Best. ARA