Vegetable Nirvana

For Lauren, years of planning paid off for a kitchen remodel in her Brooklyn Heights home “After” photos by Miao Jiaxin for Sweeten Written in partnership with Sweeten homeowner Lauren DeMattia Homeowner: Lauren posted her Brooklyn Heights kitchen remodel on Sweeten to create a multi-functional space Where: Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York Primary renovation: A kitchen in a 700-square-foot co-op that sweetens the living space too Sweeten general contractor Sweeten’s role: Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and up to $50,000 in renovation financial protection—for free. Renovation plan: living in the space To say I won the real estate lottery might feel like an overstatement, but after a short hunt, I found a Brooklyn Heights co-op in a 1920s building. It had everything I had been looking for—two bedrooms, a corner unit, lots of windows, high ceilings, and a single block from multiple subway stat...

Want to elevate the lowest level of your home? Don’t overlook these details when planning your basement renovation. ( Above ) Tracy and Gordon’s basement remodel added living space to their small footprint There are multiple benefits of flipping a dark (and possibly damp) basement into an actual living space. For starters, a basement renovation can add a lot of square footage to your home, as well as resale value. Plus, remodeling a basement provides families with revitalized spaces for entertaining loved ones, working from home, or relaxing. In order to plan your basement remodel efficiently, you’ll need to manage several key factors. Details like current ceiling height, local egress regulations, and insulation needs will influence how long your basement renovation timeline will be, and how much it will cost. Average costs for a basement remodel Good news: On average, investment in a basement renovation adds value to a property. Sweeten general contractors have worked on baseme...

Sweeten’s guidance on replacing wood floors covers everything from cosmetic updates to functional concerns ( Above ) Maggie and Adam’s new floor renovation Natural, versatile, timeless…wood floors can last for decades or even generations. But if there’s damage after years of wear, or the stain just isn’t suited to your style, replacing them may be your best bet for safer and better-looking floors. Ahead, we share five reasons Sweeten homeowners decided to replace wood floors and revitalize their spaces. Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and up to $50,000 in renovation financial protection—for free. 1. When it bolsters the overall design With low ceilings at just a little over eight-feet high, Maggie and Adam worked to create an illusion of a taller height. A ceiling plan for each room was planned out by the couple. This included narrow interior doors, white walls, colorful art, and 7-inch wide hickory flooring th...

Even if small, the garage is most often considered the place for storage of everything that doesn’t find its place inside our homes. This random storage is most often related to quite chaotic and practically inexisting organization which leads to total mess. With the help of some storage and organization hacks and ideas, you can put order in that place. Utilizing the walls and even the ceiling of the garage can create far more free space for storage of things that will be at one-hand distance and easy to find. The smartest garage organization ideas follow so make sure to read all of them for inspiration and upgrade of your garage.   Garage Ceiling Storage Idea The system SafeRacks can be installed onto the garage ceiling to accommodate elements of various sizes. The rack provides space for large boxes, sport equipment and similar. The hooks at the bottom of the rack can be used for bicycles and other stuff that can be suspended.   Black Pegboard Wall The pegboards a...

Support black-owned general contractors and contracting firms with Sweeten At Sweeten, we value every clients’ vision for their home. And we value our shared vision for a better, more just, and inclusive world.   Many Americans are now wondering how they can best effect change. One way is to hire professionals from groups who have historically been overlooked, and provide opportunities to those who have had to work harder to succeed.  Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and up to $50,000 in renovation financial protection—for free. Please consider supporting the following black-owned general contractors on Sweeten’s platform. We heartily stand behind these contractors’ work. They all have the expertise and dedication to build the home of your dreams. Sweeten General Contractor Saladin | NYC General contractor Saladin co-owns her contracting firm. She joined Sweeten back in 2018. Servicing all of Ne...

Tom Raber, the founder of The Contractor Fight, offers answers to common contractor issues and community support When owning your own contracting business, day-to-day questions or larger issues will come up where answers are uncertain or the path forward isn’t clear. A contracting community as a sounding board can be helpful in your goal to keep your business moving and growing. In this first of two blog posts, Sweeten talks with Tom Raber, founder of The Contractor Fight . Tom explains how to start job-costing, discussing profit and overhead with clients, and common issues that general contractors are facing within his coaching groups. You can also check out his podcast . Sweeten matches general contractors with high-quality home renovation projects, vetted for readiness and appropriate budget. Contractors pay only when they win a project, and budgets start at $15,000 and average over $80,000. What is the easiest way to start job-costing? Tom: A lot of general contractors ov...

Dreaming of a bathroom renovation in Houston, but don’t know where to begin? Start with this guide.  It’s no surprise that baths are topping many remodeling lists these days. In Houston, real estate comes in a variety of architectural styles, from French Country and bungalow to Queen Anne and ranch. Plus, b ath trends today cover a range of décor styles that are compatible with your home’s architecture. For those considering their own Houston bathroom renovation, here are the need-to-knows and items to plan for before you begin. Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and up to $50,000 in renovation financial protection—for free. What are your goals? For most people, updating the bathroom design is the #1 priority. Who doesn’t welcome a glow-up, especially in the bathroom? Modernizing dated cabinetry and hardware, and installing more stylish faucets are go-to options. So is swapping out a tub for a shower. Or, upgrad...

Teaming up with a woman general contractor in L.A., a remodel partnership delivers a dream bathroom “After” photos by Madeline Tolle for Sweeten. Stylist: Emily Bowser Before: Turn a must-do gut reno into a custom master bath remodel When they bought the Spanish Revival Mediterranean in South L.A.’s Park Mesa Heights, they’d pulled off a victory: a first-time home purchase in SoCal. But Liz and Kevin’s 1923 house had a secret: water damage beneath the master bathroom floor, thanks to a shower pan installed incorrectly a decade before. “To deal with it,” said Liz, the executive director of an education nonprofit, “we needed to take the bathroom down to the studs.” With this, Liz and Kevin started planning for a bath remodel in their L.A. home. Liz and Kevin, a technical production senior manager at Disney Studios, viewed the dank discovery as an opportunity “to add storage and maximize space,” Liz said. But also to showcase their style. The two Mid-Century enthusiasts, who li...