Inside the Box Design LLC

Service Provider Response

WOW.....what an incredible distortion of the truth. First, I never request payment in full up front. I charge a percentage up front to order materials, a percentage to have materials delivered to the home, and the final 10% at completion of punch list. Next, Theresa was insistent on every factor and facet of "her" design, the materials, and and we bent over backwards to accommodate it all. We had numerous trips back and forth and finally sought legal counsel to to break ties. The cabinets were beautiful. They were not ordered incorrectly, they were exactly what she chose. She as well insistent on stainless steel toe kick from IKEA which also became problematic when her carpenter that she hired left her with sloping floors. It was the "relationship" she had with him that left her trying to hold me accountable for his poor workmanship. I have no control over the size appliances people buy, and therefore can'[Member Name Removed] be held accountable if a cabinet feature isn'[Member Name Removed] able to extend properly. And the reason she is not signing her name is because I would hold her accountable for making false statements. [Member Name Removed] would have tirades that made my carpenter, who is the most patient person I know, swear he would never step foot in her home again. She contacted the cabinet manufacturer and verbally abused each person she spoke to. She was having medication issues at end of the project which brought her husband back from Canada, was even hospitalized.....and I am anticipating she must be struggling again, as 3 years later we have this. Mental health is a tragic situation and I am sure difficult to navigate, but also sad for those on the receiving end who have 99% very satisfied clients over the span of 30 years to be forced to address falsehoods and rants. The last untruth was that the work was completed in 2021. It was completed in 2017. And this client has now been notified if they persist with these false claims, I will seek legal action yet again.

Service Provider Response

I am delighted to have a opportunity to rebuke [member name removed] commentary. As most life lesson's, it gave me an opportunity to learn to be comfortable in the future turning down work that sets flags of being problematic. - Upon taking there project, the dates for beginning and ending were reasonable; their financing became problematic and forcing a significant delay. - The husband and wife both wanted to be in charge, both had differing priorities, and rarely communicated. - I was torn back and forth between them, trying very hard to rise to the occasion to meet the same deadlines, and frustrated by some changes that were never communicated. - I would be given permission to order things, only to have them come in and them be refused, or changed their minds,, etc. - I did in all the confusion forget about an email regarding appliance model number changes, but thankfully my vendor "Crystal Cabinetry"was able to alter things in production, and amazed us all beating their normal lead time and getting materials delivered a whole week ahead!! I personally went to help unload all in an effort to help the project succeed. - but the husband deciding to remove existing veneered flooring and add additional sub floor and 3/4" hardwood, did bring some unforeseen challenges....I am disappointed that it wasn't shared I donated moldings and my time to creatively solve the problem. - the client was given invoicing for materials (can be proven) and refused to acknowledge them for well over a month. I suspect that the spouses may not have been forthcoming with each others decisions, but I would be only speculating. - after becoming aware that other sub-contractors on the same project were also experiencing a variety of challenges, and I wasn't being paid for my labor hours, it became necessary as a business owner to dissolve the relationship. The only time in 23 years of business I had encountered such a mixed up, fiasco of a situation. - regarding charges, I had to actually snicker at the mention of " she charges you for every single thing", as i made a point of noting on there invoicing hours of donated time or service like: a re-design of teh front entry of their new home (that the husband wanted to immediately take a picture of my sketch with his phone, that unloading the cabinetry, or going with the wife and her mother to Illinois to select furnishings for several rooms of the home. - Even more ridiculous is that they verbally told me I would not be paid for my time and in hindsight, recall the difficulty getting them to sign a contract and she making reference to all contracts being meaningless...... I believe God brings us blessings that sometimes are lessons, knowledge or on the job training that is not available in the form of a seminar.

Service Provider Response

Thank you [member name removed]! It was a lot of fun helping you update your Master Bath, the inspiration to blend into your love of antiques, improve the function and footpath of the space, add some awesome new features like windows that were not available in the former bath layout, replicate the trim found in the rest of the home and most important, make it user friendly for 2 people to use the space together much more efficiently.