Sound Kitchen & Bath

We hired Sound Kitchen to manage a remodel project that included replacing two sliding glass doors and installing new Pet Decorator flooring through several rooms in our house. Everything was done on schedule and to budget and they kept us informed throughout the process. We are loving the floors, the Hound Dog Hickory color we selected looks wonderful – even better than we expected looking at samples! We’ve been looking forward to getting Pet Decorator flooring installed ever since we first heard Tami talking about it several years ago. The whole process working with Sound Kitchen, from selecting our floor to install, was a breeze. We couldn’t be happier.

33% increase in scope.

Their supposed designer came out and the design was horrible. She was condescending and I thought they were a high end design company and I would get this fabulous design bad. She was so condescending because we had never designed the kitchen before and we had no idea how much it would cost. She came and said, "Oh, you're never going to do this for $50,000 or $60,000." It's true we did spend over $100,000 but she was so condescending in how she said that. When I told her and said, "My husband and I will do a demo on this." And she said, "It's only going to save you $35,000." And I said, "We are going to pay cash for this and we have no debt and we're retired and the house is paid off. We got that way because we care about $35,000." I mean, she was so rude. I just cannot speak lower of that company. The things they could have done were; to educate us, not be condescending and come up with a good design. The design was horrible. I would not recommend them to anybody.

We decided to do a partial kitchen remodel to include new
granite countertops (110 square feet), sinks (main & island), faucets,
propane stovetop and ventilation, and lighting. 
We had three specific issues that we wanted ideas and recommendations to
solve: 1) a sink solution to replace a corner winged sink; 2) a stovetop
ventilation solution that would integrate with the rest of the kitchen design
(the stovetop faces a large picture window); and 3) ensuring sufficient
lighting as we replaced the existing recessed florescent fixtures with
something more modern. We decided to take advantage of a kitchen design firm to
provide ideas for all these aspects to ensure an aesthetically pleasing and
functional result. 
 
 A friend recommended
Sound, so we called and were assigned a ?design consultant.?  She visited twice and took numerous
measurements to supposedly create a planview drawing of the kitchen.  We never received the promised drawing, so I
had to make my own so that we could communicate with the granite installers and
the lighting companies.   For our $300 we
got confirmation that the granite installer we had already selected (per
Angie?s List) was a good one.  We got
recommendations of four granite suppliers and one fixture supplier to
visit.  And we got computer printouts of
two sinks (which did not solve our corner sink issues) and two faucets, neither
of which would complement the architecture, style and design of the kitchen.  Then our ?consultant? disappeared and we got
a bill for $300.  We ended up doing our
own research, talking to numerous individuals at a number of suppliers, as well
as friends and acquaintances, to gather data on the pros and cons regarding
function, integration of design, and the aesthetics related to each design
decision.  We ultimately found solutions
to our issues, but none with the help of Sound.

Everything arrived on time. The tile was beautiful and exactly as we ordered!

It took months for a call back and that should have been a clue.  I too listened to Tami on the radio which is what made me chose Sound Kitchen and Bath.  I knew nothing about materials or fixtures which is why I called them.  The products were poor quality. The contractor was great but he was stuck working with the poor quality products.  With each of the major problems with materials and installation  there was no clear plan or responsibility for a resolution.  At this time I am still working on hiring professionals to complete the project and try to correct the appearance. 

"Sound Kitchen and Bath" was not on Angie's list at the time.  I took Ms Michael's at her word after listening to her advertise on the radio station I listen to.  I currently found out that they are now on Angie's list, at least since March 2012.  Hence my belated report.
The design of the cabinets were severely lacking in the following areas :   1)  A cabinet drawer would not open because it was hitting the stove (I received the parts and, surprise, assembly required )    2)  The cabinets were designed to be flush with the ceiling They failed to measure the ceiling, with installation at 1/4 inch at one end and 3/4 of an inch at the other,   3) one large cabinet was too large to be brought into the room, thus sheet rock had to be removed  to gain access,  4)  One large drawer was received broken 2 times, with the final drawer coming in two parts ( a face and a box and, surprise,  assembly required).  The hardwood floor was damaged in the process.
I had to ask everyone to leave, and I had to hire another contractor/cabinet maker  to fix the "assembly required" parts and set  everything right.  He has a great resume and is a professional person which will  corroborate  my account. I  also have the drawings and specifications and have photo's if requested.  
I would like to note that the house was built in 1928 and it has had 84 years to settle.  This seems to have not been taken into consideration.  Also, in short, it was not a very pleasant experience.

We had one problem with the cabinet order, but it was quickly resolved.  There were no problems.  When the new pieces came in, the installer came right out and installed them.  The estimates were a little high, but they were worth it.  The overall impression was excellent.

They were extraordinary, phenomenal, and wonderful.  Everyone was very good, including the electrician (who was on Angie's List), and they did the total remodel of the kitchen and 1 1/2 baths, and did a great job. Closets by Design did the master bedroom and entry way closets and did a fantastic job.  I didn't compare prices, I made one phone call, he took care of everything, brought over samples, and called me.   I found out about them over the radio, called them, and got a call back within a day or so.  It was a total package, a reasonable price, I told him what my budget was, he gave me options, and he worked with us.  I give him high ratings and would use them again in the future.