Beyond the best. Brian has been consistently delivering amazing service for years - and has done…read morecustom work and installs in my apartment to perfection. D&G offers the best interior design experience, bar none.

It pains me to have to write a negative review about another entrepreneur. I sincerely hope D&G…read moreInteriors addresses the problem so that I can update this review. D&G was hired to stage our home for sale. They and the realtors suggested we refinish the floors in the home before putting it on the market, which we agreed to do and received a bill from D&G for the floor resurfacing which we paid. D&G then moved furnishing into the home. We noticed some minor scratches on the brand new floors after the furnishing were moved in but let it go. When it came time to move the furnishings out, I asked that we be notified what day and time D&G would be moving out the furnishings so that we could ensure there was no further damage, but was not given a time. D&G entered my home without authorisation and significantly damaged the newly finished floors (see pics attached) while moving out the furnishings. I have made multiple calls to D&G attempting to have this resolved, but have yet to be connected with someone who is able to resolve the matter. I've been told these individuals are traveling. In the meantime, we are waiting to have the floors fixed before moving furniture into the home. I will update this review if someone from D&G calls me back and offers an amicable solution. I'm someone who would like to see all small business owners succeed, but also believes in standing behind one's service. Update: I spoke with the proprietor of D&G. I am appreciative that she called me back. She refused to take responsibility for the scratches. Instead she blamed Prime Realty who maintained control of the unit during the sales process. Prime Realty did provide D&G a key to enter the home. In sum, the deep scratches in the floor were not present prior to the removal of the furniture by D&G. They were present immediately after the removal of the furniture. It would have been appreciated if the company would have taken responsibility for the damage.

I've known Buddy since his Cranberry Hole Road days (early '90s, I stumbled in there by accident,…read moreand...). He has guided me through two apartment restylings (not renovations) 30 years apart in two NYC boroughs. As others have said, he is a different kind of designer--and so full of ideas that at first it's overwheming, and you might wish you had 10 other homes to fill with his concepts. He sees possibilities that aren't immediately evident, and is a genius at furntiure and picture placement. I had a genuine midcentury table (not a West Elm copy) that I'd had for decades and it was just sitting forlornly in a corner in the new place because I didn't know what to do with it (It didn't seem to fit anywhere). I was also grousing about needing a coffee table and in less than a second Buddy picks up the table with one hand and plops it down in front of my couch (purchased with his guidance), saying, "Here's your coffee table." The table, although not ostensibly a coffee table, works perfectly there, even though I never saw that possibility and was getting ready to dump it on one of those marketplaces. It's a small example, but I think it capsulizes Buddy's approach. He was also spot on when it came to selecting lighting fixtures, and saved me from choosing rugs that would have made my place look like a Miami hotel lobby (I think that's what he said--I know his scathing critique of my choices referenced Florida or the Bahamas), steering me to much more stylish picks. Buddy's also an artist (he constructed and painted a screen for me decades ago--in the Cranberry Hole Road days--that I still use and that visitors still comment on) and a cognitive psychologist, which can come in handy when you're in the emotional throes of a move, a renovation or restyling. Give him a try, even if your place just needs a refresh, a new look. He'll help you choose what you need. Now I'm thinking of seeking his help for a closet renovation.

Everytime I walk into my newly renovated apartment, which was so perfectly executed, I feel like…read moreI'm the main character in a home makeover show. The 'before' shots would feature a cute home, but with signs of aging. Fraying wooden cabinets, and little to no natural light in my bedroom. Now this is all modernized, updated, and thoughtfully designed. Connecting with Buddy via Yelp's Request a Quote feature was lucky, because I got no replies from other businesses I contacted first or was told they couldn't take on my project. I'm thankful because Buddy was actually the right person with the right vision for my space. I had been living with a not optimized closet space and the aforementioned fraying wooden cabinets, as well as my bedroom lacking natural light for years. I had heard one too many contractor nightmare stories that caused me to be ultra cautious so I hesitated to contact anyone. I once hired a virtual interior designer which was a total waste of time/money. Enter Buddy, who is not only a creative visionary with a solid contractor team he's worked with for over a decade, but he's also a licensed therapist, and says that contributes to how he handles spaces, which totally makes sense. In the first consultation with Buddy, he paced around my space and rattled off so many wild ideas, some of which sounded fantastical and unrealistic but he made into reality. The initial consultation fee initially made me wince but now sounds like such a deal when in hindsight I realize he gave me the blueprint to my beautiful new reality. I would not have thought to float my couch in the middle of the living room instead of against the wall, facing the best feature of my apartment-- the view. When I was concerned about where to put the TV, he came up with a customized solution. A mechanized wooden box where the TV rises and falls with the push of a button. It sounds so futuristic but now it's part of my life. His contractor team is so awesome too. They handled all my things with care, and not only did they not disturb my plants, which we kept in the apartment during the renovation, they took care of them too! So sweet. It's been several months now and living in my transformed space has really changed my relationship with my home. My living situation used to feel compromised, but now it really feels like a thoughtful expression of who I am. I've already hosted several parties and get togethers in my home, because the new space is way more amenable to hosting, something Buddy picked up about me after meeting. Buddy's organization (we worked out of a spreadsheet which was a dream for my Type A self), and responsiveness throughout the process really eased my nerves about the project. He and his team took genuine care of my possessions and space that it made the renovation process almost enjoyable. Thank you Buddy, for transforming the daily experience of being in my space. You really delivered something exceptional.

Michael did an excellent job with remodeling my bathroom. We asked 3 different companies and Stone…read morewas the least expensive by far.

As a real estate broker, I often need reliable contractors to refer to my clients for upgrades or…read moreremodels. Recently, I met Michael Briere of Stone Remodeling at a co-op building in Manhattan where I've sold apartments for years. I was impressed by his quality of work and asked him to estimate another apartment for a client. When my client closed on a one-bedroom in the same building, I recommended Michael to them. The work was completed ahead of schedule and with outstanding quality. My clients were very happy with Michael and his team at Stone Remodeling. I will definitely refer Stone Remodeling again.

Steve helped me to get a 19-year old outstanding DOB permit approved for an apartment in a landmark…read morebuilding. This wasn't a creative project for an architect. Actually I am sure it was very painful to deal with all the red tapes. During those 4 months, he even contacted me in the after hours to give me the progress. Thank you.

My answer to your response is - I guess you never worked with an expeditor. I never asked you to…read morepull permits yourself. ---------- Where do I begin? This architect is disgustingly unprofessional and more importantly, a bad person. He was 15 minutes late to our meeting, walked in while I was speaking to his co workers, Jasmine and Dong, and was completely dismissive about the entire meeting. When I started to ask him about the next steps to move forward, like how to pull permits and the pricing for the design, he completely FLIPPED out telling me why would he pull permits when that's the contractor's job? I was a bit taken aback since my previous architect pulled permits alongside my contractor. He then started to allege that I use unlicensed contractors. I started to wonder what he was getting at and why he was being such a rude jerk. He then had the nerve to pull out the BIS gov website and ask me about the contractor I used and the address. When I tried to tell him the architect firm, he got very angry and said why would I care about the architect? HELLO! You asked who pulled the permits! He found my previous project and everything was up to code. This guy is disgusting. There is NP way he's a legit architect because he doesn't have any skills on how to speak to clients. Stay away. You can find architects who pull permits alongside the contractors. This means he has very bad relationships with the DOB.

It was a mixed experience working with Ward5 for full service design and project management,…read moremeaning, they prepare the interior design plan and then manage the contractor. The positive part of the experience was that they are creative and have a great aesthetic, so I feel we ended up with a house that we like the look of. In retrospect, it's not worth the money they charge for project management on a monthly basis to get there. I know this now, but I was a first time homebuyer and pregnant when I hired them, so I felt I needed help. Working with Ward5 became very frustrating towards the end of the project. Some highlights (lowlights?) were that the owner continuously promised she would order components for our custom closets, but failed to do so in time, so we had to buy Home Depot closets in order to have our closets ready by the time we moved in (which we said early on was very important to us and had to be complete before moving in). Also, some of the work from the contractor was messy/subpar. When I pointed it all out to the owner of Ward5, who had been managing the project, she tried to convince me I was just being picky and it was "acceptable," in her words (about some of the painting, specifically, and tiling). When I told her I wanted some things redone, she asked me to deliver that message to the contractor myself...but she was supposed to be in charge of that. So about a month or so before moving in, I had to meet them both at the house - still somewhat newly postpartum and still nursing around the clock - to deliver that news myself. The contractor was great about it and fixed everything I had an issue with. Finally, the move in was made more stressful by Ward5 being mad that we were basically in their way. The owner assigned her daughter to do the installation and I told her the date that we were having certain closets installed. She showed up that date and was angry there were "so many people" in the house. But she was advised in advance who would be there and when. She accused us of being in her way, essentially. Then she rescheduled the installation date and asked us not to be in the house from 8 am - 4 pm, which we did, but at around 5 that day, I had to run in quickly to grab some clothes for my kids. She was very upset and had a very emotional and unprofessional reaction, even though I adhered to her timeframe. So, overall, I wouldn't work with them again. I do think their real strengths are in the design piece, so I would have just paid for their design services, if I knew back then what I know now.

In short, do not hire Ward 5 Design for project management as they will charge you an arm and a leg…read morefor the materials. They are mean and not trustworthy. I regret so much hiring them. Below is the details... Ward 5 Design told me and stated in their proposal that their project management fee includes full trade discount access to their retail partners as they make sure I am getting the best price. Therefore, I hired them for full service at a rate of over $12,000, which includes design and project management. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw the material invoice at around $32,000 from Ward 5 Design. Thank god for google, I was able to find a lot of the same materials online at a much cheaper price. Ward 5 Design's price for some items are 73% more than the price for the same items you can find on Signature Hardware and build.com. Ward 5 Design charges a 10% shipping and handling fee on top of everything, which makes the 73% to 90% and Signature Hardware and build.com offer FREE shipping. I asked Ward 5 Design about the high price on the materials, they told me they will never honored any trade discount, instead they will charge a slight markup. I was so disappointed and mad that I was deceived by them. Because I did not want to overpay for all the materials, I decide to do the procurement myself (despite I am super busy). As a result, I was able to get better upgrades with the money saved. Ward 5 Design told me I have $4,233 outstanding in design/management fees, but they can reduce this to $2,500 (reduction of $1,733) as I am handling the procurement. And they will continue to do weekly site visits for 6 weeks with the contractor. Eventually, I decided to terminate the contract with Ward 5 Design because they did not effectively manage the project after I handled the procurement. No one from Ward 5 Design reached out to me to check on the status of procurement or any changes to the design plan. They also failed to notice a mistake by the contractor in the shower. Ward 5 Design told me that I still owed them $2,500 upon termination of the contract despite the fact that they would not perform the remaining 6 site visits. The contract required me to pay service provided up to date and a 10% termination fee. The 10% termination fee was $1,269.50, in which I was happy to pay. I asked for detailed evidence to support the $2,500 outstanding charge, but Ward 5 Design did not provide any. Instead, they insisted on charging me $2,500 and threatened to forward the full bill at $4,233 to collections and filing a mechanics lien against me if I did not pay $2,500 in 10 days. Under such threat, I paid $2,500 by the due date. I tried to get some refund back by filing a complaint with Better Business Bureau, but of course I failed to get any money back. Ward 5 Design responded to the compliant saying I had buyer's remorse and did not explain the lie of trade discount and instead charge huge markup on materials. This is not the way to treat their clients. I was very disappointed. I will not give Ward 5 Design any future business and will not recommend them to anyone.

Jim consulted with me several times on my gut renovation project and provided expert advice. He…read morebrings expertise from two decades of experience to the table, and also his work is of impeccable quality. I saw a passive house he was gut renovating in Park Slope, and it was absolutely stunning! Jim knows how to preserve historic details while bringing the design into the modern era in a tasteful, classic way. He exudes calmness and wisdom and is a pleasure to be around. Full disclosure in that I ultimately had to choose a less experienced architect because Jim's fee, although completely reasonable given his level of skill and expertise, was a bit out of our price range.

Jim was great to work with. We did a semi-gut renovation in 3 bedroom/2 bathroom apt. The quality…read moreof his work and suggestions were exactly what we wanted based on my husband and my feedback. Jim is very detailed and each week during renovation, we had him manage the project with the contractor to ensure the final output was done properly. Most Manhattan apartments are not symmetrical, so the early stage on doing things a certain way goes a long way on the final look. He understands plumbing, and electrical well to communicate to our contractors. He referred us to a HVAC engineer. When it came to interior design, we had Sarah who provided feedback and suppliers information. She was also very helpful. Jim knows the DOB process well and helped us resolved many issues even during covid and DOB rule changed in 2020 and 2021. We also had him manage the project with the contractors. The contractors don't have the same design eyes and were a bit sloppy and forgetful so it was imperative to have Jim help us. Urban charges by the hour and provided an accurate estimate of the cost. Make sure what projects he's working on so he can allocate time properly. In the beginning with the design drawing schematic, it took a while cause he was on a couple of brownstone projects but overall still have a very positive experience with Jim. He was responsive.

Elegant designs with a straight forward approach that made forward momentum easy to keep with the…read moretasks at hand manageable. Easy to work with and they demonstrate what being a professional should look like.

We wanted to spend some money and make our house look nicer. We invited Village West Design for a…read moreconsultation and looking at our budget Daniel and his team came up with a plan. It included a new paint job for the whole house and redoing the floors. They helped us choose the colors, dropping off swatches, letting us meditate on the color scheme and helping us get the best discounts for the low VOC and no VOC paints that we wanted to go with. After all the work was done, our apartment looked 10 times better and we are so glad we hired a professional team. Very well worth every penny.

If you are thinking of going with Vanguard...don't hesitate. Just do it! Oleksii and his team did a…read morefantastic job with our long and complicated project. The quality of his work is tremendous, he has a great eye for design and is extremely hardworking! He is also able to work with you on your budget. I highly recommend him for all of your design and architectural needs!

what can I say about Vanguard development? I went in the process of buying a home that was in need…read moreof complete renovation. I personally know virtually nothing about renovating or decorating. As you can imagine, this can be a rather stressful situation to be in when you consider that you will be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. It is my unequivocal opinion that hiring oleksii and vanguard is the best single investment you can make throughout this process. Vanguard creates extremely detailed 3-dimensional representations of all of your spaces. I consider myself to be a person of pretty good taste, but having reviewed the images I realized I would have made many costly and disheartening mistakes if left to my own devices. As it goes now, I rely on Vanguard to create beautiful, functional, and unique designs and concepts for each area of the house. as I begin the construction phase, I know exactly what I will be getting and I couldn't be more excited. To add to all this Vanguard displays an exemplary level of professionalism, courtesy, and are just plain wonderful to deal with. I would recommend them to all my friends and family without the slightest hesitation.