Upper West Side Apartment Painter

The Rochester Institute of Technology, 332 miles northwest of the Big Apple, offers a master of science degree in Color Science. According to its website, it’s “a unique master’s degree that decodes how humans perceive and interact with color, providing limitless real-world applications. At the only university in the nation offering this program of study, you will be exposed to the rich, dynamic field of color science through theory and practical application.” Now there’s a graduate program that seriously looks fascinating and fun.

We just love when clients go bold with color. This family had their new home painted before moving in, and we used nine colors throughout the spaces. Every newly painted wall in every room radiated energy and emotion as we brushed and rolled the new colors. Some of us might even have been humming a lively tune as we worked.

Imagine a wee one, fairly new to our world, waking up enveloped in this bold, cheerful shade of pink. Benjamin Moore has named it Sunlit Coral, for having a whisper of orange mingled into a courageous and striking fuchsia color. This was one very vibrant, energetic, happy project, for what we suspect is one very vibrant, energetic, happy family, with an abundant measure of bold and beautiful throughout their new home.

Cut, installed, primed, painted low box molding, chair rail, high picture molding for sensational, classy living room.

Beautiful box molding adds dimension and style.

Custom Manhattan Decorative Moldings  

Central Park West borders the entire, 2 ½-mile western edge of Central Park, and people live here in large part because of this 843-acre park. From streams and woods to open green spaces and myriad paths, the park beckons urban dwellers who crave a major slice of nature in the neighborhood. The architecture is stunning as well, and this client wanted some 1920-30’s flair in the apartment.

Adding box molding, a chair rail and picture molding on an otherwise blank, boring vertical wall transforms it into an exceptionally attractive visual component to the overall decor. All the molding came from Dyke’s Lumber Company, founded in 1909 and continuing its tradition of quality and integrity to this day. We measure twice and cut once to get each piece accurate for installation. There is not only a retro feel, but also an elegant charm with texture and final coats of Linen White, a creamy off-white star of Benjamin Moore’s neutral shades. The project successfully radiates the grace and grandeur found in glorious rooms a century ago.  

In process. Unfinished molding cut, leveled and installed.

In the beginning. One of the dull, flat, boring, non-sensational walls.

Painting a Classic 6 Manhattan Apartment

Painting a Classic 6 Manhattan apartment imparts a sense of reverence for these captivating homes. Constructed in the 1915 to 1930 timeline in New York City’s growth, pre-war buildings are mostly mid-rise structures erected with high quality steel and fine masonry materials. Thus, they are a classic component of the city’s heritage. The number 6 refers to their six rooms, specifically, a living room, formal dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a maid’s small bedroom and bath, separate from the family’s full bathroom.

 One new homeowner wanted everything freshly painted before moving in, and we addressed the specifics, which sometimes involves copies of our business license, insurance, special approvals, etc. The dining room was smoothly coated with Bar Harbor Beige, one of Benjamin Moore’s Classic Color Collection paints. The maid’s room and other spaces took on the paint Mayonnaise OC-85. Both neutrals framed with white satin painted trim offer a sophisticated presence for showcasing furnishings, fabrics and art pieces. Now the interior of this co-op apartment definitely exudes the refined stature of the entire building. For more info on the Classic 6, check out this website: https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/market-insight/features/great-listings/what-classic-six-see-10-beautiful-examples-market-right/20582.

AFTER - Bright and Lovely 2-Tone Cabinets and Hardware

BEFORE - Dull and Outdated Paint and Knobs

2-Tone Cabinet Painting in Manhattan

The kitchen, that proverbial heart of the home, has evolved in recent months in many a home to the proverbial heart of work space. Manhattan residences are not synonymous with McMansions or sprawling spaces where a home office can be quickly carved in an under-utilized room. Here, things are organized for maximum efficiency in every square foot; there simply are no under-utilized rooms. So, the new work-at-home model – whether temporary or permanent - must be adapted to what’s available. Here it was one outdated kitchen.

The client wanted to refresh her kitchen/home office combo, so after beautiful new counters and a modern horizontal-pattern backsplash were installed, we breezed in to paint the cabinets and install new hardware. The upper cupboards have been smoothly coated with the Sherwin-Williams satin paint named Pure White. The lower ones are Tricorn Black, also in satin, also a Sherwin-Williams product. The hardware is an understated elegant brushed nickel in simple square knobs and horizontal draw pulls. We suspect this lady can work better, smarter and more efficiently for having this stylish, sleek, new update at the end of her 14-foot [give or take] commute to work.

Manhattan Carpentry and Painting

Radiators and deep stone or marble windowsills may be passé in new house construction in favor of heat pumps and small vents and, all too often, no windowsills at all. These radiators of old still deliver heat in a warm and wonderful way. Considering that much of New York City’s housing is decades and centuries old, radiators are commonplace in homes, brownstones and apartment buildings. Incorporating them into the interior décor can be fun, and we surely enjoyed this job.

 Here we reinforced a beautiful, new stone windowsill, installed the baseboard, constructed shelves on both ends and built a radiator enclosure. The radiator may be hidden from sight, but the heat from it will waft through the metal mesh, warming this living room and the residents in it all winter long. We painted the entire project in Benjamin Moore’s Super White paint for a light, bright, fresh, functional interior accent piece neatly camouflaging a radiator.