A Reluctant Fixer-Upper In Brooklyn Becomes A Dream Come True

Tiina Treasure and her husband Danny Fernandez (plus their cats, Frida and Bowser) live in a Brooklyn apartment they’ve just recently finished repairing, decorating and creating a home within. Danny is a high school teacher and Tiina is a psychiatric social worker. However, Tiina got her BFA in film production — which she pursued before switching gears — and she still loves design, photography, art, and creative-based endeavors. All of Tiina’s interests came into full view (and practice) as they were renovating their first apartment that they bought a year ago.

The search for their home wasn’t especially simple. It took a year to find an apartment in their price range, with their list of hopefuls: a large (for New York) one-bedroom, with dual exposure, and one that was close to transportation. One thing Tiina hadn’t expected was to buy a fixer-upper. It was the fourth apartment the couple put an offer on, and Danny was encouraging about the idea of fixing up a space and making it their own. Initially the couple was hoping to stay in the Bay Ridge area they had been living in for the past seven years, but they enjoy their new neighborhood of Kensington. “While it was hard to leave Bay Ridge, we’ve really come to love the neighborhood — especially getting to gawk at all the beautiful front lawns and having access to Prospect Park.” Tiina jokes, “So what if all the diners close at like 4 pm?”

After closing on the home just before New Year’s Day of 2017, the couple didn’t waste any time getting everything set up. “We made quick work of the early renovation process, demo’ing the kitchen, taking up the old vinyl tiles, refinishing floors, skim coating and painting,” Tiina shares. “We’re not DIY people so we hired out folks, but skipped the general contractor and I managed the project.” They moved in less than two months later, despite having no gas or water in the kitchen. Whatever reluctance Tiina had initially about their fixer-upper was quickly pushed aside when their projects were all wrapped up, and she got to revel in their hard work and determination. —Rebekah

Photography by Tiina Treasure 

Image Above: The couple’s foyer features an enviable built-in perfect for displaying some of their most cherished treasures and collections, beautifully contrasting with the wall color. 

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2018/01/a-reluctant-fixer-upper-in-brooklyn-becomes-a-dream-come-true.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/170306014219