{"id":247157,"date":"2026-05-29T00:22:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T00:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/247157\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T00:22:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T00:22:27","slug":"the-insider-columbia-waterfront-district-reno-goes-diy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/247157\/","title":{"rendered":"The Insider: Columbia Waterfront District Reno Goes DIY"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple on a limited budget contributed heavily to the renovation of a four-story rowhouse into a cheerful family home.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"DINING\"DINING <\/p>\n

Photo by Matthew Carbone<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\"\" by Cara Greenberg<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s still possible for a couple with three young kids on a limited budget to transform a four-story row house that hadn\u2019t seen renovation in decades into a cheerful family home with income-producing units \u2014 as long as they\u2019re willing to DIY.<\/p>\n

The new homeowners, living on the two lower floors of their building and renting out the two above, called Coughlin Scheel Architects<\/a> for the heavy lifting, but did much of what needed doing themselves. \u201cThis was a big experiment for them,\u201d said Paul Coughlin, a founding principal of Coughlin Scheel, which has offices near the Navy Yard. \u201cThey wanted to own a multi-family townhouse and were totally okay with a project. They weren\u2019t looking to do a highly finished, museum-like renovation. She\u2019s in a creative field; he\u2019s an attorney who was brought up doing construction. They both did a lot of physical work on the house, especially upstairs, to refresh the two rental apartments. The husband did all the electrical with his father. The whole spirit was a team effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coughlin Scheel opened up the rear facade on the parlor level, inserting a steel-and-glass wall with a pair of doors leading to a new steel deck off the back. The architects also laid out a new open kitchen at the rear of the parlor floor, with floor-to-ceiling storage and a maple island. Installing new windows and wide plank oak flooring, and upgrading HVAC for all three units, was also left to the pros.<\/p>\n

\"OVERVIEW<\/a><\/p>\n

\"PIANO<\/a><\/p>\n

The unpretentious, kid-centric decor is the homeowners\u2019 doing. The front half of the parlor floor is \u201cvery salon-like, with homemade art by the kids,\u201d Coughlin said. There\u2019s also space for the family\u2019s piano, books, and bikes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Coughlin Scheel\u2019s clients wanted to gaze outside while washing dishes. \u201cThey didn\u2019t want any appliances or fixtures on the island,\u201d the architect said. \u201cThey wanted a clean surface for doing stuff with the kids, so the sink landed on the back wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cabinetry is semi-custom, fabricated in Texas and sent flat-packed. \u201cThe clients pushed for framed door and drawer panels,\u201d Coughlin said. \u201cWe would typically have done flat slab, but they were nervous about it looking too slick.\u201d The island is made of pre-finished maple with a waterfall marble top.<\/p>\n

An exposed brick wall leads down to the lower level, where the family has three bedrooms and a bath. \u201cWe decided to whitewash it,\u201d Coughlin said. \u201cThe raw brick looked a little too raw.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DINING<\/a><\/p>\n

The dining table doubles as an art, crafts, and homework surface for the homeowners\u2019 children. There\u2019s a bench along the wall for the little ones, classic modern chairs on the other sides.<\/p>\n

Old joists were repurposed as open shelving.<\/p>\n

\"POWDER<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a new powder room with a terrazzo floor off the kitchen. One of the homeowners plastered its walls herself.<\/p>\n

\"BACK<\/a><\/p>\n

A new steel deck off the dining and kitchen area extends living space out into the backyard. \u201cWe picked up on the vibe of the fire escapes with black steel grate decking,\u201d Coughlin said. \u201cIt brings a little more light to the space underneath.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Photos by Matthew Carbone<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Got a project to propose for\u00a0The Insider?\u00a0Contact Cara at caramia447 [at] gmail [dot] com<\/p>\n

The Insider\u00a0is Brownstoner\u2019s weekly in-depth look at a notable interior design\/renovation project, by design journalist Cara Greenberg. Find it here every Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

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