Inspired Spaces LLC

unknown

Jon was very patient, upfront and honest throughout the bidding process, answering every question I had with what was a genuine answer, not just what I wanted to hear. I considered several different options for the remodel and Jon had lots of great ideas for each scenario. Each time my wife or I had a question or recommendation for how we wanted things to look or what features we wanted in the space Jon provided insight and allowed us make the final decision. To help keep the cost of the project down Jon did allow me to do a couple small tasks.
The project started exactly when Jon quoted and timing went pretty much to plan; from start to completion it was about 10 weeks. We were only without a functioning kitchen for about 3 of those weeks. Jon timed everything so that the time from demo to cabinet install (and back to a functioning sink) was minimal. I did not go through Jon for the countertops, and the wait from countertop measure to install was the longest period of waiting during the entire project.
Jon did a fair amount of the work himself and each time a contractor was at the house doing work Jon was there to get them started, directing them and answering their questions. Even though we didn’t get the countertops through Jon he insisted on being there for the measure and install to ensure it was done correctly and up to his standards. Before the project began Jon mentioned I should save the sink and a chunk of countertop on each side of the sink and he would have the plumbing hooked up to it while we were waiting for the final counters to show up. That turned out to be a huge help for me and my family, otherwise I would’ve been washing dishes in the tub for an additional four weeks while we waited for the final counters.
Jon and the contractors he works with were professional throughout the entire process, always willing to answer questions and address any concerns. Because my family and I were living in the house during the construction I was concerned about the constant mess. Every day Jon or the contractors would sweep up after themselves and do a good job of keeping the mess contained. I anticipated more dust and mess to travel throughout the house (can’t avoid it entirely) and I was happy that there was less than I expected.
I am a very meticulous person and Jon is every bit into the details as I am, and at times more so. If something didn’t look right Jon would call that out and tell me how it was going to be resolved before I even noticed an issue. One issue did arise with one of
the windows being installed and Jon worked with me to resolve the issue to my satisfaction, he didn’t lead me to the easiest solution for him, but was looking to me for how I wanted to best resolve.
Jon was very thorough during the bidding and planning stages, giving me every detail on how the finished space would look, feel and flow, so there were really no surprises along the way. I’m extremely happy with how the project progressed and the new kitchen space and functionality is great.

I had the guy come out here but in the end I didn't use the resources I got from it. I can't say it was bad, I just went another way. What he wanted to do wasn't practical for what I needed. It wouldn't have worked for my plans.

Jon is an excellent contractor. He is calm and professional and his bid came out as he said. He is a clear communicator and a responsive communicator. He did a small kitchen remodel, including install of bamboo counter tops, tiling, and some new cupboards. He works with terrific subs who do quality work, come when they say, and are neat and clean and honest. I left the house many times when they were there. Everything came out fine. I am very pleased with the work and highly recommend him.

They were easy to work with, and negotiated me purchasing a new countertop and arranging for installation independently, which save me money. They figured the cabinet cost from IKEA and their cabinet maker to comare costs. Their cabinet maker ended up providing only a few small touches, since we went with IKEA cupboards to save $1000.
I found my own plumber and electrician, though they could have referred me to providers they have worked with before.
The timeline went prettty well. The carpenter/cabinet installer was fun to talk to and did excellent work.

We were concerned when all design ideas were presented with simple pencil drawings instead of professional computer printouts. However, we liked the plan so we approved it. As it turned out, that lack of professionalism foreshadowed the errors that were to follow. The cabinet installation went fairly well except for some hinge issues. He forgot to install one hinge that he had to come back for later. The crown molding was cracked and we had to point it out for replacement-they were going to have the painter just fill the crack. We later noticed that a nail point was protruding slightly from a place that would have been difficult to repair-the built-in refrigerator cabinetry. The refrigerator was already installed so we will have to live with that. Two shelf supports for glass shelves were installed by Crabtree that were not level and one was cracked. Once again he planned to have the painter fill the cracks. The 6and quot; outside vent tube for the microwave was not plumb and when they installed the shelf that the tube was meant to intersect, the worker cracked the shelf and never repaired it.

The end of the countertop is 1/4and quot; away from the wall in a prominent spot. Crabtree promised to get a filler piece of countertop to close the gap - it was never done. Crabtree installed a countertop metal molding strip that popped off partly. They installed the new electric stove-it didn't work. I called Sears for a replacement. When the Sears people arrived to make the swap for a new stove, one of the Sears men came over to me and told me that the Crabtree crew had installed the electric cable on the wrong contacts, burning out the stove circuit board. The Sears crew made the swap anyway. The faucet was not securely installed. Just a week ago, I turned on the faucet full force and the top of the faucet came flying off, sending a spray of water several feet into the air. I worked with the manufacturer to learn what the problem was and it turned out that the set screw for the top section of the faucet was installed badly by Crabtree's crew. I am most concerned about the sink installation. The manufacturer had very specific instructions for attaching the sink to the countertop. The method is difficult, using metal pegs, so Crabtree used a method that was much easier -- he just supported the sink with four blocks of wood attached to the undersink counter sides. I worry about the long term effectiveness of his method.

The biggest thorn in our sides and hole in our wallet -- the linoleum flooring. Right off the bat, I noticed something peculiar about the sub-contractor’s materials and method. I contacted Jon and told him I looked at the manufacturer’s website to see the proper procedure for installation. Crabtree checked it out and told the flooring supervisor that the way they were doing the installation was not correct. The subcontractor insisted that it was no longer done the way the manufacturer stated, but was now done the way he was doing it. I found several corrections that I reported to Jon, he went back to the sub-contractor and they kept insisting it was correct. We knew we were in for trouble when the linoleum tiles in the front hallway were crooked. The tiles had to be ripped out and re-installed. Crabtree should have fired them at this point.

After the floor was installed, we found out they thought they were installing a vinyl floor when what we have is linoleum. We now have tile edges that are lifting up and it is basically not installed for long-term durability. The manufacturer said the way it is installed voids the warranty. There were various other types of problems like bubbling up, especially the edges coming up. They used the wrong substrate to attach to, so it is actually a floating floor. Instead of gluing the tiles to quarter inch plywood which is first nailed to the subfloor, they glued the tiles to a flexible material meant for VINYL flooring. It is usable, but who knows what will happen in the near future. We have areas bubbling up and tile edges that don't meet evenly and the bathroom threshold metal strip is loose and clatters every time we step on it.

The installation of a custom bi-fold door in the kitchen was the last straw. First Crabtree installed the metal door track backwards and had to reinstall. When the door arrived, it was the wrong door. The real door finally arrived but Crabtree had measured it wrong and it didn't fit, so it had to go back for modification and repainting. We had enough. I told him to just deliver the repaired door and we did not want Inspired Spaces in the house any more. He delivered the door without calling to say he was coming. He placed it on our log rack which is outside of our fence gate. We didn't see it until a snow storm caused me to open the gate for snow shoveling.

I made a complaint to Jon asking for a refund of the cost of the floor ($8021.00). He sent a pro installer out and the expert confirmed, along with the manufacturer's rep, that it was a faulty installation. Jon said he wouldn't do anything for compensation and said he would have to sue the installers first. I gave him time to do that, which took several months. He only made a report to the Better Business Bureau. He did not sue his flooring company. I reminded him that he is the responsible party but he refuses to offer a refund. He has a total disregard for his customers.

Not really sure if I would use this company, although I leaned to yes in that required filed above. Jon was pleasant throughout the process. We were introduced to him through an Angie's List special for design / remodel of our 1989 kitchen. We're still contemplating what to do about the kitchen, but Jon did bring his and quot;deck manand quot; on board for our deck ... which we knew we needed to get done.
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.The deck demolition happened promptly and neatly as did the construction of the new deck. The workman was very pleasant and engaging. His work varied from excellent to mediocre and, to be fair, was probably more excellent than mediocre, but my unhappiness with the finish applied to the new cedar deck colored this experience. The workman was very neat about his work and I think that the deck is well designed and well built. However, the and quot;cheapand quot; (workman's word to describe productand quot;) water repellant that was applied to the deck was not a product I would have used. I continue to regret that I allowed him to use it, but ...
Overall, most of this project went well. I have 3 complaints: 1) on the walk-through with Jon prior to completion, I reviewed with Jon my concern about sanding rough edges. I understood Jon to concur and expected him to speak with workman about it. Workman indicated it had never occurred to him to sand rough edges of cedar decking. The only sanding of rough edges that got done is what I did myself.
2) The water repellant was a bad product badly applied. I truly wish that I had not allowed it to be done with a product that I did not trust. Furthermore, the product was not applied evenly on the whole deck. I will be happier once I can apply my own waterproofing.
3) The retailer from which products were bought for the deck advertised a sale on decking as we were completing the project. My wife learned that the retailer was willing to honor the sale price. Jon and his contractor were unwilling to carry through on this because we had not specified in the contract that such an eventuality would happen. Enough said.

Received the drawing but it was rather simplistic and in the end we decided to keep the footprint of our kitchen the same.

Met once for general ideas and was provided 3 rough design options. At second meeting narrowed it down to one choice and was provided a hand-drawn complete plan. My older, small kitchen has limitations and Jon was able to think creatively about problem-solving. He also seems to understand elements of construction in dealing with older homes. Loved the ideas and was happy with the plans provided. The reservation I have is, maybe because of the need for customization (particularly with cabinets), the estimate to complete the work was quite high. Could be willing to negotiate, but sense that ultimately I would not be able to implement the design within my budget.

It was deliberate, but drawn out. We are sure they do great work, in the proper setting. Ask the

estimator to bring his calendar and set up follow up dates before he leaves. That would likely improve the response time.

We are not done with the service yet but it is going very well so far.

He is a great man, and he does great work. He made our bathroom look beautiful. He lets you buy your own materials, and he puts them in for you. The price was really good as well. He is also very flexible. The only drawback was that the project went longer then expected, but it was worth the wait because my bathroom turned out so great.

Jon and his crew did everything from demolition to finishing work. He took about a third of the space from an adjoining bedroom to add to the existing bathroom and made the closet from that bedroom into a beautiful shower. We have a 1919 craftsman bungalow and he had wonderful ideas on how to incorporate the charm and warmth of an older home with the amenities that we wanted. Other contractors that we got bids from just talked about standard bathrooms and told us that we could only have a 5 foot tub at most. Jon thought outside the box and made our bathroom very unique and we have a 5 and a half foot claw foot tub. He was very easy to work with and flexible. He gave us great ideas from design to tile to fixtures. I wasn't crazy about white subway tile, I thought it would look too cold, but that's what was traditionally used around the 1920's and I wanted to stay with that era. He showed us how we could use subway tile and warm it up with slate accents and a slate mosaic floor. He gave us advice on the things that we wanted to order ourselves, so we could save some money that way. His prices were very reasonable. He's also great when it comes to colors. He suggested a paint color that I wasn't crazy about, but it looks great with the colors in the slate tile, bathtub and copper sink and now I love it. He even suggested a paint color for the kitchen when I asked him for advice on that. Again, not a color I would have chosen, but I trusted him and he was right on....love that color too! The project took longer than we had hoped, but looking back, I think it was a small price to pay for the fantastic bathroom we got. I would definitely hire Jon for our next project.