Grand piano parlor, aka living room, with newly repaired and painted walls and ceiling

Freshly plastered and painted after mega scraping and prepping

New plaster, skim coat and paint - no more unsightly peeling, flaking, cracking walls and ceiling

Lower East Side Scraping and Plastering 

What do sneakers, paint, heat pumps, teddy bears, plaster and wood fences have in common? They all experience significant wear and tear across 25 years. Some need replacing. Some can be fixed. And in the case of paint and plaster, all can be made like new! This apartment in Manhattan was ready for the “make-it-new” outcome. Protecting furniture, fixtures and floors is imperative in our line work, and here we had a grand piano in the mix.

Once things were wrapped and covered, we scraped and scraped and scraped some more. Ceilings are always a challenge, but our arms are strong, our eyes are keen, and our experience is vast. The whole place, walls included, needed work, and when working with plaster, using the correct plaster weld product ensures that new plaster will bond well and hold a long time – ideally another 25 years. We skim coated ceilings and walls before applying final coats of paint. The client was thrilled with the results. We were thrilled with the whole project, especially not to have gotten a flake or spot of anything on the grand piano.

Flaking paint on your pillow, anyone? We fixed this ceiling like new.

Not exactly what you want to come home to, right? Right. We made it all new again.

Wolf-Gordon Manhattan Paper Hanging

With a keen eye for class and the desire to make a stylish statement in their new apartment, this family collaborated with our color consultant to determine their preference for the wall paint plus an accent wallpaper in the bedroom. Benjamin Moore’s Yukon Sky 1439 was selected for the walls, its smoky blue-gray subtly hinting at an approaching night time.

Wolf-Gordon’s wallpaper products combine excellent design with dependable performance. The wall surface must be completely smooth and uniform. There are many adhesives from which to choose depending on the thickness and material of the wallpaper. Then there’s using the precise amount of glue and lining up each sheet perfectly next to the previous one and trimming at the edges where one wall makes a corner with another one. Wallpaper installation is a demanding combination of art, science, timing and precision, and we happen to think this shimmery, dappled accent wall is very cool.

Beautiful newly plasterer and polished walls to showcase professional photos.

Close up view of beautiful walls.

NYC Apartment Skim Coating 

There are lots of ways to incorporate a homey atmosphere into your residence. Rugs, window treatments and furniture come to mind. But the personalization of space, that unique décor element that speaks volumes about the homeowner, might just be how one treats the walls. The options are nearly limitless for paintings, prints, fabric, mirrors, metal art, maps, shelves, plates, sconces, whiteboard, the television and – drum roll – photos. One of our recent clients is a professional photographer, and she wanted to showcase some of her work at home, but not on crummy, rough, uneven, peeling walls with ceilings to match!

We scraped off lots of loose, old paint and plaster before smoothing the surfaces with multiple skim coats of plaster, sanding between each one. After applying an excellent bonding primer, our team painted a polish plaster coat. This final layer provides a smooth, uniform texture which is durable and naturally waterproof. While it can be tinted, this lady opted for the cleanliness of white so her photos capture full attention. We took a few photos of our own so you can see the difference, though not close to professional standards of photography, we know.

The hallway walls when we arrived on the scene.

Ceilings needed serious attention, too.

Brooklyn Duplex Interior Painting

There are lots of things new tenants would enjoy like donuts, a vase of fresh flowers, gift card to the local deli and so on. But as professional painters, we see those consumables are here today-gone tomorrow. On the other hand, a fresh coat of interior paint lasts much longer and speaks the language of caring about renters having fresh, clean spaces in which to create their new home. Home is where the heart is, for sure, it’s a refuge from the hustle-bustle of city streets and subways. Maya Angelou related that “the ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

 In this charming Brooklyn duplex, we painted high and wide after some routine light plastering and sanding to smooth out a few places. Plaster and sandpaper go to every job because most of them need a spot or more of touch-up. Painting professionally with superior results requires a keen eye from many angles, good lighting and the kind of surface assessment that only comes with experience. White Dove paint is always an excellent choice for projecting a bright, polished interior. Welcome home, new tenants!

The lovely, smooth, ceiling completely repaired

The unlovely, peeling ceiling upon arrival

Our plastic protection before any work commences

Our work at the halfway point professionally restoring this ceiling

Tudor City Plastering and Painting

 Ceiling space is the largest expanse in any room. It may be equal to the floor in square feet, but it is not interrupted with furniture and rugs. And while you may not gaze at the ceiling, peripheral vision takes it all in – the big space with possibly one central chandelier or fan or recessing lighting. When your ceiling is in disrepair, then the entire room takes on a dull, crummy appearance. This Tudor City apartment’s ceiling had been peeling for a couple years, and it was time to fix it.

 Our team rolled in with copious plastic sheets to protect furnishings, floor coverings and electronics from debris that was sure to come down in pieces, flakes and dust. Once scraped, we applied a bonding primer to attach firmly to the subsequent coats of plaster. After sanding it flat and smooth, up went a high quality primer ahead of the finish coats. Ceiling work is challenging for the overhead position and working with arms raised on ladders and scaffolding that we haul along with all the tools and supplies. This entire room can now be seen, peripheral vision included, as a warm, inviting, home space.