Jackson Heights Life

Sorry I keep asking silly questions but this is my first kitchen renovation and I'm going nuts.

Here's the question: I am looking into sinks and I'd like a deeper than regular one (ideally 10" but 9 would do as well). I have narrowed it down to Liena Bay, Empire or Blanco but the first two are more reasonably priced. Have you had any experience with either Liena Bay or Empire? Do they look good or s the stainless steel cheap-looking?

Appreciate your advice!

Buddy; there is a reason why the sponsor units in your building look so...   They had not dealt with we before... :rockon:

Anyway, I have yet to do one there and I am eager to see if the politicos would allow me to bring it up a notch   BAM

Here's a "rental" unit we just completed in Acropolis. 

a.  Gut rehab BATH (we kept the old tub and re-glazed it)

b.  Totally new kitchen (not gut but we did what we could$$ with the dry walls)

c.   New Bamboo flooring (partial demo of hi-spots of the old oak floors to so as to appear leveled)

d.  Created 2 new closets (very basic - rod and shelve - 6 panel hollow door)

e.  Enclosed all radiators with cement bard and/or pine)

f.  Removed all doors and re-framed to standard height (installed 6 panel doors)

g. Rewired the entire unit including the intercome.  Recessed lighting with fan in the LR. Fan light kits on 3 bedrooms with separate controls.  Very basic but nicely done.

h.  All moldings removed and replaced with prefab composite crap...LOL (lead in paint is always an issue in older buildings - we are USEPA certified to remove lead in paint so the landlords save the extra expense of hiring 2 separate contractors to do the work)

The entire project took 14 DAYS with 4 workers, not the kitchen, not the bathroom, the ENTIRE PROJECT!!  It produced 30 yards of debris.  It was what our company conciders a a basic "complete" renovation vs a "gut-rehab" or "better quality" or even Hi-end customized renovation.  This entire project was only 23k but the same space could easily by 60k.

This is a little hall that we created with an arch to give some character to the space
There was a weird hall sparating the LR and remainder spaces so we knocked it out



This is the other arch we created at the entry to the kitchen just to tie up the other arch
We could have arched the adjacent side but the units in Acrop are small and this LR would have looked even smaller


Bedrooms are tiny but we had to fit some closet space in it



Bathrooms are tiny and difficult to work with here.  They are about 4' x 6', absolutely a 1 person bathroom


Kitchen - we used "off the rack" cabinets and level and tiled the floors and placed a simple track light.  The counters are muted formica (I said it was a rental!!) but we did slip a 4' x 1' coffee counter in salt & pepper granite (my gift to the landlord..   ) so it would tie in the granite border we used in the kitchen.

Yes, there are 2 units empty right now but Michael was sort of undecided what he wanted to do.  Too bad, I really wanted to bring what we are doing in Corona to your building.    At the end of the day, it's his call. 

if you read the thread you'll find several people. NYC NAtive is one whose work I've seen in our co-op. It's lovely and he's nice.

I can't recommend my contractor anymore since he left my job 7 months ago and has only been back half a day every other month since.

With any contractor, if possible get in writing when the job should be completed by. In my situation, the apartment is live-able - I just wish the last 5% would get finished!

I got our cabinets from Weismann's in Queens, which are made in Alabama custom. Countertops are from Stonemark.

NYC Native, I love what you did with the shower head coming out of the ceiling.  Very creative and speaks to my minimalist aspirations!