Joe LaLonde

Hallmark Monterey Puebla

Inspiration for a timeless laundry room remodel in New York

Entryway - country entryway idea in New York

Located in the heart of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the building was erected on a shallow commercial lot between two 120 year old masonry buildings and a new residential rental building. 330 Grand Street is a mix of 725 SF 1BRs and 1050 SF 2BR apartments. It also contains a 1100 SF two story duplex as well as private and public rooftop space, large private balconies for most units and two large private terraces for the ground floor units. 330 Grand Street was originally designed and approved at the NYC DOB as a prefabricated modular building. During the pandemic, as shipping costs skyrocketed putting the project at risk, we suggested redesigning the building as a reinforced cast-in-place concrete structure. Concrete was readily available and prices had not been affected by the demand increase that many other materials suffered in the pandemic. We took this opportunity to raise floor to ceiling heights, enlarge high performance windows and redistribute the buildings MEPFS and Structural Systems to create very open floor plans. The challenge was to create a luxurious sensorial living experience with very limited means. In a city with very high construction costs, low cost residential buildings in the area are usually devoid of good quality, design and character. Our approach was to aim high for the end user, prioritizing natural light, open space with long visual perspectives, high ceilings and as always, rejecting the use of predefined building templates. Our biggest challenge was to ensure that the small spaces feel as clean cut, large and bright as possible. Several unique design decisions were made to ensure low cost and high quality; Floor plans were laid out so that spaces were wide open and free of clutter from mechanical or structural interruptions. Therefore all infrastructure was placed in lateral demising walls, which in turn act as the unit’s storage and kitchen. The apartments feel wide open, are super quiet and have more storage space than any other comparable apartment in the city. To solve the problem of the site’s shallow commercial lot which is typically prone to dark interior spaces we focused our attention on the building’s envelope. Instead of the usual small punched window openings, oversized high performance windows were designed to ensure that light penetrated as far as possible into the units. In the smaller 1BR units, the full 50’ depth of the lot is perceived by partitioning spaces with sliding pocket doors that can be retracted to allow deep visual perspectives, making the sight lines in the space feel longer, larger, more ample than normal. In addition to the full height glazing, each unit above the 2nd floor receives a 7 foot covered balcony, adding 120 to 240 sf to each apartment, something unusual in New York City buildings. The space is large enough for a full size dining table, when the weather permits being outside. We also worked hard to ensure modularity. For example, all kitchen units are all identical throughout the building. The idea of modularity and the economy of the repetitive unit is exercised to the maximum through the building. Hardware, appliances, flooring, wall coverings and material finishes are all carefully selected to feel bespoke, high quality and unique. It was important to KURV that the result of this work manifest into something that would deeply connect with the end user and sustain relationships with the consumers of this space. All images by KURV Architecture ©

Split face marble laying on wall.

Fabric for pillows on a sectional
Inspiration for a large contemporary open concept living room remodel in Chicago with a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Flower Power upside down luxury chandelier shown in black metal. Featuring flowery shapes cut out of steel plates combined with glass drops to evoke the idea of icicles. Flower Power is a rende-vous between high-tech and hand made.

©ThompsonPhotographic.com 2016 Ashely P. Design Camelback Esplande
Example of a classic home design design in Phoenix

Blue Water Sparkle - Blue Water Sparkle Vertex glass tile pattern from MEC’s PIXL range creates a beautifully tranquil abstract mosaic design. The serene blue mosaic is perfect to make a style statement at any space, like a terrace or kitchen. *Get any pattern resized or recolored to better fit your unique requirements. MEC offers free customization and alteration on all mosaic patterns. **AddTek mosaic render is visually similar but may have slight variations due to factors like; textural diversity in mosaic tesserae and light conditions. See the full collection here: http://www.mecartworks.com/pixl/introduction

Glass tile tub surround, subway tile in the shower and a patterned ceramic hex tile on the floor. Shower
Large transitional master white tile ceramic tile freestanding bathtub photo in Jacksonville with shaker cabinets, white cabinets and blue walls

Polished Venetian Plaster gave this condo a modern updated look that was stunning!

Home design - traditional home design idea in Los Angeles

This beautiful and unique glass mosaic tile brings a touch of color to any tone-based room! The mix of color, mother-of-pearl effect and its subtle intricacy will surely catch the everyone's attention!

Bathroom - bathroom idea in Vancouver