April 23, 2024 • 28 mins
From the hallowed halls of legal practice to the heartwarming corners of a restored historic mansion, Mehak Jamil takes us through the remarkable metamorphosis of a bygone-era gem into a lively, love-filled home. Imagine discovering a grand 1890 federal mansion at an auction, ripe with potential and whispering tales of the past, then embarking on a journey to weave your own narrative into its very fabric. This is the story Mehak shares with us, as she delved into the colossal task of repurposing a former commercial law firm into the warm embrace of a family residence, all while her life bloomed with the impending arrival of a second child and the world braced against the winds of a pandemic.
Mehak's adventure in restoration isn't just about the bricks and mortar; it's a testament to the resilience and dedication of a family committed to preserving history while crafting a modern-day sanctuary. Her tale is one of emotional resonance, as she speaks to the soulful experience of imprinting a unique family mark upon their abode. We’re led through the heart of Mehak's home, pausing at the hearth of a specially renovated fireplace decked in Tile Club's finest, a symbol of the joy and satisfaction that comes from creating something truly your own amidst the backdrop of unforeseen global chaos.
As we round out our conversation, Mehak's insights on the melding of her South Asian heritage with the Victorian grandeur of her Albany mansion serve as a beacon for cultural integration within historic preservation. Each room in her home doesn't just function as a living space; it stands as an homage to her family's roots and identity. Her narration of tackling home renovations with a colicky newborn and through the surprise of a third pregnancy underscores the therapeutic power of hands-on creativity. Mehak leaves us with pearls of wisdom on the art of renovation with intention, urging us to honor our instincts and embrace the stories we wish our homes to tell.
LINKS:
- Follow Mehak on IG: https://www.instagram.com/our1890khantique/
- See the fireplace project: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17961420674304721/
- Button Tiles from Tile Club: https://www.tileclub.com/collections/buttons-porcelain-penny-round-tile
- Read the blog: https://www.tileclub.com/blogs/news/from-1890-federal-mansion-to-modern-sanctuary-with-mehak-jamil
- Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/68WESj2vk7k?feature=shared
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/mellow-bop
License code: DMOG7RNGEPGMIPJH
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to Tile Trends, the podcast where
we dive deep into the world oftile design and home renovation.
I'm your host, Lindsay Flukiger, and today we have a very
special guest joining us.
She's not only a financialcompliance attorney, but also
the creative genius behind our1890 Contique, where she shares
(00:20):
the journey of restoring herstunning federal mansion in
Albany, New York.
Please give a warm welcome toMehak Jamil Mehak, it's
fantastic to have you on theshow.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thanks so much for having me, lindsay, I'm so
excited and creative genius.
I feel like you're talkingabout someone else, but very
kind of you.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
We're so excited to have you with us today.
Thank you for taking the timeto sit down and chat.
We would love to hear more withus today.
Thank you for taking the timeto sit down and chat.
We would love to hear moreabout your background.
Tell us everything about whoyou are and your journey to get
to where you are today.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, oh, my gosh Big question.
So, like you said, I'm afinancial compliance attorney.
I'm Pakistani, muslim American.
I grew up right outside ofPrinceton, new Jersey, met my
husband about seven years agoand from our first date to the
day we got married was aboutfive and a quarter months, which
(01:15):
is crazy.
Um.
So met him, married him, movedout to Albany.
He's born and raised Albany.
He's in real estate, soobviously has a lot of interest
in real estate properties.
How we ended up in this house,we started with, just you know,
a standard two bedroom, two bathtown home.
(01:36):
And when we, we had our firstkid and she was about a year and
a half old and we started kindof looking for other places.
Albany is actually one of theoldest lasting settlements from
the 13 original colonies, sothere's a lot of history here.
And on weekends, you know, wewould just go check out open
houses for homes from the 1700s,1800s and they were all
(02:00):
beautiful, but nothing reallyfelt right for us.
And they were all beautiful,but nothing really felt right
for us.
One of the hallmarks of theconstruction of that time was a
really large open floor plan onthe first floor and then a very
boxy second floor.
And that didn't necessarilyscare us.
Again, my husband's a realestate developer, so he was like
, oh, I can do this all myself,but for whatever reason it
(02:21):
didn't really fit.
Then one day I remember soclearly I had a pediatrician's
appointment.
I think it was my daughter's18-month appointment.
And he was like swing by thishouse, there's an open house.
Swing by this house before yougo.
So I get here to this house andit's a law firm.
It's a full-blown commerciallaw firm.
(02:43):
Every room is an office.
There's no kitchen.
It's a full blown commerciallaw firm.
Every room is an office.
There's no kitchen.
There's one powder bath on eachfloor and we walked through it
really quick.
Again.
I had to get to thepediatrician's appointment and
we get outside and he's like sowhat do you think?
And I was like I think it's alaw firm.
What do you want me to thinkabout it?
And he told me it was going upfor auction.
(03:03):
The law firm had been boughtout by a regional firm and one
of the conditions of the salewas they had to get rid of this
building and move into moremodern offices.
So he was like we could getthis out of steel and I was like
that's fine, but I like it's alaw firm.
I don't understand.
So I remember so clearly thatnight.
We sat down at the dining tableafter putting the baby to bed
(03:26):
and he, on a piece of napkin,literally drew out for me like
here is what we would turn intoa bedroom, here's what we would
turn into the dining room.
And then I was like, okay, itmakes sense.
When you're not in thatbusiness it's very hard to
visualize.
Um, but so that was May of 2019.
A couple weeks later, thebuilding went on auction.
(03:48):
We won the auction in june 2019, closed on the house.
Uh, july 2019 found out we werepregnant with our second um.
The law firm had a four monthnotice period, so they were
actually in the building untiloctober nove.
We started construction rightaround Thanksgiving and moved in
(04:09):
in February.
So, like three months, I was 38weeks pregnant.
We moved in February 20th,delivered my son March 14th and
March 22nd the world shut downfor COVID.
And that was four years ago.
And here we are and it'sunbelievable sometimes to look
(04:30):
around and think we made it andwe ended up in this beautiful
space and we turned it from thatvery commercial, very sterile
law firm into a home that is sounique.
It really is like a once in alifetime home, but also so
functional for our families.
Right?
Sometimes it can be very hardto turn a historic property into
(04:53):
something that really works foryour family.
We have three kids under theage of six.
We have two elderly parentsliving with us, so it's a space
we spend a lot of time.
It's a space that sees a lot ofliving.
So we're just so excited, sohonored, so grateful to be the
stewards of this property in itsnew chapter.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Amazing story.
I was not expecting that Unreal, so it just sounds like there's
been so much love and heartsput into this home to make it
yours.
How important was it to you andyour family to preserve the
history of this building?
Speaker 2 (05:34):
It was so important and actually that's something I
probably should have mentionedin the introduction.
So the home was built in 1890as a single family home by this
incredible entrepreneur widow.
She had lost her husband andshe built this house which at
the time was kind of uptown forAlbany.
It was outside city proper.
Now it's, you know, within thedowntown boundaries, but at the
(05:58):
time it was like the suburbs.
And she was a verywell-traveled woman.
She had spent a lot of time inEurope so she pulled a lot of
architectural elements fromFrench architecture at the time.
And that's what I was sayingwhen we had been window shopping
for houses before.
Nothing really felt rightbecause it was very boxy.
But this house, because of thiswoman's progressive vision and
(06:22):
how much she had seen in theworld, the floor plans across
the floors are almost identical.
You have these offensivelylarge hallways that are 10 feet
wide.
You have these gigantic rooms.
I mean I think each of ourbedrooms is 300 to 400 square
feet.
The entire building is aboutover 12,000 square feet.
(06:42):
So there's a lot of characterhere.
So, built as a single familyhome, went through a couple of
families, she left after, Ithink, just two years of being
in the home.
She found it too depressing,too far away.
She left.
I think two or three morefamilies lived here.
Then SUNY Albany bought it andused it as a dorm for about 50
(07:03):
years and at one point 80 boyslived in this house.
And then in the 80s acommercial real estate firm
bought it and they housed acouple different companies here.
There was like a PR firm, therewas a smaller law firm, etc.
And then late 80s the firm thatwe purchased a house from
bought it and they used it astheir headquarters for better
(07:26):
part of 30 years.
So purchasing it from that lawfirm and turning it back to its
original intended use of asingle family home was really
important to us.
Also really cool to have ourkids be the first kids kind of
running through the halls inover a century in this house,
right.
(07:46):
But the house has justremarkable character and detail
and we were so lucky to havepurchased it from a law firm
that was so dedicated to alsopreserving its natural and
historic detail.
So you can see behind me all ofthat detail is hand carved
plaster.
Every single ceiling hasdifferent trim.
(08:09):
Every single floor is adifferent design of wood.
Most of the rooms havedifferent types of wood used.
We have these two absolutelystunning porches on both the
first floor and the second floorof the home that overlook
Washington Park, which is thebig park in downtown Albany that
was designed by the samegentleman who designed Central
(08:30):
Park and Prospect Park in NewYork City.
The only home in Albany thathas this right.
We are known as the home withthe big porches.
It has a very Charleston feel.
So I give you all theseexamples to show you how unique
this home is.
And even if you wanted to buildsomething like this today, you
(08:50):
couldn't.
You're not going to find peoplewho can do this hand carved,
incredibly detailed ceiling work, and so it was.
It was very, very important tous to keep that original
character, to preserve somethingthat's lasted through the test
of time right and not replace itwith kind of the cookie cutter
consumerist stuff you see now.
(09:11):
But it was also equallyimportant.
Like I said, we had three kids,young kids.
We have two elderly parents.
My husband has a very largeextended family.
We host a lot.
There's always people in andout of the home.
So it was also very importantfor us to have a home that was
entirely livable and not a homethat had 10 rooms sectioned off
(09:32):
and only one room that peoplecan actually sit in.
We had to build a new kitchenfrom scratch.
We had to build new bathrooms,and so those aren't entirely
period appropriate, but they'refunctional and they go with the
character of the house, and thatwas that always.
You know we're still doing workon it now, and that remains at
(09:54):
the forefront of anything we do.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Wow, twelve thousand square feet.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
I know my Dyson really gets a workout.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I know my Dyson really gets a workout.
Can you talk about some of thechallenges that you face in
having to take this large space,this historic home that really
didn't have all of the thingsthat you needed, like you said,
kitchens, bathrooms that wereneeded to be built.
What were some challenges thatyou ran into during your
renovation?
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Yeah, I think the hardest thing that people don't
realize about historic homes isthey're historic for a reason,
right?
They construction was verydifferent back then and we're
used to, you know, just drywallsheetrock.
You can punch a hole through it.
You can't do that with thesewalls.
These walls are 12 inches thick.
There's brick glass, I mean.
(10:45):
They are indestructible andthat's why they've lasted 130
years.
So I am, I thought, a veryhandy person, but I you know you
can't screw in a closet rod inthese walls.
There's a specific drill thatyou need, basically for brick.
And so that was reallychallenging.
Right, to know that nothing isa quick, easy fix.
(11:07):
Nothing is straightforward.
This house is also on a hill.
It's right up.
We sit at the top of Washingtonpark.
It has settled tremendouslyover the past century and a half
, and so there's not a singlestraight surface.
Everything slopes a little thisway Our main hallway downstairs
kind of looks like the ocean.
(11:28):
It goes through a wave.
You put a chair by a desk inone corner of the room and a day
later it's on the other cornerbecause it's just rolled down.
So that's also challenging,right.
You don't have straight lines.
Nothing is off the shelf.
Everything has to be custommade.
The scale of this home isabsolutely massive.
(11:50):
Like I said, we have 12 footceilings, we have these gigantic
rooms.
Our doorways are not standard,so everything is very custom and
very expensive, and we're solucky that my husband is a real
estate developer.
He did a lot of the workhimself and now we have found
some really incredible artisansthat have helped us do a lot of
(12:11):
the custom work.
But, yes, it gets a very priceyand it gets very difficult.
Everything is an out of the boxsolution.
You can't just go to, like homeDepot, and pick a door and
install it, you know to.
I think those have been thereally big challenges.
Oh, and then the fact that theworld shut down, you know, a
couple months after we moved in.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
So that was tough.
It really sounds like quite theadventure for you guys, but so
unique.
I'm loving hearing all thelittle quirks and little things
that you know.
People in you know a newerbuild aren't dealing with, but
it sounds like you're having waymore fun.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
We really are.
And if anybody had told me whenwe you know, the day we
purchased the home on auction,if anybody had told me all the
challenges we would face and youknow how hard it would be and
how many fights we would haveand how stressful it would be,
we would have probably thoughttwice about doing it.
But I'm so glad I came into itkind of so naive and looking
(13:11):
back now, having gone throughthe hardest part, I'm like, yeah
, okay, you know, all's wellthat ends well.
Of course, in the moment it wasdifficult, but again, you know,
sometimes I really look aroundand I look back on pictures from
when we were in the middle ofconstruction.
You know, my husband onlyallowed me to come visit the
house once a week during that,like last month, and I remember
(13:35):
every single day after I visitedI would sit in the parking lot
in my truck and I would cry.
Remember, I'm like thirdtrimester pregnant and I was
like what have we gottenourselves into?
How will this be completed?
But now I look around and I'mso proud of what we've built and
I'm so proud of all the workwe've done and so much of it has
been with our own two handsright.
(13:56):
Of course, there were a lot of,like I said, amazing artisans,
amazing craftsmen that came inand helped us, but in every
single room there's stuff thatwe have done All the hardwood
restoring.
My husband did it himself,right.
So it's, it's amazing to walkthrough a space and know that
you have really, truly left yourmark on it and you know,
(14:18):
hopefully the family that's inhere in a hundred years will
like what we've done, um, and asthey add their mark.
But it's, it's a reallybeautiful thing.
It's a really beautiful thing.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
So amazing.
I'm feeling so inspired by allthat you guys have done.
I would not have said thisthree years ago.
Yeah, I mean, I can't imaginebeing third trimester and just
wanting to get things done andwondering, and so we know, a lot
of times with renovation, evenconstruction, you don't know.
You think you have a timelineand anything could happen.
(14:50):
So I'm so happy for you thatyou guys were able to move in
and get settled and continue on.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Yeah, and you know I'm so like we moved in
literally.
It was still a constructionzone.
It was very important to me tomove in before my son was born
and you know, at the time, likeyes, covid was, people were
starting to talk about it but noone really took it seriously
and nobody would have believedfour years ago that we would
still be here.
(15:17):
So I pushed my husband to getin.
And when I say we wereconstruction zone, like we were
construction zone, my Islandliterally was delivered at the
same time.
Island literally was deliveredat the same time.
My moving trucks came in.
We had one functional bathroom,we had working sinks, but work
(15:37):
very much continued when wemoved in.
But I'm so glad we pushed andpersevered through that because,
like I said, a month later theworld shut down and if we hadn't
moved in then I don't know howmuch time we would have lost.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Wow, that timing was impeccable.
So, speaking of some of thehands-on DIY renovations, we
have been privy to see youramazing Instagram account and
some different renovations thatyou've done yourself and, of
course, one of our favorites isthe adorable fireplace
renovation in your daughter'sbedroom using Tile Club's
(16:15):
buttons porcelain tilecollection.
What sparked the idea for thatproject?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
So, oh my gosh, I'm going to start crying during
this one, because my daughter'sroom is really important to me.
You know we moved in I told youwhen she was.
She was 19 months when we movedin, because her and my son are
19 months apart.
She was a baby right and in thevery, in a very short period of
time she left the only home shehad known, moved into something
(16:45):
.
Our townhouse was 1200 squarefeet so we literally upgraded to
10 times the house.
So she moved into this giganticspace, got a new brother who
was colicky and cried all thetime.
So it was a lot of change for alittle kid.
So her room was the very firstroom I set up.
I remember the night before wemoved in I waddled over here,
(17:07):
you know, set up her crib, setup her dresser, set up a basket
of her toys.
We had an amazing nanny at thetime who drove her over first
thing while we were situatingthe movers, just so she would
feel comfortable in her space.
And you know again, when youmove into a house this large,
it's very overwhelming to knowwhere to start.
(17:29):
I don't have any formal designtraining or experience.
I was just kind of flying bythe seat of my pants and by my
like hormonal rollercoasterright.
So her room was the first one.
It felt manageable and I threwmyself into it.
I did this beautiful gallerywall that's still up in her room
.
I got this really cute bowholder for all of her clips and
(17:51):
stuff.
Then I didn't touch it for avery long time.
Two and a half years ago when Ifound out we were expecting our
classic surprise number threebaby.
When we found out she was agirl, I was like okay, I want
the two girls to share a roomand I thought it was high time
to give some sort of upgrade toit.
So we did the closet, which isanother project, and then the
(18:13):
fireplace.
I had never really looked atany of the fireplaces in the
house.
Suny had closed them off.
Obviously, with 80 boys, youdon't want functional fireplaces
in every room and you know wehad so many other big things to
do that the fireplaces nevereven like appeared in my view.
When I was looking at a roomand when I was looking at her
(18:35):
room thinking about how I canrefresh it, it like stuck out to
me like what is this eyesoreand why haven't we done anything
to it.
There was just this stone slabat the bottom that was gray and
very drab.
The surround was brick that hadbeen painted like a cream,
which looked beautiful, but theslab was just very ugly, kind of
(18:55):
cracked, and honestly, again, Idon't have any design, formal
design training.
I find a lot of my inspirationfrom social media, whether it's
Instagram, whether it'sPinterest, whether it's you know
, a catalog from a furniturestore and somebody and I can get
you the exact name of thehandle she had redone a
(19:17):
fireplace with penny tile andpenny tile was all the rage.
This was like last year anotheramazing South Asian creator
that I follow, kim Inkasa, haddone.
She'd redone her guest bath anddone this beautiful custom
penny tile floor.
And it started like spinningcircles in my head.
What if I did something customin this room that would really
(19:38):
be so special to this room andliven it up?
So we have a lot of likepurples, turquoise, pinks and
yellows in the room, and thenthis like drab, gray fireplace
was not on brand.
So I started toying with theidea of it and then, as like
none of my DIYs are plannedright, I kind of jump in.
(19:59):
I'm a Leo, I just like jump inand then figure it out.
So I went online, I went ontoyour website and I was like I'm
just going to order every colorpenny tile you guys have and you
know they came and I wouldmatch them with, like the color
of the rug and the bedding andsee what worked.
And it all kind of just startedcoming together and I remember
it took me a month and a half todo it and I changed the design
(20:23):
like six times.
My daughter helped me do it andthe great thing about penny
tiles, it's very customizable.
But it's also very laborintensive, right Like you have
to pop out each tile at once andthen, you know, replace it.
But the end result was thisbeautiful, very vibrant, very um
, it's just like when I look atit it's cheerful and it's happy.
(20:46):
And when I look at it even nowit's been, you know, a year and
a half since we've completed itEven now I look at it and I
remember sitting there with myson and my daughter picking out
the tiles and then you know thedesign of the vase the blue
tiles in the vase.
That was my daughter's idea.
She was like mama, you have toput water for the flowers you
(21:07):
know it feels so good to seethat and know this was something
we did together and again justleft our mark on this room, and
it'll probably suck for the nextfamily who comes in and uses it
as a boy's room or wants to useit as like a formal office, but
for right now it's.
It's exactly what I wanted forthe room.
It adds cheer.
(21:27):
It adds such a beautiful,distinct and custom touch and I
can't believe when I look at it,that I did that.
It was my first time tiling.
It was my first time usingthinset, my first time using
grout.
But goes to show you thatinternet can teach you anything.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
My first time using Grout but goes to show you that
internet can teach you anything.
It really is happy Every time Iscroll through you know, some
of our UGC and I see some of thedifferent collaborations we've
done or just projects we've beentagged in.
I literally smile every time Isee that one because it's so
bright and happy you did such awonderful job with the color
scheme and, from the rug to thefireplace, everything is is just
(22:07):
perfect.
Obviously, the result wasabsolutely stunning and penny
rounds are timeless, so maybethe next person will decide to
make a change, or maybe not.
You never know.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Yeah, well, that's what I mean right, like really
honoring the character of thehome while also doing something
that feels right for your use.
So, exactly like you said,penny towel has been used for
decades, for over a century.
There very well may have beenpenny towel in the home back
when it was created.
So that part felt like it wasvery true and period appropriate
(22:42):
.
But you know, the colors mayhave been different than what
they would have chosen.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Speaking of those vibrant, beautiful colors, let's
talk a little bit about how youwent about incorporating your
South Asian imprint into thedesign of your home.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, absolutely so.
It's a really interesting anddifficult thing to do that right
.
When you buy a home that'shistoric, you really have to
respect the energy of the homeand these homes really do come
with such a strong and grandcharacter and energy.
(23:19):
So our home is a federalVictorian mansion and you can't
put the all beige, all neutralvibe in here.
It doesn't go, it doesn't fitand worked out perfectly because
we are first generationPakistani Muslim Americans and
our culture is very rich incolors and textiles and fabric
(23:42):
and it's actually been the mostbeautiful journey to marry those
two energies together to stillrespect and highlight the
stately grandness of the homewhile also incorporating this
warmth from the Pakistanitextiles and rugs.
We have some beautiful rugs inthe home, rich in reds and
(24:03):
greens, which is like not whatyou see mostly over Instagram,
but it really brings out acoziness and warmth in the home.
So one thing that it's myfavorite compliment and so far
almost everybody who's comethrough the doors has said it is
for such a large home, it stillfeels very warm and cozy and
(24:23):
that's exactly what we weregoing for and what we need,
right.
Like I said, I don't want mykids growing up in a house where
they can't go to that room orthat room or that.
My kids go to every single roomand I think bringing that South
Asian richness of the culturehas really helped us achieve
that vibe in the house.
But it was very important.
(24:45):
It was very important for ourtradition, our identity, to be
reflected in the home.
We're also very active.
My husband sits on the board ofthe local Historic Preservation
Society and there's not a lotof minority people who get into
old home ownership orrestoration.
(25:05):
So it's very important to usthat, being a part of this
community, we bring our ownflavor to it and I'm so happy
and proud that we've achievedthat.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
What a beautiful thing for the community and for
your family as well.
This has just been so wonderfultoday to get to know more about
you and how you've infused yourlove for your heritage your
passion for design.
Even though you feel like youdon't have a lot of experience,
you've been able to preservethis beautiful home, and I just
it's so interesting.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
It's really been healing in a way, right Like I
do this really boring day joband then I work from home,
luckily, which is amazing, butthere's no separation between my
work and home life.
And then I work from home,luckily, which is amazing, but
there's no separation between mywork and home life and so I use
the house as like my creativeoutlet.
Like I said, the past fouryears have been crazy.
We had a colicky newborn, COVIDhappened, then a surprise third
(26:00):
baby, and the house has been socathartic for me and so healing
for me.
And you know there's researchabout the chemicals that are
released in your body when youdo something with your hands and
it's, it's so true.
So it's.
It's been really fun, reallytough, really stressful, but
really fun.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
What advice would you give to people who are wanting
to renovate their own space?
What's your one piece of advicethat you would like to leave
with us today?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Oh my God, be intentional.
You have to be intentional.
You can't do an entire room atonce.
Don't do something just for thesake of getting it done.
Take your time.
Whether it's a DIY, whetherit's a piece of furniture, find
something that speaks to you andwill stay with you.
I feel like we are living insuch a challenging time of just
(26:50):
being bombarded at all timeswith information and images and
it leads to this like, well,that person has that, I should
have that, and you know, if Ijust buy all this and maybe I'll
get it.
And you have to be intentional.
Nobody's space is like yourspace.
Nobody's story is like yourstory.
Nobody's needs are like yourneeds.
(27:11):
You know, I don't think I couldhave gone out, even if I wanted
to, and hired a designer andgotten to the point where we're
at.
And that's not to say that I'vedone it perfectly.
I'm sure, like my proportionsare wrong and my colors are
wrong, but it's what we neededand it's what works for us.
And my advice would just belike trust your gut, trust your
(27:32):
instinct, don't be scared tomake mistakes either.
You don't have to do it perfect, but if you're really just
intentional, if you sit with it,you'll end up with something
far greater than any catalogcould give you.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Thank you again so much for sharing your insights
and experience with us.
It's been such a pleasure tohave you on the show.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
This was so fun, lindsay, and thank you for
having me, and let's see whatelse we can do.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
I love it, let's do it.
And to all our listeners, besure to check out Mahek's
Instagram at our 1890 Contiquefor more inspiring design ideas.
We'll put all the links in ourshow notes today.
That's all for today's episodeof Tile Trends.
Until next time, happyrenovating.
Hello and welcome to Tile Trends, the podcast where
we dive deep into the world oftile design and home renovation.
I'm your host, Lindsay Flukiger, and today we have a very
special guest joining us.
She's not only a financialcompliance attorney, but also
the creative genius behind our1890 Contique, where she shares
(00:20):
the journey of restoring herstunning federal mansion in
Albany, New York.
Please give a warm welcome toMehak Jamil Mehak, it's
fantastic to have you on theshow.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thanks so much for having me, lindsay, I'm so
excited and creative genius.
I feel like you're talkingabout someone else, but very
kind of you.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
We're so excited to have you with us today.
Thank you for taking the timeto sit down and chat.
We would love to hear more withus today.
Thank you for taking the timeto sit down and chat.
We would love to hear moreabout your background.
Tell us everything about whoyou are and your journey to get
to where you are today.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, oh, my gosh Big question.
So, like you said, I'm afinancial compliance attorney.
I'm Pakistani, muslim American.
I grew up right outside ofPrinceton, new Jersey, met my
husband about seven years agoand from our first date to the
day we got married was aboutfive and a quarter months, which
(01:15):
is crazy.
Um.
So met him, married him, movedout to Albany.
He's born and raised Albany.
He's in real estate, soobviously has a lot of interest
in real estate properties.
How we ended up in this house,we started with, just you know,
a standard two bedroom, two bathtown home.
(01:36):
And when we, we had our firstkid and she was about a year and
a half old and we started kindof looking for other places.
Albany is actually one of theoldest lasting settlements from
the 13 original colonies, sothere's a lot of history here.
And on weekends, you know, wewould just go check out open
houses for homes from the 1700s,1800s and they were all
(02:00):
beautiful, but nothing reallyfelt right for us.
And they were all beautiful,but nothing really felt right
for us.
One of the hallmarks of theconstruction of that time was a
really large open floor plan onthe first floor and then a very
boxy second floor.
And that didn't necessarilyscare us.
Again, my husband's a realestate developer, so he was like
, oh, I can do this all myself,but for whatever reason it
(02:21):
didn't really fit.
Then one day I remember soclearly I had a pediatrician's
appointment.
I think it was my daughter's18-month appointment.
And he was like swing by thishouse, there's an open house.
Swing by this house before yougo.
So I get here to this house andit's a law firm.
It's a full-blown commerciallaw firm.
(02:43):
Every room is an office.
There's no kitchen.
It's a full blown commerciallaw firm.
Every room is an office.
There's no kitchen.
There's one powder bath on eachfloor and we walked through it
really quick.
Again.
I had to get to thepediatrician's appointment and
we get outside and he's like sowhat do you think?
And I was like I think it's alaw firm.
What do you want me to thinkabout it?
And he told me it was going upfor auction.
(03:03):
The law firm had been boughtout by a regional firm and one
of the conditions of the salewas they had to get rid of this
building and move into moremodern offices.
So he was like we could getthis out of steel and I was like
that's fine, but I like it's alaw firm.
I don't understand.
So I remember so clearly thatnight.
We sat down at the dining tableafter putting the baby to bed
(03:26):
and he, on a piece of napkin,literally drew out for me like
here is what we would turn intoa bedroom, here's what we would
turn into the dining room.
And then I was like, okay, itmakes sense.
When you're not in thatbusiness it's very hard to
visualize.
Um, but so that was May of 2019.
A couple weeks later, thebuilding went on auction.
(03:48):
We won the auction in june 2019, closed on the house.
Uh, july 2019 found out we werepregnant with our second um.
The law firm had a four monthnotice period, so they were
actually in the building untiloctober nove.
We started construction rightaround Thanksgiving and moved in
(04:09):
in February.
So, like three months, I was 38weeks pregnant.
We moved in February 20th,delivered my son March 14th and
March 22nd the world shut downfor COVID.
And that was four years ago.
And here we are and it'sunbelievable sometimes to look
(04:30):
around and think we made it andwe ended up in this beautiful
space and we turned it from thatvery commercial, very sterile
law firm into a home that is sounique.
It really is like a once in alifetime home, but also so
functional for our families.
Right?
Sometimes it can be very hardto turn a historic property into
(04:53):
something that really works foryour family.
We have three kids under theage of six.
We have two elderly parentsliving with us, so it's a space
we spend a lot of time.
It's a space that sees a lot ofliving.
So we're just so excited, sohonored, so grateful to be the
stewards of this property in itsnew chapter.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Amazing story.
I was not expecting that Unreal, so it just sounds like there's
been so much love and heartsput into this home to make it
yours.
How important was it to you andyour family to preserve the
history of this building?
Speaker 2 (05:34):
It was so important and actually that's something I
probably should have mentionedin the introduction.
So the home was built in 1890as a single family home by this
incredible entrepreneur widow.
She had lost her husband andshe built this house which at
the time was kind of uptown forAlbany.
It was outside city proper.
Now it's, you know, within thedowntown boundaries, but at the
(05:58):
time it was like the suburbs.
And she was a verywell-traveled woman.
She had spent a lot of time inEurope so she pulled a lot of
architectural elements fromFrench architecture at the time.
And that's what I was sayingwhen we had been window shopping
for houses before.
Nothing really felt rightbecause it was very boxy.
But this house, because of thiswoman's progressive vision and
(06:22):
how much she had seen in theworld, the floor plans across
the floors are almost identical.
You have these offensivelylarge hallways that are 10 feet
wide.
You have these gigantic rooms.
I mean I think each of ourbedrooms is 300 to 400 square
feet.
The entire building is aboutover 12,000 square feet.
(06:42):
So there's a lot of characterhere.
So, built as a single familyhome, went through a couple of
families, she left after, Ithink, just two years of being
in the home.
She found it too depressing,too far away.
She left.
I think two or three morefamilies lived here.
Then SUNY Albany bought it andused it as a dorm for about 50
(07:03):
years and at one point 80 boyslived in this house.
And then in the 80s acommercial real estate firm
bought it and they housed acouple different companies here.
There was like a PR firm, therewas a smaller law firm, etc.
And then late 80s the firm thatwe purchased a house from
bought it and they used it astheir headquarters for better
(07:26):
part of 30 years.
So purchasing it from that lawfirm and turning it back to its
original intended use of asingle family home was really
important to us.
Also really cool to have ourkids be the first kids kind of
running through the halls inover a century in this house,
right.
(07:46):
But the house has justremarkable character and detail
and we were so lucky to havepurchased it from a law firm
that was so dedicated to alsopreserving its natural and
historic detail.
So you can see behind me all ofthat detail is hand carved
plaster.
Every single ceiling hasdifferent trim.
(08:09):
Every single floor is adifferent design of wood.
Most of the rooms havedifferent types of wood used.
We have these two absolutelystunning porches on both the
first floor and the second floorof the home that overlook
Washington Park, which is thebig park in downtown Albany that
was designed by the samegentleman who designed Central
(08:30):
Park and Prospect Park in NewYork City.
The only home in Albany thathas this right.
We are known as the home withthe big porches.
It has a very Charleston feel.
So I give you all theseexamples to show you how unique
this home is.
And even if you wanted to buildsomething like this today, you
(08:50):
couldn't.
You're not going to find peoplewho can do this hand carved,
incredibly detailed ceiling work, and so it was.
It was very, very important tous to keep that original
character, to preserve somethingthat's lasted through the test
of time right and not replace itwith kind of the cookie cutter
consumerist stuff you see now.
(09:11):
But it was also equallyimportant.
Like I said, we had three kids,young kids.
We have two elderly parents.
My husband has a very largeextended family.
We host a lot.
There's always people in andout of the home.
So it was also very importantfor us to have a home that was
entirely livable and not a homethat had 10 rooms sectioned off
(09:32):
and only one room that peoplecan actually sit in.
We had to build a new kitchenfrom scratch.
We had to build new bathrooms,and so those aren't entirely
period appropriate, but they'refunctional and they go with the
character of the house, and thatwas that always.
You know we're still doing workon it now, and that remains at
(09:54):
the forefront of anything we do.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Wow, twelve thousand square feet.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
I know my Dyson really gets a workout.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I know my Dyson really gets a workout.
Can you talk about some of thechallenges that you face in
having to take this large space,this historic home that really
didn't have all of the thingsthat you needed, like you said,
kitchens, bathrooms that wereneeded to be built.
What were some challenges thatyou ran into during your
renovation?
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Yeah, I think the hardest thing that people don't
realize about historic homes isthey're historic for a reason,
right?
They construction was verydifferent back then and we're
used to, you know, just drywallsheetrock.
You can punch a hole through it.
You can't do that with thesewalls.
These walls are 12 inches thick.
There's brick glass, I mean.
(10:45):
They are indestructible andthat's why they've lasted 130
years.
So I am, I thought, a veryhandy person, but I you know you
can't screw in a closet rod inthese walls.
There's a specific drill thatyou need, basically for brick.
And so that was reallychallenging.
Right, to know that nothing isa quick, easy fix.
(11:07):
Nothing is straightforward.
This house is also on a hill.
It's right up.
We sit at the top of Washingtonpark.
It has settled tremendouslyover the past century and a half
, and so there's not a singlestraight surface.
Everything slopes a little thisway Our main hallway downstairs
kind of looks like the ocean.
(11:28):
It goes through a wave.
You put a chair by a desk inone corner of the room and a day
later it's on the other cornerbecause it's just rolled down.
So that's also challenging,right.
You don't have straight lines.
Nothing is off the shelf.
Everything has to be custommade.
The scale of this home isabsolutely massive.
(11:50):
Like I said, we have 12 footceilings, we have these gigantic
rooms.
Our doorways are not standard,so everything is very custom and
very expensive, and we're solucky that my husband is a real
estate developer.
He did a lot of the workhimself and now we have found
some really incredible artisansthat have helped us do a lot of
(12:11):
the custom work.
But, yes, it gets a very priceyand it gets very difficult.
Everything is an out of the boxsolution.
You can't just go to, like homeDepot, and pick a door and
install it, you know to.
I think those have been thereally big challenges.
Oh, and then the fact that theworld shut down, you know, a
couple months after we moved in.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
So that was tough.
It really sounds like quite theadventure for you guys, but so
unique.
I'm loving hearing all thelittle quirks and little things
that you know.
People in you know a newerbuild aren't dealing with, but
it sounds like you're having waymore fun.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
We really are.
And if anybody had told me whenwe you know, the day we
purchased the home on auction,if anybody had told me all the
challenges we would face and youknow how hard it would be and
how many fights we would haveand how stressful it would be,
we would have probably thoughttwice about doing it.
But I'm so glad I came into itkind of so naive and looking
(13:11):
back now, having gone throughthe hardest part, I'm like, yeah
, okay, you know, all's wellthat ends well.
Of course, in the moment it wasdifficult, but again, you know,
sometimes I really look aroundand I look back on pictures from
when we were in the middle ofconstruction.
You know, my husband onlyallowed me to come visit the
house once a week during that,like last month, and I remember
(13:35):
every single day after I visitedI would sit in the parking lot
in my truck and I would cry.
Remember, I'm like thirdtrimester pregnant and I was
like what have we gottenourselves into?
How will this be completed?
But now I look around and I'mso proud of what we've built and
I'm so proud of all the workwe've done and so much of it has
been with our own two handsright.
(13:56):
Of course, there were a lot of,like I said, amazing artisans,
amazing craftsmen that came inand helped us, but in every
single room there's stuff thatwe have done All the hardwood
restoring.
My husband did it himself,right.
So it's, it's amazing to walkthrough a space and know that
you have really, truly left yourmark on it and you know,
(14:18):
hopefully the family that's inhere in a hundred years will
like what we've done, um, and asthey add their mark.
But it's, it's a reallybeautiful thing.
It's a really beautiful thing.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
So amazing.
I'm feeling so inspired by allthat you guys have done.
I would not have said thisthree years ago.
Yeah, I mean, I can't imaginebeing third trimester and just
wanting to get things done andwondering, and so we know, a lot
of times with renovation, evenconstruction, you don't know.
You think you have a timelineand anything could happen.
(14:50):
So I'm so happy for you thatyou guys were able to move in
and get settled and continue on.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Yeah, and you know I'm so like we moved in
literally.
It was still a constructionzone.
It was very important to me tomove in before my son was born
and you know, at the time, likeyes, covid was, people were
starting to talk about it but noone really took it seriously
and nobody would have believedfour years ago that we would
still be here.
(15:17):
So I pushed my husband to getin.
And when I say we wereconstruction zone, like we were
construction zone, my Islandliterally was delivered at the
same time.
Island literally was deliveredat the same time.
My moving trucks came in.
We had one functional bathroom,we had working sinks, but work
(15:37):
very much continued when wemoved in.
But I'm so glad we pushed andpersevered through that because,
like I said, a month later theworld shut down and if we hadn't
moved in then I don't know howmuch time we would have lost.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Wow, that timing was impeccable.
So, speaking of some of thehands-on DIY renovations, we
have been privy to see youramazing Instagram account and
some different renovations thatyou've done yourself and, of
course, one of our favorites isthe adorable fireplace
renovation in your daughter'sbedroom using Tile Club's
(16:15):
buttons porcelain tilecollection.
What sparked the idea for thatproject?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
So, oh my gosh, I'm going to start crying during
this one, because my daughter'sroom is really important to me.
You know we moved in I told youwhen she was.
She was 19 months when we movedin, because her and my son are
19 months apart.
She was a baby right and in thevery, in a very short period of
time she left the only home shehad known, moved into something
(16:45):
.
Our townhouse was 1200 squarefeet so we literally upgraded to
10 times the house.
So she moved into this giganticspace, got a new brother who
was colicky and cried all thetime.
So it was a lot of change for alittle kid.
So her room was the very firstroom I set up.
I remember the night before wemoved in I waddled over here,
(17:07):
you know, set up her crib, setup her dresser, set up a basket
of her toys.
We had an amazing nanny at thetime who drove her over first
thing while we were situatingthe movers, just so she would
feel comfortable in her space.
And you know again, when youmove into a house this large,
it's very overwhelming to knowwhere to start.
(17:29):
I don't have any formal designtraining or experience.
I was just kind of flying bythe seat of my pants and by my
like hormonal rollercoasterright.
So her room was the first one.
It felt manageable and I threwmyself into it.
I did this beautiful gallerywall that's still up in her room
.
I got this really cute bowholder for all of her clips and
(17:51):
stuff.
Then I didn't touch it for avery long time.
Two and a half years ago when Ifound out we were expecting our
classic surprise number threebaby.
When we found out she was agirl, I was like okay, I want
the two girls to share a roomand I thought it was high time
to give some sort of upgrade toit.
So we did the closet, which isanother project, and then the
(18:13):
fireplace.
I had never really looked atany of the fireplaces in the
house.
Suny had closed them off.
Obviously, with 80 boys, youdon't want functional fireplaces
in every room and you know wehad so many other big things to
do that the fireplaces nevereven like appeared in my view.
When I was looking at a roomand when I was looking at her
(18:35):
room thinking about how I canrefresh it, it like stuck out to
me like what is this eyesoreand why haven't we done anything
to it.
There was just this stone slabat the bottom that was gray and
very drab.
The surround was brick that hadbeen painted like a cream,
which looked beautiful, but theslab was just very ugly, kind of
(18:55):
cracked, and honestly, again, Idon't have any design, formal
design training.
I find a lot of my inspirationfrom social media, whether it's
Instagram, whether it'sPinterest, whether it's you know
, a catalog from a furniturestore and somebody and I can get
you the exact name of thehandle she had redone a
(19:17):
fireplace with penny tile andpenny tile was all the rage.
This was like last year anotheramazing South Asian creator
that I follow, kim Inkasa, haddone.
She'd redone her guest bath anddone this beautiful custom
penny tile floor.
And it started like spinningcircles in my head.
What if I did something customin this room that would really
(19:38):
be so special to this room andliven it up?
So we have a lot of likepurples, turquoise, pinks and
yellows in the room, and thenthis like drab, gray fireplace
was not on brand.
So I started toying with theidea of it and then, as like
none of my DIYs are plannedright, I kind of jump in.
(19:59):
I'm a Leo, I just like jump inand then figure it out.
So I went online, I went ontoyour website and I was like I'm
just going to order every colorpenny tile you guys have and you
know they came and I wouldmatch them with, like the color
of the rug and the bedding andsee what worked.
And it all kind of just startedcoming together and I remember
it took me a month and a half todo it and I changed the design
(20:23):
like six times.
My daughter helped me do it andthe great thing about penny
tiles, it's very customizable.
But it's also very laborintensive, right Like you have
to pop out each tile at once andthen, you know, replace it.
But the end result was thisbeautiful, very vibrant, very um
, it's just like when I look atit it's cheerful and it's happy.
(20:46):
And when I look at it even nowit's been, you know, a year and
a half since we've completed itEven now I look at it and I
remember sitting there with myson and my daughter picking out
the tiles and then you know thedesign of the vase the blue
tiles in the vase.
That was my daughter's idea.
She was like mama, you have toput water for the flowers you
(21:07):
know it feels so good to seethat and know this was something
we did together and again justleft our mark on this room, and
it'll probably suck for the nextfamily who comes in and uses it
as a boy's room or wants to useit as like a formal office, but
for right now it's.
It's exactly what I wanted forthe room.
It adds cheer.
(21:27):
It adds such a beautiful,distinct and custom touch and I
can't believe when I look at it,that I did that.
It was my first time tiling.
It was my first time usingthinset, my first time using
grout.
But goes to show you thatinternet can teach you anything.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
My first time using Grout but goes to show you that
internet can teach you anything.
It really is happy Every time Iscroll through you know, some
of our UGC and I see some of thedifferent collaborations we've
done or just projects we've beentagged in.
I literally smile every time Isee that one because it's so
bright and happy you did such awonderful job with the color
scheme and, from the rug to thefireplace, everything is is just
(22:07):
perfect.
Obviously, the result wasabsolutely stunning and penny
rounds are timeless, so maybethe next person will decide to
make a change, or maybe not.
You never know.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Yeah, well, that's what I mean right, like really
honoring the character of thehome while also doing something
that feels right for your use.
So, exactly like you said,penny towel has been used for
decades, for over a century.
There very well may have beenpenny towel in the home back
when it was created.
So that part felt like it wasvery true and period appropriate
(22:42):
.
But you know, the colors mayhave been different than what
they would have chosen.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Speaking of those vibrant, beautiful colors, let's
talk a little bit about how youwent about incorporating your
South Asian imprint into thedesign of your home.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, absolutely so.
It's a really interesting anddifficult thing to do that right
.
When you buy a home that'shistoric, you really have to
respect the energy of the homeand these homes really do come
with such a strong and grandcharacter and energy.
(23:19):
So our home is a federalVictorian mansion and you can't
put the all beige, all neutralvibe in here.
It doesn't go, it doesn't fitand worked out perfectly because
we are first generationPakistani Muslim Americans and
our culture is very rich incolors and textiles and fabric
(23:42):
and it's actually been the mostbeautiful journey to marry those
two energies together to stillrespect and highlight the
stately grandness of the homewhile also incorporating this
warmth from the Pakistanitextiles and rugs.
We have some beautiful rugs inthe home, rich in reds and
(24:03):
greens, which is like not whatyou see mostly over Instagram,
but it really brings out acoziness and warmth in the home.
So one thing that it's myfavorite compliment and so far
almost everybody who's comethrough the doors has said it is
for such a large home, it stillfeels very warm and cozy and
(24:23):
that's exactly what we weregoing for and what we need,
right.
Like I said, I don't want mykids growing up in a house where
they can't go to that room orthat room or that.
My kids go to every single roomand I think bringing that South
Asian richness of the culturehas really helped us achieve
that vibe in the house.
But it was very important.
(24:45):
It was very important for ourtradition, our identity, to be
reflected in the home.
We're also very active.
My husband sits on the board ofthe local Historic Preservation
Society and there's not a lotof minority people who get into
old home ownership orrestoration.
(25:05):
So it's very important to usthat, being a part of this
community, we bring our ownflavor to it and I'm so happy
and proud that we've achievedthat.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
What a beautiful thing for the community and for
your family as well.
This has just been so wonderfultoday to get to know more about
you and how you've infused yourlove for your heritage your
passion for design.
Even though you feel like youdon't have a lot of experience,
you've been able to preservethis beautiful home, and I just
it's so interesting.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
It's really been healing in a way, right Like I
do this really boring day joband then I work from home,
luckily, which is amazing, butthere's no separation between my
work and home life.
And then I work from home,luckily, which is amazing, but
there's no separation between mywork and home life and so I use
the house as like my creativeoutlet.
Like I said, the past fouryears have been crazy.
We had a colicky newborn, COVIDhappened, then a surprise third
(26:00):
baby, and the house has been socathartic for me and so healing
for me.
And you know there's researchabout the chemicals that are
released in your body when youdo something with your hands and
it's, it's so true.
So it's.
It's been really fun, reallytough, really stressful, but
really fun.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
What advice would you give to people who are wanting
to renovate their own space?
What's your one piece of advicethat you would like to leave
with us today?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Oh my God, be intentional.
You have to be intentional.
You can't do an entire room atonce.
Don't do something just for thesake of getting it done.
Take your time.
Whether it's a DIY, whetherit's a piece of furniture, find
something that speaks to you andwill stay with you.
I feel like we are living insuch a challenging time of just
(26:50):
being bombarded at all timeswith information and images and
it leads to this like, well,that person has that, I should
have that, and you know, if Ijust buy all this and maybe I'll
get it.
And you have to be intentional.
Nobody's space is like yourspace.
Nobody's story is like yourstory.
Nobody's needs are like yourneeds.
(27:11):
You know, I don't think I couldhave gone out, even if I wanted
to, and hired a designer andgotten to the point where we're
at.
And that's not to say that I'vedone it perfectly.
I'm sure, like my proportionsare wrong and my colors are
wrong, but it's what we neededand it's what works for us.
And my advice would just belike trust your gut, trust your
(27:32):
instinct, don't be scared tomake mistakes either.
You don't have to do it perfect, but if you're really just
intentional, if you sit with it,you'll end up with something
far greater than any catalogcould give you.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Thank you again so much for sharing your insights
and experience with us.
It's been such a pleasure tohave you on the show.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
This was so fun, lindsay, and thank you for
having me, and let's see whatelse we can do.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
I love it, let's do it.
And to all our listeners, besure to check out Mahek's
Instagram at our 1890 Contiquefor more inspiring design ideas.
We'll put all the links in ourshow notes today.
That's all for today's episodeof Tile Trends.
Until next time, happyrenovating.
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