Backyard landscaping can transform a plain stretch of property into a cozy retreat. “A well planned landscape design is essential to making the best use of your available space” explains Gary Duff of Gary Duff Designs. Always on the cutting edge, the use of the latest technology and vast materials and accessories options allow Gary Duff Designs to give the homeowner creative solutions regardless of property size. Today, accent structures such as a gazebo, cabana or pergola can be customized according to the client’s individual needs and tastes.
The main aspect of this project was to allow the entertaining area to glide from the interior of the home out into the covered patio and beyond. Tumbled patio pavers, boulders, plantings and irregular stepping stones that flow around the pool, further soften the look and add a more natural dimension that allows the pool to harmonize with the surroundings and blend back into the landscape.
“With over 34 years in business, we clearly understand the challenges common to Long Island properties,” Duff continues, “clients have come to us with goals that to others may seem unattainable, but we welcome them – unique is our forte.” n

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Photography by Julius Spedale

When the owners of the Central Park West apartment wanted to fully gut and redesign their very large apartment, they sought out the design firm of Ornstein Rabiner of Kings Point, New York, who collaborated with McKenna Custom Homes of Pleasantville, New York, and Ciuffo Cabinetry of Deer Park, Long Island.
Their collaboration started by reconfiguring the huge main room into comfortable, proportional spaces: a kitchen, breakfast room, family room, dining room and living room. These rooms combine beautiful cabinetry, exotic woods and finishes with modern amenities, storage space, and innovative ways to conceal unsightly wiring and electronics.
The modern design of the kitchen features rosewood covered integrated appliances and a support column covered with matching rosewood, with very close attention to the matching of the exotic wood grain as it was cut and installed. Some of its many modern amenities include Hafele pull-out metal rack systems, pocket doors to access the appliance garage and upper cabinet lift-up door systems for ease of access to storage space.
Beyond the Sub-Zero integrated refrigerator, a rosewood pocket door leads to the walk-in food pantry. This entire space was built of rosewood panels accented with white high-gloss hand polished pearlescent panels and stainless steel linear hardware. Behind the 2” thick Calcutta marble counter is a mirrored tile backsplash. The cabinets have roll-out shelves, a knife block and specially built storage for flatware, cutlery and spices. Careful planning and collaboration among Ornstein Rabiner, Ciuffo Cabinetry and the client insured that this well-working kitchen has great flow and storage for all needs.
A large peninsula separates the breakfast room from the family room. The breakfast room has a large wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling wall unit with long linear floating shelves supporting a gallery of family photos, a two-person computer station for the children and lots of storage behind closed doors. This unit is adorned by custom-made rosewood and white pearlescent wood handles.
On the breakfast room side, the peninsula has a separate full adult-size integrated desk with storage behind closed doors and rollout shelving. On the family room side, the peninsula holds a 44” flat screen television with audio-visual and television game storage behind a pocket door. Audio-visual cooling systems have fresh air vent intakes or heat sensors to keep the equipment cool. Star Fire glass tops protect the desk surfaces.
A dramatic focal point of the dining room comes alive with this Macassar ebony wall unit that complements the shape of the round dining room table. Behind the doors of the wall unit are pullouts and plenty of storage for linens, crystal and silverware. This unit is equipped with four telescopic doors to close off the space during formal gatherings. The face of the doors on the dining room side have Macassar diamond-shaped inlays and glass vision panels. The opposite sides of the doors are covered with rosewood matching the family room décor. This furniture has a high-gloss acrylic hand-rubbed finish.
The cabinetry in the living room was also built out of Macassar ebony and placed with absolutely gorgeous detailed diamond-shaped antique silver-leafed storage doors. The left wall has a large, built-in television with DVD storage below.
The back wall houses the audiovisual equipment including the sub woofer. The center bar area has floating 3/4” thick Star Fire glass shelves with antique mirrored backs and a Macassar ebony counter. To the right behind closed doors is a Sub-Zero wine center with pull-out liquor storage. One great challenge Gary Ciuffo of Ciuffo Cabinetry and his team had was installing this large L-shaped, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling unit, scribing it on all sides for an installation that is second to none.
For the study, Ornstein Rabiner and Ciuffo Cabinetry designed an L-shaped desk and bookcase unit made of a very special Mapa burl. This unit has open shelving, a large desk housing eight computer monitors. Hidden CPU storage, all wires and back up battery are stored in a cabinet at the back of the knee space, with lots of extra door, drawer and cabinet storage. This unit was carefully built around existing windows, heating and air condition system ducts and pipes. A flat screen TV is built into the wood column. The doors and drawers were accented with leather pulls and polished nickel metal details.
For the two boys’ rooms, the clients’ requirement for three beds in each of the two boys’ rooms – six beds total – Ornstein Rabiner and Ciuffo came up with the solution of full-size bunk beds with twin beds above and a twin-size trundle underneath. Each room has a large storage armoire with doors over a chest of drawers. At the head of the bunk bed is a full-sized upholstered headboard and open shelving. The back wall has additional shelving. A custom-made detachable ladder leads to the upper bunk bed. At the foot of the bunk beds is an open bookcase with diagonal cubbies. Both rooms have secondary armoire storage, closets and complete double pedestal desks. The heating and air-conditioning system are built into the desks, and architectural grills are integrated into the desk surface. All furniture in the boys rooms were made of rift-cut white oak, stained, hand wire brushed and Cerused. To differentiate the two rooms, the wood in one was stained green and the other gray.
The outside wall of this girls’ room has a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling built-in combined armoire and double-pedestal desk with a connecting light bridge over the window. The very fine, soft detailed columns and carved out relief molding pattern in this unit is repeated in all the furniture. The tall armoire has an abundance of clothing storage with dresser drawers below. The large double pedestal desk with a light bridge above gives great storage and adequate lighting. As in the other rooms, the heating and air conditioning systems are built into the desks, and architectural grills are integrated into the desk surface.
Across the room is a tall slender open shelving unit with matching details and left-to-right wall-to-wall open shelving unit above the entrance and doorways.
The master bedroom has a wall-hung combination dresser and television console unit built from imported exotic Cocobolo veneer. Ciuffo handpicked all the veneers for this entire apartment project, including this Cocobolo veneer, with the aid of Scott Roberts, owner of Roberts Plywood in Deer Park. The Cocobolo leaves for this unit have distinct blonde striations and the width of each leaf varies from 3” to 18”, depending on the tree size and the way it is cut. The veneer for this unit was hand-selected by sifting through hundreds of leaves of Cocobolo veneer from Roberts’ grand stock. Ciuffo was not satisfied until all blond striations naturally lined up and matched perfectly along the center seam of every drawer.
Full-length polished nickel linear edge pulls give a perfect finishing touch to this piece. The multiple drawers have removable dividers for clothes storage and the pocket door on the end hides audio visual equipment. McKenna Custom Homes installed special supporting systems inside the wall to help hold up this 13′ long wall-hung credenza.
In the master bath, a his and hers bathroom vanity incorporates the feeling of an apothecary with modern designed thick column details. This unit has pull-outs, double hampers and multiple storage drawers. The finish is a custom metallic gray paint. Handmade leather pulls with polished nickel buttons dress this unit beautifully.
The elegant, custom cabinetry which combines exquisite design, fine woods, expert workmanship and installation and practicality in this apartment is an example of the innovation of Ciuffo Cabinetry. n

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By Emily Andren

Photography by Busch Studios

The owners of property with a scenic view of the Long Island Sound wanted to replace an aluminum-sided ranch house with a new one with the look of a 300-year-old French country farmhouse. They turned to Frank Freyvogel of F. C. Freyvogel & Co, Inc., in North Bellmore, who assembled a team that designed and built a beautiful 5,000 square foot house with warmth, charm and modern conveniences.
“We were limited in how much we could change the footprint of the old house,” Freyvogel said. Don Sclare of Donald Lisa Sclare Architects in New York City did four different plans, adding details as the project progressed. “Don has a wonderful sense of humor. He is easy to work with, open minded to ideas and lots of fun,” he added.
Others collaborated in this effort. The owner’s wife, who has a degree in interior design, had a feeling for what she wanted to achieve. The kitchen and baths were designed by Vasi Ypsilantis of The Breakfast Room in Manhasset. Throughout the house, Nancy Kirk painted decorative murals on walls and spaces over the doors.
Pale yellow natural lime, the same type of material used 100 years ago, covers the outside walls. The windows are restoration glass, “which has the same waves, bubbles and seeds that twinkle back at you when you look at them,” Freyvogel commented. On the left of the house, a stone walled extension with an overhead vine-covered pergola houses the air conditioning equipment, keeping it out of view.
The front entrance opens into a large two-story ochre living room. Centered in the wall overlooking the water is a large limestone fireplace. The owners selected chandeliers with wrought iron branches and crystal leaves. These are lowered for cleaning from an electrical panel concealed behind a rustic wooden door in an upstairs wall. Decorative plaster grills cover the air-conditioning vents.
An open doorway shows the kitchen, decorated with colorful, hand-painted floral designs by Nancy Kirk.
The stairway to the second floor is flanked by old posts, both functional and decorative, left in their original lengths for added interest. A hand-carved wooden fruit cluster tops each post. A large twisted piece of wood from an old tree, shaped with a broad axe, forms the stair return. Because the upper surface was irregular, the hand-wrought stair railings were modified to fit the angles.
Upstairs, the children’s bedroom, bath and guest rooms have hand-carved doors, each side with a unique design. On the domed ceiling of the bathroom, Nancy Kirk painted a sky with flowers climbing on a lattice.
The edges of the stair steps leading to the finished basement retain the original contour of the logs.
The basement is an open space combining a bar, sitting room with fireplace, children’s play room and theatre. The bar has a variety of copper-toned materials : Baribinga wood on the bar counter, brushed marble on the bar sink, and chemically treated lacquered sheet of copper giving an interesting finish on the wall behind the sink.
To give the house a period look, all appliances and high-tech equipment were concealed behind rustic, decorative panels and cabinetry.
Freyvogel combined antique and natural materials, employing creative antiquing techniques. Salvaged wood from old barns was used in much of the house, notably the kitchen and dining room ceiling beams, which bear old axe marks and also support the floors above. To season the knotty pine ceiling moldings, they were wire-brushed, soaked with tea and coffee and buried underground for two months. The first floor doors are made of reclaimed oak, hand scraped to give an antique, hand-hewn look.
He walked through the woods of a local quarry looking for unusual pieces of stone. For the exterior window sills, he hand-picked narrow slabs of stone, keeping their irregular edges. A large slab makes an attractive bench outside the front door.
Before founding his own company, Freyvogel had an interesting career. After college, he played guitar in a rock & roll band, studied architecture at New York Institute of Technology, and had a variety of other jobs. “I got a real education the hard way when I worked for my wife’s uncle’s industrial concrete firm,” he recalled. “I have always loved architecture and architectural innovation.” In 1985, he started his own business with a partner, and in 1989 he branched out on his own, restoring penthouses, brownstones and restaurants in Manhattan. His real love of detailed restoration of residential architecture began when one of his clients asked him to work on his house on Long Island. He now has clients all along the East Coast.
This house took 2 1/2 years from start to finish. Much of it was designed as the work progressed. “This house was so much fun,” said Freyvogel with enthusiasm. “The guys who worked on it didn’t want to leave when it was done. They were great people to work with.” n

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Entertaining guests this holiday season was a pleasure for this Cold Spring Harbor family, as a passionate cook’s vision was brought to life by Pat Venechanos of Artista Kitchen Designs. The goal was to allow the cook to interact with guests, while utilizing the most up to date cooking technology coupled with fine custom cabinetry.
Wood Mode’s Brookhaven line of cabinetry provides a home for high end appliances strategically placed with functionality as the constant throughout this design. A commercial grade Wolf six burner cook top with a free standing custom hood above, double wall ovens (also by Wolf) and built in Sub Zero refrigerator hidden behind decorative paneling are displayed in antique white cabinetry with an espresso glaze.
The island and bar area – both done in Candlelight with a black glaze – provide a place for guests and family members to gather within the confines of the kitchen as well as additional prep and serving space. All the cabinetry, which was done in the Winfield raised square door style, provides the homeowners an abundance of storage while still providing eye catching embellishments throughout the kitchen such as custom applied molding, variations in depth and gothic glass doors.
Incorporating two colors of countertops with a custom tile floor provide the perfect complement to the rich beauty of Wood-Mode cabinetry.

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This fabulous kitchen, designed by Charles Testa, CKD, CBD, was created for a family that loves to entertain.  Given the spaciousness of the room, the kitchen was designed to incorporate all of the amenities that make a luxurious kitchen special; from the generous use of decorative molding and trim, to the abundance of appliances. 
The cooking center incorporates a cooktop, grille, steamer and pot filler. There are separate refrigerator and freezer units conveniently located at the end of the island. Next to the cold storage is a convection/microwave oven and an additional wall oven is below it.  The beverage center, opposite the cooking center, contains a sink, a wine refrigerator and a second dishwasher for glassware clean up.  The spacious island features a generous sink which is flanked by a trash compactor and dish drawer dishwasher.  The elevated counter for the seating area offers the convenience for outlets on the working side of the island.
The Wood-Mode cherry cabinetry with a glazed finish was selected for its elegance and warmth which accompanied the extensive molding treatment to give the kitchen its formal flair.  The under-cabinet lighting highlights the soft off white color and pattern of the tile creating a pleasant contrast to the granite counter.  Recessed ceiling and pendant fixtures produces layers of light that allows all of the features of the kitchen to shine. 
This kitchen was designed to really cook.

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When a young Melville family wanted to transform their small, dated formica kitchen into a beautiful living space where their extended family could gather, they turned to Nassau Suffolk Lumber & Supply and their long-time customer Curra Construction Inc.
“We had the best experience designing our kitchen with Bob Geiger of Nassau Suffolk Lumber,” said homeowner Beth Pitcoff. “He was very knowledgeable about the cabinetry and where to place the cabinets around the kitchen. We had a basic design in mind, but Bob’s expertise really made the kitchen work in the best possible ways. Bob knew where roll-outs and glass cabinetry would work best, and helped put the finishing touches on the cabinetry that truly gives it the designer touch,” she added.
Prior to ever entering Nassau Suffolk Lumber’s design showroom, the Pitcoff’s knew they wanted a cherry cabinet with an antique finish. They selected Wellborn Cabinet’s Madison Cherry door style in Chestnut Bronze with an Heirloom finish. “We wanted a quality cabinet that offered customization, but also fit within our budget. We were also looking for the very special finish that Wellborn offered with its Heirloom glaze. It was quite an easy decision to pick Wellborn after shopping in other venues. No one had the beautiful finish that Wellborn offered at a reasonable price.” Design accents such as corbels on the range hood and island complete the kitchen’s classic appeal. Matching cabinet panels were also added to the GE and Bosch appliances supplied by Plesser’s, a trade partner of Nassau Suffolk Lumber’s design showroom.
“We were able to double our space by taking down a wall between our kitchen and den which allowed us to also create a great room,” said Beth Pitcoff. An awkward space was transformed into a large pantry closet and a butler’s pantry was created by enclosing a small area adjoining the kitchen. “We were able to meet all of our goals without an addition to our existing structure,” she added.
The kitchen was installed by Curra Construction Inc., who is also a Wellborn Authorized Contractor. “Working with Sam Curra was an absolute pleasure. As homeowners we have had to hire numerous contractors throughout the years. Some of those experiences have been an absolute nightmare and others were quite satisfactory, but none of them came close to the expert workmanship of Curra Construction Co. From the first day that Sam and his workers, Joe and Conner, arrived on the job everything went smoothly or any problem was quickly rectified. They were here everyday and worked a full day. Everything was completed in a timely fashion. We were absolutely thrilled when everything was completed and were so happy to be able to finally enjoy our kitchen.”

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“When I was asked to visit a friend of one of our clients who needed help with her kitchen,” explains Natalie Weinstein of Natalie Weinstein Design Associates, “I thought I would find an 80′s mica specialty or the ever popular wood design with 30” cabinets and soffits to the ceiling.” Instead, at first glance, Natalie found lovely looking classic white wood cabinets with corbels and a large center island. The kitchen actually looked pretty. Wondering if she misunderstood, Natalie chatted with the homeowner and heard her tale of woe.
About 10 years ago she saw the kitchen of her dreams in a magazine and wanted to reproduce a facsimile. She hired a contractor who said he could do the job. Trouble began when soon after, there were excuses and when installed, the cabinets were not the best quality. Her kitchen was “pretty” but drawers didn’t open properly, doors were unaligned and soon falling off, and in time, the finish oxidized and yellowed- only in some places. “Further, she realized that her beautiful – and not inexpensive – kitchen didn’t actually work logistically, explains Natalie. “A decade passed and she vowed that someday she would “get it right” even though everyone thought her kitchen looked great- even me.”
That was at first glance, of course. By the end of their visit, Natalie understood the homeowner’s frustration and made the “needs” and “wish” list for her new floor plan. There were a few appliances that were to be replaced and a beverage center would be added. The existing refrigerator was relocated and the walk-in pantry was outfitted to maximize ease of use with a more attractive glass door. The big change, however, was the center island. It would now provide greater storage, functioning pot drawers, more comfortable seating and as a bonus, a custom coffered ceiling as a focal point.
New backsplash tiles were added to blend with the existing floor. It would provide a pleasing contrast to the dark wood cabinets whose finish was rich, warm and practical. “Using my favorite cabinet genie, Ultimate Styles of America,” remarks Natalie, “David Goldstein once again produced the elegant fine furniture he is known for – superior, inside and out. And why not fine furniture for the kitchen?”
After all, pretty is as pretty does, and now this happy homeowner’s kitchen does it all. n

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With its smaller footprint, this high-style kitchen integrates posh contemporary living with intensive design elements. The designer, Donald Hochheiser of Kitchen Designs by Ken Kelly, Inc., used Wood-Mode’s Vanguard doorstyle with horizontal grain rift oak. Two color finishes include Champagne along the perimeter and Bistro on Cherry for the island and moldings. Hochheiser removed a wall that divided the dining room from the kitchen to create an open floor plan that encorporated the living room, dining room and kitchen.
The kitchen packs labor-saving equipment that creates a flow between the living and cooking areas. Everything was designed to be practical, combining wood finishes with stone and glass. The kitchen includes a Miele four burner induction cooktop, a combination microwave/speed oven, a Miele built-in refrigerator, a Miele Hood, a Miele Master Chief single wall oven, and a Wolf warming drawer. The quartz countertop is in deep burgundy. The backsplash is a combination of glass sticks installed horizontally and glass circles directly behind the cooking surface.
The new design allows for a much larger pantry area, plenty of room for entertaining, and an urban loft-style feel to the space. The result allows for maximum storage in a relatively small space. The designer used 24 x 24” porcelain tile through the front entrance hallway, living room, dining room, and kitchen. The two corner cabinets in the dining area are custom-made by Wood-Mode to match the kitchen cabinetry.

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By Lynn  Zawacki

Photography by Ric Marder Imagery

When John Starck, Jr., of Showcase Kitchens in Manhasset was commissioned to design this kitchen, he called upon interior designer Joan Panzarella to complete the finishing touches. Her firm, Interior Designs by Joan in Bellmore, has worked on projects with Showcase for more than 10 years. The result of their collaboration? A beautiful transformation of a 1960s-era space into a warm and charming country French kitchen.
Showcase recommended Signature Custom Cabinetry, featuring a custom-blended paint with glaze. Matching, built-in china cabinets flank the window in the informal dining area, tying the two spaces together. Appliances include a Sub-Zero refrigerator and Wolf cook top, ovens and microwave drawer. A Whitehaus farm sink and faucets add to the country look. The marble countertop is called Calcutta select.
Panzarella went to work to make this functional kitchen more decoratively appealing. She helped the client select the colors and layout of the striking mosaic marble tile used for the backsplash. The skylight above the island features an antique window Panzarella found on a shopping trip. “I thought it would be unique to incorporate it as a focal point. I look to introduce new and old-it makes it interesting,” she said.
The dining set is from Habersham Furniture, and the lighting fixture is from Neirmann Weeks, both available only to the trade. Reclaimed barn wood beams in the dining area complete the vintage old world feel.

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Photos by Busch Studios

When the homeowners of this Dix Hills home decided it was time to replace the original builder’s kitchen, they knew they wanted beautiful, furniture-quality cabinetry and the design services of an experienced firm to oversee the project. During their meeting with Frank Diliberto CKD, CBD of Huntington Kitchen & Bath they quickly realized the value of the experience, quality and professionalism that Huntington Kitchen & Bath has to offer. After several concepts were presented, a plan was selected and the detailing began. Every kitchen project incorporates hundreds of large and small details.
The existing kitchen space was long and narrow; it is a circulation hub for the home and includes several doorways, a staircase to the second floor and a large opening to the dining room. One of the homeowner’s requirements was to have an island with seating. The solution was to install 15” deep tall pantries in the kitchen in an area that previously held a wall oven. The dining room area cabinetry utilizes beautiful true divided light, mullion glass doors in a custom design, a second sink and a fully integrated Fisher Paykel dishwasher draw unit. The Kitchen-Aid refrigerator is placed on the same run as the wet bar and is centrally located to the kitchen, dining room and family room.
Utilizing Rutt Hand Crafted Cabinetry the possibilities of flexibility and craftsmanship plus the careful planning and execution of Huntington Kitchen & Bath ensure a beautiful kitchen to enjoy for years to come.

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