What You Should Know About Single Room Renovation Projects
In this article, we get into the nitty-gritty of how to prepare for a single room renovation in your NYC apartment or loft, and what to expect during the renovation process. We will go over:
Many home renovation projects in New York City involve just a single room. Among the most common are the kitchen and bathroom, followed by the nursery or kids’ room. There is general agreement that the kitchen and bathroom are the most challenging - and expensive - rooms in a home to remodel. This is because there are so many parts - plumbing, electric, cabinetry - that need to work together, which requires hiring and coordinating many different professionals, such as a general contractor, an interior designer, and sometimes a project manager or even an architect.
Apartment renovation designed by Mammoth Projects
Before You Start Your Single Room Renovation Project
Whether you are planning a kitchen renovation, bathroom remodel, or kids’ room redo, it helps to get all your ducks in a row before you even hire an NYC design firm or remodeling contractor. Here’s what you can do to get started:
Make a List
This is the time to give serious thought to your priorities. The best way to start is to make a list of everything you want to accomplish from the home remodeling. Building your dream kitchen could involve new cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, new paint, drywall, island, sink, plumbing, windows, and appliances. A bathroom remodel usually includes walls, floors, cabinets, plumbing, and fixture. For the baby’s room, it’s often no more than a decorating project, unless you want to redo the floors, windows and walls or create more built-ins for storage and hence more living space in the rest of the room.
You might even consider adding smart home technology, including smart large and small appliances, smart toilets and faucets, or a smart night light system.
Choose Your Style
There are many different design styles, including traditional, transitional, industrial, farmhouse and contemporary. You may want your nursery, bathroom or kitchen remodel to match the other rooms in your home or apartment, but you may also want them to stand out with a unique design. Start thinking about your color palette as well.
Establish Your Budget
Regard your home remodeling as investment that will increase your apartment's value. Ideally, you should purchase the best quality items that fit your budget. For example, a restaurant-quality stove or a convention microwave may tempt you to eat home more often, which will save money over time.
We recommend establishing your home improvement goals from the outset, and not change your mind and make changes once the construction work begins. This will save you time and money, and help you stick to your budget and time frame.
Keep in mind that it is likely the cost for a single room addition or renovation in NYC will be higher than the national average.
Hire an Interior Designer or Architect
It may be well worth the investment to hire an interior designer or architect, as well as a general contractor. The right design professional can help you maximize your living space, including storage, ultimately saving you time and money. In addition, he or she can help find substitutions for expensive materials and recommend local contractors, and be in charge of all purchases. This will fit more into your budget and expand what you can achieve through your home remodeling project.
To help you do your calculations, you can expect the cost of using an interior designer to be approximately 8% to 10% of the project’s overall cost, and 10% to 20% for a contractor. An architect may charge even more.
Plan Ahead
Homeowners in a co-op or condo in one of NYC’s boroughs will often need to go through a co-op board approval process, which may take several months. In addition, materials shortages that began during the pandemic are still the norm, particularly for kitchen appliances. You may have to wait as long as 8 weeks, or even 3 to 4 months for high-end products.
Each remodeling contractor will have different services, prices, and timelines, so it's important you interview several contractors before you decide which one you would like to use. Do this as quickly as possible, then get them committed to a time frame. Otherwise, you may find yourself waiting for a contractor for weeks or possibly months.
You may have to move out of your home during some of the renovation process, especially during the demolition and construction phases. If you are planning a kitchen remodeling, make plans for a temporary cooking area. If you are fortunate enough to have a second bathroom, you may not have to move out, but be prepared for more family members sharing a single space. If your bathroom renovation is making your only bathroom unusable, you should be prepared to move out for the duration of your NYC apartment renovation. Be sure to leave some wiggle room for delays.
Finally, start packing up items you can do without during construction work.
Brooklyn apartment interior design by Mammoth Projects
The Kitchen
One of the main reasons many people are updating their kitchens is because they are eating at home more often, a trend that is a result of the pandemic. Whether you plan to undertake a gut renovation, or just an update, it helps to be prepared.
The kitchen is the most expensive room to remodel. A small job can cost as little as $4,000 and an extensive one as much as $50,000, with an average cost of $24,000. This translates to $75 to $250 per square foot. However, a kitchen remodeling is almost always a good investment because it will update your New York home and increase its resale value, as well as make your kitchen more functional and inviting.
Determine at the beginning how much you can afford to pay for your kitchen remodeling- it’s a big leap from a $5000 to a $50,000 remodeling. A popular rule of thumb is to estimate the cost at 5% to 15% of your home’s total value.
The Bathroom
With kitchens being the most popular room to remodel, the master bathroom is the third, coming in right after the guest bathroom. The reason for this is tied to COVID, with New Yorkers spending more time at home and wanting a spa-like experience as well as the need for some private space. After all, it’s the first room you go into after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night - an essential part of any home renovation project.
According the Houzz, the median amount spent on a complete master bedroom remodeling was $10,000 for spaces smaller than 100 square foot, and $16,000 for larger ones.
The construction phase of a bathroom remodeling project is the messiest, creating dust and debris. Your contractor or sub-contractor will be cutting and sanding drywall, sawing plywood and studs, mixing mortar and grout for tilework, drilling holes for plumbing, and sanding and painting the trim and walls. A professional bathroom remodeling company will protect the rest of your apartment during the your home renovation with such tried-and-true methods as plastic room-dividing walls.
In the end, you’ll be happy you renovated your bathroom. You will enjoy soaking in a hot tub in a spa-like atmosphere for many years.
Brooklyn townhouse interior renovation designed by Mammoth Projects
The Baby or Kids’ Room
While “wet” rooms cost as much as $300 per s.f. to renovate in NYC, “dry” rooms are considerably cheaper, averaging between $50 and $100 per square foot, unless you’re doing a full-gut renovation with lots of customization.
There are plenty of reasons for remodeling a nursery or children’s room, from preparing for the arrival of your first child to creating more work space for older kids.
Flexibility
The room should be designed to accommodate your children’s needs as they grow older. For example, when designing a nursery, plan for the little one’s graduation from a crib to a bed, and count on moving out the changing table and replacing it with something else. You don’t want to invest in a room your kids will quickly grow out of. It should be easy to remodel as they age, and as their interests and needs change.
Functionality and Storage
While your child’s age should be considered when designing the room, you should focus on his getting a good night’s sleep. A desk for studying, a chair for hanging out, an area rug for playing, and good light for reading are essentials.
Sufficient storage for a child’s room is always a challenge. Consider open wall shelves, a bookcase, closet organizers and a bed or bench with storage underneath. This will increase the living space as well as make it more pleasant.
Aesthetics and Decor
If your child is old enough, talk to him about what he wants, taking into consideration his activities and hobbies. Your kid might have some strong ideas about color schemes. Choose among a variety of interior design styles, including traditional, modern, Boho, modern farmhouse, or themed (sports, animals, outer space).
We’re a New York City architecture and interior design firm specializing in residential and commercial interior renovations. If you’d like to connect with us to discuss the scope of your interior design or architecture project, please give us a call or book a complimentary consultation here.