Annlynn Best Interior Design & Renovations
About us
Kitchen and Bath Renovations, as well as Full Service Interior Design: ASID Interior Designer. HGTV Designer's Challenge Winner & HGTV Designer's Portfolio Kitchen, Bathroom & Living Room Design Projects. Interior Designer. Maryland Institute College of Art- Interior Architecture & Design Program Graduate. Angie's List Members save 5% (up to $5000) on Kitchen and Bath Remodeling.
Business highlights
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
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94% | ||
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1% | ||
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"I was returning from meeting with a client in Annapolis, Maryland and caught up in a lot of traffic. I called this client from my car to apologize and say that I would be late due to heavy traffic.I asked if that would be alright or would it be better to reschedule. She said meeting at 7 PM would be fine. After meeting at her condo and compiling info which included room dimensions and existing furniture dimensions we drove 20 minutes to her parents home. At her parents home I took measurements of several pieces of furniture. The following week I once again met with the client at her condo to give her a furniture design plan for her living room and dining room. I also spent time talking with her on all 3 occasions asking questions to provide the best floor plan for her life style and functional requirements. Additionally I answering her many questions and concerns on all 3 occasions. Over 6 hours of my time and talent was invested in this project(not including drive time}. The client mentioned finances several times, I took that into consideration when I charged $300.00 for 6 hours of my 28 years professional education, time and talent. I invite everyone to check current design fees for professional Interior Designers of my caliber....a low fee would be $600.00. The client raved about my professional design plans when I presented them to her. Though she found the need to negatively grade my services, even though I did call and apologize when I knew I would be late and I greatly discounted my Design Fee, it was good to read she acknowledged that my Professional Design Plans met with her approval. Almost always client's acknowledge that they are extremely satisfied with my services...as the Angie's List Reviews note. I will continue to provide my client's with excellent Professional Interior Design services...and that is all any of us can do in our given professions!"
Annelynn helped us decide on some beautiful finishes that we would have never thought of by ourselves. We used a lot of glass in the cabinet doors, and we used all high end appliances and finishes. These things made the project expensive, but the high end look and the beauty of the design make it worth every penny!
I recently bought a house in Hampden and -- since the existing kitchen was a) built by a previous (amateur) owner and b) made entirely (every. single. surface.) of knotty pine -- it required a complete gutting & renovation. The finished product is exactly what I wanted, yet far better than I expected. I fully intend to hire Annlynn again when I'm ready to renovate my bathroom.
There are several reasons why working with Annlynn was such a great experience:
1) She was able to understand MY style and MY vision for the kitchen and truly bring it to life. She was more than willing to hear my ideas and implement them, yet every material/change she suggested was far better than I could have done on my own. It's also important to note that, with a house built in 1880, there were many design issues that had to be dealt with (uneven floors, hot water heater in the kitchen, etc.). Her design managed to camouflage all those issues, with a modern and beautiful end result.
2) Annlynn doesn't just provide a design for your space, she also manages every step of the renovation. She uses contractors she has worked with for more than a decade. I couldn't have been more pleased with the two contractors who did most of the work; they were very professional, reliable, friendly, and their work was impeccable. Since they had worked with Annlynn for so long, it was easy for them implement her precise vision. Also, Annlynn managed every other part of the process too; the granite, paint, and tile backsplash work were all scheduled by her. Again, all of them were highly professional, reliable and did great work. This also meant that there were literally no wasted days.....cabinets were finished on a Friday and granite was installed the next Monday. Seamless.
3) Best of all, the entire job -- from demo to a completely finished kitchen -- took three weeks. Three weeks! Once the contractors started work, they were here every day, all day, unless another set of workers was installing something in the house. None of my friends/family believed the job could/would be done so quickly, but Annlynn promised and delivered.
This renovation was worth every penny I paid for it, and I'm grateful that I chose to work with Annlynn Best. You should too!
I bought one of Angie's Big Deals which I beleive was 2 hours of consultaiton for $150 (?). First of all I made the mistake of scheduling the appointment for after work and by the time we met to look at my bedrooms to discuss paint colors it was after dark, so she was hindered in making suggestions due to challenging lighting. She did the best she could given the circumstances and gave me about 6 options to choose from (3 greenish shades and 3 redish shades). She also gave me some suggestions on window dressings. When I emailed her a follow up question a day or two later she replied promptly. I ultimately did not follow up on any of her suggestions, not because I didn't like her ideas, but just because I'm a procrastinator. (That's why I selected "N/A" for the rating on Quality.) I subsequently had to get some water damage repaired in the MBR so I am just now going to find her email with the paint color recommendations and do some color testing. (Better late than never I guess. :o) )
Our renovated bathroom is gorgeous! Annlynn and her craftsmen turned a worn-out 1950?s bathroom into a brilliant re-creation of the period black and white patterned tile, with bold color and hand-selected fixtures. We are delighted with the water efficient shower. The vanity, sink and toilet are of simple yet elegant design. We chose to work with Annlynn because she takes on projects both small and large, and works with her customers without being pushy. We told her what features we wanted, and she presented us with a selection of styles to choose from. We did not have the time or training to track down these nicer than average fixtures and materials. Annlynn?s artistic training is evident in the way she strove to create pleasurable spaces in our home. We liked her presentation of a detailed budget for the proposed work, so we knew exactly what it would cost before it started. The project came in completely within budget, and scheduling of the construction was carefully coordinated to minimize disruption. The quality of all the work was above expectation; the craftsmen she works with are real professionals.
"Once again this is a "Big Deal" from 2 years ago complaining 2 years after the fact that I was not able to fulfill her Design Interests in 1 consultation. The initial consultation in any design orientated profession is an opportunity to speak with the client about his/her "design interests", to discuss the required or desired functionality of the space, to look at the space (the architecture, the lighting, etc. etc.) to take measurements, to talk about possibilities and options, to discuss priorities, to discuss a time line. One consultation does not a design project make. In many initial consultations I select paint colors(which I did during this consultation). I also took time after the consultation(which I was not required to do.. "The Big Deal" requires 1 meeting at the client's home only) Yet after the consultation I still spent over an hour and a half researching window treatments for the entire house: That included selecting a fabric and color, pricing the window treatments and calling the client to give her the info so that she could order the window treatments directly. As far as the consultation I was asked about inserting windows into a solid wall, How to better fit a huge 4 poster bed that barely fit into one of the bedrooms( which was an impossibility unless the drywall closet was taken out, and then of course there was no closet space in the bedroom). The client had to keep it (according to her). So I suggested she put it in one of the larger bedrooms, she didn't want to do that. I was asked about reconfiguring walls on the 2nd floor, which is certainly not something that can be dealt with during the 1st consultation. The number and wide range of questions were not fitting for a 1st consultation. The client had moved from New York City to a very traditional neighborhood/ house and she was clearly not happy with the change in style/architecture. Additionally her 2 year old Son was very protective of his toys and his room and the house in general. So several times during the consultation he would yell "get away" or "get out". The client kept calling him by name and asking him to stop, however he continued during the length of the consultation . So needless to say this was a very noisy and very challenging consultation. Frankly if I didn't have such an affinity for children I would have rescheduled or refunded the client's money. Honestly I thought the client was a sweet young girl with a 6-8 month baby in her arms the entire time and a 2 year old who was challenging her, I helped her with paint and window treatments and some space planning ideas, Yet it is totally unrealistic to expect any Designer or Architect to resolve design issues during a 1st consultation. And really from New York City to a traditional cookie cutter house is an enormous design/ architectural stretch. As far as "my boyfriend" who was my driver, he was there for my safety. I have had a driver for several years... listen to the news women have been molested and/or murdered meeting clients in unfamiliar houses for many years now. The client's front door was locked from the inside and my driver was outside of her house. She was told that my driver would be outside at the beginning of the consultation and never expressed any concerns to me. So if ensuring that I am protected from the possibility of bodily harm earns me a C for Professionalism so be it. But from one woman to another I find it A Little Odd."
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