Last year my wife and I purchased our first apartment together in NYC. We were recommended by the building super and residents to speak with Ed and Valeria of Spectra Design. Our scope of work included a full gut renovation of the kitchen and remodeling of our bathroom, living room and bedroom. Spectra did a wonderful job transforming our apartment in line with the modern, minimalist vision that my wife and I had. I am happy to write this recommendation for Spectra!
Arnold
Ed and Valeria were great to work with on my renovation. They were knowledgeable about navigating my co-op’s board approval process and were transparent and communicative about any issues and delays. Valeria was very helpful in providing constructive design advice and was helpful in making decisions regarding finishes. Despite the schedule delay, their attention to detail was superb and I am very happy with the final product.
Kasey
Valeria and Ed approached our project with enthusiasm, professionalism, and patience. They were always a pleasure to work with, as was Slava, who oversaw much of the on-site work. They kept the project within our budget while helping us achieve our goals, and were always willing to deal with tricky complications in a pre-war building. The finished kitchen came out exactly as we envisioned.
Daniel and Kate
We hired Spectra for a complete renovation of our 1980s era apartment. Ed and Valeria were straightforward, accessible, and easy to work with at every step of our project.
To start, they deftly and completely handled the approval process with building management. They understood our needs and provided guidance without being overbearing or recommending choices that we were not interested in. During demolition and construction, the staff was professional and respectful of our building and neighbors. Whether design changes were necessary or a matter of preference, Ed, Valeria, and our project manager were understanding and reasonable. We have since received many compliments on the apartment and their beautiful cabinetry work.
Finally, when we needed them to return to make a tricky alteration to accommodate the way our internet provider wired our building, they did so in a timely manner.
We would not hesitate to hire Spectra again for future projects.
Ann
I did with Spectra Design the whole renovation of my apartment in the Upper West Side.
They finished the job on time and within the proposed budget.
They have been very careful with details and the results were excellent, everything is working perfectly well and looks great.
I live in a co op and they could handle very well the situation, no complaints from neighbors at all.
It is also very important that they only use subcontractors that have worked with them for a long time and who are fully reliable.
I was also very satisfied with the service they provide purchasing all construction materials, tiles, appliances etc. it made the renovation so much simpler; I did not have to deal with deliveries, rejecting defective materials or missing parts.
I can say that Valeria and Eduard are very honest and hardworking professionals and also very nice people. Renovations are usually a big headache, but in this case I could enjoy the results and share with them a positive relationship along the whole process.
Cecilia
Our apartment was outdated and left in poor condition by a previous tenant. It was due for a complete renovation. After weeks of searching for contractor we could trust, we met Eduard, owner of Spectra. Eduard immediately put us at ease and we were very impressed with his workmanship. Eduard is very polite, honest, and professional. He is truly dedicated to pleasing the client and was able to understand our specific requests and concerns.
Eduard presented us with a stunning kitchen design that met our taste. Eduard completely transformed our apartment with modern custom cabinets, custom closets, remodeled bathroom, new wood floors, and more. After completion, our apartment was rented within one month and we were able to increase our rent by over 30%.
We are completely pleased with our beautiful apartment renovation and are proud to recommend Spectra.
Mark
Spectra is one of the most reliable, professional, and trustworthy contractors in NYC. They have extensive experience working with all types of properties including houses, apartments, and condos, as well as NYC coops with very stringent renovation requirements and rules. I have hired Eduard and Valeria on numerous occasions to perform renovations in apartments and houses, including full gut renovations, and have enthusiastically referred them to family and friends. They are always my first call for my renovation needs as I have always been very happy with the results. Eduard and Valeria take personal pride in their work, and it shows. Their work product embodies the highest quality and attention to detail, and always stays true to their original estimates, costs, and scopes of work.
Most importantly, they are extremely honest, straightforward, and reliable — characteristics which are very rare with contractors. I have never felt the need to constantly monitor or stay on top of them to ensure that the job is done — whenever I have handed them the keys with minimal supervision, they have always rewarded me with a job well done, on time, and on budget. Moreover, Eduard and Valeria are very pleasant and nice people to deal with, and do their best to accommodate their customers. The work crews they employ are very professional, well mannered, and courteous. I cannot say enough good things about Spectra.
Chris
I was very positively surprised that the project was completed within estimated time.
I was very much impressed by the firm’s (specifically, Valeria’s and Eduard’s) professionalism and responsiveness. They maintained timely communication with me throughout the project about all matters, including billing, materials, and any unexpected issues in the project. The billing was timely, precise and clear. No issues were left unresolved, and Eduard remained on site until even the smallest details were addressed. The team truly took ownership of the project.
Very positive experience. I recommend them without reservation.
Simona
They are an experienced and trustworthy husband-wife team. Valeria has an exceptionally refined sense for color and space, and would go out of her way to make things come out in a more artistic way; she’s always patient with layman’s questions, and is wonderful to work with. Ed’s carpentry is always done with precision and stunningly beautiful craftsmanship.
Eva
We were very lucky to have worked with Spectra. During our renovation, we worked with a few contractors for different things, and Spectra was by far the best. They are professional, organized, and friendly. Ed patiently explained each part of the project to me as it was being completed, and Valeria was constantly providing updates and always quickly responded to any of my inquiries. In addition to doing great work, they also have interior design skills and give great suggestions. I cannot recommend them enough.
Kelly
Ed and Valeria did an amazing job with the complete gut renovation for my apartment. Ed and Valeria are extremely professional and detailed and have a great aesthetic sense – I constantly asked them to chime in on key design decisions or for their suggestions.
As a first time home buyer, I was a little bit nervous about taking on such a big project, but Ed and Valeria made the process simple.
I completely trusted them and had a great pleasure working with them. I would do work with them again and highly recommend them to others.
Austin
As new homeowners, we were nervous about renovating our kitchen. Eduard quickly put us at ease.
There’s two things you need to know about him: First, he’s a master craftsmen who holds himself to a very high standard – he works fast but never compromises on quality and aesthetics.
If you come up with a suggestion for how to do something more cheaply, he’ll be happy to accomodate if it makes sense; but if it won’t stand the test of time he’ll make sure you understand the downsides clearly.
Second: he’s a very fine person. He’s patient with you when you’re thinking things through, and respectful of your time as well as your home and family. And you always know you’re getting a fair price.
My wife and I absolutely love our kitchen and we feel we had an excellent experience with Spectra.
Bill and Yasmin
I am a first time home-owner and updating my kitchen was my first remodeling project, so I was very nervous about the process. Luckily, I found the experts at Spectra Design and they helped guide me through the process from beginning to end and the results are fabulous.
They worked with me side-by-side through the design and planning phases before the remodel began. Ed helped me figure out the best layout to maximize my limited space. And, it was so helpful to have a design expert like Valeria on the job. She helped me choose tiles, finishes and fixtures that would all work together to create clean lines and a beautiful overall look.
The craftsmanship of the cabinetry is impeccable. Other contractors were quick to suggest pre-fab cabinets, but with Spectra, I was able to get custom cabinets for about the same cost. Ed built me all of the special drawers and cabinets I wanted. The toe-kick drawers are great… I show them off to everyone who comes over!
As the project came together, I could really see what perfectionists Ed and Valeria truly are. They added all kinds of finishing touches – at no additional cost! – that made my kitchen just perfect.
Valeria and Ed Baikoff are true professionals and were good partners throughout the process. I am so happy with my new kitchen. It’s both functional and beautiful. I will definitely be calling Spectra Design when I remodel my bathroom!
Heather
Our apartment was outdated and left in poor condition by a previous tenant. It was due for a complete renovation. After weeks of searching for contractor we could trust, we met Eduard, owner of Spectra. Eduard immediately put us at ease and we were very impressed with his workmanship. Eduard is very polite, honest, and professional. He is truly dedicated to pleasing the client and was able to understand our specific requests and concerns.
Eduard presented us with a stunning kitchen design that met our taste. Eduard completely transformed our apartment with modern custom cabinets, custom closets, remodeled bathroom, new wood floors, and more. After completion, our apartment was rented within one month and we were able to increase our rent by over 30%.
We are completely pleased with our beautiful apartment renovation and are proud to recommend Spectra.
Mark
Spectra did a fantastic job on every aspect of the project. We knew from the start they would do the kind of work we expected. Here is where this firm stands out. Attention to detail. Please read my last sentence. We had several unique design challenges for any builder and they handled them brilliantly. They were extremely resourceful in both their suggestions and solutions to some unusual building applications.
As anyone knows who has ever done renovations on an existing space, there are always challenging and unexpected developments. Around here, we call them “Oh __it! moments”. Eduard and company were always available to discuss whatever issue came up.
My wife and I are knowledgeable about design and construction and they enjoyed working with us because they knew we could appreciate the kind of work of which they are capable. Eduard is a contractor who appreciates not only the nuts and bolts aspects of any project but, uniquely, the aesthetics of the end results. You might say ours was and remains a mutual admiration relationship. We would not hesitate to hire them for any future project.
We were positively surprised by Eduard’s sensitivity to aesthetic solutions to some of our more challenging requests. Get him to show you a picture of the front door we designed and he built. Brilliant!
We look forward to working with Eduard and his team in our future projects. “Life is construction” and you need someone you can trust to help you get through it all.
Ron and Betsy
Ed was here yesterday with our super Kenny and as expected he confirmed that every bit of work was done correctly. No surprise as all during the construction I noticed the professional way in which Ed and his men did their work I know how hard it is to please some customers even if the work is going well as I have had experience doing commercial carpet installation and paint supply for more years than I care to remember.
As a former member of our condo owners board I will use every opportunity to recommend Spectra for any type of work. Hard to believe that after several difficult experiences with other work during the many years we have lived here it was a lucky star that put us together with you and your husband.
Bob & Sylvia Rosen
Valeria and Eduard were very professional and helped guide us through the design, sourcing, and implementation of our kitchen and bathroom renovation in a Brooklyn Coop. They were always available to answer my questions and flexible when I wanted something changed. Overall, the project was on time, on budget and we couldn’t be happier with our gorgeous new kitchen and bathroom.
Theo and Joanna
We are extremely pleased with the work that Spectra did on our kitchen and bathroom renovation. We live in a pre-war co-op and everything had to be completely gutted, which required significant co-op board review. Spectra was able to handle our co-op board well and obtain approvals without requiring much from us. Further, they provided a lot of recommendations for improving our apartment that we had not considered. We listened and are extremely happy with the additional improvements that they made, such as improving our walls and other small details in our apartment. They made themselves fully available throughout the renovation and helped keep us informed throughout the project. Further, they stayed on budget and on time throughout.
We had additional items come up as we decided to replace our electrical and they were quickly able to meet our requests. Finally, the quality of the work is probably the most important reason we would recommend them. The tiling and cabinet work was better than we could have imagined. They are extremely detail-oriented and made small adjustments that made everything look better. They take a lot of pride in their work and it’s clear that they want the best possible results.
Finally, they have a lot of decorating expertise and are quick to give suggestions on small items like kitchen cabinet handles to lighting and have many recommendations on where to go to look for products. We are extremely satisfied with Spectra and would recommend them for any renovation projects in the future.
Christian and Holly
Valeria Baikoff, Design Consultant
Valeria has always been passionate about homes. Ever since she and her husband Eduard bought and renovated their first property in NYC after coming here from Russia many years ago, the seed was planted to become an investor and design consultant for their subsequent projects.
Purchasing, renovating and selling several properties at record prices over the years has given Valeria keen insight on what makes a home both livable, and valuable. Her background in interior decorating and design, construction and development are vital assets when helping clients envision beautiful spaces, and bringing those visions to life. Valeria’s love of real estate also inspired her to help people find, stage, market and sell homes as a residential sales professional with the preeminent luxury real estate brokerage, Warren Lewis Sotheby’s International Realty. She brings every client great integrity, creativity and attention to detail.
Valeria holds an MA degree in Philology, and previously enjoyed a career in high-end fashion designer retail and jewelry sales.
Eduard Baikoff, General Contractor
Originally from Minsk, Belarus, Eduard has been involved in the design and construction industry since 1998, and is a licensed general contractor since 2002. He learned the woodworking trade from his grandfather, a craftsman of European tradition, at an early age, which piqued his interest in all aspects of high-end residential design, construction, restoration and development.
Eduard first gained hands-on experience developing his own properties, creating value and perfecting his expertise. While renovating spaces and fabricating custom cabinetry and furniture for his projects, clients loved his work and began retaining his services. From there his career blossomed, as did his eye for detail, remodeling expertise and talent for efficiency space planning. This combined with his deep interest in construction, architecture and historic structure rehabilitation inspires Eduard’s ability to protect a home’s historic integrity, while envisioning opportunities for creative modern design interventions.
Eduard holds a degree in Engineering from National Technical University in Belarus. Since childhood, he competed as a member of the Belarrusian Biathlon Union, and still enjoys the sport in winter which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
