Brainards custom built in furniture

It was a good experience. I would grade them highly. He's a small self-proprietor. He is on time. He has fair pricing and he's very detail-oriented. He is on a little bit of the high side but he did a great work. It's worth the extra money. I would use him in the future.

Within a week of the initial appointment, Derek had completed our project. His timeliness was second to none. We are beyond happy with the finished product. If I have any woodworking needs in the future, I'll be turning to Derek for his services.

I called Brainard Woodworking because of its high rating on Angie's List. I was not disappointed. Derek Brainard returned my call very quickly and we discussed the job I wanted him to do. Over the next week, he came out to look at my front door and then called me with an estimate. He made a good suggestion about the stain we should use, which was very close to the original color of the door and then he arrived punctually on a Saturday and worked all day. He was very careful with taping and putting cardboard down so that nothing would be damaged. He came back on the next Tuesday and Wednesday to put on the final coats and was absolutely on time both times (and called me to let me know he was coming). The door looks terrific -- brand new! We are very happy with the finished product.

Derek Brainard is an expert cabinet maker, a true professional. He did an outstanding job building our floor-to-ceiling shelves and cabinets. This project was complicated by the fact that ours is an older home with unusual architectural challenges. He overcame all the challenges and we are absolutely thrilled with the work he did. It's hard to imagine that the shelves have not always been in place. We give him our highest recommendation (A+)! In addition, he was punctual, courteous, and his price was reasonable.

Backstory: I have a table & chairs that have been passed down in the family from my great-grandparents, and are over 100 years old. The original finish is long gone, and years of use as the family's main table have taken their toll. I wanted to use it in my home, but every time someone would lean on it or sit down I cringed a little, hearing the joints creak. The table has three leaves, which hadn't been touched since the 1950's (maybe) and looked it. In spite of the work I knew I needed to have done to make the everything usable, the set has a lot of sentimental value; I was hesitant to trust anyone with restoring it. Details: Thankfully, Angie's list directed me to Mr. Brainard. After reading every review (like I said, a lot of sentimental value), I gave him a call. He responded quickly, and listened thoughtfully as I explained my furniture and its story. After confirming that he could take on the job, we scheduled a time for him to come check out everything. He came into our apartment and looked over the table & 4 chairs with the care and appreciation I needed to see to ease my nerves. He explained that refinishing the entire table would be rather expensive and suggested just doing the top, which he would coat with top-notch stuff that would protect the wood from everything from normal wear to UV rays. He would sure up the chairs by using a few new screws, to preserve as much of their character as possible. He called us the next day with an estimate and a few days later came back to give us a written estimate & take everything to his shop. Because I was unsure of what stain I wanted to choose, he brought some examples with him and let me decide. Less than a week later he called to inform us that the work was done, and brought everything back to us on a Sunday afternoon (the final cost was exactly the same as the initial estimate). The finish: The table looks amazing. I was concerned that sanding and staining the leaves and tabletop would remove some of the nicks that make them so cool (my great-gradfather used the table for butchering), but the work Mr. Brainard did highlights the natural beauty of the wood, including the "imperfections" that add to its story. It is very clear that Mr. Brainard is a true artisan and appreciates how special the table and chairs are to me. They are going to be the heart and soul of my home and I feel like they glow because of the care and expertise Mr. Brainard provided in restoring the set. I am so grateful that I was able to find Derek Brainard (thanks, Angie's List!), and I intend to use him in the future to restore the other 2 chairs that go with the table (if necessary). We're also planning on installing built-ins next to our fireplace in the future, and I can't imagine hiring anyone else for the job. I would, without reservation, recommend Brainard's Woodworking For Your Home to anyone looking for a skilled woodworker.

Our den and family room had built-in bookcases and a wall mounted desk that were installed when the home was built by the previous owners. The book cases were open and the desk was hung too high for our taste and comfort. I loved the book cases but with 2 kids - I really wanted some storage that didn't always have to be neat and organized. We received 3 estimates and based on the pictures and reviews I saw on Angie's List, I really expected Mr. Brainard to be out of our price range. Not only was he the lowest estimate but he was the one contractor who didn't try to talk me into tearing out the bookcases and starting again - at 3-4 times the cost. After we contacted Mr. Brainard to ask him to do the work he quickly came back out to measure - thoroughly - and he kept me apprised of his progress and met the original delivery date he provided at the time of the estimate. When he arrived to install the doors, he was courteous, professional and tidy. And the quality of his work is amazing. The new wall mounted desk is a gorgeous furniture quality piece and the doors look perfect. The bookcase wall in our den and family room went from being blah to being a true focal point in our home. I highly recommend Brainard's Woodworking for Your Home.

Derek cut a 24" cabinet down to 10" and made it look like a custom cabinet that came with the house. Derek is a master craftsman and I could not recommend him any more highly. He was honest, easy to work with and priced our project appropriately. Call Derek. You will be glad you did!

Derick was great to work with. After an initial consultation, he came back with a design that was right on the mark. He stopped back once more to ensure all dimensions were correct before starting his construction. He was always very punctual and responsive. The unit looks great and is now the focal point of the room. He took great care to match paint colors and molding so it really looks like it has been there since the house was built. We are extremely pleased and look forward to working with Derick again on some future projects.

Derrick did not do a good job on this project.... he did a PERFECT job! I know that I am perfectionist, and I was concerned about hiring someone for the work to be performed in our home. Derrick came out multiple times to look at the built, took a cabinet door to match the wood stain, and produced an amazing piece of work. The built in that he built to go where the television was matches the wood work perfectly, fits in the space perfect, and it is absolutely beautiful. Derrick knows what he is doing, and he is a perfectionist. We could not be happier with the work that he performed, and would wholeheartedly recommend his services in the future. If we need a carpenter for projects in the future, we know who to call.

Mr. Brainard was a true professional throughout the entire process. We had multiple contractors give us quotes. Brainard's was the only quote that arrived on time and was the most reasonable of all of them. He was able to fabricate and finish a very large cabinet in his shop and then deliver and install while other contractors were hesitant to finish or wanted to build at our property. His vast experience was a real plus, as he was able to talk us through different design options and was able to help us settle on an appropriate design for our home. He spent real time and care during the install process, recutting and rehanging doors to ensure that they fit and closed correctly. He did all touch up paint work and left it in perfect condition. We couldn't be happier with the finished project. His work has effectively doubled our kitchen storage space and will be an important part of our home for years to come.

Excellent communication. I knew where we stood on the project at all times. Work was completed as promised and on schedule. He did a great job matching style, dimensions, and color of cabinetry in same area. Highly recommended and will be my first call for future work

Derek is professional, is there when he says he will be there and takes great pride in his work. My husband and I are very happy with all the extra storage in our kitchen and the quality of the work. We would not hesitate to call Derek again for any woodworking project.

Everything went smoothly, and was done quickly.

Derek was punctual, personal and responsive. He took the job very seriously and called multiple times during the planning and production phases of the project to make sure he had things exactly the way we wanted them. He even scheduled the project around some parts deliveries that were delayed on our end. The finished product was perfect. He even delivered the table during the holidays. I couldn't recommend him highly enough.

Very efficient from beginning to end.

He is superb. He is a superb craftsmen. I highly recommend him. He was wonderful to work with and he did an excellent job.

Derek did an outstanding job. We are very happy with everything that he did for us. If you need a quality and meticulous work, Mr. Brainard is your guy.

Derek did a great job. He was able to come our and give us an estimate within a day or two. He came out within a week when we accepted the estimate. He is meticulous and courteous. We were having him prep our cabinets to have them painted and what Derek added made them look like it was always there! We would definitely call him again.

Derek took measurements accurately. He fashioned the pieces at his workshop and came to install them within a couple of weeks. He is a gentleman and an excellent carpenter.

It's the third time we've used him. As usual, we had a great experience. High quality and terrific attention to detail. Very neat and respectful of home. No question we will use Brainard Woodworking for any future jobs.

Derek was absolutely superb in all aspects of the job. He was meticulous and sensitive to our needs and cost constraints without being the least bit judgmental. It was clear from the start that he does high quality woodwork and he turned out IKEA based components into a professional looking built-in set of wall bookcases. We cannot recommend him highly enough for the outstanding job he did. We would recommend him to all our friends and wold not hesitate to request his services again for any projects involving custom woodwork.

Derek from Brainard's Woodworking was very professional and promptly responded with our estimate and any questions we had. We had several other carpenters give us estimates and Derek was the only one who made a very thorough drawing of what we needed and was reasonably priced; allowing us to feel confident in his work. Derek arrived on time and finished the project within the estimated time. We would recommend using Brainard's Woodworking for any custom woodworking job, he did excellent work!

After contacting Mr Brainard and giving him some information, he called back with a general estimate. I was confused as to how he could do this. He decided he should come out and look at the stairs. I met with him several days later and explained that my 92 year old Mother was coming for the holidays and the rise on the steps was too high for her to manage. They needed to be only 5 and a half inches and I also needed a hand railing installed on the opposite wall. He called me within a couple of days with the new estimate which I agreed upon. I told him I had to have it completed by 12/18/12. He assured me that it would be and he thought the days after Thanksgiving might work for him. He contacted me the week before Thanksgiving to say he would be working on the stairs the day after. Mr Brainard showed up at 8:00am ready to work. He worked solidly the entire day and actually finished building the stairs around 7:00pm. They are the right height and the railing is secure. He did exactly what he said he would do. I do wish that I had thought to put into the contract that he would haul away the old wood pieces. I had three garbage cans full of the old wood and had to make arrangements with our trash hauler to pick them up. We also did not ask that he paint or stain so we are working on that ourselves.

Ultimately, we decided to hire a different person to construct our tv stand. However, Mr. Brainard came to our house the same day that I called to schedule an estimate and his products looked to be of qualify construction. However, the person who we ultimately chose to build our cabnet was slightly cheaper.

Derek is a great guy, very reliable and knowledgeable. He is courteous and efficient. We would definitely call him in the future for additional jobs.