- 2 weeks ago
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00:00Or maybe the better question is, who?
00:05I'm Vern Yip, and I'm traveling across the country
00:08to follow the people who are stretching
00:10the definition of home to its limits.
00:13So nice to meet you.
00:14From abandoned churches and schools
00:16to defunct firehouses and factories,
00:19brave builders are giving these architectural relics
00:21new life by turning them into one-of-a-kind family homes.
00:26I'm fascinated by the type of people
00:28who have taken on these risks.
00:30Oh, my gosh.
00:32Who are they?
00:33What makes them tick?
00:34And can they make their larger-than-average dreams a reality?
00:38As a designer myself, I'm eager to learn
00:40and hopefully help them.
00:42This is where I have a little bit of a problem
00:44as they turn these unconventional spaces
00:47into their forever homes.
00:50This is Home Reimagined.
00:58Hidden among the dense forest of maple and pine,
01:10Salem, New York, is a classic American small town
01:12that's home to three covered bridges,
01:15a couple of dairy farms,
01:17and one not-so-busy intersection.
01:20Salem's even got this really cute old-fashioned main street
01:23that looks like it's been plucked right out of a storybook.
01:27There's something about it that just feels kind of magical.
01:31It's the type of place where neighbors
01:32don't just lend you a hand,
01:34they shovel your whole driveway.
01:37This is where I'm heading to meet my new friends,
01:40John and Dina,
01:41who fell in love with this place
01:43and are about to dive headfirst
01:44into a very unique renovation.
01:48They've purchased and plan to live
01:50in an old garment factory built in the 1800s.
01:53It's 14,000 square feet,
01:56and I cannot wait to hear
01:58how they plan to turn this industrial structure
02:00into a home of their own.
02:08This place is so cool.
02:12I'm blown away.
02:13It's got so much character.
02:15You can instantly feel the years of history
02:18as soon as you walk up to the building.
02:20Look at that beautiful stonework
02:22and the amazing brick.
02:24What a gem.
02:25It's remarkable, the work that's gone into it.
02:27It's no wonder it's stood all these years.
02:30Hey, Vern!
02:30Hey, how are you guys?
02:32Great. What do you think?
02:33This place is huge and so beautiful.
02:37Why don't you guys come on down?
02:38I want to talk to you about it.
02:39All right.
02:39Sounds great.
02:41I'm Dina.
02:42I'm John.
02:43When we met, we were 16 years old,
02:44and we've been together for 20 years now,
02:46so longer than we haven't been.
02:49After we graduated from college,
02:50we found ourselves in Denver, Colorado.
02:52Dina and I started a company called New Color Goods.
02:55We design and build hardwood furniture.
02:58Heading into this renovation,
02:59I think we're really excited to make a lot of pieces
03:02that we've been wanting to make for ourselves,
03:04and I think that they'll really make our home a special place.
03:08We built a lot of furniture, but never a house,
03:10and we plan to do a lot of the work ourselves.
03:12It's a little daunting to convert a factory into a home,
03:15but we love to learn, and we're up for the challenge.
03:18So nice to meet you.
03:19Oh, my gosh.
03:21Hey.
03:21Nice to meet you.
03:22This place is truly, truly stunning.
03:25We love it.
03:26We feel pretty lucky to have it.
03:27It has so many of the original parts,
03:30like the original stone and the brick and the windows.
03:33It's definitely what drew us in as well.
03:35We love all the beautiful, original building materials,
03:37which came from Rutland, Vermont on a train here.
03:40You can't even build a building like this today.
03:43It's just not even feasible.
03:45Yeah, now we feel really lucky.
03:46This part of the building was built in the mid-1800s.
03:50It was originally the Salem Steamworks
03:51and powered a gristmill that made flour for the town.
03:54This part of the building, where our house is going to be,
03:57was built in 1899.
03:59It was originally the Manhattan Shirt Company,
04:01so they made men's dress shirts.
04:03And then it was the pajama factory.
04:05There were several different versions of garment factories
04:07and eventually a ski company as well,
04:09and then a local family bought it after it went up to the bank
04:12for back taxes,
04:13and they kind of just held it for the last 25 years.
04:16This is not the usual home purchase that people make, right?
04:20People buy houses all the time,
04:21but they don't buy thousands of square feet of factory space.
04:25So how did this even happen?
04:26We grew up in the area,
04:28and then we moved out west for 11 years.
04:30So we were back here visiting in 2019,
04:33drove by this building,
04:34which we were reminded of from years ago.
04:36We worked at the potato farm up the street.
04:38We used to pass by this.
04:40It wasn't on the market,
04:41but we inquired about it from the owners,
04:43and they were willing to let it go.
04:45We offered $50,000,
04:48and they accepted.
04:49No.
04:50Are you serious?
04:51We feel so lucky.
04:53So lucky.
04:54A lot of offers were made on the building in years past,
04:57but they liked our story and what we wanted to do
04:59and bring back to the town,
05:01so they chose us.
05:02I guess there's also going to be challenges, too,
05:05because when you take on something
05:06that wasn't intended to be a home,
05:09you've got to deal with some stuff that is unusual.
05:12Like there's a giant smokestack.
05:15What is that, like a whistle, or what is that?
05:17It is.
05:18It was at one time, I believe,
05:20the fire whistle for the town.
05:21You're already in the building, right?
05:23Yes.
05:23We did some first floor renovations,
05:26brought our tools in last December.
05:27The floor was rotted and falling in,
05:29so we had to backfill that.
05:32So you're already really intimate with the building,
05:34which is great.
05:35For sure, yeah.
05:35It feels less and less intimidating
05:37the more we spend time in it.
05:40And no ghosts yet.
05:41No ghosts, as far as we know.
05:42Yeah.
05:43Oh, my gosh.
05:43My toes are basically dead.
05:46So let's go inside.
05:47I need to warm up.
05:48Sounds great.
05:51So because we've never attempted a home renovation,
05:53we're going to tackle it in phases.
05:55We've rebuilt the first floor as our woodworking shop.
05:59The second floor will eventually become an event space
06:01that we can rent out and share with the community.
06:03But first, we have to convert the third floor
06:05into our new home.
06:06We've got a budget of $100,000,
06:08and we really can't afford any missteps,
06:10so we're really happy to collaborate with Vern on this.
06:17Oh, my gosh.
06:19This is stunning.
06:22I can tell why John and Dina fell in love with this building.
06:26I mean, it's got so much warmth, so much character.
06:28It's got the original wood columns that run down the center,
06:31the original beautiful old floors
06:33that have so much life and patina to them.
06:35It's a spectacular space.
06:37You couldn't fit one more window in here if you tried.
06:40It's like a treehouse up here.
06:41It's so pretty.
06:43So this was actually part of the sewing manufacturing.
06:46I believe everything came in on the first floor.
06:48Second floor was where they would cut all the patterns,
06:50and then they would sew up here.
06:51I want to see how you're going to use this space.
06:54So if you stand right here.
06:55Okay.
06:56Oh, right here.
06:57Yeah, yeah, yeah.
06:57Okay, perfect.
06:58Here.
06:58John, open the door for us.
06:59Oh, hello.
07:00This is the door.
07:01Oh, here you are.
07:02Yeah.
07:02Okay.
07:04And then...
07:04Well, first off, thank you for inviting me into your home.
07:07And then there'll be a bit of a hallway here
07:09because there'll be bedrooms and office.
07:11But once you reach this point, it's all open.
07:14Currently, the plan is to dedicate half the space as a rental unit,
07:17and then the other half will be our own.
07:19As you enter the front door,
07:20you're in a hallway that leads to two bedrooms and an office.
07:23Then as you continue toward the back,
07:25it opens up into the common areas,
07:27the kitchen, the dining, and living room,
07:29with a large bathroom off to the side.
07:31Is that an old elevator?
07:33Yeah.
07:33It's terrifying.
07:34To bring our groceries up.
07:35Might be scary to look down at the moment.
07:38Oh, my gosh.
07:39I mean, is it working?
07:41Not yet, but we kind of know how to get it back into shape.
07:43And it was a freight elevator,
07:45but it's all counterweight driven,
07:46and it's got a wooden cart.
07:48I feel like I need to hold your sleeve
07:50to keep you from going in.
07:52So that's not just cool looking.
07:54That's going to function.
07:56Yep.
07:57Tell me about these floors.
07:58You'll see some sewing machine oil here,
08:01and this weathering in the floor
08:02definitely tells a story,
08:04which we really love.
08:05We kind of just like to lightly sand these,
08:07oil them again,
08:08and kind of keep it as is, but clean.
08:10It is one of my absolute favorite things
08:12about old homes,
08:15the imperfections,
08:16because it tells a story.
08:18It makes it interesting, right?
08:19Yeah.
08:20But there's some stories
08:21that probably don't need to be told.
08:24It's got these long steel pipes
08:26that run down the entire length of the building.
08:29It's got fluorescent fixtures.
08:30It's got a drop ceiling.
08:32Those are some of the additions
08:33that have been made over the years
08:34that they're going to hopefully want to get rid of.
08:36Just off the main room
08:37is the old factory bathroom.
08:40It's got the old stalls
08:41and the rusty hand dryer.
08:43I think there's even an ashtray.
08:45It's big enough
08:45that they can really do something with it.
08:48Seeing the tall ceiling in the bathroom
08:49makes me really curious
08:51about what we're going to find in the main space
08:53when we get rid of that drop ceiling.
08:55I want to hear what you're thinking about
08:57with the ceilings.
08:58This has a dropped bit of drywall
09:01and insulation that was put in in the 80s,
09:03and above this,
09:04it's a beautiful piece of truss work.
09:06You know this to be true.
09:07Yeah.
09:08Okay.
09:08Oh, look at that.
09:10You're like,
09:10I think that there's beautiful truss work up there.
09:13You think we can take a portion of this down?
09:15Yeah, let's do it.
09:16Okay.
09:17Nice. Let's do it.
09:18You know, they don't really know
09:19what's above that drop ceiling,
09:21and that's an important component
09:22because it can impact everything about that space,
09:26the volume, how it feels.
09:27I mean, the sooner they know what's up there,
09:29the better.
09:29Oh, here we go.
09:38Here we go.
09:39Like a pinata.
09:41Oh, yeah.
09:43Let it rain.
09:47Just like I thought.
09:49There's a roof up here.
09:50Oh, my gosh.
09:53That is exciting.
09:56Oh, that's cool.
09:58You got a ton of space up there
09:59and beautiful old wood.
10:02The ceiling is a big win,
10:04but this is an ambitious project.
10:07It's historical.
10:09It's got old materials
10:10that they're trying to salvage.
10:11They're trying to turn something
10:12that wasn't supposed to be a house
10:14into a house.
10:15I mean, there are a lot of challenges
10:17in front of them,
10:18but I think that they're ideally suited
10:21to tackle it.
10:23What are those things
10:24that you think we should really consider
10:26as we're starting to demo
10:27and build the space out?
10:29Number one,
10:29this space when you first walk into it
10:33is so, so, so special.
10:36So the minute you start putting up walls,
10:39the feeling of the space
10:40is going to change.
10:42Before you lay down a wall,
10:45maybe put some tape down.
10:46That's the great thing about tape.
10:47You pull it up and you can move it.
10:49So I would say that's going to be important.
10:51Yeah.
10:51I like that.
10:52I'm asking them to revisit their floor plan
10:54because this is such a great building
10:56with incredible architecture,
10:57and I really want their floor plan
10:59to be functional
11:00but also celebrate
11:01all the great things
11:02about this building.
11:04With their current layout,
11:05you would enter into a hallway,
11:07which isn't a great first impression.
11:09It's something to think about now
11:10because once you put up those walls,
11:12there's no going back.
11:14At the end of the day,
11:15it's their home.
11:16I just want them to feel really confident
11:17with their decision moving forward.
11:18The second thing is
11:20because there is a lot of hard surfaces in here,
11:24think about things like
11:25how do we begin to insert materials,
11:29fabrics, textures
11:30that can begin to absorb sound
11:32but also give you that sense of coziness.
11:35It's an amazing honor
11:36to be asked by John and Dina
11:38to be part of this project.
11:40I'm going to be along for the ride
11:42as a mentor, as a coach.
11:44I'll even be physical labor if they want it.
11:46But really, I want to help them
11:48make this the most successful version
11:51of their vision possible.
11:53I'm going to leave,
11:54but I'll be checking in in about a month.
11:56If you have any questions,
11:57feel free to pick up the phone.
11:58I am here to help you
12:00in any way, shape, or form.
12:02So exciting, guys.
12:03Thank you so much.
12:04So great to see you.
12:05That's great to see you.
12:07You've got a little insulation right there.
12:09Dust that off a little bit.
12:20So this will be the entry here.
12:22I really hope John and Dina
12:24are taking a closer look
12:25at their floor plan.
12:27It's the foundation
12:28on which every other decision
12:29will be built.
12:31So it's really important
12:32to get it right.
12:33Before they spend all that time
12:35and money,
12:36I want to make sure
12:36they're highlighting
12:37the best parts of that building.
12:42Okay, so...
12:43You walk in.
12:45Yep.
12:46Yep.
12:46And then I do think
12:48if you imagine a wall being here,
12:51the one thing that's kind of scary
12:52is just you're blocking off
12:54all of this natural light
12:55from these windows.
12:56Yeah.
12:56So we're only getting
12:57some of this light
12:58from these two windows.
12:59Now that we have our floor plan
13:01all taped out,
13:02we're actually having second thoughts.
13:04We don't like that
13:04when you walk into the space,
13:06you enter a hallway
13:06which blocks a lot
13:08of the natural light
13:08and all of the beautiful windows
13:10which we love most
13:11about the space.
13:12So we decided
13:12to move forward with demo
13:13and we'll revisit the floor plan
13:15once we're done.
13:16That way we can make
13:17a more informed decision.
13:22We've got Greg here today.
13:23We're about to start our demo.
13:25This is contractor Greg.
13:27Beautiful human.
13:27And we're going to take down
13:30some lights,
13:30some pipes,
13:32and some drywall.
13:34We know our budget
13:35can go really fast
13:36if we're not careful.
13:37So we're calling in some favors
13:38from friends and family.
13:40Not only is Greg our contractor,
13:41but he's also a dear friend
13:43who really understands
13:44our vision for the space.
13:45So we're glad
13:46to have him on board.
13:48All right.
13:49So we're about to move
13:49some of these old steam pipes.
13:52They used to heat the building.
13:54They're super antiquated,
13:55don't really work well.
13:56And we're going to update them
13:57with a modern HVAC system.
13:59Introducing the Danger Boys.
14:13With all of that out of the way,
14:15we are finally ready
14:16to remove the drop ceiling
14:17and uncover that awesome truss work.
14:19Our good friend Preston
14:25even came all the way out
14:26from Colorado
14:27to spend a vacation
14:28removing drywall with us.
14:32We're making some headway.
14:34Huge mess.
14:35But it's amazing.
14:36It really opens the space up a ton.
14:39Even our parents came down
14:40to help us out.
14:41So I'm on scaffolding
14:43with Dina's mom, Penny.
14:44And we're using these tools
14:45and we're clipping
14:45all of these little screw heads
14:47that are coming up through
14:48the decking of the roof
14:50so that we can paint it.
14:52And it looks beautiful.
14:55Yes.
14:56Now that that's finished,
14:58we're ready to start building.
15:03The weather's warmed up,
15:04which is great
15:05because we're ready
15:06to put on a new roof.
15:07Like many aspects of this project,
15:09the roof is not typical.
15:10It's an industrial grade rubber roof
15:12that comes in large sheets.
15:14It's one of the most important things
15:15that we need to do
15:16to protect this building.
15:18One of the huge benefits
15:19of installing this kind of roof
15:21is that we can insulate
15:22on top of it,
15:23which means that we can keep
15:24that beautiful ceiling exposed.
15:26So what are you finding
15:27up there, Tony?
15:29Four generations of roofing.
15:31Three old built-up roofs
15:32and one single-ply roof.
15:34We did come across
15:35an old steam whistle up there
15:37that I think should be removed.
15:38It's pretty well deteriorated.
15:39If we can get it down
15:40and take a look at it
15:41and see if it's something
15:42that we can recondition
15:43or potentially used
15:44for something else,
15:45that'd be fantastic.
15:50Watch your noggin.
15:55Look at this.
15:56Wow.
15:57That's so cool.
15:59Yeah.
15:59Definitely rotten on the bottom.
16:01I don't think it would have
16:02actually functioned
16:03if we tried to hook it all up.
16:04Yeah, I know.
16:04With all this rust.
16:06Elsie, our neighbor,
16:07said that her house would rumble
16:09when this thing would go off.
16:10I think our first choice
16:11would be to try
16:11and get this working again,
16:13but I just don't even know
16:15who we would call.
16:16What do you think
16:16it sounded like?
16:18Hmm.
16:21Maybe something like...
16:22Hmm.
16:35Hi, Vern.
16:36How are you guys?
16:37Good.
16:38How have you been?
16:38Good.
16:39We've made a lot of progress.
16:40We pulled back everything
16:42on the ceiling.
16:43So now we have this spectacular
16:44kind of loft-feeling ceiling.
16:47Oh, wow.
16:48It looks so good, you guys.
16:51We also took your advice
16:52and then we spent an afternoon
16:53taping out the space
16:54to make sure that we were
16:55getting the feeling right.
16:57And, yeah,
16:58we did end up changing
16:59our floor plans.
17:01So what we decided to do
17:02is kind of flip the layout.
17:04We moved one bedroom
17:06and office towards the back.
17:07And now we have the kitchen,
17:09the dining room,
17:10and the living room
17:11at the center of the home.
17:12This eliminates the hallway
17:13at the entry
17:14and allows your first impression
17:15to be the dramatic tall ceilings
17:17and the beautiful repetition
17:18of windows.
17:19It makes a statement
17:20right when you walk in.
17:22I'm so glad
17:23that you guys stayed open.
17:26I'm going to come back
17:26when you have walls up
17:27because that way
17:28we can really make
17:29good use of our time.
17:30That sounds great.
17:31Wonderful.
17:31I'm excited.
17:32Yeah.
17:32Good luck with everything.
17:33Thanks, Vern.
17:33Bye.
17:34On our property,
17:39there's one main building
17:40that was built in 1899.
17:42And there are two outbuildings
17:44that need a lot of love.
17:45And they were built
17:46about 40 years earlier
17:47and are in pretty tough shape.
17:49Let's have a look.
17:50Recently,
17:51we did discover openings
17:52in one of the floors
17:54of those buildings.
17:55We poked our head in
17:56and think there's some treasures,
17:57so we're going to investigate.
17:59Are you ready?
18:00Yeah, I'll hang out up here.
18:01Okay.
18:01You can hoist
18:02all the treasures up
18:03towards me.
18:05I can't wait.
18:06Okay.
18:06Hopefully, there are things
18:07we can reuse
18:08and incorporate
18:09into our new space.
18:10It was nice knowing you.
18:15It's damp and it's dark
18:16and there are just piles
18:18of things kind of in the dirt.
18:19It's almost like workers
18:20100 years ago
18:21were using this
18:22as a dumping ground
18:23for broken equipment.
18:24How much junk do you want?
18:25All of it.
18:26Don't call it junk.
18:28Oh, my gosh.
18:29There appears to be
18:30an endless supply
18:31of busted sewing machine parts
18:32and pieces of rusted metal
18:34from who knows what.
18:35Oh, my gosh.
18:37I love the scale
18:38and the shape of those.
18:40They're a little industrial,
18:41but I think we can make them
18:42work with, like,
18:43a little fusion
18:44of new and old.
18:45Yeah.
18:45Do some milk glass globes
18:48on the underside.
18:49Yeah.
18:49So cool.
18:50Oh, that's really cool.
18:51Oh, that's really cool.
18:52There are three different styles
18:53of lampshades
18:54and one I'm particularly
18:56interested in
18:57that's huge.
18:59It's really neat
19:00and I really hope
19:01we can turn them
19:01into new lights
19:02for our space.
19:03These are really cute.
19:06You might not have
19:06to do much shopping
19:07for lighting.
19:08It sounds like things
19:12have been going
19:13really well at the factory.
19:14On the outside,
19:16the building has
19:16the first new roof
19:17it's seen in decades.
19:19Also, summer has arrived,
19:21so their landscaping
19:22is coming back to life.
19:23But I think it's the work
19:25on the inside
19:25that's been keeping
19:26them up at night.
19:28Hello, this is John.
19:29I'm royally tired
19:31and exhausted.
19:32We spent the last 13 days
19:34thoroughly scraping
19:36every one of these walls.
19:38Nina is finishing up
19:40the last little bit
19:41behind me.
19:43There was a ton
19:44of sewing machine oil
19:45on these boards
19:45that we had to clean.
19:46Nothing that some soap
19:48and water couldn't handle.
19:49So after that,
19:50we re-sanded the whole floor
19:52and we were able
19:53to catch a glimpse
19:53of what they'll look like
19:54when we oil them up.
19:55My brother Ben's an engineer.
19:57He really understands
19:58how machines work,
19:59so he came over
19:59to help us get
20:00the freight elevator
20:01working again.
20:02I'm trying to see
20:02if the belts are slipping,
20:03but they all look like
20:04they're grabbing pretty well,
20:05which is good.
20:06All right.
20:09Going up.
20:14It's going up!
20:15Ben!
20:17It's going up!
20:18We're about to lift
20:19the largest wall
20:20we've ever lifted.
20:21Watch this!
20:23The biggest update
20:24is we now have
20:25interior walls.
20:26We spent the last
20:27several weeks with Greg
20:28framing everything,
20:29doing the electrical,
20:31and roughing in the plumbing.
20:32I have to say,
20:33it's really coming along.
20:34One detail
20:34that we're really excited about
20:36is that we designed
20:37arches throughout the space
20:38that mimic the same arch
20:40that's above the windows.
20:41So we're adding
20:42these arches
20:42to the bathroom
20:43and some of the
20:44transitional hallways as well.
20:46It's really starting
20:47to look like a home now.
20:48Yeah, and I guess
20:49for two people
20:49who have never built
20:50a house before,
20:51we're feeling pretty good about it.
20:52Explain the door.
20:53Door is going to be like this.
20:54Greg, we've got an idea.
21:06All right, let's hear it.
21:07How about this
21:07fire alarm bell
21:09from the building
21:10turned into a doorbell?
21:11First, the old wiring,
21:13that's got to go.
21:15We're going to change that out
21:16for something
21:16a little more modern.
21:17Have a look
21:17what the inside looks like.
21:18Check nothing's burnt out
21:19and it's all safe.
21:21Try and shine these bells
21:22up to the old,
21:23beautiful selves.
21:23So have you guys
21:24ever heard this thing ring?
21:25I have no idea.
21:26It could be so loud.
21:28All right, well.
21:28I don't.
21:29Yeah.
21:30Might need
21:30earplugs in your apartment.
21:37This is why
21:37we're getting rid
21:38of all this stuff.
21:39It's all brittle
21:40and that would be
21:41a live cable.
21:42There's also no ground,
21:44so we're going to have
21:44to ground it as well.
21:46This and this,
21:47a bit of work on here.
21:49How's it looking?
21:51Great.
21:51Years of dirt
21:52coming off.
21:53Back to chrome.
21:54No more rust.
21:56So everything looks
21:57pretty good in here.
21:58Looks great.
21:58Nothing's burnt out.
22:00We can reattach
22:00our wires to here.
22:02We'll make a grounding
22:03point to the actual
22:04metal frame.
22:05These are going to
22:06look beautiful.
22:07We've got two
22:08electromagnets in here
22:09which pulls this bar
22:11from side to side
22:12and as it pulls
22:13side to side,
22:14it also dings
22:15either side of the bell.
22:16So let's put some power
22:17to it and see how it sounds.
22:18Awesome.
22:19All right.
22:20Let's give her
22:20a little ding.
22:28Nice.
22:32Yeah, as far as
22:33doorbells go.
22:34What?
22:36As far as
22:36doorbells go.
22:37Okay.
22:38I love this one.
22:40It's amazing.
22:41Yeah.
22:41It's been a few months
22:48since I've seen
22:48John and Dina.
22:49I know that they've
22:50been through most
22:51of their rough trades
22:51at this point.
22:52I know that they even
22:53have a few walls up.
22:55So I'm excited
22:56to see where they're at.
22:58So beautiful
23:00this time of year.
23:04Hey!
23:05How are you?
23:06Welcome back.
23:07Good to see you guys.
23:08Good to see you too.
23:09Come on in.
23:11Whoa!
23:14I love it!
23:17I love, like,
23:18the instant energy
23:20you get from this place.
23:21The ceiling,
23:22it's incredible!
23:23I love that you
23:24painted it white.
23:26You notice
23:26all the shadow lines,
23:27which means
23:28these beautiful trusses
23:29are accentuated
23:30even more.
23:31I'm so glad
23:32that they changed
23:32their floor plan
23:33because now
23:34when you enter,
23:35it's light,
23:35it's bright,
23:36and you get
23:37to really celebrate
23:38all the beautiful
23:39architecture that's
23:40in this space.
23:40So over here
23:42will be our bedroom.
23:43Ooh!
23:44I love this bedroom.
23:45I love the exposed
23:46trusses.
23:47I love the natural
23:47light that you're
23:48getting in.
23:49It's the perfect size.
23:50Come check out
23:50the bathroom.
23:51We're really excited
23:51about this.
23:54Oh!
23:55What a huge improvement.
23:56You took a room
23:57that really didn't have
23:58a lot of architectural
23:59character, right?
24:00It's essentially
24:00just a box,
24:01and you infused
24:02the architectural character,
24:04which is such
24:04a smart, smart thing
24:06to do.
24:07So, a huge
24:08architectural detail
24:09for the whole space
24:10was all these arches.
24:11To kind of continue
24:12that through,
24:13we wanted to have
24:13a few openings
24:15that had that same arch.
24:16That is such
24:17a smart detail.
24:19I think John and Dina
24:20are really showing
24:21that they're so much
24:22more than just
24:22great furniture designers.
24:24They're just
24:24great designers, period.
24:25I want to now
24:26encourage them
24:27to think about
24:27the interior components,
24:29the softer things
24:30that are really
24:30going to make it a home.
24:31I'd like to have
24:32the discussion
24:32about whether or not
24:34you're open
24:34to the concept
24:35of adding drapery
24:37to this space.
24:39The windows
24:40are also closed,
24:41so it could look
24:41like a wall of fabric.
24:43Ultimately,
24:43it's your place,
24:44and you have to make
24:45the decision
24:46that's right for you.
24:47But I think there's
24:48both functional
24:48and aesthetic reasons
24:49to get behind it.
24:51You know,
24:51my experience has shown
24:53that when you take
24:54the drapes all the way
24:55up to the ceiling line,
24:56it accentuates
24:56the architecture,
24:58it'll absorb sound,
24:59it'll add texture,
25:00and it'll give them privacy.
25:02I think that's
25:03a really valuable suggestion.
25:05But I want to show
25:06you a few more things.
25:07Can we show you
25:07this space?
25:09Oh my gosh.
25:10So we're planning
25:10on building
25:11our own kitchen cabinets,
25:12dining table,
25:13coffee table,
25:14and bookshelf.
25:15And because all
25:16of these elements
25:16are going to be
25:17within the same open space,
25:18we need some help
25:19with wood finishes.
25:20So I think we're
25:22pretty set on this.
25:22We're going to go
25:23with, I think,
25:23a soapstone
25:24for our counters,
25:25the back bar
25:26of the kitchen,
25:27and the island as well,
25:28and a white oak
25:29for our kitchen cabinets.
25:30But I think we're
25:31kind of struggling
25:32with, I guess,
25:34finishes for a dining table,
25:36the built-in shelf,
25:36and the coffee table.
25:38We want it to kind of
25:38flow nicely,
25:39but we don't want
25:40it all to be the same.
25:41Which I think
25:42is such a smart thought,
25:43because when it's
25:44all the same finish,
25:45it just looks like
25:46you purchased it
25:46at one time as a set.
25:48And we want it to be
25:48a little more nuanced.
25:51What you want to do
25:51is make sure
25:52that the finishes
25:53that you are working with
25:54dialogue with each other.
25:56Sure.
25:56And I would say
25:57this black finish
25:59doesn't really showcase
26:01the grain as beautifully
26:02as these three do.
26:04Would you agree?
26:05Yeah.
26:05Yeah, definitely.
26:06Yeah.
26:06Okay, so let's eliminate
26:07this black finish.
26:08Okay.
26:09What I think is really
26:10interesting about
26:11these three finishes
26:12is that they play
26:14really nicely
26:15with each other.
26:17Because when you look
26:17at this finish,
26:19it does have
26:20that oak poking through.
26:22It does have
26:23some of this walnut
26:24color poking through,
26:25even though it's not walnut.
26:26It's got some of that
26:27same brown walnut.
26:28So I think
26:29these three finishes
26:30are really smart
26:32to focus on.
26:33What do you call this?
26:34An oxidized black?
26:35Oxidized oak.
26:36Oxidized oak,
26:37which is really gorgeous,
26:39I have to say.
26:40I think it would make
26:41an incredible dining table.
26:43Why not have
26:43something unique
26:44kind of be
26:45a wonderful statement?
26:46Definitely.
26:47So I'm going to make
26:48a suggestion,
26:48but at the end of the day,
26:49it's your house.
26:50Yeah.
26:50This is where I have
26:51a little bit of a problem.
26:53This combination
26:54for the kitchen
26:55looks a little dated.
26:57It doesn't mean
26:58that there's not a way
26:58to make it work.
27:00So think about
27:00how you can make it
27:01feel fresh.
27:03More stuff to think about.
27:04Well, what I will say
27:05is at the end of the day,
27:07I mean, it is your home.
27:08You will know
27:09the right answer.
27:09No, we really appreciate
27:10your input,
27:11and I think
27:11it really all makes sense.
27:14Yes, I appreciate it.
27:14You're so welcome.
27:15Thank you for making
27:16our lives so much harder.
27:22John and Dina
27:23have invited me
27:23to partake
27:24in a project today.
27:25I'm not really sure
27:26where we are
27:27or what's going on,
27:28but I can say
27:29that it's obviously
27:29a creative hub.
27:31What planet
27:31have I landed on?
27:33It's very cool,
27:35wherever we are.
27:36This is Salem Artworks,
27:37and it's kind of
27:38an artist community,
27:39and they do residencies
27:40and teach programs
27:41for kids,
27:42but all centered
27:42around the arts.
27:43And it's in your backyard.
27:44Yeah.
27:45They have this beautiful
27:46sculpture park up the hill.
27:47No wonder you guys
27:48landed here.
27:49There's something
27:49in the water in Salem,
27:50clearly,
27:51because there's so many
27:52artisans here.
27:52This is very, very cool.
27:54What's going on here?
27:55So we have found
27:57a ton of old
27:57sewing machine parts
27:58that were kind of...
27:59Oh, wow.
28:00There was essentially
28:01a dumping ground of them
28:02in one of the outbuildings
28:04at the factory.
28:05So this is all iron,
28:06and you can smash it to bits,
28:08melt it down,
28:09and turn it into a sculpture.
28:11So that's what we're doing here.
28:12We're trying to pay homage
28:13to the trade
28:14that built the building,
28:15so we designed
28:16and made this
28:17large replica sewing needle
28:19out of wood.
28:20Watch where you're
28:21pointing that thing.
28:22So we use this
28:23to create a form,
28:24and then we're going
28:24to glue this together,
28:25hopefully with your help,
28:26and then we're going
28:27to wait until the metal
28:28is all heated up
28:29and pour it in
28:29to create a metal version
28:31of this sewing needle.
28:33Wow.
28:34It will be hung
28:34over our dining table
28:36with a light
28:37that represents,
28:38like, a thread.
28:39Very conceptual.
28:41Yeah.
28:41I love it.
28:42It is.
28:42I love it.
28:43I've never seen anything
28:44like what they're describing,
28:46but this is what has been
28:47so cool for me
28:48about being part
28:49of an unusual run-o.
28:51The people who attack
28:52these kinds of projects
28:53tend to be
28:54out-of-the-box thinkers.
28:55So I'm not completely surprised
28:57that this idea sprung
28:58from John and Dino.
29:00It's summer,
29:01and I'm covered in leather
29:02from head to toe.
29:03This is incredible.
29:04When that metal
29:05goes into the furnace,
29:06sparks are everywhere.
29:08It's red hot.
29:09It looks like a mini volcano.
29:11It looks like you should
29:12be running the other way,
29:13not towards it.
29:14Design with danger.
29:16I love it.
29:17This is a huge team effort.
29:19There's somebody
29:20who's in charge
29:20of pouring all that metal
29:22into the furnace,
29:23and then the metal melts,
29:24and then it goes
29:25into these crucibles
29:26that you then have to carry
29:28and pour into all those molds.
29:30Oh, my gosh.
29:31That's cool.
29:33So my first job
29:34is, like, being one end
29:36of the crucible
29:37that then brings
29:38the molten melted metal
29:39into all of these molds,
29:41and it's very hot,
29:43very heavy.
29:44You feel like
29:44you're just melting.
29:46Yeah.
29:48Nice.
29:57Okay.
29:58All right, let's crack
29:59this thing open.
30:00Yeah.
30:00Very nice.
30:02Whoa.
30:04Oh, my goodness.
30:05That's cool.
30:07That is so cool.
30:10There's, like,
30:11there's still fire in there.
30:13John, if you scratch this,
30:15Zina will not let you forget.
30:16I will be very upset.
30:17Roll it over.
30:22There we go.
30:23Woo!
30:25Wow, it's completely perfect.
30:28The next time
30:29I'm going to see you guys,
30:31you'll be done.
30:32I have so much confidence
30:33in you guys.
30:34You guys have incredible taste,
30:36such great work ethic.
30:37Thank you so much.
30:38Thanks for all your help.
30:39Oh, my gosh.
30:39Thank you, guys.
30:40Thank you, guys.
30:45John and Dina have just
30:54entered the homestretch.
30:55They're now working
30:56on their finish items.
30:57These are the elements
30:58that will really turn
30:59this cold factory
31:00into a warm
31:01and welcoming home.
31:02We're making cabinets!
31:06So we're installing
31:07the first kitchen
31:07this building's ever had.
31:08It's very important to us
31:09to make sure
31:10that it feels like it belongs.
31:11We want the kitchen
31:12to be reflective
31:13of our style,
31:15but also not look out of place
31:16in the historic building.
31:17So we glued up
31:18this huge panel
31:19and then just cut out
31:19all of our kitchen cabinet faces.
31:21So all the grain
31:23is going to be continuous
31:24along the faces
31:25once we build the cabinets.
31:27We've decided to go
31:28with white oak
31:28with a water-based finish,
31:30so it has a dull, natural look to it.
31:32And the contrast of that
31:33with the old, weathered, rich floors
31:36will play well together.
31:38So Vern did have
31:39a little bit of a concern
31:40of the wood selection
31:42with the stone
31:43looking a bit dated.
31:44So we decided to add
31:45a reeded panel
31:46on the underside of the island.
31:48It's a little bit more elevated
31:49and it's a little more current.
31:51We love it
31:51and hopefully Vern
31:52feels the same way.
31:53Sit down slow.
31:56Perfect.
32:00It's so beautiful.
32:01It's a fun little textural accent
32:03that I think really makes
32:05this island.
32:05It's going to be so interesting
32:06sitting at like the dining table
32:09or the living room.
32:09You'll still be able
32:10to appreciate that texture
32:12and kind of a little
32:13pop of interest.
32:14It's just kind of
32:15entirely modern aesthetic.
32:17Just really cool.
32:18I love it.
32:23This is where we wash
32:24our hands and brush our teeth.
32:26This is our double shower wall.
32:28That looks great.
32:28I'm really happy
32:43with this taupe
32:44polished tile
32:45and then the floor
32:46has a nice matte finish
32:48which I'm really pleased with.
32:50I like that it's more
32:51of a textural contrast
32:52rather than color contrast.
32:54So it feels like a spa.
32:56It feels really calm.
32:58Stand under it please.
33:01Perfect.
33:02So this one
33:03has more of a gooseneck
33:04so you can get your head under it.
33:09You've got his and hers.
33:11Wonderful.
33:12We have built a lot of dining tables
33:19over the years.
33:20It's kind of what we do
33:21for a living primarily
33:22and we're so excited
33:23to build our own
33:24and to try something new.
33:26We're going for quite a large table.
33:28It's going to be about 10 feet long
33:29and 3 feet wide.
33:31The top shape is kind of like
33:32a modern oval shape
33:33so it's rounded at the ends
33:35but it still has that nice curve
33:36at the edges.
33:37For the finish of the table
33:38we're using an oxidation treatment.
33:40We use steel wool
33:41and we place it in vinegar
33:42and you kind of let it sit
33:43for a few days
33:44and what it does
33:44is it breaks down the steel wool
33:46and it reacts to the table.
33:47It almost rusts it
33:48but it pulls out
33:49these natural colors
33:51from the wood
33:51and then you get some purples
33:53and you get some dark browns
33:55and it's really, really awesome
33:56to see
33:57because it's like
33:58this painting
33:58is kind of coming to life
33:59in front of you.
34:00All right.
34:07So where do you want this?
34:08I was thinking centered
34:09to this column
34:10and then to the range.
34:12Maybe a little too your,
34:13a little less the other way.
34:14Yep.
34:14Okay.
34:15That looks good to me.
34:16Okay.
34:17One, two, three.
34:20Okay.
34:22Slow.
34:23Okay, down slow.
34:26What do you think?
34:27Do you think it's large enough
34:28for the space?
34:29I do.
34:30I'm glad we went
34:31with a darker tone.
34:32A lot of wood in one space
34:33but I feel like, you know,
34:34and we have a lot
34:35of different tones going.
34:36How do you feel
34:36like it's working?
34:37I really like it.
34:38I think that if we had chosen
34:39the same wood tone
34:41all the way through
34:42it would just be too much.
34:44Yeah.
34:44There's still some connections
34:46between these two
34:48because there's some gold tones
34:49here and there
34:50and then some of the darker tones
34:51here look really nice
34:52with the windows
34:53so I'm really pleased with it.
34:56It's been so long
34:57since we've been able
34:58to have a lot of friends over
35:00and eat food with them
35:01so I'm so looking forward
35:02to doing that here.
35:03Me too.
35:04Finish a couple other projects
35:05and we'll be ready
35:06to have some people.
35:07So excited.
35:08Yeah.
35:14Under the floor
35:15of the old building
35:16we found these old
35:17enamel lights.
35:18They were trash to somebody
35:19but they definitely
35:20weren't to us.
35:21to fix these up
35:22we're going to sand them
35:24spray paint them
35:25and then we're going to
35:26make a little wooden feature
35:27that holds a modern globe inside.
35:29Hey so I just cleaned them up
35:31and I just gave them
35:31a fresh spray.
35:33What do you think?
35:33I really like it.
35:35I cleaned up some of the rust
35:36and then I went over it
35:39with some paint.
35:39Yeah I know
35:40they look really good.
35:41I'm curious how that
35:42like matte sheen
35:43is going to look
35:43with a globe.
35:45I do have one
35:46temporarily wired up.
35:47Do you want to try
35:47and put it in?
35:48Let's see how it looks.
35:49Okay cool.
35:49So let's slide this
35:50through the top.
35:51And this will have
35:52a wood plug eventually
35:53but this is just
35:54a temporary little trial.
35:57Something like this.
35:59So let's just
36:00temporarily hang it.
36:02Where do you think
36:03you want to put these
36:03by the way?
36:04I thought it'd be cool
36:05to have three of them
36:06over the island
36:06in the kitchen.
36:07Yeah I love that.
36:09You ready?
36:12I love it.
36:14Cute.
36:15I think these will be
36:15perfect over the island.
36:17The coolest part
36:17is that we found
36:18these in the building
36:19and now they're
36:19being repurposed.
36:21It's actually a huge
36:21cost savings too
36:22if you think about it.
36:23Yeah between these
36:24three and then
36:24the four big spun
36:26shades that'll go
36:27in the hallway
36:28that's a significant
36:29amount of lighting
36:30to the main space.
36:30Yeah great job.
36:32Thanks.
36:33Let's get back to work.
36:34Too much to do.
36:41We've been working
36:41very hard for a
36:42very long time
36:43and we finally
36:45were able to put
36:46a bow on it
36:47and it's beautiful.
36:49It doesn't feel
36:50like it's ours.
36:51It feels way too nice.
36:52It's nicer than
36:53anything we've ever had.
36:54John and Dina
37:01have taken on
37:02a huge project.
37:04They're not only
37:05designing everything
37:06they're also
37:07executing everything
37:08with their own
37:09two hands.
37:12They're now done
37:13and I am so excited
37:15to see what
37:16they've accomplished.
37:17Hi!
37:17Hey!
37:18How are you?
37:19Welcome back!
37:20Good to see you.
37:21Good to see you guys.
37:21Nice to see you.
37:22I'm guessing you're done
37:23right?
37:23We are.
37:24Oh my gosh.
37:25Let's see it.
37:28What?
37:31Wow!
37:35It's incredible.
37:37The first time
37:38I saw this space
37:40there was a low ceiling
37:41there were like
37:42metal pipes everywhere
37:44but now it's been
37:46turned into a home.
37:48It feels both
37:49fresh and timeless
37:51and that's such a
37:53hard...
37:53That's such a hard
37:54thing to achieve.
37:56You guys have
37:57really dedicated
37:58yourself to turning
38:00this into something
38:01truly unique,
38:02truly special
38:03and reflective of you.
38:04I mean this has
38:05got to be the most
38:06stunning space
38:07in all of upstate
38:08New York.
38:09It's truly,
38:10truly special.
38:11I am in love
38:13with the floors.
38:14The beautiful scars
38:15that this floor
38:16should probably wear
38:17telling the history
38:18of all the people
38:18who have dragged
38:19who knows what
38:20across it
38:21but I can completely
38:22tell that they've
38:23been restored
38:24without taking away
38:25the character.
38:26A large goal
38:27at the onset of this
38:28was preserving
38:28history of this
38:29building and I feel
38:30like we've done that
38:31in rehabbing the
38:31floors, the elevator,
38:33the brick walls,
38:35the ceiling.
38:36It goes on and on.
38:38These lights are
38:39so cool.
38:41We were able to
38:41rehab these from
38:42the building.
38:43We found a stack
38:44of these old
38:44enamel lights.
38:45Oh my gosh,
38:46these are from
38:47the building?
38:47They're like
38:48original to the
38:48building?
38:49They were sitting
38:49in dirt for decades
38:51and decades.
38:52We were able to
38:52sand them and paint
38:53them and then we
38:54made these little
38:55wood plugs and
38:56modern globes.
38:57They're so cool
38:58and I love, again,
38:59that marriage of
39:01letting the materials
39:02from the building
39:03itself tell the story
39:04but at the same time
39:05the modern globe
39:07and the little piece
39:07of wood,
39:08they tell your story.
39:09You're now that
39:10added layer of history
39:11to the building.
39:12So what do you
39:13think of the kitchen?
39:14Simply stunning.
39:16This looks completely
39:16fresh.
39:17You really thought
39:18about what are we
39:19about and how are
39:19we going to infuse
39:20that into the kitchen
39:21and you've done it.
39:22When we were looking
39:22at those kitchen
39:24finish samples,
39:25I had some real
39:26concerns because
39:27that color combo
39:28can look really
39:29dated and this
39:30does not.
39:32The front of this
39:32island, that's
39:34sick.
39:34I love the
39:36detailing.
39:37That is,
39:38can I touch it?
39:39Yeah, of course.
39:40Oh man,
39:42it's so beautiful.
39:44And you'll be able
39:45to see it from
39:45the dining room,
39:46and brings a little
39:47character and funkiness
39:48to the space.
39:49Yeah, it's one
39:49of the things
39:50that really makes
39:51this color combo
39:52work.
39:54This needle
39:54is so unique,
39:56so cool,
39:58and literally
39:59and figuratively
39:59very, very sharp.
40:01I love it.
40:02This is
40:03the perfect piece
40:05to sum up
40:06what this project
40:07is about.
40:07It's infused
40:08with history.
40:09That needle
40:10was made out
40:10of sewing machine
40:12parts that you
40:13salvaged from
40:14this building.
40:14It's the materials
40:15of this building
40:16coming back
40:17and, you know,
40:19speaking in a
40:20whole new way.
40:21I'm assuming
40:21that you guys
40:22probably designed it
40:24and built this
40:24beautiful table,
40:25right?
40:25Yeah, that's right.
40:26Of course you did.
40:27You overachievers,
40:28you.
40:29You very smartly
40:30introduced another
40:32color.
40:33It shows that
40:34you can layer in
40:35different things.
40:36Not everything
40:36has to match.
40:37In fact,
40:38it's better
40:38when it doesn't.
40:39It just feels
40:40richer.
40:41This is going
40:42to be the scene
40:43for so many
40:43special moments
40:44in your life
40:44and I'm so
40:45excited for you.
40:46Thank you,
40:46Farn.
40:49It really is
40:51so cozy
40:52and so nice.
40:53Love the bookshelf,
40:54the coffee table,
40:55all the elements
40:56that you've made
40:57with your own
40:57two hands
40:58and designed
40:58with your
40:58two incredible brains.
41:00Makes me feel
41:00really warm inside
41:01that you took
41:02the note
41:03on the drapes.
41:04When we put it up,
41:05we were still like,
41:06oh, I don't know.
41:07And once it was all up,
41:08it was like,
41:09yep, that's the
41:09answer.
41:10That's definitely
41:10one of the things
41:11that transforms it
41:12from a factory
41:13to a home.
41:14John and Dina
41:15have managed
41:16to find that balance
41:17between preserving
41:18all the historical
41:19components that make
41:20this structure
41:21so special
41:22and at the same time,
41:24it feels like a home.
41:26The bathroom
41:26came out fantastic.
41:28From the tile selections
41:29to the metal finishes
41:30to the vintage tub
41:32that they refinished,
41:33it's spa-like,
41:34it's serene,
41:36and it works
41:36beautifully in that space.
41:38It was such a pleasure
41:39working with you
41:40on this project.
41:41As furniture designers,
41:42we're typically focused
41:43on a singular piece
41:44and how it looks.
41:46From your perspective,
41:47you're thinking
41:47of how does that piece
41:49and everything else
41:49all flow together,
41:50so having some
41:51of those prompts
41:52that you offered us
41:53really kind of kept us
41:54on track
41:55to think about
41:55the whole picture.
41:56You knocked it
41:57out of the park,
41:58and I hope
41:59that you live
42:01beautiful, wonderful,
42:03happy lives
42:03full of incredible memories
42:05that transpire
42:06in this space.
42:07When we set out,
42:08we thought it was
42:08a renovation project
42:10for our business
42:11and our home,
42:12and ultimately,
42:13what we got
42:13was so much more.
42:15It's crazy how much
42:16hard work our family
42:17and friends have put
42:18into this space,
42:18and I don't think
42:19we could ever express
42:20our gratitude enough.
42:22This building was here
42:23a long time before us,
42:25and it will be here
42:25a long time after us,
42:27and we're just really happy
42:28that we're able
42:29to be a part
42:29of that timeline.
42:30Before, this space
42:32felt super industrial
42:34and super neglected,
42:36and now,
42:37it just feels like
42:38a space
42:39that you really
42:40want to live in.
42:41To see that jump happen
42:43really makes my heart
42:44light up.
42:45Cheers!
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