Having an interior designer help us with our renovations was a new experience for us..in the past we had always relied on input from family/friends or simply guessed at what we thought would look good in our house. Needless to say we were always left feeling less than fully satisfied with the results in the end. For this job, even though it was relatively small (reno to powder room, living room, dining room), we decided to spend the extra money and go with Nanette in hopes that her added expertise and guidance would make this reno a very positive experience. We were so glad we did invest in Nanette. She took us to decisions we never would have reached on our own. With her award winning skill in colour coordination and her unique eye to introducing flair and life into any room, she surpassed our expectations! And she did it so effortlessly and efficiently we knew we were getting great value for our dollars. On top of her personal expertise, her rolodex of contacts in the industry is worth its weight in gold. Along with the renos we needed to update all our furniture and lighting in the rooms. Nanette met us at various stores in the GTA and based on our input and her recommendations, we picked up some beautiful loveseats, a sectional, hall bench and other misc pieces. The fabric was all chosen to complement our new colour scheme and existing furniture. Some of the furniture was custom made for us and we were not disappointed when she recommended Vince from Grand Duke's Upholstery. From the colour scheme to the furniture, flooring and lighting, we now have something that is very elegant, warm and inviting, livable and timeless. It was money well spent and we feel that the money and time Nanette saved us with her contacts combined with knowing we won't have to make any major changes now for years to come has convinced us to never do another reno without her involvement.
Now a bit about the contractors Nanette referred us to. All the major reno work (drywalling, new lighting, molding, bathroom fixtures) was done by Peter & Josh. They were always on time and allocated their time to complete all the promised work within the time frame specified. Before leaving each day they left the workplace very clean. They used drop sheets and plastic to isolate the work areas to minimize debris and dust from drifting to other rooms. They even turned off the furnace to prevent dust from entering the HVAC system. At the outset we insisted the job have proper plumbing and electrical permits and Peter was able to accommodate the request without question, unlike other contractors we've had who had insisted permits weren't required and would just add cost and delay to the project. Peter handled our questions and concerns very professionally. When we identified some minor "finishing" issues, Peter was quick to address them to our satisfaction. We were amazed at how quickly Peter and Josh were able to work during the day and complete all the required upgrades, making very efficient use of their time. Peter's final invoicing and tracking of all our changes was very fair and straightforward and made the experience very smooth. Peter even came back a couple of weeks later to install a new TV mount on our wall with no additional hassle or cost to us. All in all a very positive experience!
Paul and his team (Mark and Derek) did an amazing job painting our rooms and applying new wallpaper to our powder room. We had replaced our ceiling and added new crown molding and new baseboard. Their steady hands made for wonderful finishing where trim paint meets the wall paint. They even touched up a few additional areas at no extra charge...now that's going the extra mile!
Kevin has been laying hardwood floor for many years and his expertise shone through when he came to replace our carpet with prefinished hardwood in the living room and family room. He professionally prepared all the subfloor to ensure the flooring would meet our tiled area evenly. Within the estimated two days he was complete. All cutting was done outside (in Feb!) to minimize wood dust in the house. The overall cost ended up being much more competitive to the quote we had received from a reputable flooring store months earlier. Kevin doesn't have a storefront or sales staff to maintain and can keep his costs down, yet has access to an unlimited variety of hardwoods. We simply pre-chose our hardwood in advance and he did the rest!