blueday

Hi, this is a belated review (reno completed Nov last year) of services from Summit Design. Quite a simple project (but still, being our first home, we naturally had high expectations) - 2 bedroom new condo, so no hacking was required. We knew exactly what we wanted - a kitchen island, storage at the tv wall, a display cabinet, planter decking, bay window laminates. However, we also had a strict timeline to meet. We met up with quite a number of IDs shortlisted through renotalk and magazines, and *** seemed to be the best fit for us. As we didn't enjoy communicating with the pushy ones ("why don't you sign up first and we can slowly go through the designs later"), the boastful ones ("look, this is my project on Home and Decor magazine" x infinity), we appreciated *** ability to balance aesthetic with practical ideas, and his willingness to listen to our needs, design ideas, and budget. He was also able to do quick sketches well (my spatial intelligence is quite poor, and his were one of the few I could understand without trying too hard), and had pretty good product knowledge. Although this is my first time being a homeowner, my family has engaged contractors and IDs a number of times, and I've seen firsthand how some of them can be very defensive, how some cut corners, and how some have absolutely no control over what their suppliers do. The schedule went largely to plan (any deviations, *** would notify us). Hiccups were dealt with quickly and fuss-free, without any excuses or fingerpointing by *** nor his suppliers. Workmanship of painters, carpenters and electricians met and sometimes exceeded expectations and they were easy to communicate with. Once the reno was done, *** was also very stringent with the checking, identifying some defects that we didn't notice and making swift arrangements to rectify them. Overall, we're pleased with *** services as he was able to take into account our design requirements and principles, and include his advice without being overbearing. More importantly, his good service and disposition were consistent throughout the entire process - from confirmation to delivery. Here're some pics: Uploaded with ImageShack.us I understand that home renovations can be a hit-and-miss process at times. For our case, we're just glad that we did our homework and shortlisting, placed our trust in ***, and everything turned out well. Good luck to those trying to find a good ID - I hope this review helps! (Edit: having read this again after posting it, I realise some might have their doubts - one hit wonder (now that my reno is over, I probably won't be coming back here to post again) - must be a hoax. It's up to you to decide. My account isn't new anyway, have been a lurker here since 2007 when I helped my family to decide on an ID.)