It started with a miniature studio apartment...

 

Over twenty years ago, I walked into a tiny 250-square-foot studio while apartment hunting in the East Village. I remember thinking, I can make this a good place to live. Although this space would probably be considered a walk-in closet anywhere else besides New York City, with some well-placed built-ins and furniture, it became a pleasant and cozy home. This solidified my belief that every space has hidden potential, no matter the size. After a decade in woodworking, in 2007 I started Urban Homecraft because I didn't just want to build things; I wanted to make homes more functional, beautiful, and livable. My philosophy is that with the right design and planning, any space can become that one place in the world you enjoy coming home to more than anywhere else. 

Since then, Urban Homecraft has grown mostly through referrals from clients, including Apartment Therapy's CEO and founder Maxwell Ryan. Collectively, we are able to tailor each project according to our clients' specific needs, budget, and preferences. We believe that nothing will fit a space better, and realize its full potential, than something built especially for it. We get excited knowing that no two projects are the same, and relish the human element of design; especially the collaboration we build with our clients in creating the unique details for each space.

- George Evageliou, President and Founder of Urban Homecraft

 
 
 

George Evageliou
Founder, President

George is detail-obsessed and believes that a home should be custom made "just so." He has worked in apartments in The Dakota, One Fifth Avenue, and the home for Apartment Therapy's founder and CEO. Clients appreciate his meticulous attention to detail, eye for design, and imagination for making the most of space. 

Traven La Botz
Partner, Production Supervisor

Traven moved to New York City to study sculpture at Cooper Union, and spent years there in the wood shop, obsessed with materials and form. Art frustrated him, however, because he wanted for people to touch and use his work. Custom furniture and built-ins were the answer. He is known among his woodworker colleagues for being ingenious with wood and "able to build anything."

 

The Team
Duran Islam - Cabinetmaker
Matt Freitag - Cabinetmaker
Scott Nadeau - Cabinetmaker
Exequiel Villegas - Finisher
Che Perez - Designer
Eric Dreisbach - Designer
Elysse Irizarry - Designer
Kayla Davis - Office Manager

We are located in the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard.

 
 

We like to keep things organized...

 
 

We welcome visitors.

See first-hand how we make your cabinetry and furniture, and meet our talented wood and metal workers.

 
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From left: George Evageliou, Kayla Davis, Matt Freitag, Exequiel Villegas, Colin Langenus, Che Perez, David Ramsden, Demetrio Colque, Elysse Irizarry, Eric Dreisbach, Duran Islam, Steven Montuori, Terrell Etienne, Traven LaBotz

 

It's possible that Urban Homecraft would not exist today if I had never met Maxwell Ryan, founder and CEO of Apartment Therapy.

Custom cabinets for Maxwell's bedroom

Custom cabinets for Maxwell's bedroom

I first heard of Maxwell in 2007, when I came across a New York Times article describing his "preposterously miniature" apartment in the West Village. At the time, he was living in a 265-square-foot studio, with a baby on the way. He had installed built-ins and compartments to maximize the space. "It was an exercise in proving... that when you're frustrated with your apartment and feel like moving, there are other solutions," he'd said.  I had been living in a preposterously miniature apartment myself (250-square-foot), in the East Village, which I had rigged with my own built-ins and furniture.

In March of 2007, back when Urban Homecraft was just a few months old, I looked up his offices and simply showed up and asked for Maxwell. I showed him my website and the space solutions I had come up with. He was enthusiastic, and within two hours after leaving his office, I had an email telling me to look at the Apartment Therapy website: there on the homepage, was a blurb about Urban Homecraft. By the next morning, I had 70 people call about doing their home renovations. He basically created my initial client base, which grew from referrals, and gave me the courage to move to a bigger cabinet shop in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where I have been ever since.

Since then, we have worked on various remodeling projects for his apartment, including custom cabinets for his bedroom and a bedroom renovation for his daughter's room. To this day, I enjoy working with him, and Apartment Therapy is my favorite source of design inspiration. He continues to be a mentor and a friend.

 

-George Evageliou, Founder and President of Urban Homecraft