Renovation

 

See another finished photo and a before photo after the jump. The owner writes:

“The job required doubling the amount of space of the previous bathroom.

This is the master bath in my bedroom.

– I found and selected all of the materials. I wanted a Zen experience every morning to start the day off peacefully.

– Petworth resident Carlos Lemos was the contractor.

– Whenever possible, recycled or reclaimed materials were used. The wood 2x4s for the framing were salvaged from a skateboard park. I picked up the tile for the wall off of Craigs List from a woman who bought too much. The custom made vanity is made from salvaged wood that had been in an old country church in Amish country.

– The pebble stones are not salvaged. But they are heated by radiant heating underneath, to warm the feet.

– The shower has a curved wall and bench.

– The sinks are hand hammered in China.” (more…)

The owner writes:

“It’s not really a “renovation” per say, but we painted the walls and the ugly vanity and put in new flooring! We wanted a new vanity, but the size constraints meant that we’d need to have one custom made, which was not in the budget this year… so we painted it, thinking we’d have nothing to lose, and it made the whole bathroom look a little less cheap! This is in Columbia Heights.”

Personally, I think that is one of the best floors I’ve seen. Check out the before picture after the jump. (more…)

This was submitted from Allison Street. I suspect there’s going to be lots of folks jealous of this one, including me. Yes, for me I no longer suspect it, I am jealous. After the jump check out another angle of the kitchen. (more…)

This is a fantastic renovation from a new Petworth resident. So let me renew my call for you to email me any renovations you have done to your bathroom, kitchen or any part of your house. Email me at [email protected]

In addition to Petworth, let’s see some Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant entries or from wherever neighborhood you call home.

Check out some more angles and a sweet skylight as well as the before photo after the jump. (more…)

[Ed note: Winner announced Feb. 20th. There have only been about 8 entries so you still have time to submit your photos and explanations of why it’s your favorite place in DC.]

“Attached is a pic of my back yard. Look at the first which was taken when I bought my house in 2003 and the second which was September last year and you will see why it is one of my favorite places in DC. It was a very long summer.”

Check out the before photo after the jump. (more…)

Background
I sat down with Heather, yesterday, at the great Mayorga Cafe in Columbia Heights to discuss her recent experiences purchasing and renovating a row house. Fans of DCist will surely recognize the name Heather Goss. Goss, 28, is the prolific contributor and Managing and Arts Editor for DCist. Originally from southern California, Goss first came to DC in 2002 to attend law school and is currently practicing law in addition to her DCist duties.

The Hunt

At first Heather was doubtful that she could afford to purchase a home in DC. But last Summer, on a lark, she attended a neighbor’s open house and met a very friendly lender. The lender explained the home buying process and Heather then realized she actually could afford a home in the District. Having previously lived in the U Street neighborhood, Heather knew she wanted to stay in that general area, so her search focused on U Street, Shaw, Columbia Heights and Petworth. Remarkably, she found the home she would ultimately purchase on only her second day of looking. It is interesting to note, as an indication of just how much the housing market has changed, Heather looked at 20 to 30 more houses/condos before finally putting in an offer two months after initially looking at the house. (more…)

Thanks to Heather for sharing these great photos of her sparkling new floors. After the jump you’ll see the before photos and be amazed.

Here are some of the details as related by Heather: “The floors were done by Alpha Flooring, a family run business, running primarily out of Maryland, but they seem to be happy to work just about anywhere. Their main number is 301-428-9216.

When I bought it, the house had about 40% plywood, so unfortunately I had to purchase new wood for at least part of it. Under my budget, I had three other contractors tell me that I could only afford laminate, which seems like a crime to put in a 100 year old rowhouse. Not only was Alpha thousands of dollars cheaper, but they were the only people who said they could salvage the remainder of the first floor to patch the second floor, so the entire second floor is hundred-year-old Georgia Pine, refinished with a butterscotch stain. The first floor is new White Oak, finished in a medium brown stain, to match as best as possible with the second floor. It’s not a perfect match, but the satisfaction in salvaging the original wood as much as I could was worth it, and so far no one’s actually noticed unless I point it out. ”

Check out more photos after the jump. (more…)

Here are two very serious renovation/gut jobs going on along 13th Street. You probably can’t even tell they are happening from the front because they have kept the facades completely in tact. I think that is very cool. Are they forced to do so by the city or is it cheaper this way or do they just want to maintain historical integrity? Whatever the reason I’m glad they are doing it.