It is time to change how you listen to music in your home. No more having different devices that can’t communicate with each other. No more plugging your laptop into the speakers in your office, then turning that off and settling for what’s in your CD player when you move to living room. More and more often people are opting for multi-room audio systems. Today, we’ll be telling you more about Sonos, the best multi-room audio system we have encountered yet. We have installed it in several of our projects and more people keep requesting it. Sonos is a truly... Continue reading

How many of you enjoy having guests over and entertaining? With the holidays quickly approaching, I’m sure even more of you are preparing for such an occasion in your home. More often than not, your guests will end up congregating into the kitchen at one point or another. It’s inevitable. Why not have an open, inviting kitchen, not only to maximize efficiency in cooking, but to maximize interaction with your guests. Our client on Delancey Street came to us looking for just that. Continue reading

Please check out the Wine Cellar's Photo Album! In it you will find all of the drawings, renderings, and completed photos of the Wine Cellar! Continue reading

Cold weather is upon us, my friends. It’s inevitable, it comes every year. Now it’s time to address it head on, as we did with one project located on Delancey Street. One of the biggest culprits for letting in cold air is your entry door, both when it is open and closed. Continue reading

While open floor plans are very popular (and rightfully so), they often leave a homeowner asking one question: How do I create different spaces within, that have a true purpose and function. This client, a young couple in their 20’s, that reside in a lovely home in Society Hill had that exact question. Continue reading

Who doesn’t enjoy a fine bottle of wine? Our one client definitely enjoys having a fine bottle of wine or better yet 1,395 bottles. Ok, ok, he may not have that many bottles quite yet, but now that we have completed his new wine cellar (which can accommodate 1,395 bottles) I am sure his collection will eventually reach that number. We didn’t want to merely store his wine collection, but to have it all on display. We designed a clean, sleek room with niches in the walls to truly emphasize the wine and not the space itself. Transparency was an... Continue reading

There is no project too large or too small for Rissay. Yes, we do a lot of whole home renovations, but we also take great pride in our smaller projects, such as single room remodels, custom built-ins, etc. We take our same design and construction expertise that we use for a whole home renovation and put it into every project we do, no matter what the size or scope of work. We also assist in selecting furnishings and improving the layout of a space through basic changes. Our scope of services can vary greatly for a project and are truly... Continue reading

As great as drawings are to portray information, it is sometimes hard to visualize the final built project. In addition to your typical design drawings, we can also create a 3D model of your future project. Eliminate the hassle of trying to imagine what your project will look and see it for yourself before construction even gets started. The level of detail in the 3D model can vary to fit any budget. In the home pictured below, there is only one bathroom in the entire house. The clients wish to add a powder room on the first floor for guests... Continue reading

I apologize for it being a while since our last post. We have been extremely busy with projects and our focus, as always, has been on keeping our projects going smoothly for our clients. Today I decided to post a few pictures of a custom ottoman and mirror Scott has created for the owner of the Trinity. I hope these pictures, as well as all of the other pictures on this blog and our website, show the full range of what Rissay can do for you and your home. We try to analyze and design every detail to our clients'... Continue reading

The Trinity- Completed Album is now up, and can be found on the right-hand side of the page. There are some before & after photographs included in the album, but feel free to check out the Trinity- Existing Album to see how far the home has truly come. Have a project of your own and wish to discuss it, feel free to call us at 215-713-0750 or e-mail us at [email protected] Continue reading

The Trinity project that we spoke about in several previous posts is finally complete and has been photographed. The only things remaining from the original home are the masonry walls, wood joists, and stairs. The house had a very well built structure, but all of the interiors had been neglected for decades and needed a major overhaul, in both style and functionality. Infrastructure wise, it received all new plumbing, electrical, lighting, doors, roof, drywall, windows, and insulation. The windows are all Low E II Argon filled to try to minimize heat loss/gain through the windows. The spray foam insulation could... Continue reading

Although we are a design / build firm, we also take on work that is either just design services or just construction. We are currently pricing several jobs for just the construction of built-ins designed by others. Our design services can range greatly from quick sketches with design direction, to space planning, schematic drawings, cost estimating, 3D modeling, renderings, and finally to full construction documents. You can enlist us for one or more of these services or for the full range of services. For the project below, we were approached by a repeat client who is a painter. Since it... Continue reading

Our one client, who is a lawyer in Center City, already had an existing Mahogany closet that didn't offer enough storage. He wished to add on to the existing character of the piece with a built-in next to it for storing his collection of books and display pieces. There was also the issue of the existing radiator, which hampered anything he tried to do with the space previously. As you can see from the sketch, we designed it so one bottom box houses the radiator, while the other offers more concealed storage. Both will have a decorative laser cut wood... Continue reading

Be sure to check out Philadelphia Magazine’s February edition, which features an article on Steven Grasse, owner of Art in the Age. Art in the Age, as you may recall is the store we designed and built for him on N. 3rd Street with the concept of his products being homemade, one-of-a-kind goods not found anywhere else. You can find our original post here: "Art in the Age 07/28/09" The Philly Mag article, which can be found here "The Mad Man's Next Act" speaks of how Steven Grasse’s successful career and company has progressed over the years. Steve’s company, Quaker... Continue reading

Here are a few photos of two planter boxes we have just completed for a client in Society Hill on Delancey Street. As we approach March and the coming of Spring, it is time to start preparing for warmer weather. What better way to spruce up your curb appeal, but with custom planter boxes and some fresh vegetation! These expertly handcrafted solid cedar windows box planters with a raised panel are built for years of carefree enjoyment. They feature full bottoms with drainage holes for direct planting inside the box. Each planter is custom built to fit your window and... Continue reading

Sorry it has been a while since the last update. We have simply been swamped with work and missed a decent amount of days in the office with all the snow. Excuses aside. Here is a quick, little proposal we did for a client who loved the land they were on, but not the house. Just as any other home owner, they wished to keep in mind: aesthetics, views, functionality, and of course budget. They wished to have something very simple, modern, and more of the international style. Now words aside, here are a few images of their current home... Continue reading

Continue reading

As mentioned in our last post, we are full speed ahead with our Trinity transformation. On the interior design side, part of this project’s fun is finding furniture that doesn’t overwhelm the small space, but is still a comfortable fit for its six foot tall owner. We wanted to show you some of the selected pieces going into the first floor entrance and living room. Here we are keeping the color palette mostly neutral, while introducing a hit of color with the fabric on the wing chair. Another key element in this scheme is the aged brass finishes of the... Continue reading

So here's a little update about the Trinity project we previously wrote about in July when we first got the commission (Original Trinity Blog Post). In case you don't remember, a Trinity gets its name from simply consisting of three floors and makes reference to the Father, Son & Holy Ghost. For most projects such as a kitchen or bathroom, clients do not have to move out and we make the best accomendations possible for them. In this case, given the size of the home and the entire property being essentially rebuilt, the client had to temporarily move out. To... Continue reading

So in the last entry we showcased a new fireplace and art centerpiece that we did for a client out in Phoenixville. Our client wanted to spruce up their main living space not only with the warmth of the new fireplace, but with the addition of a new wet bar. They are huge wine enthusiasts and their next project is a full wine cellar, which of course we are designing for them. The wine cellar will be in the basement, so of course they would still love to have access to some of their collection on the main floor. There... Continue reading

If you haven't realized by now, Rissay can do pretty much any project from smaller, custom focal pieces to full, all out renovations. Recently a client of ours wanted to improve upon their main living space with a much more revamped fireplace. The fireplace is the main focal point of the room and is also the first impression when you step foot in their home. The old one was just your typical builder grade/ Toll Brothers wood mantle with dentil molding. It had no character to it, no wow factor, and was the same as all of their other neighbors.... Continue reading