Marissa and her team were up for the challenge when we wanted to combine two apartments in a…read morepre-war Manhattan building that's more than 100 years old. Throughout this ambitious project, they proved to be optimistic problem solvers. They seamlessly worked with the engineer and contractor to install central air conditioning, navigated the demands of the building's board, and met the ever-changing requirements of the city's building department. Marissa assured our place would be different from everyone else's by reflecting my eclectic style of mid-century modern, contemporary, industrial and LA glam. My wife and I share the core value of spending time with those we love. Because of Marissa's creativity and attention to detail, our beautiful home is the perfect place to do that.

I appreciate how Marissa and her team not only make great design decisions but also explain the…read morereasons behind them. Like why certain pieces look best together, how dimensions affect design, and even the scheduling process. Instead of getting furniture and accessories in a little at a time, everything was set up on one day for a fun and exciting grand reveal. Our calming primary bedroom is just our style and the custom cabinets with built-in bar and display cases make our lounge multi-functional. The Design MACS team were so accommodating and flexible as our project grew. It was a great experience. Laura

Great local architect, very insightful. Works with a Young talented team. I would recommend him to…read moreanyone needing an experienced architect.

Peter's personality is unique. He is patient, soft-spoken, thoughtful and generous. We've found…read morehim to be a very good fit for us from an architectural standpoint. He appreciates nuances in character and personality (of his clients) and knows how to incorporate these traits into what he designs. He does lack occasional attention to bookkeeping detail (like getting our email addresses and dates correct), but we never found this to be a bother. He is exceptionally accurate with what he does for a living and so far, we've found his network of builders to be very similar. We plan on using him for our landscape design as well. I will update this as our project moves along. Some questions I'll try to answer include: 1. Timeliness 2. Managerial skills 3. Adeptness at getting permits and projects approved 4. Functionality of space designed 5. Translation of ideas from paper to real life (we'll try to gauge how builders respond to his design ideas). So far, my wife and I have been extremely pleased.

If I could give a lower rating than one, I would. We had hoped hiring an architect would save us…read moretime and money, spending our hard earned money in the best ways possible while utilizing a professional who has the experience to guide us in this process and make it enjoyable. We thought we were doing the right thing, but unfortunately we chose the wrong person. Hiring Peter Cooper proved to be the exact opposite of this in EVERY way. When we first met, we gave him a budget and discussed our needs. He noted it was a challenge but was warm and bubbly and told us everything we were after should be able to be achieved within reason. We were sold a pipe dream in that the first two quotes I received from builders (one from his 'most economical' suggestion) were over 50% higher than the top of our budget. Yes I realize numbers cannot be known, and builders will vary but as a professional if you ignore my budget or cannot even come within 10-20% of it with a professional guess, I believe it's time to retire. He took ZERO responsibility for this and keep referring to his 'agreement' which just tells me this is a common theme with him and I assume many are just scared to stand up to him because he is supposed to be the pro. He deflected any and all responsibility and even had the audacity to claim "that budget was never made clear to me at all" which of course was a total lie. In fact, he was the 'unprofessional' when I challenged him to the fact that he wasn't meeting our needs. I was baited and switched...and he threw me out of his office (actually he walked out in a huff like a coward and left me there, a true child in an elderly frame of a fraudster). Peter also hand draws everything, which may have been state of the art in the 70s, but as a consumer, I am not trained to understand these drawings and making revisions becomes a much longer process and of course much more expensive from a time stand point as well as the fact he has to outsource having the final documents drawn up in CAD for a builder and permits to actually used. I had read an article of the questions to ask and architect before you hire, and one of those questions was "do you personally use CAD or some sort of computer aided software" and to avoid those that do not. I should have gone with my gut there and I hope someone reading this won't make the same mistakes I did. I learned a $2000 lesson today, please do more careful research than I did before choosing an architect for your building plans.

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.

Excellent work ethic and true professional. A pleasure to work with. Made things so enjoyable.read more

As a general contractor specializing in residential renovations and energy efficient new homes I…read morehave had the pleasure of working with Jon Moss on several occasions. He is highly knowledgeable and always quick to come to an efficient, elegant solution. As a bonus he is easy to deal with so I always look forward to working with him. Mark Galezo President Mark Galezo and Associates, Inc

I cannot begin to explain how much I love Marissa and design Macs! They transformed our 2 bedroom…read moreapartment into the most incredible home. We have loved living here. She creatively used every inch of space and was able to maximize storage for us. The ideas she thought of, we would have never thought of and I am so thankful for. Her attention to detail during all steps of the process is so appreciated. The best part is, all the work and designs have paid off in multiples. We recently put our place on the market and received 10+ offers within 5 days at ask and above. Everyone loved all the built ins (entertainment center, mudroom area, built in benches, desk are, storage column) all which were her ideas and vision. I cried happy tears! I cannot wait to work with her again!!

It was a great experience to work with this interior designer. They closely heard my thoughts and…read moremade my house a fashionable and practical place that feels like it is mine. Their sense and color are amazing. The whole environment was stress-free and relaxing

Hi everyone. Javier…read morehas been incredible to work with. When we originally purchased our home, we were lost and lacked the creative details needed to re-imagine our home and develop the designs that could maximize the potential of the space. Without Javier's help, I don't think we would have ever realized the potential of our home. He completely reconfigured the design of our space, worked within our budget, and handled communication with our town when adjustments needed to be made. Javier was punctual, honest, and extremely professional. Subsequent projects that we've had in the house have all resulted in us calling him for his opinion because we know exactly what to expect. I highly recommend him for any architectural needs you may have!

We hired Javier to design a 500 sq ft kitchen and dining space as an addition to our home in Essex…read moreCounty, and we couldn't be happier with the results. From our first meeting, he was kind, respectful, and genuinely eager to understand our vision. He listened carefully to what we wanted which is a comfortable, sophisticated kitchen that felt inviting without being stuffy and delivered exactly that. Javier really knows building codes and maximized every inch of allowable space on our property. He was always responsive, willing to explain design choices or answer my building science questions, and collaborated beautifully with our designer throughout the process. His digital visualization tools were incredibly helpful, letting us see the addition in 3D before construction began. The final design required minimal revisions because he nailed our vision from the start. The addition seamlessly blends with our home's original architecture while beautifully enhancing both interior and exterior. Javier incorporated clever storage solutions, including a coat closet we needed, and designed the huge windows we requested that flood the space with natural light. The kitchen is exactly what we hoped for--open, welcoming, and perfectly suited to how we live. I would absolutely hire Javier again.

We had them remodel our bathroom and we would couldn't be happier! The design and outcome were…read moreperfect! They were professional, detailed, and easy to work with. I would highly recommend them to anyone!

I recently spoke with Dave on my potential project He was very helpful and addressed all…read morequestions. He was very knowledgeable and provided suggestions as well.