Reviews of AXIS MUNDI Architects Interior Designers NYC (Architect)

Joseph Carini

John Beckmann and his firm Axis Mundi are great to work with. Always professional and incredibly talented, the work they do is anything but common. John and his team always create and design rooms that are fresh and exciting. At the same time he takes the clients wishes and needs very seriously and manages to elevate them. I highly recommend Axis Mundi.

Jayant Ray

John Beckmann is an artist. Had he been a filmmaker, John would be called an auteur: someone who controls every aspect of the job and raises the game of everybody involved in the project. He is vastly knowledgeable about the nitty-gritty of construction and design so he is able to direct contractors and even other architects about both the practical and design aspects of the job. He has photographic recall of your space; this relieved one of my biggest anxieties: that of talking over the phone with someone who cannot always be physically present. This combined with the encyclopedic list of suppliers, materials and design concepts that John has locked away in his brain makes him a hard act to beat. John also has the personality of a designer worked out: he knows when to charm and when to be merciless and this works very well with obdurate contractors. I remember when in a commercial job he helped me with, John insisted that a large and expensive soffit be torn out and redone to his specs. At the time even I agreed with the contractor that John was being unreasonable, but John's will eventually prevailed and although it added $1200 and a day of work to the budget to remove the soffit, I have thanked John every day for the past six years when I walk through that reception. His insistence on that occasion changed the look of the entire space from stodgy to modern and made it much more usable for staff members and customers alike. On other occasions John saved me money: he suggested affordable alternatives that matched or surpassed what I had in mind at a fraction of the cost. On one occasion he drove me personally to pick out a single toilet paper dispenser for the office because he thought it would be perfect. At the time I didn't know him that well so I was scared that his final bill would make that one expensive purchase but I was pleasantly surprised then (and every time since) by how reasonable and meticulous John's billing has been for the kind of quality service he provides. Lastly there is the educational aspect. I feel that I have internalized so many of my discussions and debates with John that it has fundamentally changed the way I look at spaces and objects. You don't always have a professional designer to advise you at every moment but interacting with someone like John has helped me make better design decisions by myself. I wish I knew a professional of John's caliber in every field of life that I have reason to interact with. It is a joy to do business with someone who knows his craft. I give John Beckmann my highest rating and recommendation.

Rishi Bali

I originally hired Axis Mundi to do the interiors of my new apartment on Wall Street which was a design conversion headlined by Philippe Starck. It was my first project in engaging a design firm to design a custom space and I was very pleased by the final results. John created an incredible space for me with great furniture, carpets and custom built-in cabinetry which not only made the space more functional but also gave the apartment a grand sense of scale. I subsequently commissioned John to do a significant retail project for me which encompassed designing and building of unique interiors for a yoga inspired retail concept. John developed a design concept called "Naked" for the project which had the design genesis of going back to our core roots with the use of organic elements such as reclaimed wood and an ancient Japanese burnt wood treatment called “Shou Sugi Ban.” We did a total of 14 individual projects in varied locations such as San Francisco CA, Malibu Country Mart CA, Beverly Hills CA, Brentwood CA, La Jolla CA, Short Hills NJ, Westchester NY and Greenwich CT, amongst others. Each location was individually designed and built to fit with significant oversight of contractors and the permitting process. In my opinion, there are three core elements that uniquely differentiate John Beckmann's work from the litany of other designers: First - Well thought-out design solutions that are individually tailored: In all my projects, John has a unique sensibility to deliver a design solution for the specific client needs. For example – he designed the living spaces for both my sister and I - my apartment used finishes and furnishings that were bold and masculine, whereas he used more subtle design elements for my sister’s apartment, like a floating glass bedroom with silk curtains that made the apartment more feminine. The feeling that he delivered to each of the spaces were the perfect fit for our own personalities. Second - Understanding of design lineage: John is a great student of design lineage. For example - I am Indian and John's wowed me with his knowledge of India’s contemporary design lineage of architects whose work in India is important, for example Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. While our goal was to build a contemporary designed apartment, John used subtle design features that reflected the history of my culture like a custom banquette which had red silk velvet cushions and bolsters like you would find in traditional Indian seating. I really enjoyed this process of discovery, of learning different styles while working with John. And how art, furniture design, lighting, and carpets all come together to create a spectacular space. Third - Collaboration in projects: Constructing a space is truly a collaborative effort and you want someone on your side who has done it quite a few times, as they have experience and patience to ensure that projects don't go off in the wrong direction. I find John to be a methodical worker, his drawings are very realistic and unlike other professionals who show renderings on paper which are impossible to convert to real life, John's work has been consistently right on. Overall, you need a person like John who has seen the movie before, and has the focus and dedication to see the project to fruition. John loves his work and does his utmost to accommodate various budgets and timeframes. Having worked with him on numerous projects his combination of taste, design knowledge, focus and dedication can’t be beat. If you are looking for a tasteful, contemporary style, John Beckmann's your guy.

Daniele Perna

RELATIONSHIP: Colleague Design Collaboration (Retail) Project Date: 2015 I connected with Mr. Beckmann 8 years ago, his design work is on a level that I deeply appreciate and wanted an associate in the business to share firm experiences and discuss architecture, design and development. He is one of those unique individuals who is passionate about his craft and open to discussing ideas with colleagues, so we developed an excellent relationship which lead to several collaborations. While collaborating, I observed his business and design operations; an impressive orchestration of team work, focused processes, technical proficiency, and efficient communication. His team is an intelligent group of hard-working individuals who share a desire to be the best in the industry. Mr. Beckmann focuses his staff on making sure the client is completely satisfied. He has an exceptionally high level of talent and maintains a discipline and drive to meet deadlines and respect budgets, while always maintaining a unique poetic vision.

Laura Bray

Dear future customers, I engaged Axis Mundi business to assist me with design services for decorating my home. John Beckmann prides himself as a savvy designer, but his business dealings are nothing but a scam. I paid a high premium retainer fee for the services he would deliver, with the remainder of the fee paid once the services were complete. The contract called for measuring the existing space at my home and preparing computer plans, multiple shopping visits to be scheduled, detailed budget spreadsheet to be created, and much more. To my disappointment, not only did Axis Mundi business owner not deliver any of the above; but, he consistently did not respond to my emails and several requests to measure the space diligently and provide feedback throughout the process. He instead threw together images of products in a "drop box" from random places and other customers and unorganized in any logical order. I found myself having to chase him to answer my inquiries and determined that they did not care for the project he took on nor were they going to commit the time required to do it successfully. Shortly thereafter, we terminated the working relationship, and though John did not dedicate time toward the services, he refused to provide a full refund nor a partial refund for the project which is sizable. I have worked in corporate for a long time; and, I have yet to encounter a similar experience with any other business dealings. Please read other reviews on his Houzz webpage and you will see others were victim to this experience as well. I document my experience only for the purposes of informing other customers. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have. Thanks, Laura

Valentina BB

John is great, he has great taste and an amazing design knowledge - plus he knows how to listen to his clients!

A&A V&E

I worked at Axis Mundi for three months this summer (2018) and it was a challenging, creative, and yet fun environment to work in. They work hard yet value work-life balance, are personable, and they enjoy creating a genuine learning environment for the interns. I had a wide variety of experiences while working there: hands-on work at sites, creating detailed construction drawings for the contractor, visiting ICFF and high-end vendors at the D&D building, meeting clients, networking with other professionals, contributing to theoretical projects for submission to competitions, gaining exposure to the luxury residential design world, and understanding of how boutique firms are run and operated in NYC. I highly recommend students to intern here if you want to be part of a very creative team that care about you as a person and as a young professional. It’s was an invaluable experience that I would have never received in a classroom. Somethings can’t be taught in school—you just have to go out and do it. I cannot stress enough the creative quality of work they do, they are attentive to details, and are genuinely people-oriented. They encourage their interns to succeed and even are helping me apply to potential internships for next summer—9 months in advance. I felt like my opinion mattered, I was treated with equality, and was able to significantly contribute to the office ethos and the projects. Highly recommended.

Veronica Perri

Thanks them for the interior renovation of my apartment! Looks great!

Giulia Grazzini

If you are looking for a studio that can surprise you with provocative solutions for your space, you know where to go!

armand terry

My partner and I hired Axis Mundi for design services when we did a full renovation of our apartment in New York, and worked closely with John and his team, who were very attentive. They took the time to learn our personal goals and were very patient with my innumerable emails on furniture and spaces that appealed to us. They also gently stopped me from making some bad choices. When our budget had to be adjusted, they worked with us to find pieces at lower price points that were still unusual and different. I enjoyed their blend of professionalism and the personal touch, and I love the way our apartment has turned out, due in no small part to their exceptional sense of style. I highly recommend them and would work with them again in a heart beat. Thank you very much!