Guest Room and Office Combo Lessons From a Tribeca Reno
Ana and Leo had already pulled off a tricky New York move: selling their old apartment while buying a new one. Then, just as they were ready to renovate, they nearly hired a contractor who raised serious red flags. They needed a better way to find someone reliable, and Sweeten, a free service that matches renovating homeowners with vetted general contractors, gave them the support they were looking for.
Their Sweeten contractor helped reshape the apartment with smarter layout changes. One of the biggest updates was an oversized sliding door system that turned an open office into a private guest suite. The result was a true guest room and office combo inside their Tribeca apartment, along with a more open living room, dining area, bedroom, kitchen, and two updated bathrooms.
Guest post by Tribeca homeowner and architect Ana
- Homeowners: Ana, an architect, and her husband, Leo, posted their Tribeca apartment renovation on Sweeten
- Where: Tribeca, Manhattan, New York
- Primary renovation: The renovation opened the kitchen, removed a narrow entry wall, squared off an angled wall between the living room and primary bedroom, and connected the office to the living room with oversized sliding panels so it could also work as a private guest suite. The project also updated the living room, dining area, bar nook with concealed TV, kitchen, two bathrooms, and more.
- Homeowner’s quote: “Knowing Sweeten was following the project and touching base with us periodically gave us peace of mind through the whole process.”
A tough buy-sell journey led to a Tribeca renovation
Nearly every real estate agent told us it could not be done. In New York, coordinating the sale of one apartment with the purchase of another can feel almost impossible. Leo was determined, though, so we decided to try.
After a long search, plenty of disappointment, lost bidding wars, and one contract that fell through, we finally met the right broker. Kristi Ambrosetti was not thrown by the buy-sell challenge. She helped us find our new home and sell our old one.
The apartment checked every major box. It was a 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath home in a doorman building in Tribeca, with great light and plenty of storage. The interior, though, was still in its original 1980s condition. It needed a complete apartment renovation to update the finishes and fix layout issues that made the space feel choppy and awkward.
We wanted the opposite: a contemporary, open home that felt calm, flexible, and easy to live in. Dining area with the living room to the right, the office and guest room combination to the left, and a bar and TV niche straight ahead with the TV hidden behind folding panels.
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A close contractor call changed their renovation path
As an architect, I created the initial renovation plans and met with several general contractors who said they were available for the job. After comparing bids, we were close to signing with one of them. Before moving forward, though, we decided to do more background checking and contractor due diligence.
What we found stopped us cold. The address listed in the contractor’s documents turned out to be an empty storefront in Queens. We had been close to making a large down payment to someone who might not have shown up for the job, and that was a scary thought.
That is when we moved our search for general contractors online and found Sweeten. We read about their screening process for qualified professionals, and it sounded like the kind of support we needed. So, we posted our project.
From the beginning, the process felt straightforward. Posting on the website was easy, and we were soon matched with a few New York renovation contractors.
As we started interviewing for the right renovation team, Miranda from Sweeten reached out and helped guide us through the process.
During those same weeks, we kept finalizing the layout, finishes, and fixtures. By the time we signed with our chosen Sweeten contractor, we were ready for demolition to begin.
Opening a guest room and office combo with a sliding door
Leo and I were a little nervous about some of the layout changes. We wanted the apartment to feel more open and flexible, but it is one thing to see that on paper and another to start taking down walls. Once demolition began, though, we knew the plan made sense.
By opening up the kitchen, the contractor also removed a narrow wall that had been blocking part of the entry. That small change made the hallway feel much less awkward. Squaring off the angled wall between the living room and the master bedroom also helped both rooms feel more balanced.
The biggest change was opening the office to the living room. Since the office also needed to work as a guest suite, privacy mattered. The guest room/office combo could be closed off with oversized sliding panels when guests stay over, while keeping the apartment open the rest of the time. Sweeten brings homeowners an exceptional renovation experience by personally matching trusted general contractors to your project, while offering expert guidance and support—at no cost to you. Renovate expertly with Sweeten
Several professionals had told us the panels would be too heavy and difficult to build. The Sweeten contracting team took on the challenge and executed them beautifully.
Turning renovation surprises into thoughtful details
The only real setback during demolition came from an electrical conduit hidden inside one of the living room walls we had planned to remove. The conduit ran down to the apartment below ours, so it had to stay where it was.
After talking it through with the contractor, Leo and I decided to remove the rest of the wall as planned and keep only the section with the conduit. That small remaining corner became a niche for a bookshelf. By the end of the renovation, it had become one of our favorite details in the apartment.
Another feature we loved from the start was a nook next to the living room. It seemed like the perfect spot for a small bar, and early on, we thought the design would be simple.
Then we decided the bar should also hide a 40-inch TV. That one choice led to weeks of research and several rounds of drawings before we landed on a design that worked for both the bar and the TV.
The dining room pendants brought their own challenge. The existing ceiling light was not centered over the dining table, and because of the concrete ceiling, we could not move it.
I had almost given up on having pendants over the table. Then Leo found the Swell String fixture, which allowed us to place the pendants where we wanted them, even though the canopy had to stay in its original spot.
Choosing classic finishes for a flexible home
The bathroom and kitchen finishes took a lot of discussion. We knew early on that we wanted marble tile in the bathrooms, but there were so many patterns, sizes, and price points to sort through. After narrowing the search to neutral tones and classic patterns, I chose Asian statuary from TileBar for the master bathroom.
For the guest bathroom, I picked a Bardiglio herringbone mosaic for the floor and used the same Asian statuary in the shower. To balance the more traditional tile, I chose modern Duravit fixtures and Grohe faucets. Towel warmers were high on our list, too. After a lot of research, we found a small hardwired option that worked well in both bathrooms.
For our small galley kitchen, we went with the same low-maintenance quartz countertops we had loved in our previous apartment. We paired them with white custom cabinets and integrated Bosch appliances.
The kitchen cabinet hardware was kept simple with black linear pulls, while walnut shelves on the back wall added a warmer accent and a bit of extra storage.
The kitchen backsplash was one of the hardest choices. We looked at everything from large glass panels to small patterned mosaics. In the end, marble subway tile from TileBar felt like the right fit. It softened the modern cabinets and countertops without making the kitchen feel too busy.
In the master bedroom, our main goals were to maximize storage and improve the flow of the room. Replacing the swing door with a pocket door made a noticeable difference. It gave us better access to a long wall of closets, which ended with a small custom vanity tucked into the corner.
The details came together with Sweeten’s support
In the end, Leo and I were glad we spent so much time thinking through the details. Each choice came together the way we had hoped, from the layout changes to the finishes. We were happy with our decisions, but also with the quality of the work and the experience the Sweeten contractor and his team brought to the project.
More than anything, it helped to know Sweeten was following the renovation and checking in with us along the way. That support gave us real peace of mind from start to finish.
Thanks to Ana and Leo for sharing their beautifully planned renovation! We are so glad Sweeten could help bring it together.
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Renovation materials
KITCHEN RESOURCES:
- Hardwood cabinets: custom.
- Matte Black Classico pulls: Schaub and Company.
- White Zeus quartz countertops: Silestone.
- Marble subway tile backsplash: TileBar.
- Starlight Chrome faucet, #31312001: Grohe.
- Stainless Steel Vault 25” single basin sink, #K-3822-4: Kohler.
- Integrated refrigerator 800 Series: Bosch.
- Range 800 Series: Bosch.
- Integrated dishwasher 800 Series: Bosch.
- Boop! wall/ceiling light: Lumens.
MASTER BATH RESOURCES:
- Asian statuary floor and wall tile: TileBar.
- HSB Jeeves 20″w hardwired straight stainless steel towel warmer: Amba.
- White Architec 66” acrylic tub, #700408: Duravit.
- Euphoria shower system 26177000 Starlight Chrome, #26177000: Grohe.
- DuraStyle one-piece toilet: Duravit.
- Vanity: custom.
- Vanity top: Silestone.
- Stark 3 sink, #030549: Duravit.
- Essence chrome faucet: Grohe.
- Modern Metro hardware, #TK277ALU: Top Knobs.
- Verdana Series medicine cabinet, #K-99003: Kohler.
- Anodized brushed nickel Choreograph shower wall hook, #K-97624: Kohler.
- Tubo Slim 33″ LED bath bar: Lumens.
SECOND BATH RESOURCES:
- Bardiglio herringbone mosaic floor tile: The Builder Depot.
- Asian statuary floor and wall tile: TileBar.
- HSB Jeeves 20″w hardwired straight stainless steel towel warmer: Amba.
- Euphoria shower system 26177000 Starlight Chrome: Grohe.
- DuraStyle one-piece toilet: Duravit.
- DuraStyle wall-mounted vanity base single drawer oak vanity: Duravit.
- DuraStyle furniture washbasin: Duravit.
- Starlight Chrome Concetto bathroom faucet, #32138001: Grohe.
- Verdana Series medicine cabinet, #K-99003: Kohler.
- Bright Polished Silver Choreograph 21″ floating shower shelf, #K-97623: Kohler.
- Tubo Slim 19″ LED bath bar: Lumens.
LIVING ROOM/ENTRY/BEDROOM RESOURCES:
- Maple hardwood flooring, Select & Better: Lauzon.
- Extra Long black flush pull: Doorware.
- Swell String pendant: Lumens.
- Casita outlets and switches: Lutron.
- Serena shades: Lutron.
- ecobee3 Smart Thermostat with room sensors: ecobee.
- Dabria White Geometric wallpaper: Brewster Wall Covering.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sliding door system?
A sliding door system is a door setup where one or more panels move horizontally along a track instead of swinging open. It can help separate rooms when privacy is needed while keeping the layout more open and flexible the rest of the time.
What should I consider before adding sliding panels?
One of the things you should consider before adding sliding panels is whether the wall, ceiling, and floor can support the track and panel weight. The size, material, and hardware all matter because larger panels need to move smoothly and feel secure in everyday use.
What is a bar nook?
A bar nook is a small built-in or designated area used for storing and serving drinks, glassware, and related items. It can be added to an unused corner, alcove, or wall so the space feels intentional without needing a separate room.
