ORA Studio NYC by Giusi Mastro

I met Giusi in 2015 while I was working at Italian kitchen company Boffi in NYC where Giusi specifies kitchens and bathrooms for her luxury residential projects. I moved to Sydney, Australia and I started working from home. I asked Giusi for a consultation as I knew I could trust her advice and taste - even remotely. I did not need my space to be designed professionally from A to Z but I needed some tips to make sure I could furnish my office room in the best way possible to be productive and to feel good at the same time. I knew I could get a lot of precious tips from Giusi, but I was impressed to see how much I could learn with just one consultation. I really appreciated the deep analysis of the space that Giusi did, how quickly she understood my needs and the fact that the consultation involved both practical and aesthetic tips. Next time, I will hire Giusi to design my dream house!

I have known Giusi Mastro and her reputation as a fine Architect/Designer for several years. I was aware that the beauty and elegant simplicity of her work had been deeply influenced by her upbringing among artisans in her native Italy. I requested a consultation with Giusi with regard to some lighting challenges in my apartment. She went from room to room as part of her Space Analysis. She took many notes and photos and provided me with excellent suggestions for improving my lighting. She also included some cosmetic/architectural suggestions that would enhance my living space. I have taken on the lighting challenge and in the future will consider a broader enhancements as per Giusi’s suggestions. I was very pleased with the outcome of my consultation with Giusi and would recommend hiring her to anyone considering a house project of any scope.

I worked with Giusi as an intern post-graduation. I was looking for an experience with a firm in NYC and I was recommended by a colleague to meet Giusi and work in her office. It turned out to be very interesting and rewarding experience. I appreciate minimal design and her approach was well suited to my focus of study in Chile. It was a great opportunity to see her interaction with clients and was incredibly beneficial. I am eternally grateful.

Ora Studio is a dedicated, meticulous and sophisticated design firm. Led by Principal Giusi Mastro, the exquisite love for details and the desire for accomplishing always pristine spaces makes Ora a perfect choice for the elegant and refined residential design. We have collaborated on several projects and will continue to in the future.

As CEO & Founder Extravega, an Italian manufacturer specializing in the engineering, manufacturing and installation of Architectural fabrications for custom made projects, we met Giusi through a high-profile client. She was designing the Interior Architecture and consulting on the exterior elements for their large mansion in the Long Island area. It was a pleasure working with Giusi, I recognized her Italian approach to design, creating volume and structure that were in harmony with each other. It was also a pleasure because she was knowledgeable about different materials and how they interact, which made our collaboration smooth and very successful. I highly respect Giusi Mastro for her good taste, knowledge and her trusted relationship with her clients. I look forward to our next opportunity to work together again.

I am the owner of Cartouche Creations a video and television production company, and met Giusi when a fellow colleague invited me to an event. I noticed how respected she was within this group and our chat led us to decide to work together on a Client testimonial onsite at one of her projects. As part of my research I looked at her projects and I saw the high quality of her work which is both beautiful and timeless. During our time working together and seeing her rapport with her client, I saw how passionate she is not only about Architecture, but also her ability to communicate and understand her client’s needs. Her attention to detail and grasp of visual impact impressed me. She knew the concepts she wanted to convey in the video and how she wanted her work to be presented. We went on to do a second video called Creating a Design Philosophy: The Merging of Three Different Cultures, which delved into what inspires her and about her life experience in her field of Architecture and Design. I would most highly recommend Giusi to any of my colleagues and friends that needed a skilled design professional. I look forward to making more videos with this true artist.

I have always been in the corporate world, and recently I embarked on a new business venture and started working from home. I realized I needed my office space to be designed professionally to avoid the pitfall of not having the separation of work and home and not having a formal environment conducive to working. Giusi Mastro came recommended by a friend that sought her services when he had a similar challenge. Nowadays the office environment is different becoming more virtual through technology, without the need to commute to an outside space or even been in the same area to conduct business. I like Giusi’s style and the serene look that she is able to create. One thing that struck me in the beginning of our collaboration was how she made me aware that a working environment needs to be a little more formal than home but not necessarily cold or without style. Giusi suggested designing a custom desk for me, using innovative materials and some pops of color to brighten the space, even suggesting hanging artwork to make it a little more personal. It all started with a consultation, just to analyze the space, but soon after I decided to hire her. I felt comfortable that she would be able to transform my mini office area into something special.

"As a high-end millwork, cabinetry and furniture maker company, we are very happy with our collaboration with ORA Studio. Giusi Mastro is a talented and decisive designer; she knows her projects and clients’ requirements, up to the smallest details, by heart and has clear vision on the design concepts. Every time she comes to us with new projects, Giusi is always very well prepared. She seeks what works best for her clients to achieve the modern and minimal style. She has exceptional design skills and keen eye to details, as well as she is open to any suggestions. She loves what she is doing and always ready to answer any question or concern. Giusi understands very well the process to make any custom project happen with as less complication as possible, from materials and finishes selection, to production and installation phases. We very much appreciate the trust that she has put in us to always deliver her vision. From Cabinet Maker NYC by Prowood Inc, we thank you Giusi for the opportunity to be a part of a great team – We always love working with you." "As a high-end millwork, cabinetry and furniture maker company, we are very happy with our collaboration with ORA Studio. Giusi Mastro is a talented and decisive designer; she knows her projects and clients’ requirements, up to the smallest details, by heart and has clear vision on the design concepts. Every time she comes to us with new projects, Giusi is always very well prepared. She seeks what works best for her clients to achieve the modern and minimal style. She has exceptional design skills and keen eye to details, as well as she is open to any suggestions. She loves what she is doing and always ready to answer any question or concern. Giusi understands very well the process to make any custom project happen with as less complication as possible, from materials and finishes selection, to production and installation phases. We very much appreciate the trust that she has put in us to always deliver her vision. From Cabinet Maker NYC by Prowood Inc, we thank you Giusi for the opportunity to be a part of a great team – We always love working with you."

I have collaborated with Giusi for many years, in different capacities, ranging from producing 3D views of her designs to collaborating on the design of a loft in Soho and now working with a Contractor on developing a new concept for a cost effective modern luxury home to be built in the Hamptons NY. I have worked with several Architect/Designers within the last 10 years, but working with Giusi has always been one of my favorite interactions. She is a genuine person that has an extremely passionate attitude towards Architecture and Design, maybe because of the craftsmanship tradition carried by her ancestry. Her enthusiasm and curiosity is contagious, and that makes working with her easy, rewarding and an enjoyable experience.

We loved teaming up with Giusi Mastro of ORA studio on an exquisite contemporary loft in Soho NYC. Giusi Mastro is a very rare talent and designing great spaces is instinctive for her. She always comes up with good, simple and practical solutions even when there are unexpected challenges. The client was unhappy that the kitchen and bathrooms had the same wood finish so she thought that the bathrooms needed a gut renovation. Giusi came up with the brilliant idea to leave the bathrooms and not to do a gut renovation and only do some minor interventions, and to redo the Kitchen instead. When we received the drawings it was a pleasure for us to find the product to match her specifications and budget. This process was smooth and rewarding. We look forward to the opportunity to work alongside her again.

Giusi Mastro of Ora Studio is the consummate professional and everything one could ask for in an Italian designer/architect who is a true artist. I used her in the past to transform my dim upper East side pre-war Manhattan apartment into a beautiful comfortable home. I recently moved to a modern high rise in lower Westchester with spectacular views of Long Island Sound from a wall of floor to ceiling windows. I needed Giusi's keen eye for color, lighting and furniture placement to create a home with cutting edge modern style and Giusi delivered on her promise to create my new home. Her selection of paint was instant when she walked into the space and the finished job was amazing. The hues changed with the flow of natural daylight and coupled with her lighting selections the nights are pleasing to the eye and mind. She was attentive to every detail including the perfect placement of my artwork in each room. She also saved me money. For example, she did not tell me to dump my old Manhattan apartment furniture and buy everything new. Instead, she went with me to an incredible hand crafted furniture manufacturer located in Queens, Anthony Lawrence of New York, and spent time with me and the owner to select the perfect fabrics for the re-birth of my old furniture in my new space. My new home is a stunning beautiful show place which is also a comfortable home. Thank you Giusi.

I love marble, stone and semi-precious stone, and have spent my life working in this field. This material in addition to being beautiful and diverse is also very durable and can transform any project into a work of art if the right material is selected and the right application is executed. As like a diamond, in order for stone to be beautiful, it needs to be cut in the right way and have the perfect setting. This is where the work of the Architect/ Designer is very vital. I met Giusi at European Granite and Marble’s, at one of our events, and we immediately started speaking Italian and I learned that Giusi like me is also a marble lover who cares about reaching a very high level of quality results for her clients. We spent a considerable amount of time selecting the perfects slabs for her client. What I was impressed by was her choice of stone or marble that informed her design simultaneously, and was not a skin applied after the design was finished. It became an integral part of her design. Working with Giusi was a breath of fresh air. She is someone who is very meticulous like me. I could say that from the way her clients interact with her, she is highly respected. Maybe it is the Italian flair that is so charming, but what can I say, I am Italian too.