Manhattan Apartment Renovation at 130 E 18th by Gallery KBNY design-build firm

About Gallery KBNY

Thoughtful Design.
One Integrated Team.

A Single Team for Design and Construction

Gallery KBNY is a boutique, full-service design-build firm specializing in comprehensive residential renovations throughout Manhattan. Since 2009, our team has transformed pre-war co-ops, landmarked lofts, condominiums, and townhouses, homes where design ambition has to work within some of the city's most demanding buildings.

A team of architects, interior designers, project managers, coordinators, and principals work together under one roof. Every client is supported by a close-knit team that comes to know their home and their building intimately.

Our approach is deliberately personal and highly collaborative. We measure an exceptional renovation by the finished home and by the experience of creating it.

• A Full-Service Design-Build Firm

• Client Advocates

• Project & Construction Managers

• Interior Designers

• Strategists & Planners

• Architects

• Reliable & Principled

• Problem Solvers

• Communicators

• Carpenters

• Board Approval & Permit Pros

• Apartment Renovations In NYC

• Loft Renovations In NYC

• Pre-War Apartment Renovations In NYC

• Condo & Co-Op Renovations In NYC

• Apartment Combinations In NYC

• Full Interior Renovations In NYC

• Brownstone/Townhouse Renovations In NYC

• Minor Remodels + Small Fixes

• Rush Work

• Bake In Hidden Costs

• Single Bathroom Renovations

• Say Yes To Every Request

• Handyman Work

• Act Reactively

• Mismanage Expectations

The Gallery Team

Specialized expertise. Shared accountability. Each discipline brings its own expertise and stays connected to the others from the first sketch to the final walkthrough. That continuity lets a small, senior team carry the original vision all the way into the finished home.

Sutton Place Co-Op Renovation At The Sovereign at 425 East 58th Street by Gallery KBNY design-build firm

Principal-Led. Personally Accountable.

Every project begins with Avi and Alex. They meet clients directly, walk the property, and shape a strategy that balances architectural ambition with budget, building requirements, and execution.

Their involvement continues through design and construction. Avi and Alex stay close to every critical decision, working alongside the project team to resolve complex questions and keep each residence aligned with the vision set at the start.

Clients come to rely on them as trusted advisors. At times that means proposing a better solution or revisiting an assumption before it becomes a costly commitment, always in service of the home as a whole. It is a level of access that shapes the relationships we build as much as the projects we deliver.

Alex U.

Director of Business Development

Avi Z.

CEO & Managing Partner

Architecture & Interior Design

Our architects and designers translate each client's aspirations into personal, livable environments. Spatial planning, detailing, custom millwork, lighting, and finishes are all considered in relation to how the home will actually be lived in. Because they work side by side with our construction team, designs develop with cost and buildability in view, and our designers stay engaged on site to protect the design intent through completion.

Diana M.

Designer

Kate Z.

Designer

Michael G.

Designer

Neeraja M.

Designer

Construction & Project Management

Our project managers lead each site. They coordinate trades, sequence the work, and monitor quality, serving as the steady link between designers, engineers, principals, and building management. Their familiarity with New York's residential buildings, from freight elevator schedules to neighbor considerations, keeps work moving smoothly in occupied buildings.

Leo D.

Project Manager

Miguel R.

Project Manager

Juan Carlos V.

Project Manager

Eli H.

Project Manager

Shared Across The Whole Team

Engineering, Permitting & Building Approvals

Our team coordinates structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing requirements with engineering partners. They also prepare the documentation Manhattan renovations call for, including board packages, alteration agreements, Department of Buildings filings, and Landmarks Preservation Commission applications where applicable. Their early involvement gives designers and project managers a clear read on each building's requirements before plans are finalized.

Project Coordination & Procurement

Coordinators are the client's most frequent point of contact. They manage selections, purchasing, scheduling, documentation, and building correspondence, keeping design decisions and site requirements in step. Their work lets our designers and project managers focus on their craft while clients always know exactly whom to call.

Colin Z.

Manager of Design & Project Coordination

Omi F.

Project Coordinator

Morgan D.

Project Coordinator

Myles D.

Purchasing Coordinator

Begum Y.

Project Coordinator

Alina C.

Project Coordinator

Operations & Client Support

Behind every project is an operations team handling the administrative, financial, and logistical work that keeps the firm responsive. Much of it happens out of view, and it is a large part of why a boutique firm can take on complex, large-scale residences with confidence.

Charmaine F.

Executive Assistant

Larissa T.

Accounting

Chris T.

Driver

Ben B.

Marketing Director

Briana S.

Social Media Manager

How Our Team Works TogetherDesign and Construction, Considered as One

Our disciplines work in parallel from the earliest planning conversations. Architectural ideas, technical requirements, approvals, and budget are weighed together well before construction begins, so clients make informed decisions early and have one firm responsible for the whole home.

For a step-by-step look at how a project unfolds, from the first call to final sign-off, see Our Design-Build Process. For the principles and commitments behind that work, including how we approach pricing and change orders, see The Gallery Way.

01PlanningPre-Contract

02Pre-Construction4 to 5 Months

03Construction18 to 24 Weeks

Architecture + Design

Concept design and budget, then the finalized floor plan, architectural drawings, and lifelike renderings for approval. Your designer stays on through construction.

Planning: leads

Pre-Construction: leads

Construction: supports

Material Selection + Procurement

Flooring, millwork, fixtures, stone, and every permanent finish, sourced and procured by our team and staged for installation on schedule.

Planning: not active

Pre-Construction: leads

Construction: supports

Inspections, Permits + Testing

Diagnostic testing, the board alteration agreement, DOB filings and permits, and LPC approvals for landmarked buildings, followed by milestone inspections through sign-off.

Planning: not active

Pre-Construction: leads

Construction: supports

Construction + Management

The production calendar is set during pre-construction. In-house project managers then run the build alongside your designer and project coordinator.

Planning: not active

Pre-Construction: supports

Construction: leads

View Our Full Process

Durations reflect typical full apartment renovations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Full gut scopes, apartment combinations, and pre-war co-ops with detailed board review run toward the longer end. Read more on The Gallery Way or request a project-specific estimate.

Recognized for Design and Client Experience

Since 2009, Gallery KBNY has built its reputation on comprehensive residential renovations and a highly personal client experience. Our work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Forbes, and The New York Times, and the firm has been recognized through the AD PRO Directory, multiple Houzz design and service awards, and more than 100 five-star client reviews. The measure we value most is the trust our clients place in our team.

Working With the Gallery KBNY Team: FAQs

Every client works with a dedicated team led by one of our principals. Day to day, that team includes an architectural designer, a project manager who runs the site, and a project coordinator who serves as your primary point of contact for selections, scheduling, and building correspondence. You will know each of them by name from the start.

Very. They lead the earliest conversations, help assess feasibility, and guide the major planning decisions. Their involvement continues through design and construction, where they work alongside the project team on critical decisions and remain directly accessible to clients through completion.

They work as one team from the outset. Our designers review cost and buildability with the construction team as each design develops, and they stay engaged on site once work begins. The result is a finished home that closely reflects the drawings and renderings clients approved.

Our in-house team prepares board packages and alteration agreement submissions, coordinates engineering, files with the Department of Buildings, and manages Landmarks Preservation Commission applications where required. Our Design-Build Process walks through where each filing falls in the project.

Yes. Many clients arrive with an established design relationship, and our construction, technical coordination, and project management teams complement that work well. Responsibilities are defined clearly at the start so the design is carried through with care.

Yes. Our principals and team regularly walk prospective purchases with buyers to assess layout potential, infrastructure, structural conditions, and building rules, along with a realistic sense of scope, budget, and timing. It gives buyers a clearer picture before they commit.

Every project begins with a conversation directly with Avi or Alex. We take time to understand the property, your priorities, and the anticipated investment, then recommend a path forward, which may be a site visit, a feasibility discussion, or a more detailed planning engagement.

Our Clients' Experiences

The relationships we build matter as much to us as the homes we create. Our clients often mention members of our team by name in their reviews, which speaks to how we work better than anything we could write here.

Read Client Reviews

Our success stories

Forget about any horror story you have heard about contractors. Stop right here. This is the design-build contractor you want to HIRE. It was a breeze working with Gallery on our apartment combination project. We looked at quiet a few design-build companies and chose Gallery because of the great communication and the fact that they were able to manage material purchasing and product selection for us. They were honest, took responsibility and pride in their work.”

Zoe C

Upper West Side, Manhattan, NY.

Gallery KBNY has been absolutely amazing with my renovation. As a complete newbie, I was expecting a stressful process, but they made everything incredibly smooth—and I learned so much along the way. They’re truly a concierge-level service that genuinely cares about both their clients and the quality of their work. I know I couldn’t have chosen a better team. Colin, Morgan, and Leo were fantastic with logistics; Kate is a brilliant designer; and Alex was, hands down, one of the most responsive and professional contacts I’ve ever worked with. The entire experience was marked by ease, efficiency, quality, and grace. 10/10 recommend!

Irene G.

Manhattan, NY.

I enthusiastically recommend Gallery, who did a superb job renovating our once decrepit 2-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn Heights. The project involved a full kitchen and bathroom renovation, as well as new electrical, refinished floors, new doors, new baseboards, and some rearranged bedroom closets. What is more, when I have them the wrong paint color for my daughter’s bedroom, and the team started to paint that color, they got the paint I wanted and corrected the “mistake” (which has actually been my mistake) and didn’t charge me for that either. I’d choose them again 100 times over and definitely recommend them to anyone considering a similar project.

Jane M

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, NY.

We interviewed about 8 different companies before hiring a contractor for our apartment renovations. Although Gallery was not the cheapest option, we chose them based on their upfront billing format, high client reviews, and depth of knowledge. We loved how it was a “one stop shop” and were paying one bill, up front. Everything was very transparent and we could not be happier with the results! Our apartment looks exactly how we imagined. Thank you!!

Fiki K.

Gramercy Park, Manhattan, NY.

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Let's Create Something Exceptional

Your home deserves an approach as considered as the investment itself. Whether you are planning a comprehensive renovation or evaluating a property you have yet to purchase, the conversation starts directly with one of our principals.

Discuss Your Project

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Thoughtful Design.
One Integrated Team.

A Single Team for Design and Construction

Who We Are

What We do

What We Don’t Do