Journal
The MRC Journal
What I look for before we build, the decisions that shape a renovation, and the details that make a home work. Practical guidance from Mike Mroz and the MRC team on significant renovations, additions and custom homes in New Jersey.
Start here
- Budgeting for Your ProjectWhat a cost per square foot actually includes, why the same number means different things for a custom home and a renovation, and what drives the difference.
- Choosing Your BuilderThe questions worth asking before you hire — about communication, change orders, references and whether a builder is right for your project.
- Renovate or Build NewHow to weigh renovating, adding on, or building new — what the existing house can realistically give you, and when moving is the better answer.
23 articles
Design & MaterialsThe Luxury Home Details You Don't Notice — But Feel Every Day
Floor plan, window placement, millwork, lighting coordination and material transitions: the decisions that are made long before the finishes, and that you feel every day afterwards.
Design & MaterialsThe Kitchen Behind the Kitchen: Sculleries, Hidden Storage and Custom Millwork
A scullery, a butler's pantry and a walk-in pantry do different jobs. What each one is for, and how to plan the storage and prep space you will actually use.
Planning & InvestmentRenovate or Rebuild? How to Decide What's Right for Your New Jersey Home
What the existing structure can carry, what opening walls reveals, and what belongs in the comparison beyond the headline construction number.
Project StoriesA Summit Home, Room by Room: How Construction and Interiors Were Coordinated
A kitchen renovation that became a whole-house project, and what changed because construction and interior design were planned together rather than in sequence.
Planning & InvestmentWhat Cost Per Square Foot Really Tells You About Building or Renovating in New Jersey
What a cost per square foot actually includes, why the same number means different things for a custom home and a renovation, and what drives the difference.
Planning & InvestmentWhat Can Delay a Major Home Project in New Jersey?
Approvals, unresolved selections, long-lead materials and unexpected existing conditions can affect a construction schedule. Early planning helps the team identify dependencies and explain the choices ahead.
Renovations & AdditionsRenovating an Older Home Without Losing What Makes It Special
Renovating a historic home is a unique challenge that requires a balance between preserving its character and modernizing it for today’s living. No matter if you own a charming Victorian in Westfield or a century-old home in…
Renovations & AdditionsBefore You Renovate a Barn or Carriage House, Decide What It Needs to Become
In the charming neighborhoods of Westfield, Summit, and Short Hills, many homeowners are transforming their historic barns and carriage houses into luxurious spaces.
Renovations & AdditionsA Kitchen, Pantry, and Coffee Bar Should Be Planned as One System
If you’re dreaming of a high-end kitchen renovation that balances timeless style with tailored function, it’s all about the details. At Michael Robert Construction , we specialize in crafting fully customized kitchens through a…
Details
What a well-built house looks like up close
Most of what the Journal is about happens at this scale: a brick arch laid to match the original, cabinetry built by our own carpenters, a ceiling of poles scribed one to the next. The decisions are small and the house is the sum of them.
Built by MRC's own carpenters: white oak doors over a soapstone feeding station, with a pot filler plumbed to it. Mendham whole-home renovation 
A soldier course turned over the window head, laid and painted to match the original brick. Mountainside exterior renovation 
Eucalyptus poles laid tight across the ceiling, each one scribed to its neighbor. Westfield pool cabana