Your two most crucial allies during any renovation— other than your contractor and your therapist—are patience and flexibility. There’s no getting around it. Things are going to go wrong. There will be unexpected costs and delays. The process will be uncomfortable, frustrating and, in many cases, terrifying.
In this issue we explore these notions expressed through modern homes from São Paulo, Austin, and Odawara, to Montreal, Los Angeles, and New York. For each, we present the dreaded “before” picture alongside the victorious final result, paying special consideration to the challenges and surprises along the way.
First up is an outstanding reboot for an ailing outbuilding in upstate New York (page 36). In 2009 residents Alan Orenbuch and Bryan O’Rourke purchased a property with two existing structures by Harvard Five architect…
