After four years in their Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, home, fashion designer Niki Marcheggiani and her husband, creative director Gustavo Dao, set out to infuse new life into their drab ground floor. With a budget of $100,000, they sought to open up the compartmentalized spaces and boost natural light while also revamping the kitchen so that it provided better access to their backyard and better views of the landscape.

The row home is situated on a dramatic slope and the main level is two flights above the street. Its quirky location also renders it three flights below the next row of buildings in the rear.

One of the couple’s biggest pain points was the galley kitchen. It was narrow and awkwardly split between the main shell of the house and a one-story addition that opened to the backyard via a tight and inconveniently located door. It was also closed off from the dining room, so Niki couldn’t keep an eye on her two children as she cooked.

$19,000 Plumbing	$12,500 Electrical	$1,450 Structural
$4,600 Powder Room (Excluding Finishes)	$11,250 Back Extension (Excluding Finishes)	$23,000 Kitchen Renovation (Excluding Finishes)
$8,476 Asbestos Removal	$27,100 Backyard Renovation	$29,106 Kitchen Cabinets
$2,001 TIle	$2,595 Flooring	$4,416 Appliances
$1,333 Plumbing Fixtures	$3,296 Doors & Windows	$450 Lighting
$4,000 Countertops	$3,000 Bookshelf	$4,352 Trim Painting
$938 Radiator Covers	$21,000 Fees
Grand Total: $183,863

The renovation opened up the kitchen and integrated it with the dining room by removing its load-bearing wall. It also introduced a sunroom that leads to the backyard through a new sliding door.

“Before construction began, we discovered that there was asbestos in the plaster,” explains Jon Powell, architect and founder of Jon Powell Architecture, which led the renovation. “That was an expensive, unforeseen component that cost the family an additional $8,500 just on asbestos abatement.”

The kitchen redesign—including including new cabinets, appliances, and flooring—was one of the priciest aspects of the renovation, costing the couple just over $60,522. “For the countertops, we had picked out a high-quality, man-made material that would have cost us around $16,000,” says Niki. “But it was going to take way too long to receive, so we went with a quartz countertop from a local place and ended up spending about $4,000, which definitely saved us a lot of money.”

Niki and Gustavo wanted to retain some of the home’s historic elements, so they chose to re-sand the original wood floors instead of replacing them. “It’s a really old house and we didn’t want to totally modernize it,” Niki explains. They also found opportunities to save by focusing their funds on the more immutable aspects of the renovation.

“We looked at what was permanent—and what we could change over time,” says Gustavo. “We were willing to spend more on things like a kitchen island and tiles, and we saved on things like the faucet and sink.”

They spent nearly $3,300 to replace the floor’s small windows and narrow door, opting for bay windows, a skylight, and a sliding door to the backyard. In the study, located just before the kitchen/dining room, a friend who is also a carpenter crafted custom built-in bookshelves that perfectly match their new kitchen cabinets for $3,000.

Andrin Widmer, crafted custom built-in bookshelves for the study that perfectly match the new kitchen cabinets." layout="wide" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

“One of the biggest things the renovation did was it actually gave more definition and clarity on how they should be using their spaces,” says Powell. “Before, the middle room was trying to be all of these different things—it wasn’t clear if it was a breakfast room, a study, or a library. Now, they have flow throughout the rooms and defined purposes that are harmonious with one another.”

The renovation’s total price tag came to just under $184,000, with $31,500 allocated to plumbing and electrical work and another $21,000 for various fees. The total sum also accounts for a backyard renovation that they initiated before the main level was redone, which cost upwards of $27,000. The addition of a much-needed half bathroom ran them $4,600.

With the renovation of one floor behind them, Niki and Gustavo are looking toward other projects around the house while enjoying the renewed space. Their favorite part of the main floor is undoubtedly its brightness. “There’s so much more light now, and it just makes you feel really happy to be here,” Niki delightedly proclaims.

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Project Credits:

Architect and Designer: Jon Powell Architecture / @jpa_newyork

Project Manager: Dylan Chan, Jon Powell Architecture

Builder/General Contractor: Atm Karim, Radiant Contracting Inc.

Structural Engineer: Sara Steele, Silman

Interior Design: Niki Marcheggiani and Gustavo Dao

Cabinetry Design/Installation: Jonathan Champaign, Iron Oaks

Bookcase Millwork: Andrin Widmer

Photo Styling: Emily Rose Kellerman

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Budget Breakdown: With $184K, a Brooklyn Couple Say Out With the Asbestos