Performance Kitchens & Home

I recommend that you stay away. The design work is good, but the main business of Performance Kitchens is to sell cabinets. At some point the conflict between design and selling cabinets comes up. There are things in the design of our kitchen that are difficult to explain without the justification of selling another cabinet. We also had problems with measurements that were wrong. The cabinets were changed but this caused several weeks of delays. We also had a terrible experience with the contractor that they recommended, who wasted our time and money. He was working at a very slow pace and never brought qualified workers. They were a couple of teachers doin spare change during summer, an art school student, and a tile installer out of his depth. They were all nice people, by the way. But no the kind of workers you expect a contractor to bring to your house. We ended up with dozens of floor tiles with chipped borders and bathroom tiles that are crooked. The bathroom toilet moves to this day, they chipped the finish in the bathroom faucet, the laundry faucet is not well installed, some light switches were never installed.I also spent several weekends doing his work to try and speed up the work. I did painting and grouting. I helped to install the front door, the oven, and the fridge. I installed locks and handles. I cleaned every night and I disposed of trash. I can keep going but you get the picture. To be fair, the contractor does not work for Performance Kitchens. But he was recommended by Performance Kitchens

I got the best design help from Performance kitchens... the ideas were things that I never dreamed of! They listened to all my needs. Definitely the best creative people in the universe!!!! Love the way my kitchen turned out.

I love my new kitchen!! After living in my house for 18 years and always having other projects that needed to be completed, I finally got my new kitchen this summer. After many designs of our own without success, we decided to hire Performance Kitchens. Their entire process from start to finish was the highest quality. Nancy and Larissa are very knowledgeable and very patient with our many questions! During the first meeting, they came up with a wonderful design. Over the next three design meetings, we fine-tuned the design. They listened to our needs and the design reflected them. We were given many different options to select from and they made many recommendations. Did the project go smoothly? Yes and No…two of the cabinets came in from the manufacturer incorrectly built…but Performance got them rebuild and shipped to us within three weeks. One area that Performance measured to be 28 inches ended but only being 24 inches after the tear out of the old kitchen…but our contractor came up with a solution to this issue. Were the cabinets expensive? Yes, the cabinets are expensive because they are custom built and very high quality. No particle board! If you want a well-designed kitchen with quality cabinets, use Performance Kitchens. Was the design service expensive? Yes, but Nancy and Larissa designed a kitchen after listening to our needs and implementing a plan for us. It was worth EVERY penny. The design included things that I never thought of and the solutions were inventive and creative. Performance comes to your house to look at your old kitchen and see how and what is working and not working. Larissa saw my kids come in and dump their backpacks and sneakers in the middle of my kitchen. In addition, using Performance Kitchen Designs saved us from getting divorced...we had no major arguments because we were presented options to choose. When we did not understand something, they explained it to us. No question was considered minor. All our calls were answered with professionalism. Did we go over budget? Yes of course. Plan on an extra 20% over what you budgeted to get the kitchen you want…don’t skimp because you are only going to remodel your kitchen once in a lifetime. But now we have an incredible kitchen. Did we use all their vendors? No, we had our own contractor and use our own counter top company. We did purchase pull handles from them. We got some items online from Amazon or Build.com, because they were less expensive. Would I use them again? Yes, 100% yes. It was worth the money for the design services. Their design was everything I wanted in my kitchen.

The work was handled by real pros who know their stuff. Nancy, Larissa, Kyle, Brian work so well together. We were very fortunate to have them. After my husband and I had a bad experience with a competitor in Spring House, who offered a lot and did nothing, we turned to Performance with a big request. Could your team design a new kitchen, laundry room, pantry and den, within 6 months? Thanksgiving is a huge holiday for us and we were having family from all over the US fly in. They were cautious and said that the schedule would be very tight but they thought they could do it. The Performance team was thorough and meticulous throughout. They were involved from beginning to end. They were in touch with all of the contractors and subcontractors, keeping them on schedule. They made visits when requested to the house and several on their own initiative. The result was a huge success. Project was done early, per their schedule which they had been updating with us all along. The rooms look sensational. I wanted more cabinet space. Got it. My husband wanted more light in all rooms . We got that. Workmanship? The best. We are very happy and our friends, neighbors and family have expressed amazement at how good the house looks. We are so grateful.

My husband and I were nervous when we downsized from the suburbs to a high rise apartment in Center City. The kitchen has always been the hub of our house. We love to entertain friends and were used to a very large kitchen with lots of cabinets and countertops. Nancy Forman at Performance Kitchens completely allayed our concerns about living in a much smaller apartment that had lots of windows that prohibited cabinets. Nancy was so creative and came up with such clever ideas for storage in drawers which helped the design and functionality -- and I didn't have to give up any of my many (my husband says "too many") treasured dishes and serving pieces! 6 years later, when we decided to move to Florida, our Performance kitchen was one of the deciding factors that helped us sell our apt. in record time for top price. We enjoyed our city kitchen so much and working with Nancy was such a great experience that we called on Performance again to help renovate our FL kitchen. The new space was very different from our Phila. apartment and we were able to do lots of wall cabinets this time. Nancy showed us several designs and made it easy to find just the right ones. While we were a little skeptical about doing a long-distance renovation, the plans were detailed and precise and Nancy and Brian worked closely with our new contractor. The renovation was completed on time and on budget and made our move that much easier. For both renovations, Performance's prices were realistic and we were given lots of choices. We feel so lucky to have found such a reputable company with creative, caring people who really listened, never said no to our ideas and helped us sort out what we thought we wanted with what would work best for our lifestyle and budget.

After moving to South Florida, my Kitchen was in need of help, I was having trouble finding a company that felt right to work with to do the job. Luckly I had been visiting friends/clients in Philadelphia, after going to Manayunk for lunch I stumbled into Performance Kitchens. They showed me their process: plans, renderings, and details of how it all gets done. I was very impressed but a little hesitant about doing the job long distance. They assured me that they had many clients that had worked with them in Philly , then moved and wanted to have the same experience again across the country. We planned for 2 meetings at the Design studio and a few phone and face time meetings. This worked out great with my schedule as I had some other business to attend to in the area. They worked very closely with my contractor and provided plans for him to follow. They were super great and everything went as planned. The design is perfect, the cabinets arrived on time and my contractor had very few questions, and best of all the overall price was within my budget and I couldnt be happier with the professionalism and all the designers I had contact with throughout the process. I own a salon with a international clientele and I have been recommending them to Performance Kitchens.

Now we have the Kitchen of our Dreams! Performance is a A+ company and we are so glad we found them! It all started doing a search for white Kitchens. We found they're project page on Houzz.com They have a page with lots of their projects and many outstanding reviews. Our kitchen was outdated and not very functional. I searched around and was totally impressed with Performance's first consultation meeting. Nancy Forman and her talented Design team showed me the process from start to finish in they're beautiful design studio. After visiting our home to measure and check out the way we live, they presented several designs to help me see all the possibilities. Not being very artistic, or understanding of floor plans, I found that seeing the design come to life was extremely important, to help me avoid making any mistakes. I realized the value of a Designer is critical in remodeling your home. Nancy's knowledge and guidance helped me make all my material selections. The cabinetry is beautiful and the price was very close to the amount we budgeted for, as they made it clear to us every step of the way, if we were picking items that took us over they came up with cost savings options. The installation of everything was flawless and any time the contractor had a question they helped him to understand. Performance has a great process. I will be enjoying my home for a long time now that the design is beautiful & efficient.

Another Angie’s List reviewer wrote about Nancy and Brian Forman: “I think this husband-wife team are sickeningly sweet on the surface and dishonest to the core”. Had we read Angie’s List reviews prior to engaging them, we would have avoided the most outrageous chicanery of our personal and professional lives. Over a year has passed, but it’s still difficult to document these events dispassionately. We retained Performance Kitchens & Home (hereafter, PKH) in June 2014 to redesign our kitchen, bar, and powder room space. After visiting our home, Nancy showed us a budget guideline for our cabinets of $18-25K, based on selections. OK by us. After the design phase, we were contractually required to deposit 50% for a cabinet purchase from the Formans to take home our design documents. Meeting at their office in December, we were surprised by a revised cabinet price 50% above the prior range (now $38K). After some hesitation, we wrote them a deposit check to “move the project forward” and take home our design. In January, we were shocked by an envelope from PKH citing “omissions” on our order and presenting a revised cabinet order totaling $58,767, requesting payment in full to keep our project moving. The January letter attributed this $20K increase to an “honest mistake”, “an omission” on their part. However, it never offered to refund our deposit amount (cashed in December), if such a drastic increase were unacceptable to us. After weeks of frustrating communications to recover cost sanity, we decided that the Formans’ “honest mistake” wasn’t so honest and we would go no further. We sent them a polite letter requesting our deposit be refunded so that we could “part ways amicably”. Their response letter denied the “omission/mistake” language of their earlier letter, insisted that we comply with their design contract, and flatly refused our refund request. (These two contradicting letters would become the centerpiece of our legal case against them.) We were outraged and decided to pursue them legally. So we found a knowledgeable and resourceful attorney, who was a pleasure to work with (Dan McElhatton, of McElhatton Foley PC - 215-557-0811 – if you ever need a good lawyer) and filed with the American Arbitration Association. After filing with AAA, Brian Forman showed true colors by sending us a threatening letter, claiming that they would prevail at arbitration and that we would then owe them legal fees of “at least $10,000 and likely a great deal more than that”. This bullying only doubled our resolve to bring them to justice. Long story short, an arbitrator was assigned to hear both sides at an in-person meeting, found that the Formans had “wrongfully held monies for services not performed”, and awarded us $19,193. We were elated! Cashing the Formans’ check for this amount re-energized our dormant kitchen project, so we engaged new partners with real capabilities and fair business practices and achieved a stunning transformation of our kitchen and surrounding spaces! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Having first failed with PKH and then succeeded with new partners, we now recognize red flags in the PKH business practices and contract that should have been easy to spot from the beginning. So we include points of advice below to help others avoid traps and realize value for their home project investments when working with self-proclaimed “kitchen designers”: 1) Never sign a contract, ignoring the fine print on the back. Have a lawyer review first. Ours said that we had signed a contract of adhesion, totally one-sided. 2) Never pay for design services without retaining rights to the design throughout the process – PKH wouldn’t release design docs until we wrote a cabinet order deposit check. Our new partners kept us updated on design drafts, which facilitated a better outcome. 3) Never sign a lock-in contract to buy cabinets from a kitchen designer – After PKH, our new partners encouraged us to shop their design among cabinet suppliers. So we got 30% more cabinetry for ½ the price simply by having several cabinet makers bid our design. All of them had similar woods, quality, door fronts, hinges and finishes, so we chose on price. 4) Never pay advance retainers for services like this – We naively wrote two $4,000+ checks in advance to PKH for design services with their contract stating that they are not required to deliver a pro-rated hours at their stated rate. Our new partner simply invoiced us monthly for hours worked after performing them. 5) Minimize the cost of your design, it’s only a small part of your value – PK’s software design looked fancy, but a contractor said that he couldn’t implement them without re-drawing. We found that many contractors and cabinet suppliers will do kitchen layouts for < $2,500 which can be applied towards future purchases of products/services. These designs were strikingly similar for our space. So, using this approach, our redesign was basically free. 6) Buy cabinets direct from a supplier that manufactures locally – Plenty of good ones around Philly. We shopped Adelphi Kitchens, Conestoga, Village, etc. A local supplier avoids a 2x mark-up and expensive delivery fee, and allows quick turnaround on adjustments. (PKH added a $995 charge for cabinet delivery from the Midwest.) 7) Never pay for cabinets in full and up front, before delivery – Our final cabinet supplier asked for 30% to initiate production and the balance when cabinets were delivered and inspected – a more friendly business practice. 8) Never commit to cabinets, granite, appliances, etc. until getting construction estimates – Our project involved a structural rework of the core of our old home. Construction was ultimately the largest expense and most valuable investment. It would have been foolish to commit $58K up front for wooden boxes that we can shop around among multiple sources. 9) Never accept cabinets weeks in advance and store them around your house – The Formans process claimed that cabinets need to “acclimate” to our house for a few weeks before installation. Instead, we had our local supplier time cabinet delivery for the day when installation would begin. The cabinets installed flawlessly and look great months later. 10) Never work with a designer who mandates a preferred construction partner – PKH listed one contractor on their website as their “construction manager” and introduced us. It turned out that he was not their employee and that they may have earned a mark-up for his services, had we hired him. So, for the rudimentary task of measuring your kitchen and advising on cabinet placement, a kitchen designer can mark-up your cabinets, granite, construction, etc without you even knowing it. 11) Speak to at least 5 references - Remember to ask them where their costs ended up compared to their budget expectations. 12) Trust your instincts – If you’ve lived in your home for several years, you probably know better how to transform your space than any “kitchen designer” ever will. After all was complete, we learned that my wife was, in fact, the best designer of our new space!

I'll start by saying that I don't write letters of praise easily or often but I felt compelled to write this one about Performance Kitchens of Philadelphia. I live on Long Island, NY and was recommended to this company by my wife's cousin. My first concern was that of the logistics involved in creating a custom kitchen using a company that was so far away. Would they be hands on, would the quality be what I expected, was there going to be any issues with my contractor, etc. Along with that, was the daunting task of recreating a somewhat small space into the dream kitchen that I envisioned? That was no problem for Performance Kitchen design team who's initial design included sealing up doors, moving walls and ingeniously rearranging every aspect of the kitchen to maximum space. It seemed like they were most comfortable thinking, "Outside the Box" 

Once the process started, all of my fears were washed away. Not only were there no issues, but also I knew EXACTLY what my kitchen was going to look like based on a series of computer renderings that were spot on. My contractor was provided with one of the most detailed set of plans I've ever seen! But I have to say that as awesome as those things were, Performance's Customer Service staff was the BEST! As a homeowner, I asked some really silly questions throughout the job, but nothing fazed them. Between Nancy, Performance's Head Designer to their two Senior Designers, Larissa and Kyle, every question, concern and issue was addressed in a light handed manner that you often dream about but never get.

We watched in amazement as the job progressed and this gorgeous room, like a piece of artwork was created. 

From a tiny space with a 30" stove/oven combo and a sink, to a kitchen with double ovens, a six burner stove, built in microwave and dishwasher and enough counter & floor space that three of us can create spectacular meals and never bump into one another, the experience and result were wonderful!!! 

Thank you Performance Kitchens & Home, we think of you everyday!

We entertain a lot and after 10 years of living in a tight kitchen that our builder designed, it was time to seek the advice of a professional to design a kitchen to fit our lifestyle. 



We visited the Design team at Performance Kitchens in Manayunk Philadelphia, The Design studio was filled with lots of choices beautiful quality cabinetry and we weren't quite sure what direction, but knew we were in good hands!



They visited our home and took pictures measured and  made notes of our storage needs.



The visit was amazing as they came up with an idea to switch our Dining room with the Kitchen.... Something we would never have dreamed of!!! 



We were concerned about the cost as we were now going to be doubling the size of the Kitchen but we waited till they were ready to present the designs to see if that was something we wanted to do.

Concept Meeting



We were super excited to see what they designed. They presented 4 different designs and even one in the old space just in case.... We weren't up for the change. 



There was no doubt that moving the kitchen into the dining room was the best choice. They even had plans showing my old kitchen  space redesigned as a mini bar.

After this meeting they helped us choose the door style, finish and other decorative finishes so they could present color perspective renderings of what the new spaces would look like.

They renderings were so realistic they were like actual photographs  we could see how the kitchen space would look from all different angles. This helped us see what we were purchasing before it was even made, which made us feel comfortable that we weren't making any mistakes.

The design retainer is worth every penny. We could have easily made expensive mistakes without their guidance. They helped us with an electrical plan, tile, flooring, backsplash designs and paint  colors.

Our job was installed by the contractor they recommended and because of all the detailed plans that they provided  the install of everything went super smooth.  We couldn't be happier!

Our home now makes sense. We love entertaining and our home is now where everyone wants to hang out.Definitely loved the process... I would say that my fears about remodeling my home and the cost was a factor, but The team at Performance was sensitive to the cost and did an expert jo and gave us lots of options.

Our home has been transformed and we will enjoy it for years to come. It will also add value whenever we decide to sell it. Definitely worth the investment. Thanks Performance Kitchens and Home!

N., B. and the team are charming, accomplished designers and salespeople. Their strengths - at least in our experience - are their focus on aesthetics and the level of detail to which they take the design exercise. On our project, they unfortunately fell very short in some  key areas. We subsequently discovered through talking to people who'd used them before that these themes were not unique to our experience. It's a great shame, since the issues are not around quality so much as transparency and business practices.

 1. Budget - We were led to believe that our budget, which had been set out clearly by N., would be respected. However, our project came in at over 3 times what had been discussed with N. Although we expressed concern at several points throughout the design exercise and asked for construction estimates, we were given evasive replies and a (very nice) refusal to have even preliminary construction estimates done for the designs. We subsequently realized that we had been put in a position where we had been signed up to pay for cabinetry and design without knowing the full cost of our project. We can't judge whether this lack of transparency on their part is because they really don't know how much it'll cost , or whether they do know, but don't want to lose the sale by scaring off the customer. Either way it is a horrendous business practice that put us in a false position and left us scrambling for funds. (In case you're wondering, our contingency for the project was 100%, although friends had told us 25% should be fine!)

 2. Technical design - The design team did not seem to have the knowledge to meet the practical demands of a kitchen space with normal physical and structural limitations. Here are some examples (they're not exhaustive): 

a) Tiles - We were told that their recommended tiles were not at all suitable for the floor surface. Luckily, we realized this in time with the help of our terrific, long-suffering contractor and selected a smaller, differently-shaped tile. b) Microwave placement - The design called for a microwave to be placed in a location that didn't have a cupboard above it. However, microwaves are designed to be installed below cupboard-like structures so that they can be secured properly. When the contractor pointed this out to the designer, the response was "Oh. Uh. I don't know what to do." It took us 2 days to come up with a solution, again, thanks to the contractor. c) Washing machine and dryer placement - The design didn't allow adequate space to hook up the washing machine and dryer. As a result, they protrude terribly from the wall. The contractor helpfully built a structure to help protect them - but it's far from ideal.

3. Listening skills - We eventually asked them as nicely as we could to please stand back from the project and to stop sending us quotes for their recommended materials, which were usually 3 or 4 times the price of the once we sourced. But they kept on sending these quotes. They also came into our house once when we were out, without asking our permission.

All in all, this was a horrible, horrible experience. It took me a long time to be able to go into the kitchen without feeling sick to my stomach. With great regret, we can't recommend working with these guys at all based on our experience.

I think this husband-wife team are sickenling sweet on the surface and dishonest to the core.They tried on several occasions to add outrageous "add-on" fees to jack the price up  over the agreed -upon fee.....would never deal with them again