This Old House

New York City; This Brownstone is Beautiful Once Again

With the Brooklyn brownstone nearly complete, master carpenter Norm Abram and host Kevin O'Connor arrive to find a bustling sidewalk with both sod and furniture being delivered. In the backyard, landscape contractor Roger Cook sees how the sod is being laid down while local builder Michael Streaman installs the last of the missing spindles at the base of the main staircase. Norm visits Mount Laurel, New Jersey, to see how the turnings were made by both a CNC lathe and with chisels by hand. Design correspondent Carole Freehauf shows Kevin the finished rental apartment on the top floor. The apartment has a casual monochromatic scheme that lets the woodwork take center stage and a stunning kitchen with period-inspired details and modern amenities. Homeowner Karen Shen shows Norm the completed master bedroom level, now accessible from within the owner's unit by a vintage spiral staircase.