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When New Jersey-based designer Joan Enger first started hunting for real estate in Hoboken, all she was looking for was a space to launch her very first store for J. Patryce Design & Company. It didn’t take her long to find the ideal location, but she soon learned there was a catch: if she wanted the shop, she’d have to buy the small rowhome attached to it, too. Enger’s husband, a real estate developer, saw the opportunity for them to rent out the three-bedroom house, so the designer decided to go for it and snap up the whole building. “It was almost like this adorable, mini brownstone. I thought it could be really pretty with a little love and a refresh,” says Enger.
The 1,800-square-foot place had tall ceilings and windows going for it, but everything showed signs of wear and the layout was awkward, to say the least. For starters, there was a full bath on the main floor next to the kitchen. “It was so strange, you’d have to go down these steep stairs to take a shower,” she recalls. For Enger, it was an obvious move to turn it into a closet and powder bathroom and add a full bath to the largest bedroom upstairs. Here’s how she got the place in listing condition in just seven months.
Cross the Dramatic Threshold
The original wainscoting is the only thing that stayed in the entryway. Enger swathed the floors in playful checkerboard tile, topped the wall treatment with a more prominent cap, and introduced a hint of storage with hooks. But it was Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe that delivered the biggest change.
“We made it its own special jewel box. When you walk in, you instantly get the vibe and feel of what’s to come,” says the designer. The designer ended up loving the lead gray hue so much, she ended up carrying it onto the base of the kitchen island.
Roll with the Island Punches
To save money, Enger worked with a semi-custom cabinet maker to refresh the kitchen millwork without changing the layout too much. The smallest tweaks made all the difference, like adding an island set on casters so it could pass code while offering flexibility for future tenants.
When the designer asked her contractor how much it would cost to build the structure and top it with a leftover slab of quartzite, he quoted her a mere $700. Enger took the win and decided to splurge on a new panel-ready dishwasher and moved the sink out of the corner to make it more accessible.
Dig Deeper for a Trim Color
The home’s most underrated glow-up came in the form of a fresh coat of paint. Enger cleaned things up with Simply White by Benjamin Moore, which she loves for its creamy warm undertones and the fact that “it looks good with everything,” she says.
When it comes to baseboards and trim, she’ll usually opt for something slightly darker (in this case, White Dove) for an elevated look.
Stretch Out the Stairs
While the set of stairs going from the first level to the second only required a quick sprucing up, the steps going from floors two to three were a different story. They were treacherously steep. Enger was afraid they’d have to gut them and start anew, but her contractor came up with a different plan. By taking out a nearby closet, he was able to re-pitch the existing staircase without losing any of the original spindles.
Cut Ties with Ceiling Fans
With the exception of porches, Enger doesn’t love ceiling fans (especially when a house already has central air), so she replaced the eyesores with zen pendants instead. The second floor parlor gained an airy fixture by Muuto, while in many of the hallways, the designer installed flush mounts rather than recessed cans for a dose of personality.
Play Bedroom Jenga
Absorbing one of the primary bedroom’s windows into the new ensuite was a no-brainer. “Whenever a bathroom has a window, I’m sold,” Enger says, imagining future renter’s reactions to the sun-drenched space. Normally, the designer would tile all the walls in the space for some extra visual interest, but knowing this was a rental, and being mindful of the budget, she stuck to just the shower. To play up the style, she chose large-scale (read: affordable) tile from Marble America in a 12-by-24 inch size that almost looks like denim. “I love the way it catches the light,” says Enger.
Be the Talk of the Town
One of Enger’s top ticket items? Swapping out all the dingy metal windows for new wooden ones by Marvin (via General Lumber) that were paintable. Between that and cleaning up the neglected brick exterior, she started to garner a lot of positive attention from her neighbors. “That was a really rewarding part of this, just watching them come out and say how much they had wanted this to happen for so long,” she says. Knowing they’ll soon have a decor shop on their block also got them excited.
