Get matched with top residential design pros in Reading, MA

"We wanted a design and build firm to make design/cost tradeoffs. It went great as the project was done well, under budget, and quicker than expected. They act as a general contractor and you can be as little or as much as involved as you want. For things we had strong opinions on we met with the subs also. We've been in the space 6+ months and haven't had any problems. Our basement has been dry (they installed a perimeter drain)."

"Great! It was so easy to make decisions about carpet, upholstery, and windows because Tess picked out items I loved and that complemented the rest of the first floor. I really appreciated that she set reasonable deadlines and met them. And her design sense is superb."

"iCornerstone provides a high level of professionalism with close attention to details and design of the project. There is always close communication through email, text, conversation and Dropbox. Knowing exact specifications of your remodel will allow you to reconfigure the project, its cost and scope if needed ."

"I cannot say enough positive about CJ. He was extraordinary to work with. I wish Iâ  d met him sooner in my design process as he helped me stave off a few terrible choices I was about to make prior to his involvement!! He was cordial, knowledgeable and quite timely. I would look forward to working with him again."

"We have just started working with Steve, but so far he is very professional and pleasant. Update: Steve was great and completed the plans we needed in the expected timeframe. He is very personable and gave us different ideas to think about."

"Jeremy and his crew were great! Personable yet professional. The job took a little longer due to more subfloor damage than expected. The end result… perfection! I will definitely hire ACQ Home Improvement again, and gladly recommend them to my friends and clients."

"It is a very easy process. Block takes care of everthing. The contractor was amazing. The catalog of fixtures was good. The designer was great. t made the process of remodeling our bathroom painless. We didn't have to spend too much time worring about the project. Would recommend them and use them again."

"Mr. Terry was responsive, did a great job (we are out of state landlords) , coordinated the work with tenant. We are extremely satisfied and would use his services again. Thank you Mr. Terry!"

"Our house was a 1955 ranch-style house with 3 bedrooms, one bath, kitchen, and living/dining room that we moved into in 1995. We had been looking to add a second bathroom and had originally worked with an architect from NH to do a modest front and rear bump out to give us more room to fit in a second bathroom. This architect had to withdraw from the job and recommended David Kinsella of TBC. David initially made some modest changes to the plan that made sense. After somefurther discussion, in which my wife and I raised the possibility of a larger scale project to modernize the style of the house, David developed a plan that essentially rebuilt the house except for our previously remodeled kitchen and original foundation. This new plan converted our house into modern design with a more open floor plan, completely new roof line, loft space, re-finished basement (and the second bathroom). David was able to fit this into an only slightly expanded footprint in order to comply with town regulations. Throughout the process, David kept our budget in mind and would typically present different price options for us to choose from to allow us to come up with a reasonable comprise between price with style. In addition TBC worked with the town to make sure our design stayed within our zoning and conservation restrictions.
After deciding to go ahead with the project, we interviewed several contractors and decided that TBC brought us the best value for our money and would also allow David to oversee the project as needed. We started the project in June 2011 and completed the project in May 2012. The project did take several months longer than expected, but did stay on budget. The major problem that occurred that delayed the project was that in the summer of 2011, the original subcontracted framers were being sent to other jobs by their boss even though TBC was told they would be coming to our job. Hence, instead of working full time on our job, they were working less than half time. Eventually TBC had to fire them and find a new contractor to step in. At the time we felt that TBC should have replaced them sooner, but perhaps this was difficult due to contractual obligations. (We also found this first group of framers were slobs who did not have much regard for the fact that we were still living in the house.) By the end of summer 2011, the house was not completely framed and roofed and number of rain storms (including hurricane Irene) slowed down progress further. In mid-October we were still living in the part of the house and we agreed at this point that we would move out to allow for a more efficient work flow. From this point construction generally proceeded ahead, except for a few delays do to weather and scheduling conflicts that arose for other subcontractors, no doubt due to the significant delay caused by the no-show framers.
In the end the house is beautiful and works for us better than we could have imagined. While the house has not expanded much in
terms of square feet, the open floor plan and high ceiling/roof line combined with increased natural lighting gives a much more expansive feeling inside. From the curb, the house has modern angular green metal roof with cedar siding and one has to look hard to find any resemblance to the original house.
At the completion of of the project, TBC was very responsive to completing punch-list items and other minor issues that have arisen over the past year. While my wife and I certainly had stressful times during the renovation (and certainly did a lot of second guessing our decision to renovate rather than move), we always felt that David had a personal interest in getting the job done correctly and making sure that we were happy in the end. In that regard, David was very accessible by email or phone before, during, and after the work. In summary, David Kinsella provided the creativity to design a renovation plan that was truly transforming for our house and TBC was then able to see the plan through to successful completion."

"Guzman was very helpful and knowledgeable in designing what was need for the permitting process and construction. I would recommend his very highly. I've been working with him for over twenty years. He is my goto architect."