Readers’ Poll Winners: Home & Design

These are the designers, builders, contractors and craftsman our readers say are their go-to resources for building, repairing and decorating their homes.

June 9, 2021

PM Staff,

PHOTO BY CHUCK BEARD

Antique & Repurposed Store: Construction Junction

Why Are You the Best of the ’Burgh?
“Initially, there’s the face of CJ and what we provide for the community. But a lot of people don’t know the other layers of it. We offer a retail environment, and we offer construction goods at a lower cost, and we divert materials from the landfill. But a lot of people don’t know the job training that we do — [and that to] all of our sub-tenants in our building, we offer lower rent so those nonprofits can prosper. So we always get, ‘Oh my God, Construction Junction, I love that place,’ from people that see that first layer. But whenever you dig deep, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, it’s so much more than what I thought.’ And they fall even deeper in love with us. I will never leave here. I will retire here because I believe in the mission, I believe in everything that we do.”
— Melissa Mongelli, General Manager and Chief Operating Officer

214 N. Lexington St., Point Breeze North, 412/243-5025, cjreuse.org

PHOTO COURTESY DESMONE ARCHITECTS

Architecture Firm: Desmone Architects

Why Are You the Best of the ’Burgh?
“From where I sit, it’s culture, culture, culture. That’s what matters — having a group of people who are in sync together and all growing in the same direction. That makes for a great working atmosphere — a great place to work, and a great way to serve our clients. I think if you look across the designs of our projects — and we work on a lot of different kinds of projects — you’ll find that our projects don’t look alike. Each project is unique, and it’s as unique as the clients that hire us. We tend to take our inspiration from our clients.”
— Chip Desmone, CEO

412/683-3230; desmone.com