118 Lafayette was a true diamond in the rough—when I first stepped inside, it had the eerie feel of an abandoned lair rather than the grandeur of a historic Brooklyn mansion. The parlor floor, typically the crown jewel of a home like this, had been stripped of its elegance. The owner's son had painted the walls in jarring primary colors, removed original moldings and sliding doors, and awkwardly attempted to create a bedroom by filling in a doorway with Sheetrock and cutting a makeshift window into it. The result was a disjointed, chaotic space that masked the home’s true potential.

I immediately got to work, removing all non-original modifications and tracking down the home’s original moldings and doors—which, thankfully, were still in the basement. We meticulously restored the architectural details, reinstating the elegance and symmetry of the parlor floor. All unnecessary junk, including the ill-conceived Sheetrock partition and window, was removed to allow the space to shine once more.

Once the transformation was complete, the difference was breathtaking. The home’s classic beauty was fully revealed, and the results spoke for themselves—it sold within a week for well over the asking price.