Renovating on the Cheap

Oh Boy: Stoop Drama at Putnam

Start Date: September 9, 2006

End Date: October, 18, 2006

When we first bought this house on Putnam Avenue the owner sat on the stoop everyday for over a week. It's like he didn't want to leave. We tried to avoid any drama but eventually we had to confront the former owner. We asked him when he intended on vacating the premises. By the end of the week he was gone.

Caption: The former owner sitting on the stoop.

When we were done dealing with the drama with the former owner, I had to tackle the aging front door. At this point, I already had experience with refinishing doors, from my experience at Sterling Street.

Add caption

Caption: The front door at Putnam is fully restored to look as it did in 1899.

August 2005: Going Down Memory Lane

August 1, 2005: This is my first experience with having a brownstone stripped. The job was started on August 1, 2005 and ended on December 9, 2006.

My neighbor and I received pretty large grants from NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to strip our houses.

Caption: This is the 1934 Tax Photo of the house on Sterling Street.
It looks as it did in 1899, when the house was built.

Caption: The house was painted in the 1980's.

Caption: This is a 2006 photo of the house on Sterling Street.
Its been restored to look as it did in 1899.

Still on Four: Seriously, Knock the Wall Down

Here is a picture of the wall facing south.

Caption: See the wall that I had removed above.

Caption: This is the room with the wall removed.

Here is the final product without the wall.

Halsey 4th Floor Reno: That Masked Stripper Strikes Again

When you are a stripper, people tell you that you can work magic with your hands. Especially when stripping off layers paint and caressing the curves on a piece of carved wood.

In this post, I will tackle the fourth floor fireplace and mantel.

As you can see the mantel and mirror are not original to the house. I purchased it for 80 bucks from Eddie's antiques on the corner of Green and Grand Avenues in Clinton Hill.

Oh, I also the mantel did not come with a mirror in the center; it was purchased from Bernie's glass on Fulton Street in Bedford Stuyvesant.