although our new apartment is only 1 bedroom, it took us over a year from the closing to calling it basically finished.  it has been so nice to put together these posts to remember just how far we have come.  next up on the list is the kitchen.

while there was technically nothing wrong with the old kitchen, it looked old and didn’t utilize all the vertical space.  plus i loathe honey colored wood and that tile floor.

a sample of the final color we chose – benjamin moore’s new york state of mind.  that stove is old…and i knew i wanted to lower the microwave to increase the space overhead.

just after demo.  i may have had a mild panic here.

the final sketch of the new design by the cabinet maker.  we did a panel over the dishwasher so it would look integrated.

walls cleaned up.  we ended up doing wood floors instead of tile, and i love the seamless look.  as long as you clean up spills, they are just as durable as tile.

in progress at the cabinet maker.

the piece of countertop we were supposed to have.  the stone yard then sold it to someone else even though we put it on hold (grrr), so we ended up with a very similar slab.  the material is shadow storm quartzite.

cabinets going in.

and new appliances!

the final reveal:

the ceiling lights and cabinet hardware are from rejuvenation.

the counters have proven very durable and still look elegant.  the range is bertazzoni.

we sacrificed a smaller sink for full size dishwasher, and it was a good trade.

there you have it!  the overall footprint didn’t change, but the new custom cabinets and appliances were worth the splurge.  plus the blue makes me so happy every time i look at it.  i hope you enjoyed!  this room was definitely the trickiest in terms of delays, hiccups, and all the choices we had to make, but it was totally worth it in the end.

we are slowly coming along on decorating the new apartment.  i am happy to report that the living room is complete, so i thought we would take a trip down memory lane before doing the big reveal.

first, let’s take a look at when we first closed.  the floors were a honey colored wood, and the walls were a weird yellowish white.

yes the light fixtures were blue.

you can see the paint sample in the shot below, and what a difference a brighter white made.

no french doors.

we moved these scones down to either side of the tv.

adding the ceiling light.

light fixtures in and walls painted.  floors covered up for protection.

french doors in and floors uncovered.

living room set up with our old sofa, rugs, and stools.

AND THE BIG REVEAL

i absolutely love the new sectional.  the living room doesn’t get tons of light (trade off for being very quiet) so it brightens everything up.  the coffee table, art, side table, and lamp are the same as from the prior apartment.

the turkish kilim is from easy and the stools are from target.

the throw pillow is from target and the blanket is from a random home store i visited in notting hill.

 

the apartment is almost all wrapped up. just waiting on the countertop backsplash, final plumbing, and moving day. so close, i can’t wait! sorry for the picture heavy post ahead.

we are in the home stretch. floors, walls, fixtures done. need countertops, hardware, glass shower door, and french doors. i’m less freaked out by the color choices now, and can see how it all works together.

things are coming along and we are only looking at a few more weeks of work. i have to admit that i am pretty eager to move. the kitchen cabinets are in and the bathroom is nearly complete. just floor staining, painting, countertops, and finishing touches to go!

by way of update, demo is complete and the apartment is in that state where you can’t imagine it ever looking good again.  so much of the budget goes to what is behind the walls that it’s hard to get excited.  i keep trying to remember that we are slowly getting there…

many months ago, we bought a new apartment.  because of the joys of renovation approvals in nyc, we only just started doing the work.

as you may remember, i did some renovations on my current place a few years ago.  however, i have quickly learned that even though we aren’t moving walls, this is a whole other animal.  first, it is a prewar building, so who knows what we will find when we open walls.  second, the rules are much stricter, especially since the building is designated as a historical site.  finally, there are so many small decisions to make.   i now understand why people hire decorators.

here are some before pictures.  the kitchen was last renovated in the 80’s, and the bathroom is “original.”