Elizabeth from Leslieville

I'm already a big fan of Trichroma. This experience taught me that I should no longer call on them for incidental work; they have grown since I last used them and are involved in larger projects. I recommend only for major renovations and development projects. When I have one again, I'll certainly call them!

I'm committed to doing the best I can in an urban environment to avoid excessive resource use. I have been a Dupont client for more years than I care to share, but I contacted them recently proposing a change to a tankless, gas-powered water heater. They did a great job of explaining my options, offering two manufacturers' solutions, organizing the process, and operating the install with a high degree of sensitivity to minimizing upset. I chose the higher-end manufacturer, Rinnai, because all parts are replaceable, and because of their many years of good reputation. The removal of the old water heater was handled impeccably. I am already observing the reduction in electric power and of course in billing, and the new gas charges still keep me in a net win position. The overall payback will take a few years, but it was the right thing to do! Well done, Dupont, and well done, me! A win-win!

I have employed Maxine for various reasons, and the closest I can come to her service is "home staging". She came into my life when I was relocating from South America to Canada and saved me completely by organizing me from a house into a condo, engaging a closet redesigner, setting up my kitchen and my home office, and guiding me through the difficult sorting decisions. Since then she has organized another move for me, and prepared a condo of mine for corporate rental. She has a fine grasp on what it takes to make a space appealing, orderly, and functional. She keeps her add-on resources- cleaners, movers, painters, picture hangers, etc.- on the move to get the job done and done well. If you are in despair about ever getting organized, she's the one to call! The cost of the service will vary of course by the type and volume of organizing you need, so you can discuss it and get a quote! Her website www.thegreatorganizer.com says it better than I do.

I returned to my house after 13 years of rental occupancy. I had become so distanced from it that I was convinced that I should renovate to sell. The team from Walden impressed my very much with their planning methodology, and with their transparency on pricing, and even more by their practice of working with the same trades all the time. They encouraged site reviews, and were highly collaborative and cooperative. I'm certain they were very confused as we were reaching the end of the project, because as beautifully as it was turning out, I was becoming more depressed. The problem? I no longer wanted to sell! Well, that was easily resolved; I am in it after all, and as happy as can be! This very old house is fresh and new again, the design is consistent with its Victorian dimensions yet very clean and spare, the work is top-notch, and I have never needed to call them back for rework. Bruce and Danny are always generous with advice for me when i need to figure out a small job, and I would engage them again in a heartbeat!

Lorne was very nice and very understanding about what I was trying to achieve with my back garden. He appreciated my very large old cherry tree, and that I wanted a careful pruning to keep its charm. Unfortunately he wasn't there when his crew arrived. It was scalped thoroughly- all the lateral branches below absolutely new growth removed, not accessible to hang feeders, very little shelter for the critters, and the ugly wires and building behind my property, completely exposed. To Lorne's credit ha allowed me to reduce the payment, but that's little consolation. The tree will never recover.

I wanted drapes that reflected the age of the house, over 100 years, contributed to the appreciation of the ceiling heights, provided the same "look" throughout the house, and provided necessary privacy. Mike Tinianov provided excellent advice, the installations were perfect, and when the first lot of silk arrived out of the colour range, acted quickly to reorder the right shades. The best comment is that I am using his services again on another property!