Francis Interiors

5+++ stars!!! I am a busy cancer physician and really need my home to be my stress-free oasis. Francis Toumbakaris from Francis Interiors made this a reality. He converted a small blank slate condo in NYC’s upper west side to a beautiful and serene home … and all during the first year of COVID when most of the city was shut down. He was wonderful to work with, included me in the entire process, and somehow harmonized my husband and my different visions without compromise. He is also a magician in crafting space problem solutions often with his own furniture creations. Honestly, 5-star hotels do not hold a candle to our Francis Interiors home … it is my favorite place to be; I absolutely love it!!

Francis was the first designer my husband and I ever worked with, and so we were apprehensive going in, but from the first meeting it was clear that we had made the right decision. We started our project at the beginning of COVID, and so all of our interactions were virtual, but Francis and his associates made the process feel like we were all together in the same room. We would always look forward to our weekly meetings, from going over our story and vision for our apartment, to creating blueprints, to making selections from the options he brought us. We were starting from scratch, which was quite overwhelming, but Francis made the process safe and enjoyable. He introduced us to design elements that we never would have thought of going in, but now that they’re here feel so authentically us. And the results!!! Everyone who walks into our apartment says they think it looks like a home out of architectural digest. From the custom built-ins that Francis designed, furniture, paint, wall coverings, lighting, stone, rugs… it all came out like a work of art. We couldn’t be more thrilled, and look forward to working with Francis for all of our future design projects.

We recently engaged Francis Interiors for an interior design project for our new home in Manhasset, NY. Francis failed to create a cohesive vision and design, failed to put together color palettes that worked with the existing space and was not able to source appropriate products and fabrics. His design aesthetic is next to zero. We later found out that he is not a trained professional or expert and has an unsuccessful background in ballet and contracting, but will tell you otherwise. To be specific, we engaged Francis for a consulting project where he would create a design/shopping list and hand it off to us so we could do the shopping ourselves. He initially agreed to this approach, but quickly tried to convince us to expand the scope for a full design project, which not surprisingly would increase the fees payable to him by 3.5X. In addition, Francis was incredibly impatient and condescending throughout the entire process. He would become visibly annoyed by questions/suggestions and did not respect our opinions/interests. He continually pushed his tasteless vision and would constantly tell us to get over our fears and give him control over the project. Francis missed the mark on every level. He is painful to work with and will waste your time and money.

Francis Interiors was referred to me by my real estate agent. I relocated from San Francisco to NYC and needed turn-key interior design for my entire apartment in a very short period of time (just over 30 days). I had lived in San Francisco for more than 25 years so this was a big move for me. I put a lot of trust and faith in Francis Interiors to turn my charming West Village apartment into the home of my dreams – and do this all with me on the other side of the country! Francis really got my aesthetic from the beginning. He sent me a few examples to get a sense of my taste and then we were off to the races. It was an extremely easy process. He would send me pictures of items for my reaction and approval, most of which were spot on, and he added a few wonderful surprise touches as well. One of the highlights was the outdoor terrace. He not only furnished it but completely landscaped and planted flowers throughout. It’s simply gorgeous. Francis finished my place entirely by the time I arrived, handling the ordering, delivery and set-up of all furniture and landscaping. He went over and above, even coordinating painting and drywall touch-ups within the unit. When I say turn-key, it was truly turn-key. After getting off the plane with only my suitcases in-hand, I walked into my new home for the first time. I was speechless. I absolutely fell in love with everything immediately. His team even went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get me towels, cleaning supplies and miscellaneous items I would need for the first few days until I was able to go shopping. Francis is also a problem solver. There is a wall with non-standard dimensions and we couldn’t find a media cabinet to fit the space and my TV. Francis took a standard media cabinet and had a woodworker custom size it to fit the space precisely. It literally was made for my apartment. Francis made what was an otherwise stressful life event a comforting moment. He was so easy to work with, he listened to my feedback and he nailed it to perfection. I couldn’t imagine making this move without Francis. Thank you for making me feel comfortable in NYC! I couldn’t have asked for more.

I have used Francis for two major projects in the last 4 years. The first was for my “bachelor pad”. Francis’s design and implementation of that design were spectacular. My bedroom was sexy and masculine, my furniture was chic and modern, and he even managed to find room for a proper dining table. His use of paint, lighting pendants, and a single wall of wallpaper really made my apartment remarkable and everything I wanted it to be. When my husband, Noah, and I decided to buy an apartment together, we found the perfect place in a new conversion development. Noah had worked with other designers before and was hesitant to work with Francis since my prior apartment had a casual modern aesthetic while Noah’s taste was more classic and refined. Noah feared that his point of view would not be well served. That fear melted away the day we had our first presentation of the design plans. And although we had originally said to Francis to copy the layout of the model apartment, we were very impressed that his proposed floor plan provided the opportunity to enjoy the apartment’s Central Park views in a way the model apartment missed and we never though of ourselves. Francis and his team did an excellent job installing and setting up the apartment. I was overflowing with joy the first time I saw it all come together in real life and not just a vision on paper or separate pieces of furniture. Every day when I am in our living room I am amazed that this beautiful room is part of our home. Everyone – even my in-laws – comment on how gorgeous the fabrics and colors are. Our apartment is refined but also comfortable. It is classic with just the right amount of modern, colorful touches. It magically represents the combination of what both Noah and I wanted in our first home together. Francis made that happen.

When my family and I purchased our apartment we thought that we could design our new home by ourselves. We were apprehensive to use an interior designer, but once we met Francis Toumbakaris of Francis Interiors and listened to his ideas we knew we made the right decision to hire him. Francis is passionate, detailed oriented and very receptive to our opinions. His design sense is impeccable, timeless, and in our opinion, unparalleled. Just to mention one of his many skills, Francis saw our need for more light in the evenings and he designed and created cove lighting systems for our living room, dining room and master bedroom. Not only do the lights create a warm ambience, they add dimension and make our ceilings look taller than they actually are. Francis worked remarkably well with our contractor to create a one of a kind space. Every concept was well thought out, from our kid friendly furniture down to his selection of 12 distinctive paints. Francis told us “this will not be a showroom apartment, it will be a livable apartment” and that’s exactly what he gave us. To say that we couldn’t be happier would be an understatement! We enthusiastically recommend Francis Toumbakaris to design your home. You will not be disappointed.

I had a terrific experience with Francis and everyone working with him. He had wonderful ideas for my very small space - a studio apartment with wonderful views, lots of sunshine and light, and a lovely terrace. He listened to all my wishes and worked to incorporate everything I wanted in plans for the space. He designed a gorgeous marble bathroom and a beautiful main room with lots of cabinets, shelves and drawers for storage. His lighting ideas were terrific and the high gloss paint on the cabinets is perfect. Although we had some time consuming issues with the building board and the management company - Francis was patient, available at all times, and ready to work as soon as approvals were granted. I spent the last three months of the renovation out of town but Francis was in constant contact keeping me up to date on all the work being done and assisting with all the decisions I had to make. I would highly recommend Francis of "Francis Interiors" for his creative ideas and great work ethic.