Project In Process: Shh! It’s a Surprise!
We’ve been working on a mystery project for a few months now. Can you guess what it is? Here are a few clues: We’ve never done this type of project before. It’s not a home renovation. It’s not in Jersey City! {Even though JC is our current hub for renovation projects!} It’s a space where [...]
Project In Process: A Place To Rest My Eyes
Having a beautiful place to rest my eyes is essential to my happiness at home. And since I have three school-age kids, I’ve had to come up with some creative ways to carve out spaces that are free from clutter. I find it challenging to walk through the house and encounter chaos in every single [...]
Project in Process: Creating Something from Nothing
There is nothing more profound than creating something out of nothing. - Rainbow Rowell My favorite thing about our work here at Houseplay is the process of taking a space that’s outdated, non-functional or awkward and transforming it into a space that is beautiful, functional and thoughtfully designed. It all starts with an idea. A [...]
Project in Process: Coming Home
“Coming home is one of the most beautiful things.” -Andre Rieu Our client for this condo renovation in Edgewater, NJ, inherited the space when her mother passed away. The building is right on the water, overlooking the city. She loves the city, but has been living in the condo since last year. Her original plan [...]
Project in Process: Love It or List It
Our clients were at an impasse. They had been renting out their Jersey City apartment, and they knew it needed some upgrades. When their tenants’ lease was up they had a choice to make: should they keep the apartment and rent it out again, keep it and move in, or sell it? Their wish-list of [...]
Turning a historic brownstone renovation into a turn-key home: Project In Process
Our clients bought their historic brownstone in Jersey City intending to renovate, but after moving out of the city and starting a family, their home project was put on hold. When they had the opportunity to move back into their historic home and begin the renovation project, they took it. But trying to maintain [...]
Reactivating Your Space: Project in Process
Is there an under-used space in your home that’s draining your energy or causing you stress? Or are you feeling stuck when it comes to your space - as if you can’t make it work for you and your family? Many clients come to Houseplay with these types of problems. Sometimes, all it takes is [...]
The Brownstone Swap: Project In Process
Our clients for this historic brownstone remodel in Jersey City did a little house swap. It all started when they bought a brownstone with the intention of remodeling. Before they began the project, another brownstone on the same block went up for sale. They made a plan to move into that one, planning to live [...]
A Personal Stamp on Your Space: Project in Process
From ancient times through the middle ages, a personal seal or stamp was used to authenticate documents and carry out decisions and orders. In modern life, a signature has replaced the personal stamp - but it still says, Yes. I agree to this. I’m choosing this. I’m consenting to this. Your signature is, in other [...]
Project in Process: Striking a Balance: Designing for Resale vs. Long-Term Living
One thing we at Houseplay love about the design/build process is the opportunity to work closely with our clients around their unique goals. We enter a design very differently depending on whether the family plans to make the house their forever home” (i.e., plan to live in it for 20 years or more) or whether [...]