TESTIMONIALS

Leo Cinquemani

Vice President AAH Construction Corp

It is with great enthusiasm that I write this letter of reference for BR Construction. BRCSI has been our subcontractor on a number of projects throughout the pas several years, the most recent of which were at PS 197 park for NYC Department of Parks and Recreation as well as the LEED platinum project involving the construction of a new comfort station at Washington Square Park for the NYC Department of Design & Construction. In both projects, BRCSI did substantial masonry, roofing and sheet metalwork. Based on our experience, AAH has been completely satisfied with BRCSI and is particularly impressed with their craftsmanship, attention to detail, management, back-office support, responsiveness to our requests, and, most importantly, problem solving ability when given unforeseen site conditions and difficult challenges. Thus, we highly recommend BR Construction without hesitation or qualification. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or require any additional information regarding BR or their work on past projects with AAH.

Sincerely,
AAH Construction Corp.
Leo Cinquemani - Vice President

Veronica Gannon

Gannon Residence Owner

I owned a studio apartment, which I converted into a small one bedroom and have since sold, and first worked with BR to renovate my bathroom, install new flooring, custom closet organizers, new closet and room doors, and crown moulding and baseboards throughout the apartment. I worked with BR again approximately one year later to renovate my kitchen, which included custom cabinetry and recessed lighting. I worked directly with Evros Kavazis of BR Construction. Darek Drzewicki of BR oversaw the day to day work and Paulina Hospod, who worked for BR during our first project and then for AhA Interiors during the kitchen renovation, designed and oversaw the installation of the custom cabinetry. Her involvement in both projects was invaluable. The four of us worked very well together. I can't say enough about the quality of BR's work. I believe BR uses direct labor crews, as opposed to subcontractors, which keeps costs down. I was very impressed that most of BR's employees have worked for them for many years, which is rare in construction. The crews were always on time and both projects were completed on schedule. The final payment was made after a walk-through. BR was responsive to all of my questions and/or concerns. Their professionalism and honesty was unparalleled. I was very satisfied with the overall project and would definitely work with BR again, without hesitation. My building was very demanding when it came to housekeeping. The building complimented BR's cleanliness. In addition, my floor had only three apartments and all of the tenants on the floor also complimented BR. I don't recall any major problems during either project. During the kitchen renovation, my building would not allow the stove to be vented through the building, so I worked with BR, Wolf and Elgot, who supplied the appliances, to find a solution. I do recommend that you select the slab you choose for your counter. Evros and I went to several places together before I found a slab I liked. I then approved the way the slab would be cut. I hope I have answered your questions. Please feel free to call me at 917-601-6611 if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,
Veronica

Michael Alexiades

Alexiadis Residence Owner

This is a letter of reference for BR Construction and Evros Kavazis. Evros and his professional crew did a complete renovation of our home in Lattingtown NY consisting of everything from structural changes to the home interior and exterior and roof line elevations, metal stone work window and door replacements. The roof work and copper roofing has withstood the ravages of multiple storms including Sandy... his men are artisans when it comes to stone and marble work as well. They were able to deal with unforeseen circumstances efficiently and professionally. The job in summary was a 2+ million dollar renovation that was completed expertly and professionally and Evros is a man of his word who is trustworthy and reliable. If you have any further questions feel free to contact me at my office 212-774-7557.

Sincerely,
Michael M Alexiades MD

Before & After: Cara and Jared’s Chelsea Kitchen and Bath — Sweetened!

This week, we’re off to Chelsea to tour an apartment rescued from someone else’s well-intentioned (but ultimately not long-lasting) DIY tile project. Cara, Jared, and their dog, Indy, moved into their one bedroom, one bathroom co-op a few years ago, and though Cara was irked by the kitchen’s layout and finishes from the beginning, the couple arrived at a point of no return last year when the mosaic tile installed by the previous owners started to fall off the wall.

“Evros was able to come in, be a calming influence at a stressful time, and meet deadlines from our board and our cabinet vendor. He’ll be back to help get our place ready for the arrival of our new baby!”

— Cara and Jared, Chelsea homeowners

Though the bathroom situation was the most dire – tile damage near the tub was more than just a cosmetic concern – the kitchen was also turning out to be too cramped for two cooks. Jared, a professional chef, and Cara, who works for a boutique recruiting firm, decided to press on with targeted changes to make the space more of a fit for them. After a first try with a contractor they found through a friend who wasn’t able to get buy-in from the building’s board, the couple came to Sweeten to find a team who could handle their project and make sure that each “t” and every “i” would be properly crossed and dotted for building approval. We introduced Cara and Jared to Sweeten Expert Evros who gracefully took on both charges.

Cara and Jared decided early on to focus a significant chunk of their budget on built-to-order kitchen cabinetry from Henrybuilt. They nearly tripled the kitchen’s storage by removing a partial peninsula, lengthening the counter and shelving line way out of the corner, and adding a hefty island with a huge amount of storage and prep space.

The new white oak cabinetry is beautifully crafted and helped dictate design and finish decisions throughout the room. The couple picked a gray plank base with a white oak line of upper cabinets. Aside from their neutral and contemporary appeal, Cara explained that Henrybuilt offers a mix and match option (high-pressure laminate along the bottom and solid wood on top) that gave them the effect of high-end cabinetry without quite having to shoulder the full cost.

The other key design decision involved moving the stove out of the back of the room and centering it – better for hosting and better for access to the dining area.

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Evros’s team anchored the expanded kitchen footprint with porcelain tiles from Porcelanosa and installed Pentalquartz counters all they way around the new line of base cabinets. Cara artfully explained that her talented husband has some, well… bull-in-china-shop tendencies when he is at work on a new culinary treat, and so their sole consideration in choosing a new counter was durability and stain resistance! The “bar block” that tops the island is a Henrybuilt signature – Cara and Jared love the accessible storage option and layered it with glass to make it easier to use in a high-traffic entryway.

Cara chose the neutral white backsplash tile from Nemo Tile for its modern simplicity and understated effect. Finishing strong with appliances, Cara and Jared headed for a big, beautiful 36” Bertazzoni range, a Bosch dishwasher concealed with a custom door panel, and a Samsung fridge that hides Cara’s most favorite new feature: a built-in SodaStream faucet (this exists?!).

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In the bathroom, Evros and his team took on a surgical task to take the old tub out, create a walk-in shower, and replace the crumbling tile that had served as the impetus for the entire project. Cara and Jared decided to leave as much intact as possible and work with what they had, so Evros made sure that the transition from the gleaming new shower to the rest of the room came off seamlessly. Everyone agreed to just do what was needed to make the necessary fixes and restore balance to the room’s function.

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Thank you, Cara and Jared, for showing us around your gorgeous home! We’re glad we could play a small role in helping your family get ready for a new arrival!

Selects >> floor tile: porcelain Porcelanosa / countertop: Pentalquartz / backsplash tile: white Nemo Tile / built-to-order cabinets: Henrybuilt / oven: 36” range Bertazzoni / dishwasher: Bosch / fridge:Samsung

Sweeten handpicks 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 project on Sweeten.

TESTIMONIALS

Before & After: Cara and Jared’s Chelsea Kitchen and Bath — Sweetened!

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