Start with the apartment, not the cabinetry
Most built-in projects that go sideways do so because the cabinetry was designed before the apartment was properly understood. NYC apartments — especially pre-war ones — have conditions that change the design: out-of-plumb walls, sloping floors, plaster ceilings, original mouldings worth preserving, radiators that cannot move, structural columns that interrupt clean wall runs, and door swings that have to be respected.
Before you commit to a layout, the apartment needs to be measured properly and the conditions documented. We do this during the in-home consultation — but you can do a useful version yourself with a tape measure, a phone camera, and an hour.
What to document before any design starts
Wall lengths — top, middle, bottom
Pre-war walls are often out of plumb. Measure each wall at three heights. A 0.5" discrepancy across 8 feet is normal and tells the fabricator how to scribe.
Ceiling heights — multiple points
Plaster ceilings can dip 1"+ across a room. Measure at the corners and the middle. We need this to set the top of the millwork.
Existing architecture
Original mouldings, baseboards, picture rails, plaster cornices — photograph everything. Decide what stays. Most pre-war detailing is worth preserving and the cabinetry should defer to it.
Outlets, switches, vents, sprinklers
Photograph every electrical and mechanical fixture in the wall area. Each one has to be either incorporated into the design or relocated (which means a separate electrician).
Doors, door swings, and clearances
A door swinging into the room eats wall depth. Document every door swing within 3 feet of the millwork wall.
Service elevator dimensions
Width, depth, height of the service elevator. This determines how the cabinetry has to be panelized. Ask your super or building manager.
Co-op and condo approvals
If you live in a co-op or many condos, your built-in project triggers an alteration agreement. This is normal. The package usually requires: contractor COI naming the building and management, contractor license documentation, scope of work description, timeline, and sometimes drawings.
Pre-war co-ops in particular often have specific rules — approved work hours (typically 9–5 weekdays), no work on weekends, fire-resistant material requirements, requirements that certain trades be NYC-licensed. Get the alteration package from your managing agent before you commit to a design — some buildings have rules that constrain what is possible.
We supply the COI, license documentation, and scope of work as part of every project in a co-op or alteration-agreement condo. You should not have to chase paperwork.
Sequencing with other work
Built-ins generally happen after structural work, electrical rough-in, drywall, and primer — but before final paint and finished flooring (if you have a choice). The sequence matters because each trade leaves conditions the next has to work with.
Electrical first. Any outlets, LED transformers, or low-voltage runs that live inside the millwork should be roughed in before fabrication is finalized.
Drywall and primer next. The wall behind the millwork should be finished and primed. We do not need a final paint coat — primer is fine.
Millwork install. Our crew installs in 1–3 days. We scribe to existing conditions and finish on site.
Final paint last. Touch-ups around the millwork happen after install. Your painter will thank you.
Flooring is flexible. If you are also doing new flooring, finish floors first and we will scribe to them. If existing floors are staying, no change.
Common NYC-specific mistakes
These come up in roughly half of the projects we walk into during the consultation phase.
Designing to the floor plan, not the apartment
Floor plans show the apartment as built. Apartments after 80 years are not what the floor plan says. Design has to be based on field measurements, not architect drawings.
Ignoring HVAC and steam risers
Pre-war buildings often have steam risers running through walls and corners. They are not optional — you cannot box them in tightly. The design has to accommodate them, sometimes by terminating cabinetry an inch shy of the corner.
Underestimating fabrication time
Custom millwork is 4–8 weeks of fabrication. If you are coordinating with a contractor on a larger renovation, the millwork has to be quoted early enough to land on the construction schedule.
Choosing finishes from screen samples
Wood, lacquer, and stone all read differently in apartment lighting than on a website. Order physical samples and look at them in the actual room at the times of day you will use it.
Forgetting the TV is the wrong height
A TV mounted at "standard" eye-level height in a built-in is usually too high. Sit on the actual couch you will be using before deciding the TV center-line. Most living rooms want the center of the screen at 42–48" off the floor, not 60".
How long the whole process takes
From first call to a finished install, plan on 6–10 weeks for most apartment projects.
Week 1 — in-home consultation and measurement.
Weeks 2–3 — design, 3D renders, material selection, itemized quote, approval to proceed.
Weeks 3–4 — alteration package and COI filed with your building (parallel with start of fabrication).
Weeks 4–8 — fabrication in our New York studio.
Weeks 8–10 — install scheduled with your super, on-site assembly in 1–3 days, AV integration and finish.
Working with your designer or architect
If you have an interior designer or architect on the project, bring us in early. Our work integrates more cleanly when we are part of the design conversation from the schematic phase rather than dropped in at the end. We work on a trade basis with designers and routinely take direction from architects on detailing.
