Distinctive Interior Designs

I was very happy with the work. The project took over a year from start to finish. We worked on several rooms, we worked with several contractors. We set a budget. Nicole from Distinctive Interior Designs was on time and within budget. She also worked with a variety of people and companies on my behalf.

Nicole was able to provide her pre-selected contractors to meet our needs for each and every job. Pro's: Nicole is very personable and was able to provide suggestions for different items we were looking for. She did the background work to stay on top of contractors to provide quotes, start and complete work. Her contractors, once they started, worked quickly and efficiently. Con's: Nicole got a lot of small things mixed up. At the beginning, she had some new clients with Indian names and got us confused on a couple occasions. She gave out my wrong contact info to a contractor and I had to catch and correct a few of her written mistakes. She is a busy woman and does a lot on the go, so emails can be confusing with incorrect info and wording, misspelling, incomplete/unclear writing, etc.-- this may be something small but, to me, reflects professionalism. On several occasions, I had to follow up with her after an time sensitive inquiry was not responded to within 24 hours (as per our agreement). I am a very organized person so perhaps our styles were just different, but I found her rather disorganized. At times, we did get the feeling that she was more an advocate for her contractors than she was for us as her clients. The overall work lasted much longer than anticipated due to lack of communication from a few contractors, which Nicole attempted to assist but couldn't do much about, understandably. She did help urge one contractor to finish work on a specified date when he fell behind. This was our first time using a project coordinator so perhaps we didn't exactly understand how it would work. We felt that after she coordinated the initial quotes and ordered our kitchen tile, most of the communication and coordination was left to us to manage with the contractors and she was largely out of the loop. It worked in our favor to be able to schedule dates/times with each one individually but then we weren't sure what she was working on for us in the mean time. She is certainly good at what she does, however I'm not sure her services really matched our needs. Because of the mismatch in organization styles and amount of money spent, we likely would not hire again.

Many husbands leave decoration up to their wives, but this project was a true collaboration. Luckily my husband and I have similar taste, but Nicole had to figure out how to find solutions when our ideas diverged. We are both very happy with the final outcome.

unknown

Nicole was not the first decorator I interviewed but the first who clearly would respect my preferences while giving me guidance. We began with a consultation about paint colors and then the selection and installation of custom blinds and draperies for the kitchen, living room, dining room and master bedroom followed by new furniture for the living room, kitchen and guest room. Ultimately Nicole provided suggestions and we went shopping for accessories and art as well as area rugs. I'm not a shopper but she had done the legwork in advance and took me to see things which I loved, no searching through lots of things I didn't like. For the first time in my life I also had custom bed covers made and Nicole suggested reversible ones so that I now have seasonal colors and patterns and beautiful fabrics. Nicole was very easy to work with and never steered me wrong. As a beige/white person all of my life I was unsure about her suggestions for paint colors but I love them as does everyone who comes to my home. The paint was the first example of her understanding of me and what I would like. After that, I overcame my reluctance to try new things and she was never wrong. Every piece gets appreciative comments from visitors right down to those little touches that make the room complete and every room brings a smile to my face every time I enter it. A number of acquaintances who have have seen her work at my home have asked for her name, contacted her and have had her do work for them. I hear their praises regularly. In fact, someone who saw only the first of the draperies three years ago saw me this week and asked if she could come to visit to see what that "extraordinary" decorator had done since.

I found Nicole on Angie's List and, once again, the list was a great source. She and I worked together throughout the summer of 2011. She helped me make selections about wall colors, window treatments, furniture, accessories and even the placement of art. I cannot find words adequate to report what a pleasant and productive relationship it was. I intend to use her services again. Nicole was always pleasant and punctual as well as patient. She encouraged me to go beyond my preferences for beige and white but was respectful of my opinions. The house is absolutely beautiful and generates lots of compliments, often about the things I had some doubts about originally. I quickly learned to trust her suggestions although she never tried to convince me of something I'd decided against. We did a lot of shopping and I enjoyed every minute of something that has always been an unpleasant chore. She introduced me to sources that suited my tastes perfectly and on the one occasion when a piece needed to be adjusted she came herself to pick it up, took it back and returned it within a very short time. Her relationship with the supplier was clearly very good. He was very responsive on the two occasions when we spoke on the phone. Nicole and I never had a conflict or even a harsh word or misunderstanding. Family and friends who met her were impressed with her pleasant personality and efficiency. I recommend her without reservations. I will soon be contacting Nicole to begin work on a bedroom, two bathrooms and an office. I'm looking forward to it.

Returned all phone calls and inquiries promptly. Gave an estimate via email quickly after she visited for an estimate. Made an extra effort to get just the right color for the shades. I'm really bad with color so Nicole went to the furniture store to consult with the designer I used for my furniture and paint color about the color for the shade (Luxe Furniture in Princeton - a great store - also the place who recommended Distinctive Designs to me). She didn't have to do that, but made the extra effort to make sure I was satisfied. When there was a delay in the shades coming in from the manufacturer, Nicole stayed in contact with me and as soon as they came in she came and put them up. I also liked that she was personally on site for the installation. This company was very professional and a pleasure to work with.