Material Design Build

I approached Material Design Build with a fuzzy notion: I wanted help transforming a charmless attic room into a comfortable, beautiful and private nook where I could do my work. On his way over for our first meeting, George noticed that a neighboring house was being demolished. A bungalow from the 1940s, it appeared to have been built using high-quality pine. "What if," he asked, he could get his hands on some of that wood (saving it from the landfill)? Might I be interested in their repurposing it for my project? The result -- a sitting desk, a standing desk, and a bookshelf, with an adjacent bench for reading and ever-important naps -- is both more attractive and more functional than I could have imagined. With imagination, skill and professionalism, Material Design designed and built my happy place -- leaving the smallest footprint at a reasonable cost. I couldn't be more delighted with the result.

I'm the son of an old-school builder, once worked as a restoration specialist for Victorian Hotels in Cape May, and have presided over numerous home building and restoration projects over the years. So it is with some perspective born of experience and time that I say that George is a member of an incredibly elite, specialized and small group of craftsman. He has an understanding and love for materials and tools that goes far beyond the average finish carpenter or cabinet maker. At the same time, he's not the romantic artist you sometimes find, spending more time at rare hardwoods auctions than on your project. He's organized, incredibly skillful, a good manager of his select and equally dedicated crew, and knows how to manage a project to completion. He's got a terrific eye, is easy to work with, and very creative. If you're lucky enough to have a project that merits his interest and warrants skillsets at this level, you'll be delighted with the results.

MDB built 2 of our retail wine and spirits stores. It was a pleasure working with them and the results are amazing. On this project I learned the value of working with an integrated design/build group, instead of a more traditional approach of architect / GC who often end up arguing and disagreeing...to the owner's detriment! Definitely recommend these guys!

Material Design Build have helped us with two major projects. They turned our country cabin with outhouse into a beautiful home with two bathrooms, they turned the adjacent shed into a family room, renovated our kitchen, replaced our rotten foundation as well as redesigned our lay-out including windows and doors. At the same time Material Design Build took care of the renovation of our two outdated bathrooms in NYC. All their work is done with great precision and care, high quality and transparency. Their team has been very easy to work with, flexible and understanding for changes or adjustments. In addition I truly appreciated their sense of design and taste. I can highly recommend them!

Counting this house, I have redone or built from the ground up four homes so I have worked with many a contractor. I bought a California Bungalow in Hopewell, NJ that we completed gutted and reconfigured the footprint. The infrastructure is all new yet the integrity of the design was kept intact. Material Design Build added on one small room that looks like was part of the original 1938 building. They finished the project exactly on-time and nearly right on budget. George made design suggestions that greatly improved the livability and he was right on spot each time. The team showed up each morning on time, left the job clean, and the quality of craftsmanship was superb. This team is creative, is sensitive to people's budget, and completes the job when they expected to. The bills were easy to understand and every detail spelled out so I knew exactly what I was paying for. I especially appreciated the fact that George and Armin are ecological and responsible builders. My home heats from zero to a comfort level in less than 5 minutes and my gas bill is lower than I can remember. I highly recommend these guys for your next big addition or small redo. They are professional, talented, and kind. I truly enjoyed my time spent with this team.

Material Design Build did a major kitchen renovation for us, a laundry room, and several smaller projects. At every point in all of these projects, their professionalism, expertise, inventive thinking, and genial manner were superb. Work was done to the highest quality and on time. Contracts and payment schedules were clear and straightforward. If a project's estimate came in at more than we wanted to spend, they were helpful and positive about figuring where to cut costs without compromising quality. Every sub they brought to the job was as professional and pleasant to work with as they were. One project was deemed by another contractor as impossible; they found a way that worked beautifully, and their installation process was like watching NASA engineers at work. We have an old house that we have been renovating over a period of forty years so we have a good deal of experience with architects and builders. This team is as good as it gets, and I recommend them with highest admiration for their eagerness to please their clients, the excellence of their results, and the joy and humor with which they go about their work.