Architectural Hardware
Katonah Architectural Hardware
143 Katonah Ave.
Katonah
(914) 232-7796
If the devil is in the details, then Katonah Architectural Hardware is the hottest game around. After all, it’s the doorknobs, hinges, knobs, and cabinet pulls that give a home character and, in the case of this veritable Westchester institution, those homes include the pull-out-all-stops residences of Morgan Freeman, Paul Shaffer, Mariah Carey, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates. Many architects, interior designers, and homeowners alike are willing to sell their souls to get their hands on the gems found here, knowing that when it comes to home design, it’s often the small things that make the biggest statements.
Concrete
Savaspace
81 Pondfield Rd., #134
Bronxville
(914) 509-6101
You polish your furniture, you polish your silver (well, occasionally), but your concrete floors? You need to save a space in your Rolodex for Matthew Johnson’s innovative specialty company for those floors you long ago had given up on. Savaspace offers a concrete solution to concrete surfaces, transforming them into gleaming works of stain-free, dust-free art worthy of a place inside your house as well as within the garage. You can direct all of your questions to Johnson, who’s so professional that he even boasts a master’s certificate in—who knew?—decorative concrete.
Decorative Painters
Beaux Arts Studios
49 High St.
Katonah
(914) 232-4720
Anyone can buy a painting. Why not bring home two professional artists to paint an original mural that will be the talk of the neighborhood? Tim Eaton and Elisabeth Gogois, a husband-and-wife team who met in France, specialize in decorative arts including murals, custom painting, portraits, faux painting, renderings, and restoration work. They’ve amassed quite a portfolio over their more than two decades of experience, well worth checking out. The two are members of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America, as well as the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers.
DeersTooth Murals
Dobbs Ferry
(914) 674-6413
An English garden in the powder room, a restaurant scene in the dining room, a circus in the nursery…nothing is outside the realm of possibility with a paintbrush and some talent. Artist Lisa Samalin of DeersTooth Murals, who’s had experience in everything from fine and commercial art to theater backdrops, applies her gifts to residential and commercial murals.
Hope McAdam Decorative Painter
7 Farrington Ave.
Sleepy Hollow
(914) 631-5765
Of course, she’s experienced in all of the trendy designer faux finishes and techniques, but if you’re seeking something more dramatic, Hope McAdam is also an accomplished muralist. She recently completed a Cirque du Soleil scene for one child’s bedroom and a jungle scene for another’s. You don’t have to be of the tot set to pursue something distinctive for your walls; McAdam comes with a portfolio of samples and a collection of ideas.
Miro Art Inc.
704-A Locust St.
Mount Vernon
(914) 663-8350
way to faux
Roman Kujawa of Mount Vernon-based Miro Art painted a graceful trompe l’oeil motif in fresco on top of stucco to bring an airy height to a corridor.
If you’re looking for a true craftsman, what better reference could you ask for than the President of the United States? In 1995, Roman Kujawa, founder of Miro Art, restored the 18th-century ceiling and gilded 365 acanthus leaves on the crown molding in the Blue Room of the White House. Along with restoration, Miro offers decorative painting in a variety of styles and finishes, including faux marble, stone, wood, and even fabric. Handpainted and gilded furniture is part of Kujawa’s extensive repertoire. Just ask the Commander in Chief.
Fireplace Retailers
Fire Glow Distributors, Inc.
2989 Navajo St.
Yorktown
(914) 248-7775
This massive 3,000-square-foot showroom with at least 14 burning fireplace displays will never leave you cold. As a matter of fact, you’re sure to warm up to the bevy of nifty accessories, including grates, toolsets, screens, brushes, cleaners, replacement parts, ash buckets, log holders and carriers, and chimney products. Savvy shoppers will keep a steak tucked away: a lineup of backyard/patio gas barbeques are all set up and ready to go.
The Fireplace & Patio Shoppe
369 White Plains Rd.
Eastchester
(914) 771-5647
The Fireplace & Patio Shoppe has got you covered all year ’round, whether that’s with custom fireplaces, mantles, and accessories for those below-freezing days or patio furniture and barbeques for summer fun. Looking for an excuse to visit? Owner Darin Del Gardo has upon occasion brought in a chef for cooking demonstrations.
Kelloggs & Lawrence
26-30 Parkway
Katonah
(914) 232-3351
Did we wake up in Pleasantville? No, it’s Katonah—and it’s just Kelloggs & Lawrence, an iconic hardware store that has prided itself on the same old-fashioned service and products since Henry W. Kellogg purchased C.W. Avery’s hardware business in 1887. The fireplace doors and accessories in brass, copper, and iron will warm your heart, as well as your house. (And who can resist the old-time charm of little red Radio Flyer wagons and charming mailboxes?) But you’d be quite remiss to assume that Kelloggs is stuck in the past. The timeless hardware store is undeniably forward-thinking with its eco-friendly products (such as compact fluorescent replacement bulbs) and ideas for green living.
Garage Doors
Dutchess Overhead Doors
40 Arlington Ave.
Poughkeepsie
(845) 471-1130
We appreciate Dutchess Overhead Doors’ online tutorial (our confession: garage-door construction and components aren’t really our area of specialty). But the company is happy to please and eager to do so, gleaning information from its online survey to constantly better its offerings and service). We were impressed by the scores of door types, colors, and window styles and were particularly intrigued by the Raynor Finger Protection System (available on Raynor Innovation Series’ doors), which gently pushes digits away from section joints (so important when trying to keep small fingers on little hands out of harm’s way).
Garage Door Store
1612 Main St.
Peekskill
(914) 739-2222
A garage door may seem like a more mundane purchase than, say, your limestone front steps or landscaping, but it’s often the largest—and first noticed—exterior detail of your home. (If you don’t believe us, click on the Garage Door Store’s online gallery to see how functional-but-fabulous doors can dictate a home’s architectural style.) The Garage Door Store offers both custom and factory-built garage doors, selling and installing products from the industry’s top manufacturers such as Clopay, Wayne-Dalton, Elite, and Premium, in addition to its line of custom and semi-custom carriage-house style overhead doors.
Town & Country Door
and Operator Co. LLC
390 Danbury Rd.
Wilton, Connecticut
(203) 431-0004
Doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for a garage door made of a just-right wood species or a rough-and-tough version sturdy enough to weather your kids’ bicycle bangs, Town & Country is really swinging—and sliding—when it comes to the industry. The company specializes in custom carriage-house styles and overhead swinging and sliding garage doors. Combine traditional aesthetics with state-of-the-art, quiet-as-a-mouse electronic operators from Genie and you’ll be amazed by 21st-century technology: classic swinging doors that open with the latest push-button remote.
United Overhead Door Corp.
21 Saw Mill River Rd.
Yonkers
(914) 964-0038
More than half a century ago, United started making its wooden garage doors in Yonkers, merging in the early 1990s with a company that fabricated rolling steel garage doors and security gates. Today, United sells more than 100 styles of doors manufactured in its 35,000-square-foot facility, an open-and-shut case of good service and superior quality translating into business success.
Glass
Brewster Glass Shop, Inc.
122 Old Rt. 6
Carmel
(845) 278-7576
Open two custom-designed glass doors and step into your morning shower, then enjoy getting clean under a glass ceiling to keep the steam inside. Brewster Glass Shop, an outgrowth of Bedford Hills Glass & Body Shop and now located in a new state-of-the-art facility, can provide you with a shower that you’ll never want to leave (we take no liability for the consequences, including puckered skin). Brewster Glass also does patio doors, heavy glass tabletops, storm windows and doors, custom mirrors, and glass replacement.
DC Studios LLC
(914) 667-4619
(845) 876-3200
Stained-glass artist Doris Cultraro gladly does windows—and lampshades and hanging medallions and panels. For this former exec with Comedy Central, the craft is no laughing matter; it’s one she tackles with passion and attention to detail (especially details such as period styles and intended settings). A new, larger studio in Rhinebeck, New York, gives Cultraro plenty of elbow room for her growing number of appreciative clients, particularly the homeowners who live in what she calls “the distinctive homes of the region.”
Glassolutions Unlimited Corp.
212 South William St.
Newburgh
(845) 569-0001
Sure, we’ve all seen those gorgeous glass-enclosed showers, but sleek glass railings? Displays? Glass furniture? Glassolutions Unlimited, an architectural glass and metal business, has created cool custom creations for more than 40 years including skylights, windows and doors, and ornamental metalwork. Based in Newburgh, the company also has a Westchester office—great if you need a quick fix. Glassolutions always has an inventory of architectural metal, glass, mirrors, plastics, and hardware on hand for repairs.
Modern Mirror & Glass Co.
100 Lake St.
White Plains
(914) 946-7346
www.modernmirrorandglassco.com
With more than 12,000 square feet of showroom and manufacturing space and state-of-the-art beveling and polishing machinery, Modern Mirror & Glass Co. has became a local name in glass design and repair. Four generations of Fugazzis have been creating, restoring, and repairing mirrors, shower doors, glass tabletops, glass railings, and just about anything else made of glass for half a century. The company also reproduces antique mirrors, a specialty reportedly gaining in popularity.
Pleasantville Glass
12 Broadway
Hawthorne
(914) 747-4325
We love how the sun streams in the window, but are doggone tired of how it fades the carpet and drives up air-conditioning bills during warm-weather months. Then we heard about Pleasantville Glass’ “transparent” insulation, which lets light pass through while reducing ultraviolet rays and solar heat—and lets us enjoy the view of our hard-earned garden. In addition to this great feature, custom glass and mirror work are specialties at Pleasantville Glass.
Yorktown Glass
317 Underhill Ave.
Yorktown Heights
(914) 962-7008
Yorktown Glass concentrates on frameless shower doors and uses the latest computer programs for design and sizing to ensure the perfect fit. You’re in good hands with these skilled craftsmen, specialists who focus on a specific product and work hard to be great doing what they do.
Maps
WorldView Antique Maps & Books
17-19 Marble Ave.
Pleasantville
(914) 741-2128
If your collection of maps consists of AAA’s Trip Tix, you may not be ahead of your time, but you’re way ahead of Ralph Salomon’s. Climb the stairs to his second-story antiquarian map and bookstore and you’ll be taking a trip through history. An amateur Africanist and historian, Salomon views the sale of maps as a logical—though more sedentary—extension of his world travels. You’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere such a wide-ranging collection of original antique maps from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
Millwork & Custom Woodworking
All-Star Woodworking
401 Claremont Ave.
Thornwood
(914) 769-9161
In business since 1978, All-Star Woodworking invites prospective clients to visit its Thornwood, factory, where Old World workmanship and modern machinery combine to make incredible home-changing products. More than 95 percent of our jobs are completed for the price quoted at the beginning of the job.
Culin & Colella
632 Center Ave.
Mamaroneck
(914) 698-7727
Husband and wife Ray Culin and Janis Colella bring a lot to the (drop-dead gorgeous, handcrafted) table. With a BFA in woodworking and furniture design, Colella apprenticed under distinguished artist Stanley Bleifeld (former President of the National Sculpture Society) and legendary sculptor Bruno Lucchesi. Culin, who majored in architecture and furniture design and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, created outdoor structures for the late landscape architect Armand Benedek. Together, they fabricate jaw-dropping looks—from kitchen cabinetry and libraries to paneling and custom built-ins and furniture-for the most stunning of homes (including that of discerning designer Tommy Hilfiger).
Modular Molding
160 Wildey St.
Tarrytown
(914) 631-2013
Ron DiBlasi was trained as an architect and ventured into the woodworking field when he couldn’t find an expert to do skilled millwork during a renovation to his own home. He closed up his architecture firm 20 years ago, concentrating on what was to become his first love. DiBlasi teamed up with Ed Mittelstadt, a classically trained carpenter and engineer, and today their company focuses on custom doors and windows, as well as some custom cabinetry with, not surprisingly, some pretty incredible architectural features.
Thornwood Architectural Woodwork
401 Claremont Ave.
Thornwood
(914) 769-9161
These millwork specialists are a one-stop source for woodworking design, fabrication, construction, and renovation. Its full manufacturing facility specializes in high-end custom-made kitchen cabinetry, countertops, and wall units.
Woodtronics, Inc.
1661 Front St., Suite 3
Yorktown Heights
(914) 962-5205
You know you’re getting individualized attention when the ebony stain on your oak custom cabinetry is called Diana’s #101, named after the woman in Woodtronics’ finishing department who created it. It’s this attention to detail that landed Woodtronics onto the pages of Architectural Digest and had the owners of Tango Restaurant & Grill calling when they decided to remodel their White Plains eatery. From its 7,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, Woodtronics focuses on architectural woodworking, custom cabinetry, built-ins, and wall units. And, of course, our favorite local restaurants.
Yorktown Woodworking, Inc.
1776 Front St.
Yorktown Heights
(914) 962-2130
A Best of Westchester pick by Westchester Magazine in 2005 for its graceful handcrafted custom cabinetry (but we’ll put in our pitch for its wainscot paneling and clubby coffered ceilings), Yorktown Woodworking does a bang-up job in creating millwork for kitchens, entertainment centers, libraries, elaborate bookcases, fireplace mantels, and wine cellars. A design/build firm, Yorktown Woodworking is also capable of providing design, drawings, and fabrication for other projects, acting as construction manager or working with already-signed contractors.
Pianos
Frank & Camille’s Fine Pianos
336 Saw Mill River Rd.
Yonkers
(914) 966-3177
Maybe you haven’t tickled the ivories since middle school, but won’t that baby grand in the corner add a sense of culture and class? (Besides, junior is just about the right age to start.) If you’re thinking about a piano, consider Frank & Camille’s Fine Pianos, which opened its doors more th
