Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Best of the cityhammer blog 2008: October, November & December
Editor's Note: As our readership has steadily increased over this, our first year writing the cityhammer blog, we thought we'd spotlight the posts from 2008 that we are most proud of and that we feel were the most interesting. Today, we cover October, November and December of 2008.
October:
We started the month off with a prediction that "Homemade" would be a big design trend for 2009. Then we introduced cityhammer featured member Bright Home Theater and Audio, one of the top rated home theater companies in New York. We also discussed the steps to take when hiring a New York General Contractor and talked about solutions for protecting granite counter tops.
November:
We shined the spotlight on a new cityhammer member, an interior design firm that specializes in kid's bedrooms and nurseries called Charm & Whimsy. Other highlights included a massive list of all the home improvement related organizations, regulators and trade groups as well as some bathroom remodeling tips for New Yorkers.
December:
In this, the final month of 2008, the cityhammer blog offered some ideas for holiday baby proofing and child proofing, took a look at some of the top-rated exterminators in Manhattan and reminded New Yorkers how great a closet makeover could feel.
Thanks to all of our readers and visitors in 2008. We hope that we've kept you informed, entertained and interested as we blogged about home improvement and design in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut thoughout the year. On behalf of the entire cityhammer.com staff, we wish all of our members, visitors and readers a happy and healthy New Year. Come back in 2009, we'll be waiting!
-Mitch Mayer, Staff Writer
Labels: Bathroom Remodeling, General Contractors New York, Home Theater NY, Homemade Design Trend, NYC Exterminators
Monday, December 29, 2008
Resale Value Resolutions Revisited
Last December, the world was a different place, and many people were concerned with doing the right home renovations that would pay off in resale value. Fast forward 12 months and now the bigger concern in December of 2008 is being able to afford the home, period!
Looking at the specific resale value resolutions from last year, we'd say that only 3 are still important for this environment...
Resale Resolutions for 2009
- 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 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.
- 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.
Re-grouting a tile floor or spending a few hundred bucks to clean up a wood floor are jobs that are both practical in times like these, yet they also can may a big difference in both your own eyes and those of a prospective buyer.
Getting these little things done should be the priority if your home is on the market in New York or you plan to put it up in 2009. Find a cityhammer member to help with the job here:
New York Remodeling Companies
Labels: 10036, Kitchens and Baths New York, New Windows NY, NY Home Improvement, Re-Grouting Tile Floors, Resale Value, Wood Flooring NY
Friday, December 26, 2008
Best of the cityhammer blog: July, August & September
Editor's Note: As our readership has steadily increased over this, our first year writing the cityhammer blog, we thought we'd spotlight the posts from 2008 that we are most proud of and that we feel were the most interesting. Today, we cover July, August and September of 2008. Tune next Wednesday, December 31st for the rest of the "Best Of" series.
July:
In July, we offered a glance at HGTV's new site, Frontdoor.com and talked about some bathroom wood flooring ideas. We also introduced a new Featured Member on cityhammer.com, California Closets of NYC and Westchester. We also posted some thoughts on how to sell a house in New York when it must be sold right now.
August:
The weather was red hot in August and so was the cityhammer blog as we posted a massive guide to kitchen cabinets for New Yorkers. There was a very informative post on the best temporary wall companies in New York, a Nicky Haslem profile, and a debate about the difference between using a storefront flooring contractor versus an independent. We even had time to throw in some dorm room decorating tips for the schoolbound.
September:
We were one of the first blogs in New York to break the Target Bodega Project and we talked about handymen in two posts, the first being a list of the best handyman companies in New York, the second being a list of tips for hiring a handyman. We showed off Design Expressions new Virtual Showroom online and did a special report on Attorney General Cuomo's major web initiative for recording complaints against New York General Contractors.
We also discussed some of the hottest trends in kitchen remodeling for 2009.
In July, we offered a glance at HGTV's new site, Frontdoor.com and talked about some bathroom wood flooring ideas. We also introduced a new Featured Member on cityhammer.com, California Closets of NYC and Westchester. We also posted some thoughts on how to sell a house in New York when it must be sold right now.
August:
The weather was red hot in August and so was the cityhammer blog as we posted a massive guide to kitchen cabinets for New Yorkers. There was a very informative post on the best temporary wall companies in New York, a Nicky Haslem profile, and a debate about the difference between using a storefront flooring contractor versus an independent. We even had time to throw in some dorm room decorating tips for the schoolbound.
September:
We were one of the first blogs in New York to break the Target Bodega Project and we talked about handymen in two posts, the first being a list of the best handyman companies in New York, the second being a list of tips for hiring a handyman. We showed off Design Expressions new Virtual Showroom online and did a special report on Attorney General Cuomo's major web initiative for recording complaints against New York General Contractors.
We also discussed some of the hottest trends in kitchen remodeling for 2009.
Tune in next Wednesday for part four of The Best of the cityhammer blog 2008 when we take a look back at the tips, trends and news from the October through December period.
-Mitch Mayer, Staff Writer
Labels: California Closets NYC, Dorm Decorating Tips, Handyman New York, Kitchen Cabinets NY, Kitchen Trends 2009, New York General Contractors, Temporary Walls NYC, Wood Flooring New York
Monday, December 22, 2008
Closet Too Stuffed to Hide Presents? Consider Professional Closet Organizing in NYC
This is a great time of year for going through your stuff and making some tough decisions, such as whether or not you're ever going to really wear that third winter coat you've been hanging onto since 2004. By mid-December, if you haven't rocked it yet, it'll probably hang in the closet forever.
There are lots of things we can do to get a the fresh start on 2009 that we all crave, and getting our @#$% together space-wise can play a big part in that.
Closet organizing tips are great, but if you're going to do something this important, especially in a New York apartment where every inch counts, why not do it right?
Below are links for some of the top rated closet organization companies in the New York area. Give yourself the gifts of order and cleanliness for next year and beyond!
Manhattan Closet Organizers
Brooklyn Closet Organizers
Queens Closet Organizers
Westchester Closet Organizers
Nassau Closet Organizers
Suffolk Closet Organizers
Brooklyn Closet Organizers
Queens Closet Organizers
Westchester Closet Organizers
Nassau Closet Organizers
Suffolk Closet Organizers
Labels: Brooklyn Closet Design, California Closets New York, Closet Contractors NYC, Closet Organization NYC, Manhattan Closet Design
Friday, December 19, 2008
Best of the cityhammer blog 2008: April, May & June
Editor's Note: As our readership has steadily increased over this, our first year writing the cityhammer blog, we thought we'd spotlight the posts from 2008 that we are most proud of and that we feel were the most interesting. Today, we cover April, May and June of 2008. Tune in each Friday this month for the rest of the "Best Of" series.
And thanks for reading the cityhammer blog this year, we appreciate our visitors and hope to add even more fresh and original content in '09.
April:
We got some remodeling ideas that pay off from New York Superbroker Noah Rosenblatt, who runs the excellent site UrbanDigs.com. We also put up a set of New York baby-proofing tips for the den and living room, then followed up with child and baby safety ideas for every room of the house.
May:
We talked about the furniture fire sale, and discussed how the industrial activity in China affects then prices we pay for furniture here in New York. We also dropped some Air Conditioning tips for New York and introduced New York to cityhammer member and closet organizer to the stars Clos-ette, who launched a blog and put out a book.
June:
June was a busy month on New York's #1 Remodeling Directory, as we launched a new category for New York Home Stagers. We also helped break a huge story detailing the house cleaning being done by the New York Department of Consumer Affairs in the general contractor industry. Other posts that month included some New York moving tips, a story on what the bankruptcy wave would mean for the New York remodeling business, and an in-depth discussion on the difference between interior designers and decorators, which was one of our most widely-read stories ever.
Tune in next Friday for part three of The Best of the cityhammer blog 2008 when we take a look back at the tips, trends and news from the July throughSeptember period.
-Mitch Mayer, Staff Writer
Labels: Air Conditioning NYC, General Contractors NY, Moving Tips NY, New York Closet Organizers, Remodeling Ideas
Monday, December 15, 2008
New York Child Proofing During the Holidays
What with all the company over at the house, the the extra 6 or 7 extension cords in use to power the lights and the presence of presents that may or may not be age appropriate for all the little ones, the holiday season offers it's own share of child or baby safety challenges
In his excellent "The Fix" column in the New York Times, reporter Jay Romano points out some of the more dangerous areas of the holiday experience and some suggestions to neutralize these threats. Issues discussed include safety gates, toy chest lids and unprotected electrical outlets.
If you are hosting a holiday get-together with young children, or you are taking your little moppets on the road to a relative's home, this would be a good time to go over the New York baby proofing checklist in the tips section on cityhammer.com.
For a Baby Proofer in your area, use the following links:
Manhattan Baby Proofers Brooklyn Baby Proofers Nassau County Baby Proofers Westchester Baby Proofers Queens Baby Proofers
Labels: Baby Proofing Nassau County, Baby Safety Brooklyn, Manhattan Baby Proofers, Queens Baby Proofers, Westchester Baby Proofers
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
So those flashy (pretentious?)showrooms for the newly built or still under-development condos in Manhattan and Brooklyn are not immune to the real estate/ credit crunch. Josh Barbanel of the New York Times has an article detailing the freezing of ad campaigns and the pulling of sales agents on projects that are at least a year away from completion. What will we miss more about visiting the sales showroom, the ability to scan the sign-in book for friends names or just the overall feel of a touch of Vegas right here in Manhattan?
Sales Showrooms Boarded Up
Who doesn't love a good set of way-to-specific moving tips? OK, well we do, so here's a guy who wrote up a set of suggestions if you're moving with a dog over on Gather.com. There's definitely some helpful stuff in there if you have a move in your future and want to keep the pooch safe and happy during the packing and shlepping phase. For a list of New York movers, visit cityhammer.com, New York's #1 Remodeling Directory.
Moving Tips for Dog Owners
We like when we see the word color spelled "colour", it lends an instant air of sophistication instantly, because after all, there's someone English involved in whatever I'm about to read. On the Colour Lovers Blog they are professing their love of the color Brown with a photo spread of interior decorating objects in that hue.
Brown is Back
Labels: Color Brown Decorating, Manhattan Real Estate, Moving NY, New York Movers, New York Moving Company, NYC Real Estate
Monday, December 8, 2008
New York Home Improvement Tips You May Have Missed
As the cityhammer blog, an extension of cityhammer.com, New York's #1 Remodeling Directory, closes in on the end of its first year, we thought we offer our growing readership a chance to catch up on some of the helpful articles we've written to make home improvement shopping easier.
Here at cityhammer, we are big proponents of working with a licensed, experienced contractor or professional when remodeling the home. That said, homeowners should certainly begin any project with a pro by brushing up on the basics. There will be choices to be made, and it will be less stressful if you've done the homework before sitting with a New York interior designer or a local renovation specialist.
With that said, below are links to some of our "Cheat Sheets" on various home improvement topics. These articles will give you a sense of what options are available and why people pick one over another when designing their homes.
Enjoy!
The Temporary Wall Cheat Sheet
The New Bathtub Cheat Sheet
The Kitchen Cabinet Cheat Sheet
The Wood Flooring Cheat Sheet
The Finish Carpentry Cheat Sheet
The New Bathtub Cheat Sheet
The Kitchen Cabinet Cheat Sheet
The Wood Flooring Cheat Sheet
The Finish Carpentry Cheat Sheet
And of course, if you wish to consult or hire a remodeling professional in the New York area, from Manhattan to Brooklyn to Westchester to Long Island to New Jersey...visit cityhammer.com today!
Labels: General Contractors NY, Home Improvement Tips, New York Interior Designers, NY Home Remodeling, Wood Flooring New York
Friday, December 5, 2008
Best of the cityhammer blog 2008: January, February & March
Editor's Note: As our readership has steadily increased over this, our first year writing the cityhammer blog, we thought we'd spotlight the posts from 2008 that we are most proud of and that we feel were the most interesting. Today, we cover January, February and March of 2008. Tune in each Friday this month for the rest of the "Best Of" series.
And thanks for reading the cityhammer blog this year, we appreciate our visitors and hope to add even more fresh and original content in '09.
January:
We introduced New York to an artist of incredible talent who hand-paints artwork on tile for kitchens and bathrooms, cityhammer member Elizabeth M. Heid. We also offered a glimpse into how the color forecasters pick paint colors for year ahead and spotlighted another cityhammer member, Green Apple Maids, a New York City cleaning service.
February:
We offered a thorough dissection of Pier 1 Imports and how it has lost it's stature as home furnishings mainstay and it's status as a succesful business...and since then, things have only gotten worse for the company. We got a great write-up in the New York Times as part of the Small Business Summit and also introduced New York to cityhammer member Renovate NYC, a contractor and interior design company that specializes in brownstone remodels.
March:
Our best post from March offered a tip to make your kitchen sink more energy efficient for a very small dollar figure in a post we did on faucet aerators. We also gave New York a heads up on what they could expect from the forthcoming Better Homes and Gardens Living Green Tour.
Tune in next Friday for part two of The Best of the cityhammer blog 2008 when we take a look back at the tips, trends and news from the April through June period.
-Mitch Mayer, Staff Writer
Labels: Home Improvement Trends, Interior Design Tips, New York Blog, NYC Blogging
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Over on TV home improvement personality Danny Lipford's blog, you can find a great column by acolyte Jodi Marks on choosing tools as gifts this holiday season. Jodi's got some enlightening tips on going through the tools you may already have and replacing or upgrading everything from hammers to screwdrivers to tape measures for the handy ones you love.
Choosing Tool Gifts
We haven't really discussed mailboxes here on the cityhammer blog, but for our suburban readers in New Jersey, Long Island, Rockland, Westchester and the CT, here's something just for you...Remodelista's got a Ten Easy Pieces gallery with some really great looking mailboxes posted. And believe it or not, a new mailbox really can jazz up the look of your home's exterior pretty easily.
Mailbox Spread on Remodelista
The Property Grunt finds himself in the possession of some truly grim news for home improvement and furniture store chains. He's got a post up with quite a long list of possible and confirmed store closings and chain closings that includes the likes of Home Depot, Levitz and Pier 1. Hopefully 2009 will be a better year for the home decor and furnishings retailers.
Property Grunt Retail Deadpool
Labels: Handymen in New York, Home Furnishings New York, Home Improvment NY, NY Mailboxes, Tool Gifts
Monday, December 1, 2008
Top Rated Manhattan Exterminator Companies: Keeping New York Apartments Pest-Free
Not this cute and cuddly in real life...Nobody ever goes looking for a New York exterminator until they really need one...badly! While we all hope that we never will, let's face the facts, there are pests in every building in Manhattan and at some point, this presence will manifest itself when you least expect it. Keeping your kitchen crumb-free and reducing the moisture around your bathroom will help, but having a professional exterminator you can count on in NYC is your most important line of defense.
Below are some of the highest-rated exterminators on cityhammer.com, New York's #1 Remodeling Directory. If you're in Manhattan, from Harlem and the Upper East Side and West Side, down to SoHo, TriBeCa, Greenwich Village and Battery Park City, these are the guys who can get there and take care of business. Sorry rats and bugs.
First up is cityhammer.com Featured Member 4 Seasons Termite and Pest Control. Luis Pimental's 4 Seasons is ready for your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He handles everything from carpenter ants to carpenter bees.
Visit 4 Seasons Termite and Pest Control's Profile on cityhammer.com
Next we have Brooklyn-based Bugs Are Gone Exterminating, a member of the New York State Pest Control Association. Todd Pemberton guarantees that their work will leave you with "100 % peace of mind".
Visit Bugs Are Gone Extermination's Profile on cityhammer.com
For New Yorkers looking for a greener solution to their pest problems, check out Ecology Exterminating Service Corp, a company that's been servicing the New York metropolitan area since 1973. They work with "children, pets, and plants in mind".
Visit Ecology Exterminating Service Corp's Profile on cityhammer.com
Lastly, we've got T.P. Exterminators, a North Bellmore-based outfit that recently serviced cityhammer.com user Brian King, who says, "TP did the termite inspection on my new home 4 years ago and took care of a carpenter ant problem just 2 weeks ago.They were thorough, efficient and honest on both occasions."
Visit T.P. Exterminators' Profile on cityhammer.com
For the Main Exterminator Page on cityhammer.com, click here: NY Area Exterminators
Labels: 10013, 10027, 10128, Exterminators in New York City, Manhattan Exterminators, NYC Pest Control, Pest Control New York
