Prior to our experience with Bath and Kitchen Specialists, I had simply told my husband, “I’m just not a remodel person”. I’d heard so many horror stories from friends and acquaintances of remodels gone wrong, contractors who ditched out, having to switch contractors or have difficult conversations, that I just did not think I’d be up for it. Well, thanks to Bath & Kitchen Specialists I’m now a convert! They made me a believer in how smooth and painless the process (well at least THEIR process) can be, even for a family with six children living at home! Their timeline is also MUCH shorter than most companies because they work fully on one project at a time. My husband and I interviewed at least 5 companies, including Bath & Kitchen Specialists, and although we didn’t complete jobs with those other companies we were able to obtain a sense of how their businesses were run. One company swooped in, and after hearing my husband talk about what we were looking for in all of about 10 seconds, (and not bothering to ask my opinion at all ) promised knocked down walls, a blown out kitchen that would eliminate the dining room and even threw out a number they said the would stick too. (We later found out they had promised to take down a load bearing wall.) Other companies seemed nice enough but didn’t really have a clear vision and relied on our (severely lacking) understanding of what we wanted done without offering ideas or suggestions. Others seemed like they’d do a fine job in the end but were juggling so many other jobs at the same time that the project would last months. What REALLY appealed to us about BKS was their unique approach and commitment to making the entire process as friendly to the homeowner as possible. The owner, Gordon Caesar, created this business after noting the frustration of homeowners in this regard after having worked many years in the trades. Unlike other companies that hire out various aspects of the job to different groups of technicians, BKS utilized two highly trained specialists who are the heart and soul of the company, and these two gentlemen work every day on your project, one project at a time. Dan and Mark were consistently on the job, accomplishing enormous amounts of high quality work every day. The process begins with the designer meeting in your home to walk through their specific process, and to really take the time to get to know your family’s individual needs and desired outcome. Dawn really seemed to get what our needs would be as a large family that hosts frequently and she came up with great design features to help us achieve those ends. Bath and Kitchen Specialists is a “measure 10 times, cut once” type of company. Unlike the reality TV shows where you are constantly running into MAJOR expensive bumps along the way, BKS checks into all the soffits, plumbing, headers, etc. to have as clear a picture of what the work will entail, and offer less expensive options if available. They take time to do the job right, because unlike having separate groups of workers come in for their own specialized work, BKS does it all so they have a vested interest in seeing that the work is done well from the start, knowing that what they do today builds the basis for what they will have to do tomorrow. Other companies may have shoddy work done, and the next group of workers will have to undo things or build off of it without that continuity that assures quality and pride of work. After these initial consultations, there is a “Decorate” day in their showroom which lasts most of a day (multiple for our large multi-room project) during which they order in lunch for you and you get to choose all of the many individual design elements and they have samples there to see and choose from. This was likely the most fun part of the process, second perhaps only to seeing the completed project! BKS orders all possible materials ahead of time to have everything set to go by the start date. We were given a start date range, and as the time drew closer it was narrowed down and set. Once the remodel begins, communiation shifts from speaking with the designer or owner to the two specialists directly. I am usually anxious when having strangers come to work in my home, but the easygoing, friendly and polite natures of Dan and Mark set me at ease immediately. By the time they left I felt like family friends were leaving! They worked efficiently and diligently and were always so respectful of allowing us to still run the home while they were there. They took the time to explain so many things (we are the least handy people ever!) in a way that we could understand and were always so gracious about it. I was amazed how seamlessly Dan and Mark work together to accomplish so much each day. The finished project exceeded my expectations. They installed gorgeous new luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout the main level. Dan, who previously owned his own flooring company made highly detailed cuts around the stone fireplace at the base to where my husband thought it looked like the flooring was installed under the stonework! They also installed new subfloor since our old subfloor was poorly installed. I never knew what a difference a properly installed floor could make- no more creaking and “play”, the floors feel so solid and “soft” to walk on! They completely gutted and remodeled our kitchen, installed a gorgeous new dining room built-in, wall sconces and lighting, created a mudroom hallway with custom cubby cabinetry, and completely remodeled our main level bathroom. I still can’t believe this is my house! I also can’t believe how painless the process was as they made it easy to live in the other areas while they worked. I’m so grateful to have found Bath & Kitchen Specialist and to Gordon for recognizing and filling this need for LIVABLE remodeling conditions for families. We will benefit from the thoughtful, well-executed work of Gordon, Dawn, Debbie, Dan and Mark for decades to come! Thank you!!! I would recommend them to ANYONE looking to remodel their bathrooms or kitchen!!! Liz & Robbie Allbright