My husband and I have, for some years, been making a transition from our life as university professors at Duke University to retirement in NYC, the birthplace for us both. While we had been longing to return to NYC on and off for a long time, it was nevertheless a daunting change after some 40 years at Duke in North Carolina.
I have always cared deeply about my homes, at the same time that I have found it extremely challenging to find the time to achieve the high standard of design and quality of workmanship that I so desired. Stephen Potters was referred to us by a colleague, and we have now renovated two consecutive apartments with him and his team. What is so extraordinary is that in both cases, the renovation process was painless - actually enjoyable, and done while we were living in North Carolina.
For the first apartment, Stephen truly transformed a small wreck of an apartment into a very lovely and comfortable space that we cherished. Our son, a performing artist, was so fascinated with Stephen's creative work that they became good friends; I, in addition, was truly grateful for his careful oversight and his thoughtfulness in regard to all decisions. The process was such a pleasure that I knew I had a trustworthy partner in hand when we were ready to move to a larger space.
For our second apartment, my son and I worked closely with Stephen and his colleague Ruth Gyuse. Ruth, like Stephen, is a most delightful person, and the second renovation was even more fun than the first, with equally compelling results. Stephen and Ruth are so kind and respectful, so hard working and engaged, that by the time the work was done (on time and to perfection!), I felt like they were part of my family.
Stephen Potters Architects provided our family with a beautiful NYC home for our retirement, and an equally positive renovation experience in another, prior apartment as we worked through our transition back to the City. These life transitions bring tense times for families, and I can not communicate strongly enough what a difference it made to my family to have such a creative, competent, and caring team to take us through these changes.
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