the cityhammer blog

Blue Iris painting by Bill Luchsinger

Over in the cityhammer.com Tips section, we spotlight 3 of the blues picked by the big paint makers as the hottest colors for 2008. While most of us can pick our own colors, sometimes it's nice to get a sense of what the interior designers New York prefer.

Janovic has a list of some professional designers and their fave's for the year. Offering their picks are three New York Interior Designers, including Amy Lau, Martha Angus and Adrienne Neff.

Neff is feeling Yarmouth Blue for Master Bedrooms, while Lau is "seeing purple everywhere."

Check out these New York Painters to get the look you want this year.

Labels: Blue Iris, colors for 2008, Janovic, New York Interior Designers, painting

Heed the Stats, Avoid the Pit


Everyone loves statistics, so here are a handful from Remodeling Magazine.

A great deal of the money you invest in home improvements is added to the resale value of your home. According to Remodeling Magazine, the top remodeling investments are:

A minor kitchen remodel -- you can expect to recoup 94 percent of your investment when you sell your home

Bathroom remodeling -- resale value 77 percent

Deck addition -- resale value 73 percent

Siding replacement -- resale value 71 percent

Home-office addition -- resale value 69 percent

Window replacement -- resale value 68 percent

I know some Real Estate brokers will disagree with some of the percentages, but these numbers are an amalgam of stats from around the US...obviously, adding a deck on 77th and Columbus won't add value (but may get you committed), so New Yorkers should take this with a grain of salt.

Labels: Home Improvement Investments, Kitchen Remodel, Resale Value

the MX-810 Remote

Just in time for the play-offs and Superbowl (New England Patriot Fans, rejoice!), Vincent Designs, one of our featured NY Home Entertainment Experts is showing off the new, state-of-the-art MX-810, a great remote for single-room home theater systems, or even a home with multiple AV systems and more than one remote control. This is because the MX-810 remains dedicated to a single room's equipment and offers a user-changeable label identifying the room.

The MX-810 goes for $399.95, and of course, Vincent Designs is more than happy to help you set up your entire AV system, whether you are upgrading or building a home theater from scratch.

Here's how to get in touch:

Visit the Vincent Designs profile page at cityhammer.com

Call Vincent Capece at 914 632 4884

Or go to www.VincentDesigns.tv

Labels: Home Entertainment Westchester, NY Home Theater, Remote Control, Vincent Designs

Bathroom by The Argyle Group

Yep, it’s that time of year again! As we sit here with an extra 5 pounds-worth of holiday weight and look forward to the New Year, we’ve come up with the following Resale Value Resolutions. These resolutions are for those of us remodeling with the intention of selling our homes in the near future. There are many other options and cautions when it comes to a renovate-to-sell project and we will be bringing you more of these ideas in the future on cityhammer.com.


Resale Value Resolutions

Because “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”, I will put more thought into the exterior of my home. My lawn, my trees and shrubs, my siding and façade, and my exterior trim and paint job will all get more of my attention and budget this year.

I will revamp my wood or marble floors through screening and polishing, rather than tear them out to start over. While new floors are an important selling point, floors that look “as good as new” are equally coveted.

I will acknowledge that, in terms of resale value, nothing is more important than my kitchens and bathrooms. I will not ignore the power of adding new appliances to my kitchen and I will no longer put off that re-glazing and re-grouting project in the master bath.

I will consider moving the laundry room up from the basement if at all possible. The money spent on plumbing will be more than worthwhile both for the value this adds at resale time and the decreased strain on my back with every load of clothing carried.

I will not waste time with projects that do not add much value or are not necessities. I will heed the research that shows that new windows, while possibly more energy efficient, add very little to the price of my home. The same goes for central A/C, which while infinitely more convenient, is very rarely recouped in a sale. A new swimming pool may keep my friends around this summer, but will certainly not increase my home’s sale price, and may even be a liability.


Heeding these resolutions should give you a helpful basic idea of the types of home improvement projects that will and won’t benefit you in a sale of your home. As always, for the best Remodeling in New York, visit our Home Improvement Directory at cityhammer.com today!

-Mitch Mayer, cityhammer.com Staff Writer

Labels: Exterior Trim, Home Improvement Resolutions, Kitchen and Bath, Laundry Room, Resale Value

Manhattan...Legoland Style (Happy Holidays New York)

Here are some of our favorite links from the week...

New York Superbroker Noah Rosenblatt moves from Citi-Habitats to Halstead. Looks like UrbanDigs.com, one of our favorite NY real estate blogs, will continue, as Noah has added some new writers and features to the site.
Moving to Halstead

On MSNBC Friday, they report that Ken Hendricks, the 66 year-old founder of ABC Supply was killed this week. The ironic part is, Hendricks was the 91st richest man in the country, worth $3.5 Billion, having made his fortune in the roofing business. The cause of death? He fell through his own roof.
Roofing billionaire dies after fall through roof

Remodelista highlights the spare, simple work of a London-based architect called Found Associates. Some interesting pictures included.
London Remodel

Merry Christmas New York!

Labels: Architect, NY Real Estate Blogs, Roofing, UrbanDigs.com

Puzzle Floor

Here's an interesting twist on classic wood flooring that can be used in a nursery or child's bedroom...the Puzzle Floor.

The manufacturer is based out of New Brunswick, Canada, but they have a fully interactive site that allows you to choose between 13 colors and provides a demo of what they'll look like in your home based on the color of your walls.

In the gallery, you'll see rooms with some of the "puzzle pieces" done in contrast colors, which really takes the effect to the next level.

Visit http://puzzlefloor.com/ for more info...

And check out our NY Wood Flooring Pro's for even more options.

Labels: Child's Bedroom, Nursery, Puzzle Floor, Wood Flooring in New York

The Mitre Saw

Just posted on cityhammer.com is The Finish Carpentry Cheat Sheet, basically a guide to the details and flourishes you can add to your home's interior, including style ideas, material choices and some insight from NY molding experts.

Basic categories of Finish Carpentry discussed are:

Crown Moldings

Baseboards

Window and Door Casing

Chair Rails

Wainscoting

Click Here: The Finish Carpentry Cheat Sheet

Labels: Crown Moldings, New York Carpenters, Wainscoting

Old Fashioned Outside but Up-To-Date Inside


Anyone remember the Blackout of 2003? Think back...your cell phone was useless, your cordless phones weren't working either. The only method of communication (for those of us not living at street level) was that vestigial appliance hanging in the kitchen with the tangled cord...the wall phone!

Plow & Hearth has a decidely un-modern "Old Fashioned Wall Phone" with a 21st Century twist...the rotary is really a push-button dial! It has its own storage drawer as well and would fit into a "country kitchen" perfectly.

From P&H:

Enjoy Modern Phone Convenience Wrapped In Antique Charm
Solid wood and oak veneer recall the solid workmanship of turn-of-the-century phones in this beautifully made replica.

But the modern electronics inside this phone allow for ringer and receiver volume control, push-button dialing with a rotary look, speaker phone, hold and last number redial.

Handy Storage drawer for pens and notes. Easy wall mount with included hardware.

They're only 89.95, we're buying 5 of them...see it here!

Labels: Blackout 2003, kitchen floors, Plow and Hearth, Wall Phone

cityhammer.com's member of the week is 4 Seasons Termite and Pest Control

Finding a reliable exterminator in New York is not easy. Usually, when you need one, you need one NOW! With that in mind, we wanted to spotlight cityhammer.com Featured Member 4 Seasons Termite and Pest Control, along with its owner Louis Pimental.

4 Seasons is a fully-licensed and insured exterminator serving Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Westchester and Long Island. All work is done in a pet- and child-safe way.

They offer 24 hour emergency service and can handle everything from bedbugs to rodents to carpenter ants to vampires.

We made that last part up about the vampires, but you get the point. If you have a pest problem, Louis is your man.

To visit 4 Seasons' profile page, click here: NY Exterminator

To visit 4 Seasons on the web: 4 Seasons

or call Toll Free: 800-955-5977

Labels: 4 Seasons, Exterminator NY, Pest Control, Termites

protect your home this winter


On motherearthliving.com, there's a great article up for winter window treatments, basically ways to dress your windows and cut down on your heating bill at the same time.

"You can get your windows ready for the cold by taking steps to block drafts, and then add even more insulating power by hanging window treatments such as thermal drapes or window quilts."

On the agenda:

thermal drapes

high R-value windows

window quilts

EcoSmart insulated shades

bubble wrap (for real)

Here's the whole enchilada, or for a list of pro's in the NY area to help you, click below:

Window Treatments New York

remodeling in Japan

Here's a rundown of some of the best New York remodeling stuff from the weekend...

In the Home and Garden section of the New York Times, a few solutions for those 1950's era built-in metal wall hampers. They are definitely a "love'em or hate'em" thing
Wall Hampers

Over on Apartment Therapy, they have a funny piece about Garden Gnomes, believe it or not.
Garden Gnomes

On Brooklyn Rowhouse, they left off this week by putting away the tools and breaking out the scented oils (seriously).
Fragrant Home

Have a nice weekend, New York.

On the cityhammer.com blog, we try to cover all things home improvement New York. With that said, if you have kids, there's a great show called Handy Manny on the Disney Channel they're sure to love.

Handy Manny is a song-filled preschool cartoon about a helpful repairman and his talking tools.

The show emphasizes teamwork and creative problem-solving. It also features real projects; on a recent episode, Manny helps a shoe store owner build shelves and organize the shop.

Here's a link to upcoming episodes on the TV Guide schedule

And because it's the holiday season, here's a link to the toys

It's never too early to get the kids into fixing and renovating!

Samsung LNT-5271

cityhammer.com Featured member Vincent Designs, a New Rochelle-based Electronics and Home Entertainment specialist, is running a great LCD promotion that everyone in the NYC and Westchester area should check out...

They're offering a 52" LCD TV for those in the market for the clearest, brightest picture on the market today, at only $3145.00 USD. This model (Samsung LN-T5271) features full 1080P resolution and Samsung's incredible Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology which reduces motion blur.

There is also a 46" Samsung model for $2535.00.

The best part is, Vincent Designs is offering free shipping and $150 off for professional installation.

Visit Vincent Designs profile page or their website today!



For more details, call Vincent Capece at:

Vincent Designs, Inc.
voice: 914.632.4884
toll free: 866.751.6085
fax: 914.632.3777
e-mail: vince@vincentdesigns.tv

Labels: Electronics, Home Entertainment, Installation, LCD TV

Danny Lipford, host of Today's Homeowner


Danny Lipford, the CBS Early Show home improvement expert has just posted a great top ten gift list for the handy person you're shopping for this season.

Our favorite on the list here at cityhammer.com is the Zircon StudSensor Pro LCD. It's got an easy-to-read LCD display and it will not only detect studs, but will also alert you to the presence of hot elecrical wires so you don't turn a project into a blackout! The Home Depot's retailing it for around 20 bucks. You'll never have to hang pictures or shelving blind again!

For the rest of the top ten, click the link below:


Danny Lipford's Top Ten Holiday Gift Ideas

Labels: Danny Lipford, Gift list, Shelving, Studs