A Big Fix-Up in the Five Boroughs

It’s been awhile since we here at Click and Improve been able to post about a big job. Part of this is simply the size of the job: renovating, remodeling and performing tasks in multiple parts of one house takes more time than a simple bathtub replacement or even putting up a brand new kitchen. The other part has largely to do with when and if the customer is comfortable sharing the work that has gone into their home. Thankfully, a Click and Improve client was so impressed with our work that she even helped out by taking some photos of the house on her own. For this space, we did bathroom remodeling in two areas of the house, put in a new staircase, a total kitchen remodel and various carpentry, electrical and plumbing work. Enjoy!

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Before & After: Bringing Out the Best in a Brooklyn Kitchen

We began a job out in Brooklyn earlier last month and it was a doozy. The kitchen in the house we went to was, to be kind, in poor shape; in reality, it was corroded and moldy. Kitchen supplies were caked with rust and food remnants; the wood from the cabinets was old and splintered, some of it rotting; most appliances were barely working, if they were working at all. A month or so later, and the place looks beautiful, and we won’t take any false modesty in this case. I would detail all the big and small things we did -- cabinets, appliances, countertops, backsplash etc. -- but it was an entire overhaul and I figured I might as well allow the results to speak for themselves.

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Before & After: Remodeling in Roosevelt

The summer is (pun totally intended) heating up and as it goes, this is looking to be a busy one around these parts. We’ve been working on projects all around the five boroughs, remodeling kitchens, replacing roofsand installing patios in some backyards. And then there’s this job, in Roosevelt, where we got to transform a bathroom from low end to luxury with new fixtures, retiling and some tear down. We opened up the shower to include a bar and a seat, put in a new sink, faucet and cabinet, a custom-made radiator cover, and a new toilet. The lighting is also new, giving a far more comforting ambiance, along with the new tiles. It turned out about as good as I could’ve hoped.  

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A Day in the Life: James from Flash Exterminating

In Brooklyn, these days, it’s not hard to find what you need. There are shops that cater specifically to the art of meatballs and outlets designated merely for rock climbing, and this isn’t even discussing the gourmet dog treat stores and the organic liquor outpost. Still, when you hear about a winery being built on the outer terrain of Williamsburg, an eyebrow is bound to cock. But, as it turns out, that’s exactly what’s happening at The Noble Experiment, a new winery being built not all that far from borough institution Brooklyn Brewery. One of our providers, James of Flash Exterminating, is handling infestation detection, elimination and prevention in the space and was nice enough to let us tag along recently and explain what he was doing for The Noble Experiment.

James was quick to emphasize Flash’s use of eco-friendly pesticides and traps. Amongst them are EcoExempt, a mixture that includes rosemary and mint oil, amongst other facets, that is used to prevent spider infestations. For rodent prevention, he explained his three-step process of sealing off rodent access points and using tracking powder to get rid of any chance of infestation in the space, which has a beautiful backyard space. Both the wooden cabinet areas and the vats were treated with a broad eco-friendly spray, meant to target everything from millipedes to cockroaches, cutting off the chances of any bug issues in the area.

James did a great job but he stressed how extermination and infestation prevention is never a one-shot deal. He has already set-up two return visits, one two weeks from now and another a little over a month from now. We’ll be checking in with more of our providers in the future, seeing what they’re working on in Manhattan and the outer boroughs, and we look forward to seeing how awesome the Noble Experiment at its planned opening later this year. 

Before & After: Serving It Up in St. Albans

For those who don’t know, St. Albans, Queens was a bit of an epicenter for the jazz movement and, in general, of African American music. James Brown, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald and Fats Waller all called it home for substantial parts of their lives, and it was the birthplace of A Tribe Called Quest, arguably the best hip-hop group to ever exist.

We weren’t doing anything nearly as important out in St. Albans this past week, remodeling a kitchen and installing windows, but to the family we were working with and for, I imagine it meant quite a lot. Brand new cabinets were installed, along with those lovely granite countertops. We replaced the near-ancient oven with a brand new stovetop oven, and we added new pendant light fixtures that I'm particularly proud of. There was some major wall work and a little tiling work and we replaced all the light switches in the kitchen. The customer decided to keep her old fridge but we made a nice recessed space for it to help with the décor. Unlike most of the pictures I post, these were taken after the customer had settled into the new space. Nice, homey kitchen, don’t you agree?

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Before and After: BK Bathroom

I’ve been a bit of a slacker with uploading pictures – a common sin for those who are chronically busy. I had a free moment earlier today, however, and got to put up these photos of a bathroom we are almost finished with. New tile work both on the floor and walls, plus a new backsplash, tub and shower. We also installed brand new vessel sinks, light fixtures, vanity mirrors and toilet. Very nice design overall, heavy on tans, blacks and dark and light browns. We’re doing some very minor finishing touches on the shower today but this is the essential look of the place. What does everyone think? 

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Click and Improve at the Macaroni Kid Family Travel Expo

Last weekend, our boys were in midtown for the Macaroni Kid Family Travel Expo to spread the word about Click and Improve. It was a great time and we met a lot of parents who were excited by and engaged with our hassle-free approach to home improvement. The kids had fun too: we gave out pet goldfish and helped them put on Click and Improve fake tattoos. A lot of fun was had and we’re looking forward to more events in the coming weeks, including Mommapalooza next weekend. Our friends at Macaroni Kid were nice enough to send over some photos of our booth and the droves of moms and kids that stopped by. Enjoy!