How We Work

From first conversation
to finished project.

Every engagement is a little different — full design, drawings only, or support alongside your own team. Here's how a project moves from an initial conversation to delivery, and where construction fits in.

Working Together

How a project moves,
step by step.

The path is the same whether we're designing a full renovation or producing a set of drawings — only the deliverables change.

01

Initial Conversation

We start by understanding the project — location, what you're trying to achieve, your timing, and whether you already have a contractor, architect, or designer on board. There's no cost or obligation for this first conversation.

02

Scope & Proposal

We confirm what you'd like to commission and put the deliverables, fees, timeline, and revision scope in writing — so everyone is clear on what's included before any paid work begins.

03

Design or Documentation

Depending on the engagement, we develop the interior design or produce the renovation drawings and schedules — working from your direction where one is already established.

04

Review & Revisions

We consolidate your feedback into revisions, or address comments from a building's management or review process, within the revision scope agreed at the proposal stage.

05

Delivery & Next Steps

We deliver the completed design or drawing set. If separately engaged, the project can continue into procurement or construction coordination from there.

Not every project includes construction. Depending on the service, an engagement may end at design or drawings — or continue through sourcing and on-site coordination. We'll confirm which stages apply to your project up front.
Construction Coordination & Oversight

When construction is
part of the engagement.

On projects that include construction, the build is carried out by our vetted contractor and trade partners — we lead the design and specifications, coordinate the site, and check the quality at every stage. Here's a look at the stages the work moves through, and how we make sure the details are right. This walkthrough follows a typical kitchen and bath renovation.

01
Demolition & Prep

Strip back to the structure

The build team removes old cabinetry, fixtures, and finishes down to the studs and subfloor. This is where hidden problems — water damage, outdated wiring, uneven framing — get exposed; we make sure they're documented and addressed before they become expensive surprises later.

  • Protection first — floors, hallways, and elevators are masked and covered before any work begins
  • Selective demo — only what needs to go is removed, preserving sound structure
  • Debris removal — coordinated haul-out that complies with building rules and hours
02
Rough-In

Plumbing, electrical & framing

With the space opened up, the trades run new plumbing lines, electrical circuits, and any framing changes. We make sure everything is positioned precisely against the approved design — outlet heights, fixture rough-ins, and appliance connections are all set now, not improvised later.

  • To code, on paper — rough-in follows NYC building code and the filed plans
  • Measured twice — fixture and appliance positions confirmed against final specs
  • Inspection-ready — work staged so required inspections pass the first time
03
Waterproofing

The layer you'll never see

Before a single tile goes down, wet areas are waterproofed and substrates are leveled. This is the step that separates a bathroom that lasts twenty years from one that leaks into the unit below. It's invisible in the final photos — and it's the thing we watch most closely on site.

  • Full wet-area membrane — floors and walls sealed in showers and tubs
  • Slope & drainage — floors pitched correctly so water goes where it should
  • Level substrate — surfaces flattened so tile and stone sit true
04
Tile & Stone

Where precision shows

Tile and stone are set with careful attention to layout, alignment, and grout lines. We plan the layout so cuts land in the least visible places and patterns stay balanced across walls and floors — the difference between a job that looks installed and one that looks designed.

  • Layout planning — tile centered and balanced, awkward slivers designed out
  • Consistent lines — level, plumb, and even grout joints throughout
  • Clean transitions — edges, corners, and niches finished with proper trim
05
Installation

Cabinetry, fixtures & hardware

Cabinets are set level and secured, countertops are templated and installed, and fixtures and hardware are mounted. This is where the design becomes real — and where tight tolerances matter, so doors align, drawers glide, and every reveal is even.

  • Level & secured — cabinets shimmed and fastened to a true plane
  • Templated tops — countertops measured on-site for an exact fit
  • Dialed-in hardware — doors and drawers adjusted for even gaps and smooth action
06
Finish & Handover

The details that make it feel done

Caulking, touch-ups, final cleaning, and a walk-through close out the project. We check the details most people miss — even caulk lines, clean silicone joints, aligned outlet plates — and hand over a space that's ready to use, with documentation to match.

  • Finish detailing — caulk, silicone, and touch-ups done with a steady hand
  • Punch-list walk — we walk the space with you and resolve anything flagged
  • Documented handover — completion records and care guidance provided
Detail Guides

The specs that make or
break a renovation.

Reference guides on the dimensions, clearances, and code requirements behind a well-built kitchen and bath — the details that determine whether a design is actually buildable.

K01

Cabinet Installation Process

How cabinets are set level and secured — from establishing the high point of the floor and snapping level lines, to hanging uppers, shimming bases, and fastening to studs for a true, gap-free run.

K02

Kitchen Island Design Standards

The clearances that make an island work: minimum walkway around the perimeter, seating overhang depth, and the aisle width needed so appliance doors and drawers open without collision.

K03

Appliance Placement

Where each appliance belongs and why — the work-triangle logic between sink, range, and refrigerator, plus the landing space, ventilation, and rough-in each appliance requires.

B01

Shower Dimension Standards

The minimum footprint for a comfortable, code-compliant shower — interior size, clearance in front of the opening, curb height, and the bench and niche dimensions that actually work.

B02

Recessed Medicine Cabinet & Niche — Can You Build It?

How we determine whether a recessed medicine cabinet or shower niche is feasible: reading the wall for studs, plumbing, and electrical, checking depth against wall construction, and knowing when a load-bearing or wet wall rules it out.

B03

Outlet & Fixture Height Standards

The heights and clearances that keep a bathroom safe and code-compliant — GFCI outlet placement relative to the sink, vanity and mirror heights, and the required distance between electrical and water sources.

B04

Bathtub Build-Up

How a tub surround is built from the wall out — framing and backer board, full waterproofing membrane, then tile set to clean, level lines. Swipe from the in-progress build to the finished result.

Get Started

Let's talk about
your project.

Whether you're planning a full renovation, starting with a design consultation, or exploring what's possible — we're the right team to call first. We cover all of NYC and Long Island.

  • Interior design — full-home & selected-room
  • Renovation drawings & building review support
  • Procurement & material sourcing
  • Construction coordination
  • Support for contractors, architects & designers
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