We purchased our current home 5 years ago with intentions to one day renovate the full main floor. In early 2015, we decided it was time to take the plunge and start doing our homework and plan for a renovation. For sure, we were excited but a little uneasy as well, as we knew this was a significant renovation, at least from our perspective. Speaking to most people, going through a major home renovation can be a very stressful event and this wasn't just a kitchen reno, it was a full main floor renovation, opening up walls and reconfiguring the kitchen and family room layouts.
After meeting with a number of kitchen designers, contractors and cabinetry builders, without a doubt, we knew that after our first consultation with Piero, he was our guy. On Piero's initial visit, which was to provide a rough estimate, he spent about 5 hours going through meticulous measurements and calculations, as well as, provided a draft sketch of what the kitchen and family rooms would look like, while considering of our limited design input and his expertise. While things did change a little from those initial penciled drawings, it was close!
In follow up meetings with Piero to finalize the renovation requirements, what I greatly appreciated was his willingness to try and work with us to bring the cost a little closer to our budgeted figure. We looked at every line item and Piero would bring other great options to the table.
To provide some sense of the scope of work involved, the main floor is approximately 1,900 - 2,000 square feet. Kitchen, family room and powder room were fully gutted. Walls between kitchen and family room were opened up to provide a more open concept environment. All flooring throughout the main floor was replaced, along with trim, baseboards, doors, etc., and painting was completed throughout the house.
The renovation started September 1st and was completed by mid-November. I'm not sure how many people can say this, but our reno was completed exactly as promised, on time and on budget. Our family hosts Christmas Eve, and it was incredibly exciting to share (and show off a little) our new kitchen with everyone!! I've described our kitchen to a number of people in this way, it truly is beautiful and a very functional piece of art!!
Throughout the project, every couple days, we would get a schedule (status) update from Piero as to what would be happening over the next few days, so we always felt we knew exactly what was going on. We were in constant communication throughout the renovation. The people Piero had involved in this project were just incredible, starting with his brother Tony (master kitchen builder and installer) and Danny (and son Anthony), who was the on-site project manager looking after many aspects of the renovation, including the initial demolition to completing the trim work. Tony (Piero's brother) is extremely detailed and precise and notices everything. Tony made the artwork of the kitchen come to life!! Tony is exactly the kind of person you want working in arguably, the most important room in your home. If Tony was the kind of guy you want working in your kitchen, then Danny and his son Anthony are the guys you want managing the work on the rest of your house to ensure it's done correctly!! I can't tell you how many tasks Danny also took on himself, sometimes, I would come home for lunch and in just a few hours, there was a huge transformation to the house, whether it was the walls being opened, or new light fixtures installed, it was done!
Even while living through the renovation in our basement (although, still sleeping on second floor), we can honestly say, throughout the whole process, we had so little (if anything) to complain about. Every person who stepped foot into our home was a true professional through and through, and they treated our house with great respect. They were tremendous to work with, even very considerate to take on some small items that could easily have been considered extras, but did it because it was the right thing to do. We would like to thank all the trades that stepped into our home: Gene (demo and wall removal); Joao (painting/plastering); Chris (hardwood); Andrew and Lawrence (tiling floors/backsplash); Gus (plumbing); Enio (electrical); Olivia (design and final cleanup); and to all the others who worked for/with these great people.
The biggest complement to any designer and/or contractor is how others feel about their work. We've had coworkers to the house and family members and many have asked for Piero's contact information. Ultimately, people want to work with good genuine people and that's exactly what Piero and everyone at Valentini kitchens are. We have a bathroom renovation coming in the near future, and we look forward to the day that we can reach out again to Piero and Valentini Kitchens to say, please make our bathroom a beautiful and functional piece of art!!!
Cheers,
Ida and Anthony
