HOW FOCUSING ON CONTRACTOR SYNERGY AND TREND RESISTANCE HAS MADE A NAME FOR THIS NEW DORP MILLWORK FABRICATION SHOP ONE THAT ALSO PROVIDES EXPERTISE IN GENERAL CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN, AND ARCHITECTURE

BY JESSICA JONES-GORMAN • PHOTOS BY ROBERT NUZZIE

After working as real estate developers and custom home builders for more than a decade, Paul Lopa and Golan Marom felt there was a void in their local construction supply market.

“I simply wasn’t able to find quality products for the homes I was building,” noted Marom. “I’d have to go to six different suppliers in Manhattan just to find the right materials.”

So, five years ago, the two builders pooled resources and launched Cabinet Plant a bespoke design-build company that specializes in custom cabinetry with a particular mastery in high-end kitchens, and which has partnered with both European and American manufacturers in order to ensure, as Lopa puts it, “that clients receive the best possible quality.”

Not being able to obtain the right look for our homes was frustrating,” Lopa added. “We wanted to be able to control the process so that every project we did would get that unique look. Our goal was to bridge the gap between the construction and design process.”

The home expert’s duo, they said, tackle a job from start to finish juggling selections of stone, flooring, and even hardware, so that their customers don’t have to.

“We fine tune the process,” Marom explained. “We put together a cohesive plan in one location. We’re essentially a one-stop home improvement and cabinet company, able to seamlessly execute every aspect of a renovation.”
It’s a business plan that both Lopa and Marom define as common sense.

“We have both been working in this business for years, so have the knowledge and expertise to get the job done,” Lopa said. “The average homeowner will renovate their home once, maybe twice in their lifetime. We renovate on an ongoing basis…work with architects, engineers, and other contractors, so we have direct access to all of those trades. That sets us apart.”

The quality of the resulting work has been recognized by TV producers who chose the pair to participate in the NBC home makeover series George to the Rescue. Hosted by George Oliphant, the show follows a team of contractors and designers as they essentially rescue the homes of deserving people. And because they are all working together for one common goal, Lopa says the show’s cast and crew has become part of Cabinet Plant’s extended family.

“Working with the show has been a wonderful experience,” Lopa said. “We’re designing homes for families who have suffered a tragic loss or are going through some sort of hardship, so each project is extremely fulfilling. We put everything in motion, from the cabinetry to the subs, and the entire team works tirelessly to get the job done. It’s great to watch the seamless transition of how each project comes together; even under a tight budget, the homes always turn out beautifully.”

“George, the producers, everyone involved in the show are such wonderful people to work with,” he added. “We design and build on a daily basis, but working with this show has taken it to another level,” adding that Cabinet Plant will be featured on another series starting April 11.

“We’ll be on an episode of Bravo’s Sell it Like Serhant,” Lopa said, detailing his business’s involvement with the Million Dollar Listing spin-off starring Ryan Serhant. “He came to our showroom to train one of our sales reps, and we are thrilled with the national exposure.”

According to Lopa, it’s his company’s unique model that has garnered that brand of notoriety.

“No one else on Staten Island does what we do,” he said. “We go to great lengths to understand our clients’ style, then develop a renovation that adheres to that style,” adding that the key to creating a lasting design is to steer clear of “what’s hot.”

“The worst thing to do during a renovation is to work with trends,” Marom said. “A homeowner’s focus should be quality only. You need to make choices that suit the bones of the house. Whatever you add should be timeless. That’s where the value comes from. You don’t want to have to redo your renovation in another five years because the original was too trend driven.

That’s why we insist that ours be a state-of-the-art showroom, designed and created by our own in house architectural design team.”

“I think when it comes to design, it’s really important to go back to your roots,” Marom concluded. “We do our best to revive natural craftsmanship beautifully crafted cabinets and vanities that never lose their luster, combined with developers, architects, and interior designers all working together to create a beautiful, comprehensive style throughout the home. That’s what our business is about.”

Cabinet Plant
276 New Dorp Lane / 718.524.5520
cabinetplant.com