Decorative Philosophy

Joseph helped us on multiple projects over the years, and I can't say enough good things about him. The quality of work is outstanding, and he is always reliable, conscientious, and pleasant to deal with. I would be happy to recommend him to anyone who needs color consultation and painting - he is absolutely the best in his field.

Awesome job by Decorative Philosophy! I needed my bathroom renovated, I am so pleased with the results, Karen and Joseph were reliable and a pleasure to work with. Their work was clean, neat and everything was finished accordingly. Thanks for the great job!

I loved working with Karen and Joseph! They were able to work within my budget and bring creativity to my home. Their work was neat, professional, and completed on time. Karen and Joseph were very reliable and helped with design ideas and choosing colors beyond what I would have expected. I highly recommend them to anyone in need of design services!

We love Karen and Joseph!! They gave our work space a wonderful, much needed face lift. Their ideas and creativity are endless. They are a true pleasure to work with. You can view photos of our office on their website and see the transformation. Karen and Joseph were able to work within our budget constraints and their ability to re-purpose items and see them in a new light is remarkable!!

I recently went to an art showing in Hoboken by the two wonderful artists and decorators that run Decorative Philosophy, and I have to say I was just blown away by the work that Karen and Joseph have put into this new line of pillows. Each pillow is uniquely crafted and has Karen's own, one of a kind, painted designs on it. I was impressed by each, colorful design and the beauty and effort put into each piece. The way the pillows were set up and the comfortable yet elegant setting of the art show really made me feel somehow relaxed for a night of looking at beautiful work and excited for the potential prospect of owning one. It was almost a magical evening. I have seen some of Karen and Joseph's work before as they redid Karen's studio about a while ago and I am a fan of Karen's paintings, but Karen and Joseph outdid themselves with both the pillows and the show.

Pillow Talk is Karen LaDu and Joseph Macaya's new line of functional art. ABSTRACT, BEAUTIFUL and CREATIVE! The ABC of the Pillow World. Karen and Joseph let their imaginations run wild when creating these attractive pieces of art. The color and textures are to die for and coordinate with many interior and exterior spaces. They also have unique ways to display the pillows, on the wall in bamboo frames, room dividers and head board. JUST BEAUTIFUL!

Recently met Karen and Joseph at a local art show in Hoboken, NJ. I fell in love with their designs inspired by nature and their love of palm trees. You can really see how it manifests into their designs. I now have one of their large hand-painted throw pillows on my couch and it adds just the perfect pop of color to my rustic earthy apartment!! I love unique pieces that can be conversation starters...this is one of them!

The services I required was to repaint my office, and install tile and repaint the master bathroom. Both jobs were started and completed with absolute satisfaction. I also required consultation on the color of paint and type of tile. I was totally satisfied with the selection. The work commenced on time and was completed on time. Thanks for a job well done. I would definitely recommend Decorative Philosophy to all clients.

My wife and I are big and very grateful fans of Joseph Macaya and Decorative Philosophy. Joseph is experienced, thoughtful and thoroughly professional, has an artist's eye with a taste for color, style and design which shows in all his work, and he is a master painter, wallpaper hanger and carpenter and can undertake all types of design and house restoration work with great skill and responsibility His charges are reasonable, he stays on budget and delivers on deadlines, and is more than a pleasure to deal with. We trust and rely on Joseph's judgment and his good business sense and his sense of what looks right and what does not. Over the past several years, Joseph has worked for us both in our New York City apartment and most recently and most importantly at our Bay Head, NJ home before and after Hurricane Sandy. In our apartment, he repaired and lined the walls, helped select colors, and painted and papered a number of rooms, including a complicated kitchen. He also arranged to have our floors refinished in several rooms. Our apartment looks great thanks to Joseph. But his tour de force was stepping in and taking over the entire restoration, from top to bottom (a gut renovation was required), of the first floor or our NJ shore home post-hurricane. Joseph proposed new design, new colors, numerous touches including chair railing and wood paneling, he handled all dealings with the subcontractors (plumbing, electrician, etc.), fixed the doors and in essence also put together, ordered and produced a brand new kitchen, including installing it. The Macaya touches, and there are many, show in each room. (Right at this moment, he is constructing a new outdoor shower -- we just haven't found a job he can't do and can't do with style and creativity.) At every turn, Joseph Macaya went the extra mile for us, and we couldn't be more pleased with all the work he has done for us. He is cheerful, ethical and pleasure to do business with, and Joseph is the first person we will turn to for any and all future design and decorative work in our homes. Henry W. Murray, MD

Another awesome job by Decorative Philosophy. After some crazy interior and exterior water leaks that wreaked havoc on all three floors of our home - Joseph came to our rescue immediately and not only opened walls for us (cleaning up each time) but also found the multiple sources of the leaks by being smart and incredibly persistent. We were so happy with the quick response, the over-and-above effort to solve our problems and the reasonable price, that we asked for additional repair and cosmetic work that was needed as a result of lifting our house last year. Since we have used Decorative Philosophy in the past for both interior and exterior painting and were more than satisfied with the work, we had no problem leaving them access to our home while we were away. When we came home just two weeks later to all interior wall repairs finished and a beautiful new cedar lattice facade below our back deck we were thrilled The work was completely finished and we were blown away by the impeccable detail and superior craftsmanship in every aspect of each project. I can't say enough about this incredible team and I recommend them to everyone who needs top-notch work done.

Did thousands of dollars of damage to my home and then walked off the job. Refused to take any responsibility for damage to custom wood floors, ceilings or high end marble tile work. Now am stuck fixing their mess as well as finding a new pro to finish the job.

Karen La Du has an expertise and passion for art that is abundantly clear in her work. She has shared valuable support and advice on art and design projects and modeled excellent customer relations. I cherish the pieces of her artwork that I own!