Building Designers in Licking County, OH

“After a decade of suffering with a tiny, awkward, and ugly kitchen we called a number of contractors to talk about a major renovation. Several of them looked our 1920s Clintonville house and just never called us back. Some called us back and offered quotes that were 50% of the appraised value of the house. Some just proposed cursory remodels that would have left the basic structure (and ugliness) intact. We were about to give up on the whole thing when Todd came to provide an estimate. Instead of grimacing and wringing his hands, he marched around the house taking measurements, assuring us that he had worked with old walls, electricity, and plumbing before. Instead of sighing and trying to cajole us into diminished expectations, he envisioned an entirely new space. And instead of trying to persuade us to take out a bigger loan, he told us that he thought he could work within our budget. Just about a week later we met with him to take a look at the plans that would demolish the kitchen and dining room, tear down the wall separating the two rooms, construct a new doorway, and entirely relocate all the mechanicals. Only a few weeks later, we were starting the project. There’s no doubt about it: a renovation project that guts the center of your house is a disruption, but Renaissance made it as painless as we could have hoped. We had never done any house remodeling projects before and were very anxious because everyone we knew eagerly told us about their personal disasters or the latest episode of “Holmes on Homes.” Our experience was absolutely different: Todd let us know when he anticipated problems and explained how he would manage them. He hires and uses very talented and conscientious subcontractors with whom he had done business for a long time. We never felt that he had abandoned us to nameless firms, subcontractors, and underlings. When he wasn’t pleased with the work the electricians did, he had them come back and fix it. When an ordered cabinet was too big, he replaced it. He was wonderful at communication: he was always available on email or phone when we had questions. And perhaps best of all, he was imperturbable: discoveries about poor wiring or bad joists that sounded like disasters to us became “no worries” as Todd reassuringly said, “we’ll make it work.” And make it work he did. Only 8 weeks later, we had a dream kitchen of cherry shaker cabinets, granite counters, oak floors, brand new lighting and new appliances. What were once two tiny inconvenient rooms with no lights is now a gorgeous open center room that orchestrates the entire house. Renaissance crafted the original oak in our dining room and living room to blend seamlessly with the new oak in the kitchen. They saved doors and trim from the original built-ins and constructed built-in cabinets; so even though our house looks absolutely modern, it still has its 1920s craftsman style charm. Renaissance turned our drab and ugly space into a showcase: it is the most beautiful kitchen I have ever seen. If I thanked you a million times, it would be insufficient”

“Chris took my verbal description and created drawings for my permits after a couple of drafts had a finished product on time and under budget. If I have another project I would call him and I would recommend him to my friends. Dave Kolbe Apple Valley Ohio”