News — Before

This home brought so many really amazing firsts with it, including our very first walk-in pantry! I have had so many different types of pantries through the years and I never felt a need for a large one because, honestly, we ate out SO much for the first decade of our relationship. Even after we adopted Nova, we still ate at restaurants pretty frequently, determined to make it something we could all enjoy together. When we adopted Marigold, we were still in pre-covid times but we suddenly reduced the number of restaurant meals to only about one to two a...

Brooke and Sam knew they were home when they walked into this 1,800-foot, loft-style Brooklyn condo. The three-bedroom Fort Greene apartment was modern and gave them room to grow. That was good, because by the time they’d closed on it, they had  one-week-old baby Leroy in their arms. Brooke, a digital media exec, and Sam, a tech specialist, loved the sleek two-floor space, but wanted to freshen up the kitchen and (three!) baths, and give the apartment whimsical style. While in contract, they’d posted their project on Sweeten, a free service that matches renovators with vetted general contractors. Soon, they’d...

Nellie, who works in television, and Lauren, a designer, had a nagging thought every time they paid their rent: their hard-earned money could go toward their mortgage rather than paying for someone else’s. With the looming closure and repair of their main transport artery, the L subway line in Brooklyn, they finally took the plunge and bought an apartment. The 700-square-foot, one-bedroom co-op was built in Jackson Heights, Queens, in 1936. “It’s a peaceful vibrant neighborhood that we’ve come to really enjoy,” Nellie said. (As fate would have it, a job relocation brought the couple to Minnesota following the purchase...