My Old House Renovation -- Refinishing Floors

Here we go again!!

Floor Scrapers 

As I embark upon another home renovation, focussing first on the floors, I am reminded of this back-breaking image (above) from one of my favorite but lesser known impressionists -- Gustave Caillebotte.  We've come a long way from this, with modern floor sanding machines and all; but, as I discovered just this week in my home renovation, sanding the stairs is still done the same as it was 100 years ago -- mostly by hand!

Years back, I renovated this Brooklyn townhouse...

...and then we moved to this Brooklyn limestone...

...which I renovated, and sold...

and then last week we moved to this Brooklyn Heights house...

...which I clearly haven't renovated yet!!!

We went from this garden...

 ...which I designed (inspired by a trip to Tuscany)...
to this garden...

...yet to be designed!!

Oh dear!  What have I done??

In all seriousness, I love renovations. I love the process of bringing a home back to life, of resurrecting it, of breathing new life into it.  In New York City, and in Brooklyn in particular, opportunities to do this are everywhere. There is incredible and historic housing stock here.  Most of the houses in brownstone Brooklyn still have century old details. Most, that is, except mine!  Sadly, a former owner must have stripped the priceless detail out of the house, to save on construction cost. So, I have a formidable challenge for my new/old house renovation -- putting the detail back into the rooms.  It's a big project, but I am up for it.  After all, I have made a job out of it.

Kitchen I renovated over 10 years ago in Brooklyn

When working with architects and contractors, the most important responsibility for the homeowner, from a financial and a practical standpoint, is to be clear and concise. Knowing what you want saves time and saves money.  Making changes after work commences causes more work for the crew, which costs more money for the homeowner. My contractor tells me almost every day that he appreciates that I know what I want, that I make firm decisions, and that I am clear.  Everyone's life is easier.

As I start this old house renovation, my first priority is to refinish the floors.  On the parlor level,  where the living room, dining room and kitchen areas are located, I am re-doing all the floors. I have chosen a herringbone pattern (below). And while I will keep the wood width to the standard 2 1/4" (to keep costs down), I chose a slightly longer plank, to give a bit more length to the rooms.

In the entrance way, I am using a whimsical marble (Arabesque Mosaic, from Waterworks). It's a small space (40"x40"), but it is sure to have a substantial impact.  It will also give a knowing wink to the past with it's classical pattern. I cannot wait to see how this looks, once installed.

For the upper floors of the townhouse, I not replacing the floors, but rather refinishing them.  The plank is more narrow than I would have chosen, but it is durable -- red oak.  Originally, it was done in a natural finish, but the heavy polyurethane finish has yellowed and looks a bit drab, if not down right dated.  I have instructed my floor experts to refinish the floors in a solid brown, without any hints of yellow or orange.  I chose Special Walnut stain (224 by Minwax) and we are using a flat, water-based sealant to prevent discoloration and yellowing.

A portion of my red oak floors just after they were sanded.  I rather like the natural color. 

Above is a portion of the the floor that was just stripped.  The area along the edges is not yet sanded and still looks very orange.  The natural, post-sanded color is gorgeous. I am keeping my daughter's room in this natural color because it is light and airy and clean.  But, it reads a bit modern for the whole house, so I am going with a brown stain (Special Walnut) everywhere else.

The stairs in this photo have not been sanded or stained, but the floor in the foreground has refinished.  All the orange tones are gone, thankfully! 

Refinished floor in Special Walnut and coated with a flat sealant. 

So all of the floor decisions have been made.  And most of the sanding, staining and sealing work on the upper 2 floors is complete.  I am pleased with the results and I am moving to the next phase of the project -- the stairs! Stay tuned...

www.vandykes.com

Despite all this renovating, I am still trying
 to get out and enjoy summer in the city!

Celebrating Greek Myths

Greek Mythology Party for Nine Year Olds

Soft, pale pink ranuculus paired with blushed purple digitalis -- these are the flowers I chose for our daughter's 9th birthday party.  So perfect, they didn't look real! 

Soon after returning from a relaxing spring break beach vacation, I felt, as I do every year, the pressure of our daughter's quickly approaching birthday, always an extravaganza in our family. This year I was going to make it easy on myself, and suggested that I take her and two or three of her closest friends to a broadway play, followed by dinner in her favorite restaurant, and then cake, ice cream, presents, movie, and sleepover at home. It's perfect, all planned out, done!  That fabulous idea, flawless in every way, was shot down, instantly: "I can't possibly choose just a few friends, dad, someone will get left out!"  I couldn't argue with my sensitive, cognizant little gem. So, once again, as has been the case for the last 8 years, I started planning a large spectacular show, with loads of pomp. Really, it's like Christmas all over, but in spring!

The theme our daughter chose for this year's party:  Greek mythology acting party.
Piece of cake, I thought, on it!
Think again, dad!

The first element in any greek party -- costumes. How difficult could it be to make 20 togas?
A full day of work is what I have now learned.

I started by schlepping into the Manhattan garment district to buy muslin fabric.  After combing through multiple stores, filled with every conceivable, dated fabric, and after painstakingly haggling on prices, I finally scored. 50 yards for $50.  Next up, securing the golden chord belts.  Six more stores, more haggling and even a squirmish (a simple misunderstanding with a salesperson who had heavily broken English), I happily settled on 20 drapery ties -- rather expensive, but perfect.

Suggesting that the hard part was behind me would be an oversimplification. Assembling the togas was harder than I had thought. I cut the bolt into 40 inch pieces. Pulling this diaphanous fabric taute and attempting to cut it as straight as possible is not as easy as it would appear when working with a large oversized bolt.  After getting each piece cut, I then folded them in half and cut a T in the center.  The top of the T was cut into the fold (approximately 9" long) and the perpendicular part of the T was 5" in the center.  I then folded the flaps down and ironed them into place. 

It was nearly a full day of work, start to finish! 

Ideally, I would have liked to garnish the edges with greek-themed ribbon, but even I have my limits! 

The final costume item to manufacture -- the laurel leaf hair piece.  For this, gold and green silk leaves were delicately affixed to metal wire, one by one, by my good friend Jasen.  The wire and leaves can be found at most craft supply stores, or better yet, on Etsy.  At the onset of the party, the pieces were affixed to the hair using bobby pins.

By this point in the party preparations, the script had been chosen (Scholastic has a decent selection), acting teachers had been hired, invitations sent out, greek menu planned, birthday cake ordered, and give-away bags purchased. Everything was moving along in the right direction.

Next up -- set design.  For this, I commandeered close friend and accomplished artist, Tati Nguyen, to  assist.  While our kids played on the terrace, she painstakingly drew out ionic columns (complete with detailed greek wave motif) onto large sheets of paper. We then applied a fixative spray, mounted them to boards, and tacked them to the garden lattice.  Another day of work!

After that, we hung thick white cloth to form the stage curtain, attached greek-blue ribbon throughout the set and completed the staging with large iron candelabras and other ancient looking props.  It was perfect...

...really perfect! And, on the day of the party, after fitting the children in their togas and headpieces, it became magical. There is something simple and pleasing about children in matching uniforms. All the goddesses looked stunning in their laurel leaf up-dos and soft draping togas with matching chord belts.  It was like stepping back in time, a couple thousand years.  

But, before you attempt to take on a Greek-themed kids party, be sure to carve out enough time to make it all happen.  Customizing and personalizing a party for kids of any age and of any theme is a luxury.  

I am thinking BounceU or the local bowling alley works for next year... 

...no, I am sure it will be another extravaganza!

By the way, if you have a child that is pre-teen, don't be surprised if they request a similar party.  Thanks in part to Rick Roirden of the Percy Jackson book series and graphic novels such as the Olympians by George O'Connor, kids have a keen and growing interest in mythology. These greek themed books are gaining popularity and are a far cry from the dense Homer we all studied years ago.

Caillebotte, The Quiet Impressionist

Gustave Caillebotte

While spending this past weekend in DC, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that an exhibition of Impressionist painter Gustave Caillebotte was showing at the National Gallery of Art.  

What a fantastic find!  

We all know Degas, Renoir, Monet, and Sisley; but, the lesser known, quiet, somewhat lost Impressionist, Caillebotte, is my favorite amongst this impressive list. 

Why? Aside from gay suggestions in the art and of the artist, aside form the bold use of unmixed colors, a subdued palate -- both beautiful and somewhat melancholic -- what I enjoy most about Caillebotte is that the viewer gets the sense of having accidentally walked into someone's very private moment, while the subject(s) remain unaware. 

Stolen moments -- Caillebotte invites us be an invisible observer to someone's emotional vulnerability.     

Daringly, and dauntingly, he makes us feel like we stepped into a painting, into someone's little world, and sometimes uncomfortably up-close.  

When we look at Caillebotte, we wonder what just happened, what went wrong?  What did we just stumble upon?

There is so much narrative in each work, maybe it's a little off, but just brilliant nonetheless, and ahead of its time...  

Another reason that Caillebotte is worth a look -- owing to his family's wealthy background in textiles, he not only participated in the making of Impressionist art (without having the stress of needing to make it sellable), but he was also an early supporter, purchasing numerous pieces from his fellow painters, and helping to finance their exhibitions.  He was a major patron of the group, surging the movement forward.  Ostensibly, he influenced Impressionism on all levels.

Just look at those colors --  vivid, yet subdued, traditional yet modern -- an entire room's schematic can be designed around that gunmetal grey topcoat (above).

To dovetail on my last post, 13 Things to do in DC now, if you are in our nation's capital, take an hour or two to see the works of this rarely exhibited and relatively unknown Impressionist at the National Gallery of Art.  It is there until October 4th, and the admission is free!

I think you are going to like it! 

Seems that spending time at the museum helps careers. Here is an interesting article, arguing that looking at art helps to make better doctors:

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/07/20/monet_gauguin_using_art_to_make_better_doctors/

Must See DC

13 Things to do in DC Now

Ornate, yet orderly -- Washington DC is full of dazzling, symmetrical, neoclassical architecture, transporting
visitors to another time, when expert craftsmanship mattered.
This alone is worth a trip to America's capital city.  

We recently ventured to Washington DC for a family commitment, and for a change of scenery.  Since we travel to DC frequently, this time we asked friends that currently live in the area (or who have lived there recently) for some ideas on what to do, aside from the obvious choices. Of course there is the Smithsonian, the White House, the Monuments.  What else, though?  Surprisingly, none of the resident experts were able to come up with a compelling list.  So, now that I am back,  I came up with my own list:

First

 The National Gallery of Art

If staying in DC for only a weekend, choose one museum (two at most) and savor it.  Otherwise,  bouncing from this collection to that collection can become completely overwhelming, tiring and when it's over, a big blur. For this trip, I chose the Corcoran Museum, only to arrive at its doors to the surprise (astonishment really) that it closed last year. Thankfully, most of the pieces were sent to my next museum choice: The National Gallery of Art, The West Building.  

The National Gallery, colossal and impressive, was built in 1941. At that time it was the largest marble structure in the world, and that's just the outside! Inside, one of the finest art collections in the world is represented.  It didn't disappoint!

By the way, the museum is free. 

Winslow Homer (1873)

Second

 National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden

This garden is suitably entertaining for everyone in the family and can be enjoyed for 20 minutes or 3 hours, your choice. There is also a wonderful cafe in the heart of it.  Here are some of the pieces we were keen on:

Lucas Samara's Chair Tranformation Number 20 B, 1996 

 Robert Indiana's AMOR, 2008

Roy Lichtenstein's House I, 1996. 

It is an unbelievable illusion. Kid's adore this sculpture:

Claes Oldenburg, Typewriter Eraser, 1998.
This piece playfully evokes the inner child's sense of scale.


Third
Beach Installation at the Great Hall of the National Building Museum

Brooklyn-based (of course) design firm, Snarkitecture, has taken oven the Great Hall of the National Building Museum and installed a perfect summer day at the beach.  The "ocean" is made of almost a million recyclable plastic orbs and the beach is complete with umbrellas and chairs.  But, get to the beach soon, it is only here until just after Labor Day. I trust that they plan to recycle all those balls!

Fourth

Dupont Circle

Dupont Circle is a progressive part of town that hosts a number of quaint shops and restaurants. Easily, we could spend half a day here. 

Fifth

 Slate Audio Tour Podcast

Forgo the tourist bus, the segway gimmick, or following someone with an umbrella. This time, just grab your smart phone and download a neighborhood walking tour podcast, and listen to it at your own pace.

 We found our podcast at Slate Audio Tours: Memorials on the National Mall, given by an architecture critic. This personal guide uncovered many of the city's unauthorized secrets, the ones never mentioned on traditional tours. Fun!

Sixth

Kramer Books and Cafe

I adore the few remaining independent Booksellers, and am pleased that this old timer is still around. 

Seventh

Capital Teas 

The tea movement is burgeoning in this country and with good reason.  Tea is flavorful and has numerous health benefits. These shops, peppered around the city, are a wonderful stop and often offer refreshing, free samples. 

Hundreds of teas to pick, at Capitol Teas. 

Eighth

Georgetown

Ok, so it is not as quaint as it once was, it is crowded and it has morphed into a giant outdoor mall;  but, that said, Georgetown still remains one of the oldest, most picturesque parts of DC.  And if shopping is not for you, walk away from the popular downtown street (M Street) and back into the side streets, where a bygone era awaits, complete with charming 18th century row houses, perfectly set on cobblestone streets. You half expect horse drawn carriages to amble past. Lovely.

Ninth

Cafe Milano

As a foodie, any list that I produce needs to include at least one restaurant. Popular among Washington insiders and celebrities, the authentic Italian, Cafe Milano, is worth the hype.  We enjoyed some Italian specialties not commonly seen outside of Italy, including imported Carpaccio salad (below) and pasta e acciughe (anchovy).

Tenth

 Farmer's Market, Dupont Circle, Sundays

Even when I am not cooking, I always go to the Capitol's largest farmer's market on Sundays, at Dupont Circle. It boasts a wide variety of the regions local produce, is a great outing, and is filled with chatty DC locals.   

Bring your own bag, though. Smartly, they are not given out here. 

Eleventh

Stackhowski's

Speaking of food, if cooking is part of the plan and you are not interested in the predictable Whole Foods offerings, check out Stachowski's market in Georgetown.  It's a wonderful butcher shop, with various cured meats and cheeses, prepared foods and specialty items.  It is also known to make a mean pastrami sandwich. 

Twelfth

Logan Circle

This area has seemingly transformed overnight. While not nearly as hyped as it's big brother, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle is definitely off the tourist radar, but filled with quaint shops and chef-owned restaurants. It's worth a look.  

Thirteen

Gustave Caillebotte

Check out one of my favorite, but lesser known Impressionist painters, Gustave Caillebotte.  It's at the National Gallery until October 4th, 2015. I enjoyed the exhibit so much that I intend to dedicate an entire post to it. Look for it, next...