Great article. Kudos to the buyers! We, too, just recently purchased a home in the area under very similar circumstances, and couldn't be more pleased.
All the haters out there need to bottle-up all that anger and shift it to more positive use.
3
I give that illuminated “S” about 5 years before having a prominent spot on trash night
6
Who'd have thunk it ?
Dropping $140K on renovations yet ending up with such a mediocre result.
2
Everyone loves to complain in the comments about how rich the people in the articles are. It's like a little ritual. Obviously it's fun to read these articles BECAUSE the people are rich and can do pretty things with their money. I definitely don't want to see more articles about "normal" people, even though I can't afford a vacation house like this myself. Design magazines are the same, that's why they look nice, but no one is complaining.
This couple is gorgeous and their baby is adorable. The house looks really nice, too. I liked glancing through the photos and the piece was a nice little diversion.
9
I think this article is different from the others in this series. Other articles speak about the passion, care, artistry and craftsmanship that goes into creating a dream house for many people. This article does none of that - it's a click and buy, quick and dirty reno - an Amazon Prime real estate project and I think that's what leaves a bad taste in peoples' mouth.
3
"So entitled" --- timing was wrong... name drop, name drop, name drop....
almost didn't hang in to read the rest of the story.
I hope they are happy with the writer-- I wonder if their new 'hamlet" will be---
1
Cararra marble counters in the kitchen? And they are professional interior designers? I hope they don't drink red wine!
9
We recently installed Carrera marble during our kitchen renovation of an 1852 Greek Revival . . . the staining adds a patina that is welcome in older homes, although I would not recommend it for more contemporary dwellings.
Wonderful! Any stories about a couple that make $45K/yr?
21
If such a couple has an interesting design sense, why not?
2
I am glad New Yorkers consider this a 'down-to-earth' renovation that is rarely featured. I know no one who can afford a second home, who is able to spend $70K on renovations and even more on landscaping. The spontaneity of spending is very foreign to many readers. So, I loved the Panama hats on the wall???
10
Did I read this correctly? This couple are both designers? Umm....ok.
Most of the time I love looking at photos of homes in this section. These photos left me shaking my head in utter disbelief.
9
“I’m on Zillow a lot...It’s not for everyone; it’s definitely for me.”
She's definitely clueless in that department, if she has not realized that zillow is definitely for EVERYONE. (Every neighbors in the neighborhood wants to know how much everyone's property is worth, to say the least. That's how they size up the Joneses.)
She might think she's special, but the only thing that sounds out of ordinary, is the fact that they have ready capital of $750k to buy something on a snap, and then another $140k on renovations. The only worry on her mind? First baby on its way! How nice it is to live in a world where money is no object. It's such a passive-aggressive way to gloat about her superior station in life.
I don't say this out of green envy. Back in 2010, I came across a house quite by accident, one week before a planned months-long summer vacation aboard. Market was only climbing itself back out from the '08 big mess, realtors were eager, seller was more than willing (after seeing three prior offers fell through, one by one), hence my totally lowballed offer (which I never expected it to be considered) was accepted within a couple of hours which was a surprise to me. The whole process, except the actual closing, took place while I was out of the country, but it was breeze. That was the best snap decisions I've ever made. But no, it wasn't $750k. And, putting this in print or media is definitely in the category of "over-sharing" to me. Some things should stay private.
12
I like to see floor plans with these articles. It's hard to imagine four bedrooms and two baths in 2100 sq ft unless the rooms are tiny.
6
Good heavens! None of the furniture/fixtures in these photos hit four figures! Are you sure this is the New York Times real estate section?
All that aside, I love the bright yellow door. And who couldn't love a Ride On Llama? So cute!
6
While not millions & millions of $$ ... $750k ('negotiatied from Paris'!) purchase price, the $140k in renovations and landscaping, the (very cool giant 'S' -- again, bought in and shipped from Paris!) and all the new furnishings ... easily past $1 million, more like $1.15 $1.25m or so.
So, not exactly everyone's attainable 'second home.'
(Imagine their primary residence!!)
Sure, maybe I'm a bit envious. Ah, to be young(er), have that kind of money at that age, be in real estate so one has 'first dibs' and, yes, be so decisive. That's half the battle.
And they have the taste to 'do it right.' Bravo to that, and not wrecking (or tearing down) the place.
(Tho, that TV tucked in that far corner, at 'odds' with all seating? You can't fool me. I see too many homes staged with TVs/screens at crazy, totally usable locations / angles.
Either that furniture gets rearranged, or you don't watch the screen. Unless you want neck surgery ... )
5
I thought the same......but, ohhh, a swivel arm takes care of that!!
1
Three weeks?
Please come to our home!
Love the yellow door, we have the same shade of yellow on ours as well.
Dear Tim McKeough,
I'm a bit offended.
Without begrudging the featured couple their pursuits, I'd like to point out that this is what the whole country sees when they read the NYT. For someone in the midwest, it would be easy to think that people who live on the east coast can't relate to their problems, because, while $750,000 may be an average home value for the astronomically high real estate prices surrounding NYC, it is WAY over what most would be able to afford. Also, it just seems so easy for this couple; they didn't want to buy a house while they were renovating "their brownstone" but OOPS, on their way to Paris they did. Whoops, so "while attempting to keep costs low," ($70,000 in three weeks) they did a complete cosmetic renovation of their accidental home purchase. Also, they clearly speak of this as their second home ("We go there and our minds get reset.")
No offense to them, but what percentage of NYers, in terms of income and savings, do you think the featured couple fall in? What percentage of Americans? Who/What, then, do these articles serve? As of my writing this there are two other comments, both noting that this article is more relatable than most NYT real estate features. HA, yeah, sadly that's right. While the NYT has worked hard to bring a variety of viewpoints to its political reporting, its promotion of class superiority has a long, long way to go. This NYT fixation with the privileged classes confuses me, and divides our country.
16
Hopefully this article doesn't divide you. My opinion is, if you can afford it with a good debt ratio, what the heck. Life can be brutal for the rest of us lumpenmensch.
2
I appreciate George's thoughtful and spot-on analysis about what's happening between the lines in this story. It's partly about the Times and partly about the culture of wealth in coastal cities. And he's absolutely right that it's also about 'the promotion of class superiority.' We're living with the repercussions of this after the election of Trump, and it's a heavy price to pay for our pretensions. It's easy to make snarky comments about people who have this kind of disposable income. What's actually helpful is an intelligent response like George's.
3
Nice house, nice story! But NYT, can we also have some articles for readers who can't actually buy a $750,000 house on impulse and then immediately throw in another $140,000 for upgrades?
19
Yes, before and afters are imperative!
10
This article is so tone deaf "...they have no regrets about buying a house they didn’t intend to buy or doing landscaping they hadn’t planned on," because most people spend $750k on a summer house so they don't have to drive 6 hours round trip from a job, and sink another $140k on renovations and landscaping, while renovating their main residence and negotiating a real estate contract from Paris. It's a lovely home and wonderful that their hard work has allowed them this luxury, but this article is too bourgeois for its own good.
104
While we can't expect the Real Estate section to lament the seemingly endless resources of those featured in their articles, I have to agree with this up to a point. That the couple's coffee table, according to a caption in the slideshow, "once belonged to Tommy Hilfiger and was bought at an option," really pushes the whole affair over the top as far as...I'll call it "limited relateability."
9
Fiddledeedee!
1
so much white with a toddler about to toddle about - it's all lovely though. For now.
2
Ten or fifteen years from now you can do a followup story on new owners stripping all the chipped, dirty white paint and uncovering the beautiful original wood, tile and brick.
73
As someone who has lived in East Hampton full time for the past 20 years, I found this article quite amusing. Only people with a very substantial and steady NYC income could afford to wave a magic wand to redo a (relatively) simple house which already cost 3/4 of a million dollars. We bought our house 25 years ago and are now waiting for buyers like this to descend and do what we have not been able to over the years.
50
I hate it that they cut down trees. Trees absorb carbons and are habitats for wildlife. They provide shade in the summer as a natural AC. They help combat climate change. Trees add aesthetic beauty and increase property value. It is a shame that they were cut down.
42
Perhaps the trees that were cut down (note not ALL of them were as they said they initially contracted the firm to trim some overgrown ones) were not in great shape. Trees do succumb to things like rot, disease, pests, etc. When my wife and I bought our current home we inherited several dying trees. It happens.
Moral of the story: don't be so quick to judge, especially without knowing the all of the details. ;)
24
The white on white just doesn't do it for me. Definitely a product of doing things in a rush - much easier with one choice.
I'm currently designing an Art Deco bath for my 1935 home, and discovering the way (after 6 tries) a way to arrange the blue tile accents on a white field to bring oddly spaced room together was nothing less than amazing. If I'd done white on white, I could have not visually tied the offset entry area with the larger space. White on white fails to embrace a space and highlight what is interesting about it. "Things" pop, but the space does not. You don't need gobs of color, but enough to take charge and make the space work for you.
Lovely, but not my tastes.
13
I appreciate do-able renovations like this much more than the multi-million high end projects often featured. Just jealous at how fast they got things done. This would take me a decade.
24
This is a lovely renovation. I may steal some ideas! I would have liked to have seen the before pictures and the landscaping update. I love that they said we can turn it into a white box to put our stuff in. This is one of the more down to earth renovations the NY Times has printed and I would love to see more of that!
36
I appreciate the down to earth aspect of this article. It's only the earth they're coming down to is so much richer and privileged than the earth that most of us inhabit. Doesn't the NYT know anyone who's not a millionaire?
9
Yes, but it's not as fun to see pictures of their houses!! You don't have to read it if you're not interested
3
Yes, yes a thousand times yes. The commenter that said article like these (though they may never read them) = annoying ppl in flyover states may be on to something. I live in Manhattan, not 1%, want to see more RE stories about the rest of us hanging on in non RS apts.
1