After a previous article about technological advancements in real estate went live, we got several emails asking for us to take a deeper look at certain niche areas of the real estate industry in NYC. While not tech necessarily, we felt that these articles would be of interest to our readers. Moulding price differences, quality, and customer service are all very important qualities to consider.
There are various ways to beautify your New York City home or business, including plaster crowns, columns, corners, friezes, cornices, alabasters, plaques, and the list goes on. But who do you turn to for help? We did the research and legwork to give you the best design options.
Here’s an expert’s opinion on what you should look for in plaster and moulding.
“Plaster is an ideal medium for decorative work because it can take fine detail. It is also versatile: plaster can be formed into ornate, multi-layered ceiling medallions, intricate friezes replete with scrolls and swags, or long runs of coved cornice work. Plaster can be cast, shaped, carved, sculpted, sanded, or cut. Easily installed, it can be glued, nailed, or simply attached to a surface with more plaster. Plaster also doesn’t shrink or warp.”
One suggestion we received was an article examining different plaster and moulding companies. As it turns out, this is a very large industry in the city, with three main titans battling it out. So we figured we would cut through the noise for our readers and take a closer look at Arkada, Hyde Park, and DecoCraft, to see which company offers the most to their clients.
Arkada
Arkada is a newcomer to the NYC plaster and moulding scene, but they are a well-known international company, expanding from their successful base in Russia. After dominating the plaster and moulding scene in major Russian cities, notably Moscow, Arkada began worldwide expansion with a new location in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Since this expansion, they have quickly become a premier name in plaster and moulding in New York City.
One major reason for this is their impressive clientbase. They have worked with some of the most important companies in Russia, some of the largest estates in The United States, and worldwide brands such as Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, and Emilio Pucci. The Tri-State Area has really taken to Arkada’s work, and you can find Arkada plaster and mouldings in places such as municipal buildings, personal estates, hotels, and nightclubs.
What is fantastic about Arkada at the moment is that they bring with them an impressive international track record, and yet their pricing is still very reasonable. All of these factors combined mean that with Arkada you’ll get international experience and proven craftsmanship at a remarkably competitive price.
Hyde Park Mouldings
Hyde Park is a name well-known to anyone in New York City real estate. As one of the oldest plaster and moulding companies in the area, they have built up a good track record. Even though they are not actually based out of NYC, they do a lot of work here.
As a traditional fixture of this industry, they are used to doing things a certain way. For some clients, this is a good trait, as they too might be used to the older, more traditional ways of doing plaster and moulding. On the flip side, this does mean that Hyde Park critics say they are slightly out of touch. These critics also say that Hyde Park is rather inflexible.
Since Hyde Park has built up a track record of good work in the city, they charge people a premium rate for their work. So if you are looking for plaster or moulding work and don’t mind paying more, Hyde Park is a good option. Otherwise, the other companies in this article are probably better options.
DecoCraft USA
DecoCraftUSA, based out of Brooklyn, is another name in this industry, albeit not as large as Arkada or Hyde Park. Compared to them, DecoCraftUSA has much less experience and has less of a successful track record. Their work is mostly limited to ceilings, but their clients have been pleased with the work they’ve done.
The biggest knock against DecoCraftUSA is that they don’t have the experience of Arkada or Hyde Park, and their prices are significantly more than Arkada’s and get close to Hyde Park’s. Perhaps over the next several years DecoCraft will evolve into a household name in plaster and moulding, so it may be worth taking a shot on them.
Conclusion
Plaster and moulding is a fascinating niche in the real estate industry. While people outside of this industry are unlikely to be familiar with these three companies, those in the industry know them well.
While Hyde Park is a well-known name with a long track record, they can be somewhat stuck in their ways, and unwilling to change. On the flip side, DecoCraft is a bit lacking in experience, and their prices can be a bit much for some people.
This is why, after taking everything into consideration, we recommend Arkada. They have a proven track record of excellent work with massive names across multiple continents, are based out of Brooklyn, and are around 10-20% cheaper than Hyde Park, while more than matching them in quality. So the next time you need plaster or moulding work, we recommend taking a look at Arkada first.
