A-K CUSTOM INTERIORS

Well done design matching our expectations exactly for a very reasonable price for custom work.

Great timing and responsiveness.  Would love to use them again.

I really don't want to leave a bad review for Kevin because I'm hoping that he will finish my job and we can work together again.  The relationship and work started out great, I feel like he really understood my aesthetic and took great pride in his work. Plus he was a joy to work with!  As the job progressed he seemed to be rushing and many mistakes were made.
All of of his pieces are now installed but there are major problems with each one including components being far off level, alignments off, functionality problems, cracking, and warpage.
I have been trying to contact him for months to request that he return and make the necessary repairs to complete the job.  At the very least I would like to get a hold of the paint he used for my cabinets so that I can get someone else in to fix them and not have to worry about mis-matched colors.

I was searching Angie's List for contractors who could build reasonably priced, visually acceptable bookcases for my home to house an extensive collection being moved from my office, and the pictures on A-K Custom Cabinetry looked the best to me (I wasn't after beautiful furniture, but functional clean looking cases that would highlight the books).  I called, and met with Kevin, who took extensive photos and measurements of the available spaces, and we tossed around ideas.  In a couple weeks he sent me designs; I gave him feedback, and he sent revised.  He came out and we finalized 2 of the projects we discussed once we agreed on the specifics.  I paid half, the other half upon completion.  When everything was done, the installation took 2 or 3 days, with Kevin there only part of the time.  Part of the job was also moving existing free-standing bookcases to the basement, with their content, which made the job possible for me, and which was nicely accomplished (including prepping the basement floor).
A-K was very busy, and, at installation time, seemed anxious to finish.  When the upstairs installation was nearly complete, I noticed some problems--in an 1865 house, neither the wall nor floors were flat, etc.  When I pointed this out, some adjustments were made, and I was pleased with the result overall, but in the end, the cabinet was slightly tilted, and the bookshelves did not quite line up with the cabinets.  The cabinet doors did not completely close and needed adjustments twice.
The basement installation was more major.  The cases were off the floor, fit well with the ceilings, and the lighting suggested by Kevin was great.  Here too, though, there were glitches.  1) the light string across the top were glued in place, but after a few days, they came out of their tracks and began sagging--requiring fixing, twice.  2) one of the two large stacks was wobbly and rocking when touched, and required a half-day's visit several weeks after the installation to fix (by tightening things and attaching it to the ceiling).  3)  The painted shelves on both installations hadn't been properly smoothed and sanded, and required a visit and go-over.  4) The six extra shelves I had ordered were not smoothed, but were taken back, to be done at A-K and returned.  Despite two follow-up calls, I have yet to receive those shelves after many months, and got no response other than "we are busy" and they'll do it and return them as soon as they can.
EXCELLENT:  What A-K was excellent at was working with the customer, customizing according to workability and the client's tastes and needs, and designing options cooperatively, and coming up with good ideas I didn't know about.  Installation was efficient, moving my stuff was helpful, and they always left the place vacuumed and cleaned.  A very user-friendly, creative, knowledgeable fellow to work with.
NOT SO GOOD:  When there were installation problems, they did their best to fix them (but sometimes left before the job was done).  In terms of design, It turned out that the exact measurements could have been more exact to fit the given space; only when the installation was well on its way did the problems with the fit surface, when it was really too late (although they made adjustments the best they could).  Had the original measurements and design been more attentive to detail from the get-go, the problems could have been anticipated and avoided altogether.
Throughout, they said they would happily return, even weeks or months after the installation, to fix any problems.  They did (sort of).  But there were more problems than there needed to be (with proper planning), and some of the problems couldn't be fixed.  My sense is that their biggest problem is that they are (evidently) too busy, trying to do too many things too quickly, and haven't the time, patience, or inclination, when doing the installation, and especially when finishing it, to be sure everything is right, all t's are crossed and all i's are dotted.  Because of this, they lose time having to return to fix things...which makes them even more pressed for time.
Would I use them again?  Yes:  the final product is close to what I wanted and needed; they are affable and leave the place clean; and the price is reasonable.  BUT in future, I would:  a) pay more attention to detail, demand more detailed plans, and proactively try to anticipate problems; b) double-check everything, especially during installation, as it is being done; and c) not pay the second half until everything (I mean everything) was done to satisfaction.  They are clearly capable of doing an excellent job, but less hurry on their part would mean less worry on yours.  Once they move on to another project, their memory, attention, and incentive lapse.
My project was delayed a bit, I was told, because they were having problems with other installations (to which they had to return).  Now I think I understand what that was about.  I think they can do very good work, but sometimes settle for what they regard as good enough, and decide to be done before they are.

Nice end product.  Provided several mock ups of finish stain to choose from to match room and floors.   Had small issue with file cabinet supports that was quickly resolved after the installation was done.  Highly recommend.

A & K does beautiful custom work.  Kevin is the ultimate professional. He and his partner do high quality work and they only use high quality material.  The detail in end product is perfect.

Not only did they work with me on the price, they also supplied me with a timeframe and an install date.  Kevin kept his word on everything he promised and my unit was installed within a few weeks.  I couldn't ask for more, they were prompt, clean, polite and very easy to work with.
  The whole experience was excellent, believe me you will not be sorry if you choose these guys!!!  I intend to use them again myself.
 

Kevin created a comprehensive plan for my smallish kitchen and offered a fair price.  He had great ideas and an eye for detail.
The work turned out beautifully and both Kevin and Derek were easy to work with and always had a can-do attitude.
Kevin owned the project entirely and we are thrilled with the results.  I'd hire A-K Custom Interiors again in a heartbeat! 

Very helpful with design, questions on the design, and edits to the design. The on-site team had prompt and professional installation, and we're quite happy with the results. The built-in looks like it was meant to be in our living room, and flawlessly fits with the rest of our room.

We were very happy with our cabinets from Kevin and his crew.  Kevin came out and saw the space and also checked out another unit in our house that was similar to what we wanted.  His crew came in and worked hard for 2-3 days to install the unit.  It was awesome to see the project from start to finish.  They were extremely patient with two small children who were curious about the work being done.  Kevin has been very responsive with any concerns from the beginning and is also available for anything you might have questions about during and after.  We are very happy and have recommended to friends.

Awesome experience from start to finish. Kevin is so great to work with, as is his entire team (Zoe, Jon, Derek and Josephina). They did an amazing job on two individual built-in pieces and were committed to making sure that every last detail was perfect. Can't wait for our next project!

Kevin came out to our house to provide a quotation on the work we wanted completed.  My first impression was that he listened well and truly heard me.  He provided a formal quotation with drawings which appeared to meet our needs.  The end result was far superior to what I had imagined.  
Kevin and his team were punctual, polite and helpful.  They arrived when they said they would.  They were neat and clean.  I cannot say enough good things about them.

They did a beautiful work. He is expensive, but he does a beautiful job. He is phenomenal.

A-K Custom is a top notch team of carpenters with best-in-class craftsmanship, professionalism, responsiveness and creativity!
We requested Kevin and team to design an entertainment built-in for the main wall in our family room.  We challenged Kevin to design a unit that brings the WOW FACTOR to our living space. A-K Custom did not disappoint and truly exceeded our expectations from design to install. 
Kevin visited our home to assess the space and get a sense for our style. His approach was very consultative and he truly listened to our vision for the room. Within a few days, A-K provided a handful of concepts and from there we worked closely with Kevin and Zoe to fine-tune the design to align with our budget. For the install, Kevin assigned Ryan and John to our project.  Both were incredibly talented carpenters and great project communicators.  They proactively informed us of their progress along the way and welcomed our questions during the install.  Overall, we could not be more pleased with the results from A-K Custom.  Many thanks to Kevin, Zoe, Ryan and John for creating a BEAUTIFUL built-in that we enjoy on a daily basis. 

Kevin is very responsive and friendly.  He came to our house and took down measurements for this and future projects we want done.  He was also very responsive to our changes to his drawings.  He went through about 4 iterations before settling on the perfect one and Kevin was very quick about getting them out to us.  Zoe in the office is sweet and professional.  Jon and his team of carpenters did a great job.  It took about 3 days over the course of a week to finish the job.  Jon listened to all of our requests and reworked anything that we did not think was perfect during the first go-round.  They never made my wife or I feel like pests for asking to do something over again.  Once the job was finished it was perfect.  No complaints.  The bookshelves are solid, the desktop is fully supported, and now my closets can be used again for something other than holding boxes of books.  We would love to use A-K in the future and will likely do so.

Kevin was great to work with.  He designed the wardrobes to look like they had always been there, carefully integrating the design of the wardrobes into the bedroom in a seamless way.  He replicated the crown molding in the room on the top of the wardrobes and continued the base boards throughout.  He matched the existing doors.  He also replaced a broken door latch that had nothing to do with the wardrobes while he was here. 
My only complaint is that there has been some warping of the very large door fronts due to the dry heating in our house this winter.  We will see if they correct themselves this Summer when the heat is off.

Kevin and his team of skilled carpenters built two beautiful custom designed bookcases for our home. The room had two nooks beside the fireplace that extended the height (22 feet) of the room. I had very definite ideas of what I didn't want as well as what I did want. Kevin came out, spent a bit of time with me and presented a drawing shortly afterward. After a bit of back and forth, Kevin captured exactly what I wanted. He went out of his way to find the glass that I wanted, remade the mantle so it would match the bookcases and oversaw the two day installation. The book cases are beautiful and we love them! We would not hesitate to use AK Custom Interiors for another project!

I needed extra storage in my living room to replace a small TV stand.  Unfortunately I have an obstruction at the upper portion of the wall for the steps going upstairs.  Therefore, standard sized cabinets would not do.  I wanted a center unit to conceal the obstruction, hold the TV, and include deep bottom drawers.  I also wanted a tower on each side with adjustable shelves. 
I had several cabinetmakers come to the house for estimates.  I picked Kevin because he fit my style and provided detailed drawings which I could approve beforehand.  His design completely hid the obstruction; you wouldn't even know it's there.  He also incorporated soft close doors, flip-up doors for the side upper cabinets, open shelves for decorations, space/grommets for electronics, and crown molding.  I just tweaked the material and a few specifications.  
The cabinets were constructed in the shop and installed over three days.  The workers (Greg and Jon) were extremely professional, helpful, and skilled.  They cleaned up at the end of each day.  Kevin was onsite two days for quality control.  I was very pleased with their attention to detail and overall project execution.  The cabinets look great and provide lots of storage.   
I would wholeheartedly recommend AK Custom Interiors for a cabinetmaking project.

I needed a bookcase built in a unique situation, one that wrapped the stair opening of my attic.  It's not something I could really use stock cases for nor did I have the experience to really try to build one myself.  So I contacted a few woodworkers.  While Kevin wasn't the lowest, he was not far off after we adjusted the design and he included an Angie's List discount.  I chose him because of the detail of his drawings.  They are quite impressive.  We kept in touch for about a month as the project went along.  There were a few delays from both ends but overall he was responsive.  
The actual bookcase looked bigger than I had expected, but that's partly my fault for not really doing a better job of planning for the space.  He built it to our agreed upon dimensions.  One of the things I really appreciated about working with Kevin is that he does collaborate with you.  You're a co-designer of sorts.  
Installation took about a day.  And the bookcase itself looked great, exactly matching the drawings.  I had the top stained (nicely executed) and the rest painted in white lacquer.  This is the one area that I was a bit disappointed with.  I was expecting something closer to a factory paint job since they did most of it in the shop.  However, there were noticeable imperfections, such as rough spots and noticeable seams.  When I told Kevin about it, he had someone come over a couple of days later and work on these fixes.  It did look a lot better afterward but still not to the level I had wanted.  And I noticed more things, such as some pencil writing that had been painted over but still showing through.  
I wrote Kevin about it but didn't hear back.  I assume he considered the job done and moved on.  I recognize that one can only do so much to please a customer.
In the end, I think the bookcase looks really nice and is a great addition to my attic renovation project.  While I'm disappointed in some of the finish, those are not things I can't fix myself, and overall it's something that I currently don't have the skills or time to build myself.  So in the end it was worth it.

We recently purchased a new home and had A-K Customs make/design two custom built-ins. A-K was great to work with and very professional. With their expert knowledge, they were able to make great suggestions to improve our initial design ideas. A-K installed the pieces with care and precision, making the built-ins look like they had always been there. Plus the team at A-K is friendly and pleasant to be around - installation can take a moment, so it was great having friendly people working in your home.  I would highly recommend A-K Customs.

Our experience was fantastic.The communication, professionalism and quality was outstanding. We couldn't be happier with our island. Working with Kevin and his team was a very positive experience. They responded quickly, met our needs with the design, and built and installed the island to meet the timing of our countertop installation. I highly recommend this contractor and hope to use them in the future for more projects.

Kevin responded promptly to my request for an estimate and scheduled an appointment within three days.  He arrived promptly and was very professional.  Emailed me an estimate, along with design sketches, within 48 hours.  His prices are very competitive.  I had gotten two other estimates.  Once I decided to use him, he sent along a contract, which included the time frame for the project.  He also sets up a website for the project so that you can see how things are progressing.  Project was completed on time and is beautiful.  Took two days for installation, as promised.  Cleaned up thoroughly each day.  I would definitely recommend him and would use him again.

My wife and I live in a row home in the Fairmount area.  Our living room does not have a closet, so we were using a wardrobe cabinet for that purpose, but it ate up valuable space in the room.  A previous owner had installed a rather tacky faux fireplace, but we liked having the surface (mantelpiece) to place things on.  The solution we came up with was to remove the fireplace and install a half height cabinet (effectively maintaining the mantelpiece surface) to hang our coats in.

This was a tough job because it touched on several areas of expertise (plaster work, ducting and flooring) beyond the cabinet making and carpentry, but as the non-cabinet making jobs were small, it would have been difficult to find people willing to take them on.  Seeing my problem, A-K Custom Interiors agreed to handle the whole thing.
The bottom line?  They did a fantastic job on all aspects of this installation.  Although it isn't something they tout, the matching job they did on the floor was phenomenal!  BUT, the star of the show is the cabinet; it is just beautiful and they spot-on matched the era and aesthetic of our 100 year old home.  These are very knowledgeable folks not only about woodworking, but also the history of old architecture and materials.
Beyond all of that, Kevin and Tyler are very nice people.  They are honest and do exactly what they say they will do - a rarity these days.  It was a real pleasure working with these folks.  We have another job planned for them already.

Kevin is the owner and he does most of the work for this Philadelphia company. We used him because of the positive ratings on Angie's list. He came to the house and promised an estimate and drawing soon and delivered as promised. He gave us ideas and helped us stay on budget. The quality of the workmanship was excellent, and our wall to wall library bookcase looks like it has always been in our house, thanks in part to Kevin for having the idea of requesting a sample of the crown molding our builder used in the room in order to duplicate it. There were a few delays but overall the project was done quickly and we are very happy with it.

Kevin came and looked at the job and had the piece ready the next week.  He was willing to do a small job like that.  He also gave my husband advice on another project and returned with some pieces of wood for him.  Excellent work.

The job went very well. Kevin was prompt, friendly, and true to his word. He was easy to reach and the shelves are great.