News — Featured

This Brooklyn Couple Frankensteined Their Brownstone—And Left the Seams Visible

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Courtesy of Tortuga Living Most people look to increase their home’s square footage by any means possible in a renovation; Andrea Hill did the opposite. In 2017 the founder of Tortuga Living and her husband, artist Carlos Irijalba, bought a four-story 1890s brownstone in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood with a rental garden unit. “We knew from living in a four-floor walk-up that stairs are not our friend, so we reconfigured the home as two duplexes,” she says.  This meant losing the top two floors to renters and reconfiguring the basement rental to make space for three bedrooms, two full bathrooms,...

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It took me almost a year to figure it out

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I sent a help request in 2019 but here is my attempt at a renter-friendly room divider.  You can get this up by only drilling 4 holes, 2 in the wall and 2 on the ceiling easy to fill up with putty when you are ready to move out. Here’s how it looks finished. Disclaimer: I am an adult person, living on my own. I don’t have children in my space ever, also I don’t live in a place prone to earthquakes. So although this is sturdy and remains up with this minimal fastening, you might need something more sturdy...

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Spending more time inside, we needed a narrow, temporary DIY daybed to stretch out and nap on

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However, we only had a little niche with a water view. Materials used: HYLLIS storage units | IKEA.com One tall and one short IKEA HYLLIS outdoor steel shelves 2 plastic covers, one for each size 12 floor protective felt covers for  screws on bottom Padding/ foam/ old quilts for cushioning the sleep surface “Earthquake goop” or removable sticky adherence Perhaps a SELF INFLATING camping pad, narrow and 1 inch deep to add extra cushion to the sleep surface Staple gun with big staples to puncture the plywood Sufficient  fabric to “finish” the cushioned board by stapling it over the padding...

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Are you the type who loves to relax with a glass of wine after a long day? Want to feel like royalty by enjoying breakfast or coffee in bed on those Saturday mornings? Well, you don’t need to create a mess around you with glasses everywhere and your...

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All you need is pull a bar cart next to your armchair or bed and serve yourself every time you need a refill. Amazing, right? As the latest fad in interior decoration, bar carts not only add to your home décor but also gives you ample space to keep your favorite drinks and cocktail accouterments without overcrowding your living room. Bar carts come in different designs, finishes, and sizes. From vintage designs with faded finishes and dark wooden shelves to modern designs with gold accents and glass shelves, you definitely want to choose a bar cart that best suit your...

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I often receive questions about organizing tools, and though I’ve shared ideas in scattershot fashion across many posts, I thought I’d organize everything in one post, sorted by room

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Because we’re all stuck inside so…maybe a good time to tackle some of these projects? My leading tip for keeping clutter to a minimum is investing in a lot of these Stori plastic bins (seen above), as they line more or less every drawer in our home… The Best Closet/Dresser Organization Gear. +Drawer dividers — much easier to stay in the habit of folding clothes neatly with these in place. +Slim velvet hangers and hanger clips. +Acrylic shelf dividers. +Fabric cube storage bins — we have a great closet with built-in shelving, and many of these bins slide right in...

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