BRIGHT DESIGN GROUP

After giving what I felt was a thorough description of what I wanted during the initial consultation, I was unsatisfied with the concept drawings that were delivered. From my perspective, they did not reflect what I was looking for. Rather than racking up more billable hours trying to communicate what I wanted, I decided to go in another direction using another vendor found via Angie's List. I am disappointed that I wasted some of my budget with only little value in return.

I have been working with Jim Bright since October 2009. I'm a single guy and had never contemplated using a designer but finally succumbed to it as I didn't want to squander the potential of my new 760 square foot Washington, D.C. condo. I approached several designers who balked at my expensive tastes but meager $5,000 budget for living and bedroom furniture, paint, shelving, rugs, and design services. Jim provided an introductory consultation where he spent well over an hour reviewing my space and listening to my needs. Jim even recommended that I consult with other designers to be sure I was working with someone that shared my vision. Once we decided to work together, Jim got to work creating three different floor plans for my space. The one bedroom space had to be versatile enough to entertain, accommodate overnight guests, and not feel like an "apartment." The best idea Jim had was to mount my flat screen t.v. on a seemingly wasted wall between my kitchen and living room. This allowed me to use the would be t.v. wall to purchase a full sized dining table for six for purposes of entertaining. (Jim found the dining table and chairs for me by the way. Upon hearing that I really had my heart set on a group of designer Cherner chairs that were way out of my price range, Jim sent me a link to a furniture company in NY that specialized in replicas!) Further, it eliminated the small space curse of having your TV be the focus of your living space. Jim continued to exchange dozens of e-mails with me and visited my home several more times to discuss furniture possibilities and color selection for my walls. We had agreed that a fine leather Italian couch/sleeper would anchor my space. Jim introduced me to the Natuzzi brand of furniture and put me in touch with a retailer in Baltimore. Jim's contact in Baltimore spent 1/2 day with me making the perfect sofa selection. Additionally, Jim also brought in contractors to provide estimates on painting, rewiring my electrical, installing window treatments, and doing carpentry work (adding built in storage and shelving). When the first contractor's paint price came in too high, Jim brought someone in who only specialized in painting, for an estimate that was 50% lower. After a final consultation on paint color (during which Jim tactfully steered me away from several potentially silly color choices), Jim oversaw the painting of my place over three days. My entire condo (to include the kitchen, bedroom, and bath) were painted in three days! This included moving, covering, and putting back all furniture. It also included different colors in each room to include accent walls. The place looks completely different and Jim's color selection causes the rooms to change moods depending on the time of day. Jim is currently working with me to put in the window treatments as well as purchase rugs (introduced me to some great web sites for both), and accent chairs. He is incredibly patient, a good listener, and very responsive. For these reasons, I foresee myself continuing to work with Jim for the foreseeable future.

Jim came to our house to discuss what we were hoping to do. He came back on a subsequent visit with some color palettes for us to consider. He sent us quart containers of the colors we were considering so we could test them on the back of the house. When we chose the final colors, he put together a detailed painting plan for the painters to follow. He has a fabulous eye for design and everything he suggested was perfect. We are completely satisfied with his work.

Jim was not as responsive or as quick as I had hoped-maybe because the project was smaller with a small budget. That being said, his contractors did a great job so it was worth the wait.

Jim did an excellent job. The sketch he drew provided the painters with a template that described the intricate details of a Victorian row house. He also helped with color selection. Once the house was painted, it was right-on with the sketch plan he drew. He was very accessible via email and patient.