Jason Hodges & Associates

Pros:
1) Works to understand your style and design to it
2) Guidance was right on
3) Professional enough to get the big stuff done and deal with some negative events (see #4 in Cons)
4) Prompt
5) Pricing was generally fair
Cons:
1) Tended to go with fairly cookie cutter items
2) Only wanted to do the big stuff and did not want to deal with finishing touches (which we told him up front was the area where we needed the most help)
3) Office assistant ordered an item and it was so poorly coordinated that we ordered almost all the rest of the items ourselves
4) Recommended company to do painting and some very minor stonework and it was a HUGE disaster.  Company was very expensive, work was poorly done AND every time they were in our house they caused major damage to something.
5) Ordered a set of bedside swing arm lamps for us and did not tell us that they could not be returned.  They ended up being too big for the space, so we were out $600.
Overall the experience with Jason was a B (company he recommended was an F).  I rated price a C, but stated pricing was fair because his hourly rate was fine, but it seemed as if hours added up even for some smaller tasks.  I rated quality as a C, even though his general guidance was good because we ended up doing 90% of the leg work to identify unique items and he seemed to lose interest and disappear when we needed help with all the finishing details.

At first, Jason was very responsive and personable and I recommended him to others who hired him. The problem began as soon as it was obvious he and/or the contractor made mistakes. Jason seemed to be reactive to any suggestion he made a mistake. He complained about the contractor he recommended and about the friends who hired him. It always seemed to be someone else who failed to communicate.  The mistake that caused me the most stress was his failure  to determine whether the hood over stove was "vented" to outside. Instead, he instructed contractor to install "recirculating fan" covering the duct behind it. When I realized what had happened he denied there was a vent behind the hood. After I showed contractor hole in wall, Jason asserted we must have discussed this option. I assure you I would never chose a hood that blows into living room unless it was not possible to connect hood to vent. Jason has been paid his fees and became more defensive and hostile as time passed. The unfortunate part of the story is it took 45 minutes for a professional contractor to remedy situation. Jason also selected oil based paint for wall behind stove making it difficult to clean. I had to have it repainted using latex paint that cleans well. Jason has an eye for "staging" but I would not recommend him for any major renovation.  Many folks have suggested all Jason had to do was a "tissue test" to determine whether hood was vented!!!!! He is careless and unresponsive to my needs.