Design your apartment with an Architect
— INTERIOR DESIGN
— ARCHITECT OF RECORD
— CO-OP/CONDO APPROVALS ASSISTANCE
— DOB EXPEDITING IN-HOUSE
— DOB PROGRESS AND SPECIAL INSPECTION SIGN-OFFS
— LETTER OF COMPLETION/CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY ASSISTANCE
Service provided by LENKA ILIC ARCHITECTURE D.P.C.
Service provided by LENKA ILIC ARCHITECTURE D.P.C.
Architect and Interior Design
for Manhattan and Brooklyn
BY LENKA ILIC ARCHITECTURE D.P.C.
Apartment Renovation NYC Architect provides architectural and interior design services for New York City focusing on Manhattan and Brooklyn apartment renovations and remodels, including co-op, condo, prewar apartment, loft, kitchen, bathroom and complete gut renovation projects.
CONTENT PREPARED AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY FULL-SERVICE NYC-BASED ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE LENKA ILIC ARCHITECTURE D.P.C.
Apartment Owners may not realize that even seemingly minor changes can require permits.
Thinking of renovating? We work throughout Manhattan, including the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown, Chelsea, SoHo, NoHo, Tribeca, Greenwich Village, and the West Village, as well as Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights, and DUMBO. Schedule a consultation.
Our design team led by Principal Architect, Lenka Ilic, helps Owners evaluate the existing apartment, improve the floor plan, visualize the proposed design and coordinate the approvals required before construction begins. Services include architectural design, interior design, co-op or condo submissions, NYC Department of Buildings filings, contractor selection assistance and construction oversight, including inspections and closing documentation.
“The best Architect is a Full-Service Architect. Also, apartment Owners in NYC deserve not to be scammed by false design-build advertising.”
It is a misconception that contractors are able to provide true estimates without Architect’s drawings.
Communication between an Owner and contractor is through an Architect, for transparency and an Owner’s protection.
An Architect is authorized to advise on floor plan layout, approvals, provides construction cost guidance, assists with selecting a contractor and reviews contractors’ bids. Our office suggests construction administration protocols and oversees construction phase. The Architect’s role is to protect an Owner’s interests and review a contractor’s deliverables.
Owners shall not have an obligation to review contractor’s work, it is an Architect’s job. Read more on Why Architects reviews contractors request for payments on Owner’s behalf.
Minimal white kitchen remodel for a Manhattan apartment.
Appliance selection and coordination for a NYC apartment renovation.
Transparent services required on an apartment renovation
Services that are often overlooked and added later as third-party costs, we already account for from the start.
Our wayWe care about small projects too!
Not many Architects assist with contractor selection.
For Owners’ protection. With suggested pre-screened contractors we compare their cost estimates to balance innovative cost and contractor’s qualifications.
Our wayWe prefer to prepare filing applications for permits ourselves.
Other Architects in NYC often suggest to Owners to hire third-party expeditors.
To avoid additional coordination. Approval submissions are filed in-house to streamline a project.
Our wayWe establish clear construction administration protocols before an Owner enters into an agreement with a contractor.
This is the big one! Often Architects tend to stay away from construction phase. We help Owners clarify protocols and industry standards when negotiating with a contractor.
To avoid one-sided agreements. Without an Architect involved Owners may find themselves in a “hostage” position.
Our wayWe design with end goal in mind from the very start.
Other Architects often suggest to Owners to hire third-party inspectors.
To avoid delays caused by a disconnect between an Architect and inspectors. Our principal Lenka Ilic is the technical director of a NYC DOB registered Special Inspection Agency, and both progress and special inspection services during the construction phase are provided.
Often third-party elsewhere. In-house with us.
The construction industry in New York is highly regulated, but Owners are not always fully informed about the roles, responsibilities, and professional requirements that apply to an apartment renovation.
Over the years, we have encountered Owners who found themselves facing unexpected costs, construction delays, excessive change orders, or contractual disputes simply because appropriate protections and procedures were not established at the beginning of the project.
Owners should also be cautious of firms advertising “design-build” services for NYC apartment renovations. In New York, architectural services must be provided by a properly licensed professional or authorized professional entity and generally cannot be offered or brokered through a contractor. Maintaining a direct relationship between the Owner and Architect preserves the Architect’s professional independence and allows the Architect to provide architectural services directly to the Owner throughout the project.
One of the most effective ways we help protect Owners is by establishing clear construction administration procedures before an Owner enters into an agreement with a contractor.
Lenka Ilic, our Principal Architect, assists Owners in establishing construction administration protocols to be reflected in the Owner/contractor agreement, including procedures for change orders, payment and construction schedule review, and review of the Work. These procedures allow the Architect and Owner to administer the construction phase in a controlled and transparent manner, particularly with respect to construction cost and project schedule.
Legal terms, remedies, and questions of contractual liability should be reviewed with the Owner’s attorney.
During construction, contractors may propose additional work through change orders. Our office reviews proposed change orders against the architectural drawings, specifications, contractual scope of work, and existing conditions to evaluate whether the proposed additional work and associated cost are supported by the contract documents, project scope, and existing conditions.
This provides the Owner with professional review before accepting additional construction costs rather than leaving the Owner to evaluate technical construction claims independently.
Establishing this procedure within the Owner/contractor agreement is important. Once an Owner has signed a contractor’s agreement without appropriate provisions for architectural review and approval, implementing these procedures later can become considerably more difficult.
We also review the contractor’s construction schedule throughout the construction phase and keep the Owner informed of progress.
The contractor should maintain and periodically update a construction schedule identifying major milestones, anticipated completion dates, and changes affecting the project timeline. Our office reviews these updates to identify anticipated delays, evaluate their effect on the construction schedule, and identify apparent causes based on the project information available to us.
The objective is to establish accountability before problems arise, giving the Owner clear mechanisms for reviewing additional costs, evaluating changes, monitoring the construction timeline, and addressing contractor performance throughout the renovation.
Learn more about how we help Owners control construction costs and construction timelines through our Owner’s Protection services.
Renovating an apartment in a New York City co-op or condominium commonly involves both building management approval and government approval. Our architectural firm coordinates the architectural design and documentation needed to move the project through each stage.
We review the building’s alteration agreement and prepare the architectural submission for the managing agent, condominium board, co-op board or reviewing architect. Requirements may address plumbing locations, wet-over-dry restrictions, soundproofing, work hours, contractor insurance and building protection.
We prepare and coordinate the filing with the NYC Department of Buildings. Depending on the proposed work, the project may also require engineering coordination, inspections and final sign-offs. Our Principal Architect, Lenka Ilic is the technical director of the NYC DOB registered Special Inspection Agency and we provide inspection services.
Our team assists the Owner in reviewing contractors' proposals, comparing the scope of work and monitoring construction for general conformance with the approved drawings.
Renovated bathroom remodel design reference for a prewar SoHo co-op enhanced with contemporary finishes.
Prewar apartments often contain valuable architectural character alongside aging building systems and existing conditions that may not be shown accurately in the original documents.
Before developing the renovation design, our architects study the existing apartment, available building records, plumbing locations, structural conditions and applicable approval requirements. This helps determine what can realistically be changed before the Owner commits to a construction scope.
The objective is not to remove the apartment’s character, but to make its existing qualities work for contemporary living.
A successful NYC apartment renovation begins with the floor plan. We study how the apartment is currently used, identify opportunities to improve circulation and storage, and develop a layout that responds to the Owner’s needs and the technical limitations of the building.
Architectural planning and interior design are developed as one coordinated process so the proposed layout, cabinetry, materials, fixtures and lighting can be understood before construction begins.
Our expertise advising on apartment renovations in NYC has been featured across New York’s trusted news, local community and housing, real estate, co-op & condo, and lifestyle press.
Tea, project manager in a NYC Midtown Manhattan showroom selecting tile for our Park Slope kitchen remodel.
Lenka was such a great architect for our renovation. She made our little Upper West Side apartment feel twice the size with custom cabinets and millwork. It really made the space lighter and functional. We weren't sure how the millwork would look in the space compared to the showroom but her team made these 3D renderings so quickly it sold us on the whole project. If you're not sure give them a call, they walked us through the whole process.
Lenka and her team were amazing! They helped us visualize our kitchen remodel, as great communicators and professionals. We went with chic stone from Bas Stone NYC - all suggested by her team. Went fabulous with the white cabinets. Have always loved her sleek eye and talent - a great addition to our living space and life.
Apartment Renovation NYC was able to help me with the remodel on my bathroom and kitchen. Easy to talk with and walked me through the whole process from layout planning, permits, design, helping me select the contractor, and getting everything closed out with the DOB and with my touchy building. They were always available and quick to respond, would definitely recommend.
Having difficulty understanding how a renovated apartment will look and feel from floor plans alone? Apartment Renovation NYC creates detailed 3D visualizations to help Owners explore proposed layouts, materials, finishes, lighting, and ambiance of a space. The level of detail can be adjusted to the project scope, allowing important design decisions to be reviewed and refined early, when changes are easier and less costly to make.
See design boards for inspiration