I was recently called by my favorite Realtor to help her with a listing. The house, located high on a hill, has incredible views of the Hudson River. But walk through the door and this midcentury modern and what you saw was tired and dated.
The homeowner spent many an evening gazing at the stars. But now she has Alzheimers Disease and the sale of the house will help with her care. Do I need to mention that spending a lot of money on this project was not in the cards?
The house has many features that were "state of the art" in their day. Tile flooring with radiant heat is featured throughout. Unfortunately the tile, while functional, is overwhelmingly monochromatic and frankly, visually boring. And, most of the trim is painted a dark brown, which makes the house dark, despite all the glass.
However, there is always SOMETHING that can be done. And so, I called in the electricians to both add and update the track lighting - critical in order to brighten the rooms. My painter removed unsightly pegboard from all the bedroom walls and sheetrock replaced it for a fresh and smooth surface. The great room was redefined with rugs and furniture (midcentury) was brought in and repositioned to create a conversation area by the fireplace and to give this wide open space the intimacy it deserves. Windows were washed inside and out to bring the outside in for the view.
Great Room Before Great Room After
But the truth is that no matter how hard I worked, and I did work hard, the Hudson River is the real hero of this story. Breathtaking sunsets and vistas of both the Tappan Zee Bridge and the George Washington can be enjoyed on a clear night. Believe me, my clients are very happy with the results but I know that any potential buyer won't even notice the furniture when they look out the windows and see the sunset. Wouldn't you love this million dollar view?
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