nyc contractors | Sweeten

Meet Sweeten NYC General Contractors Paulina and Albert

Sweeten — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 13:55:58 +0000

Their passion for construction goes way back

At Sweeten, the experts in our network are experienced contractors and design pros we’d be thrilled to have working in our own homes. We check their licenses, insurance, quality of work, and customer service skills. Trust and open communication are the lifeblood of our free renovation service, and our personal connection to our experts enables us to match you to the best choices for your project. Here, get to know their personality and click to view their portfolio, including photos from past work and client reviews, so that you can hire the right team and renovate with confidence.

Check out Paulina and Albert’s portfolio

Where are you from and how long have you been in construction?

We’re both from Poland and have been in construction for about 10 years.

How did you get into construction?

Paulina: I had to be like 11 years old when my dad hired an architect to design a little fireplace outside of our house. I thought she was so cool because she came out with a lot of drawings and blueprints. I thought, “Wow, this is really, really amazing.” Ever since I met that architect, I was inspired to design. Later, when I worked for a construction company, I decided I actually wanted to design and build.

Albert: Construction has always been my passion. I did a lot of woodworking when I was very young and worked as a carpenter when I was 16. I loved it from the beginning. What used to be a hobby became something I did professionally. I love my job.

What do you love most about construction?

Different projects and the clients—you pick a project, go from start to finish, and then start again with a different project. There’s a uniqueness to the changing environment.

What is your ideal client?

Someone who has a general sense of what they’re looking for, but maybe didn’t have a chance to get the advice they needed. I like when we find somebody that we can actually help. They’ll say, “Okay! Nobody actually explained it to me like that!”

What is the biggest challenge you see for renovating in New York?

The cost of running our workshop, for sure. We have a huge facility where we run a custom cabinetry and millwork shop which we also use for our renovations.

Yankees or Mets?

We don’t understand baseball, we’re Polish—soccer!

Favorite New York City building or structure?

Albert: The Empire State building.

Paulina: I don’t know, I don’t have a favorite one. I love New York City!

Take a look at some of Paulina and Albert’s renovations below and check out their portfolio for more photos of past work.

(1) Matthew’s apartment in Hell’s Kitchen (2) Erica and Joshua’s Clinton Hill kitchen (3) Sarah and Craig’s apartment in Long Island City

Paulina and Albert have been Sweeten contractors since 2014.

—

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post Meet Sweeten NYC General Contractors Paulina and Albert appeared first on Sweeten.

Meet Sweeten General NYC Contractor Camille

Sweeten — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 16:30:34 +0000

He’s worked with clients around the world

Check out Camille’s portfolio here

Where are you from and how long have you been in design/construction?
I’m from Switzerland and I’ve been in design and construction for 25 years.

How did you get into this field?
I’m an architect by education. I’ve worked for prominent international architectural and management firms on major and medium size projects. This allowed me to understand the important advantages of a design-build type of contracts and become a design-build contractor myself.

What do you love most about your work?
I’m passionate about my work. I love every aspect of it, but I particularly enjoy the design stage and the one-on-one collaboration with my clients. Homes are very personal and private, and commercial spaces are important for a successful business. That is why I encourage homeowners and business owners, who have the time, to be a part of the design process. Most of the time, they appreciate this because it gives them the feeling as though they are building their own place. Giving time and attention to our clients opens the door to a good relationship, promotes good communication, and clarifies the issues in a comprehensive and progressive manner. All these things are crucial for the success of the project.

I also love details. They make a difference in the project and are part of the challenges that much of the time call for special attention and creativity to address them. But the real pleasure is when I start seeing the fruit of so many hours of work and collaboration with my clients taking shape.

Who is your ideal client?
My ideal client is one who is curious enough to get involved in the design process and become a “partner” in the project development. To help that happen and as construction progresses, I send my clients pictures with comments and wait for their reactions. They love that! Most of the time, they come back with smileys and/or kind words of approval. But true satisfaction comes when construction is finished, and I see and hear real appreciation from the client.

What’s the biggest challenge you face when renovating in New York?
Administrative work with the city, building management companies, and/or third party project reviewers who sometimes waste the homeowner’s time and money and cause unnecessary delays.

What do you think is the biggest misconception homeowners have when starting a renovation project?
Budget. It is normal that homeowners want to get the best quality for the least cost—until it becomes somewhat unrealistic. We always remind the homeowner that this is New York City and things are expensive. But most importantly, we try to show them what drives cost and why, so they understand that what they are paying is justified by and proportionate with what they are asking to have in their project.

But ultimately, we implement value engineering that helps the homeowner set a list of priorities based on need vs. cost and budget. We walk them through the process of selecting the most important items they need or elements they want to have at the best price possible.

What do you want all of your clients to know before you work with them?
I would like the homeowners to know that what we do is real design-build where everything is done in-house. We do not resource design, construction, and management. We take care of the administrative work and obtain all necessary permits to make sure the whole process is seamless, stress-free, and fun.

We manage time in such a way that by the time permits and approvals are acquired, most decisions related to design, equipment, appliances, fixtures, and materials have been made. We also work in 3D as part of our basic cost. We share all of our ideas with our clients in this fashion because we understand that, by definition, homeowners are not construction professionals and they rely on us. So we always go the extra mile to help them see what their space will look like before we put the first hammer in the wall.

What is your favorite New York City building?
The Hearst Building for being the first NYC Platinum Labelled Green building; Ground Zero Memorial for its poignant architecture that revisits and displays very strongly the emotions of 9/11; 432 Park Avenue for its audacious height vs. its narrow footprint, plus its other successfully resolved technical challenges.

What is your favorite New York City neighborhood?
The West Village and Soho.

What is your favorite New York City restaurant?
A Mediterranean shawarma and falafel place that I’m designing.

Take a look at some of Camille’s renovations below and check out his portfolio for more photos of past work.

(1) Melissa’s kitchen and bathroom on the Upper West Side (3) Cat and Jordan’s living room and kitchen in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Camille has been a Sweeten general contractor since 2016.

—

The post Meet Sweeten General NYC Contractor Camille appeared first on Sweeten.

Meet Sweeten NY General Contractor Evros

Sweeten — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 16:25:48 +0000

He’s been in construction for nearly 30 years

Check out Evros’ portfolio here

Where are you from and how long have you been in construction?

Originally, I’m from Cyprus and I’ve been in construction for about 30 years now.

How did you get into this industry?

I studied civil engineering at the University of New Haven. Then I got my master’s degree in engineering management, got a job at a construction site, and the rest is history!

What do you love most about what you do?

I love having dinner with a client and then lunch with the guys the next day. Both of them are awesome.

What is the biggest challenge renovating in New York?

New York is a very unique place to work. You’ve got the traffic, the regulations, the buildings, and the management companies that have all these kinds of special rules.

What do you think is the biggest misconception that homeowners have when starting a renovation project?

Renovating can be very costly, and a lot of homeowners don’t realize they don’t have the budget for what they want.

Favorite New York City building or structure?

Rockefeller Center.

Favorite New York City neighborhood?

East Village.

Take a look at some of Evros’ renovations below and check out his portfolio for more photos of past work.

(1) A homeowner’s kitchen on the Upper West Side (2) Meredith’s bathroom in Brooklyn (3) Cara and Jared’s kitchen in Chelsea

Evros has been a Sweeten general contractors since 2014.

—

The post Meet Sweeten NY General Contractor Evros appeared first on Sweeten.

Meet Sweeten NYC General Contractor Erion

Sweeten — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 14:19:09 +0000

He grew up watching his dad work in construction and has loved it ever since

Check out Erion’s portfolio here

Where are you from and how long have you been in construction?

I’m originally from Albania. I have been in construction for about 10 years and opened up my own company about five years ago.

How did you get into construction?

I moved to the United States when I was 13 years old. Coming here, everybody seemed to be in construction. My dad worked in construction too, so I grew up with it. Building is something that I’ve always really liked. When clients look at my work and say, “Wow,” it’s very rewarding.

Who is your ideal client?

I like working with somebody who has a vision of what they want to do, that I can help bring together. I like collaborating with my clients to do something fun and exciting that hasn’t been done before.

Yankees or Mets?

I don’t even watch baseball. But, I will pick the Mets because I lived in Queens for 15 years!

Favorite New York City building or structure?

Anything with iron in the facade, like many buildings in Soho.

Take a look at some of Erion’s renovations below and check out his portfolio for more photos of past work.

(1) Marc and Steve’s kitchen in Brooklyn (2) Lisa and Chris’ kitchen in Kew Gardens (3) Jamie and Chad’s bathroom in Ridgewood (4) Christina’s apartment in the East Village

Erion has been a Sweeten contractor since 2015.

—

The post Meet Sweeten NYC General Contractor Erion appeared first on Sweeten.