Art of a New Start

Home renovation is deeply personal work. Our clients trust us to be working in their homes every day, to help create a space that will be a more functional and beautiful addition to their lives.

It can also be emotional, as we sift through old memories to create new ones. And sometimes, things don’t always go as expected. But our team is equipped to carry you safely through the ups and downs!

So it was with this project: renovating the kitchen and heating system of this historic 19th century Jersey City brownstone.

The homeowners have lived in the house almost 20 years. They had built the existing kitchen themselves using antique furniture left from the previous owner, so it was an especially personal space for them.

They requested several specific details that we enjoyed designing and bringing to life in the space: a corner cabinet; an eat-in area where they could sit facing each other; a nook where one partner could sit and read while the other bakes. This small space also needed to accommodate a laundry solution, so we tucked a European single unit washer/dryer under the counter.

As described in the project in process post, we also replaced a 100-year-old boiler named Molly. We encountered some complications with a cracked sewer pipe and severely damaged floor joists, but the Houseplay team was able to guide and support the homeowners through the storm. The result is a functional, beautiful space that we’re proud to have built for clients who love to spend time in it.

Our clients recently published The Curious Matter Cookbook: Artists & Other Friends in the Kitchen. They included this lovely shoutout to Houseplay in the Acknowledgements: “We’d like to thank the Houseplay team, their plumbing contractor and their wonderful crews for the excellent work they did on our unavoidable kitchen renovation. We could not have endured the surprises we encountered along the way without their professionalism, skill and good humor.”

Here’s a photo of the cookbook, taken right in their renovated kitchen:

A kitchen renovation became unavoidable for us. We entered into the process with dread. We interviewed many contractors, designers and architects. Getting real numbers was almost impossible. Houseplay got real with numbers, and we simply had a positive feeling about them, supported by good reviews. Our old house gave us a few unexpected challenges to confront along the way. But, we could not have endured the surprises without the professionalism, skill and good humor of the entire Houseplay team. We’d call upon them again in a heartbeat. – R.M.