Day: July 6, 2018

Atlantic Station, a high-end 26 story apartment building and retail space located in Stamford, CT, is a perfect representation of the ideal type of project for the team at Total Interiors.

Begun as a two-phase project in late 2016, Total Interiors was brought in to do all the metal framing, drywall, insulation and seam taping on 130 units of varying size and configuration. One of the challenges with this project was doing this work as units were marketed, sold and then occupied.

“One of the complicating factors we were advised of when we started this job was that people would be on the property viewing apartments and, eventually, occupying them. For us, we’re sort of used to wrapping things up at day’s end – it’s just how we work. So we weren’t really bothered by this aspect of the job,” said Total Interiors project manager Dan Smith.

This project is very representative of the types of projects Total Interiors has been taking on in recent years: large, long-term construction jobs which require significant planning for manpower and equipment. And while they worked as General Trades subcontractors on Atlantic Station, more and more often Total Interiors serves as either General Contractor or, in some cases, Project Developer for these large-scale projects. “Our company has gone through a few incarnations since we opened the doors more than two decades ago,” said Total Interiors owner John Castlevetro. “Atlantic Station is a big and varied project with lots of challenges – just the sort of thing the team here likes to sink their teeth into.”

Atlantic Station, which has become known for high-end amenities, contemporary details and hand-selected finish materials, features 9’ ceilings and abundant light through floor-to-ceiling windows. This also meant for some dramatic sunrises and sunsets for the Total Interiors crew.

“There were long hours on this job but one of the rewards was catching some pretty amazing sunrises over Long Island Sound through those huge windows in the early mornings. As we got down to the wire in knocking out the punch list, we also got to see some dramatic sunsets as well,” said Kevin Swanson, another Total Interiors project manager.

To learn more about the Atlantic Station project, or Total Interior’s capabilities in Trade Services or as a General Contractor, contact us today.

Many of our customers and suppliers not involved with municipal contracts sometimes ask us what our status as a ​certified Small Business Enterprise​ means. The short answer: our company has not yet surpassed $15 million in gross annual revenue so we are eligible to compete for projects the state of Connecticut has set aside to help develop small businesses.

It’s a great program; there are also set-asides for companies that are either minority-owned or women-owned; all part of Connecticut trying to diversify the types of companies working on taxpayer-funded projects. But that is not what comes immediately to mind when someone asks us about being a Small Business. What we think about is how small businesses play such an important role in the towns and cities in which they operate and we’re especially proud to be a small business in the town where our founder, many of our employees, subcontractors and customers grew up.

From our experience as a small business and working with other small businesses, we know the impact they can have on the people who work for and with them as well as the people in the communities that they serve. We think there are three traits small businesses exhibit which create more value for their customers:

Owner Involvement​ – Most small businesses are owned and operated by people proud of what they have built; we are no exception to that notion. When you hire Total Interiors, you receive the focus and attention of the owners and managers from start to finish. We know our reputation is on the line not only as professionals but also as neighbors you’ll bump into at The Big Y or the Dairy Queen. So we stay involved in the details of every project as if it were our own.

Flexibility​ – Almost by definition, small businesses are more nimble than their larger counterparts. We don’t make large or long-term investments in infrastructure which tie us to any one set way of doing things. Because we are close to our customers, we are able to hear feedback, observe changing preferences, and quickly adapt as project conditions change. We pride ourselves on our agility.

Empathy​ – As a small business, many of the projects we take on are for other small businesses. While we have the ability to scale up and tackle some pretty big projects, our roots keep us in tune with the needs of small business owners. For example, we know that an ill-timed surprise can be troublesome – sometimes devastating – so we do everything we can to minimize unexpected complications. We know what it’s like to walk in your shoes.

So we understand what it’s like to be a small business; and while there are challenging times, we relish our identity as a small business. What makes it extra special for us, is operating here in North Branford. Beyond it being the town where many of us grew up, our business was started and flourished in this town. As we drive to work every day, we are reminded of this.

When we pass Whitewood Commons, home to Hidden Kitchen, Therapeutic Escape (great chair massage!) and RV’s Quick Mart, we are reminded of the renovation work we did on that building. The same can be said of our former office space at 2290 Foxon Road, which houses Beyond Waves salon. And we could not be more proud of our new office building at 435 Foxon Road. We are now in one of the oldest buildings in North Branford!

If you are interested in working with us, please let us know. While we love working in North Branford, we also work around the state of Connecticut.

Welcome to our new website; its launch just about coincides with the move into our new location at 435 Foxon Road in North Branford.

Our growth as a company and the changes in our business are reflected in both our new offices – larger, custom-crafted and well-suited to our evolving business – as well as new website, which tells the story of our ever-evolving construction trades, general contracting and real estate development operations.

Our new home is situated on a 1.25 acre lot in Total Interiors’ hometown of North Branford. The building is historic; a 3,200 square foot colonial originally erected in 1775. We kept all the original walls and flooring; as such, it definitely has a different feel than the offices of most modern construction companies you’ll visit. To us – however, it feels exactly like home. We’ve added some touches to make it truly our own space, including a music studio/recording space and a great patio and grilling space where you might find some of us after work this summer.

But we’ve also modified the space to service our clients, employees and to facilitate the types of projects with which we are involved these days. There are stand-up computer stations in the entry-area so our project managers and field supervisors have a place to work when they are not on site.

Our meeting rooms are spacious and well-lit, perfect for reviewing building plans or discussing construction financing. And we have a few outside areas on our lot that are perfect gathering spots to conduct the type of blue-sky thinking our customers have come to expect from us.

All the while we’ve been building our new home, we’ve also been developing our new website. It’s a great place to see some of the work we’ve recently completed, such as Atlantic Station in Stamford, CT, 66 High Street in Guilford, CT or the Yale Art Gallery and Continuum Services Center in New Haven, CT. The new website is the place to browse our company information, our approach to new construction & renovation work, and our deep expertise in commercial construction, residential construction, municipal projects and institutional construction showcased in the Project Galleries section.

As you can see, we are growing the size and scope of our business. If you have a project, please contact us today.