When I decided that my living room needed a total makeover, I was apprehensive about implementing…read moredrastic change without professional help. I have always known what I like, but I was intimidated by the myriad of decisions facing me, and more importantly, I did not want to make any expensive mistakes. I live in Vancouver so hiring an interior decorator in Victoria seemed problematic, but I knew what a great designer Sue Pipes was and Janice, the owner of Calla Design, assured me that the extra cost would be minimal. The first thing I have to say about my experience with these 2 highly professional ladies is that we quickly established a very easy working relationship. They were immediately accessible through email and phone, and from the outset exhibited terrific enthusiasm, even though my one-room project was a relatively modest one. They suggested 3 different options for my living room and provided paint, fabric and carpet samples for each look. What was amazing is that they helped me recognize how important it was to keep an open mind and push the boundaries of my comfort zone in order to achieve something special and exciting. The result was just that - a look much bolder and more colourful than I would have ever imagined for myself - but because it was put together with professional expertise and flair, I have to say I am thrilled with the outcome! Along the way one unfortunate problem was encountered with a piece of custom-made furniture where an error in dimensions had been made by the supplier. Sue & Janice swiftly alleviated my concern, emphasizing that my satisfaction was paramount. They resolved a difficult situation in a thoroughly professional manner without involving me. Following this hiccup, Sue worked long and hard to help me in the final stages of the project - assisting me with decisions relating to artwork, and accessorizing - for that final polished result. For anyone on a hunt for a first-rate interior designer who has fresh and original ideas relating to style and a remarkable sense of colour, I recommend Sue Pipes of Calla Design without reservation!

From the owner: A unique home furnishings boutique offering full service interior design, home accessories,…read moregiftware and small treasures. We carry a number of exclusive lines including Canadian furniture company Whittington & Co, bath lotions and soaps from elizabethW, Anitca Farmacista diffusers and Match pewter handmade in Northern Italy. Also included, we gallery the original work of five local artists Complete renovations or if you are just looking to freshen things up...reupholstery, window coverings rugs and flooring. Start with a 1 hour consultation...

I contracted with Design Build San Juan (hereafter referred to as DBSJ) for remodeling of my house…read moreon San Juan Island. The initial contract was for DBSJ to act as contractor, but that was later changed so that the homeowner would be considered the contractor, and DBSJ would act as a subcontractor to the homeowner. Services provided by DBSJ were the design and layout of the interior spaces, including lighting and cabinetry, as well as framing needed to support the interior modifications. The initial mistake made by DBSJ was in the dimensions needed for bathroom cabinetry. When the dimensions of the cabinet were determined by DBSJ and the cabinet purchased by DBSJ for the homeowner, it was later determined that the overall depth of the cabinet when chosen did not include the thickness of the doors, resulting in the cabinet being excessively deep to fit properly with the sink/countertop. To correct for this error, new cabinet boxes were purchased by DBSJ, and the wall studs trimmed to permit the cabinet to be recessed. The new cabinets were paid for by DBSJ under warranty and the homeowner trimmed the wall studs with no compensation offered by DBSJ. During installation of kitchen cabinetry, it was noticed by the homeowner that an interference condition existed between the trim ring of a recessed light and a cabinet door. DBSJ would not admit fault, despite having sized the cabinet as well as having determined the location of the recessed light. This error of not including the thickness of the door in the lighting plan layout was the same mistake made in the bathroom cabinet design/layout. The thickness of the cabinet door was not included when the overall depth of the cabinet was used during design and layout of the kitchen cabinetry and lighting. The homeowner elected to cut the cabinets down at his cost and risk in order to reduce the overall depth of the cabinet. No compensation was offered by DBSJ to the homeowner for this extra work which was successfully completed. After remaining kitchen cabinets were installed, the microwave oven could not be installed in its cabinet. Investigation by the homeowner showed that the height of the cabinet was insufficient to allow installation of the appliance. DBSJ had used the external dimensions of the cabinet for sizing, not the internal dimensions as needed to ensure the required clearance. DBSJ ordered two new cabinets at no charge to the homeowner, but which resulted in a three month delay while new cabinets were being manufactured and delivered. The kitchen sink purchased by DBSJ specifically to fit the cabinet sized and procured by DBSJ did not fit as it was too wide. Upon being notified of the situation, DBSJ advised the homeowner to trim the sides of the cabinet box as needed to allow the sink to be installed. The homeowner was instead forced to purchase a new sink, correctly sized to fit the cabinet, and the sink was installed with no other problem. Cutting the cabinet sides would have compromised the structural integrity of the cabinet, and the homeowner elected not to follow the unacceptable advice of DBSJ. It should be noted that this error of using the external cabinet dimension, and not the internal clearance dimension, was the same as made for the microwave cabinet. The same error, but DBSJ refused to acknowledge it and the homeowner was penalized by having to purchase the correct size sink, as well as the delay experienced waiting for the sink to arrive. DBSJ was also contracted to install a total of six new sliding glass doors for the homeowner, and this work was successfully accomplished. However, when the homeowner was painting the exterior trim on the doors, it was discovered that only three of the six doors had been properly caulked. The doors had not leaked, and there was no damage to the house as a result. The homeowner completed the caulking of the doors. The errors noted above reflect an inattention to detail in some of the work done by DBSJ. As noted, some of these mistakes were not acknowledged by DBSJ as being their fault. These errors cost the homeowner both time and money. The unwillingness of DBSJ to own the errors that were made by DBSJ during the work on the project resulted in the low rating. I would not recommend DBSJ to anyone looking for quality design work.

From the owner: "Let's start planning your New Home Design today"…read more Design Build San Juan and Cabinets San Juan provides full-service Design, Drafting & Permit work. We also have a Design Studio in Friday Harbor with Cabinetry, Flooring, Granite and Quartz and Tile on display; We are a GC who specializes in New Construction for start-to-finish Design Build projects, as well as offering a menu of individual services to suit your needs. Our services include everything from new residential construction, remodeling and additions, light commercial construction, to designing every detail for a mid-size one-room remodel. We specialize in drafted plan sets and building permits for San Juan County, WA. We are a licensed and bonded general contractor, lic. #shalei*928no. Our Design Studio is located in Friday Harbor, WA on beautiful San Juan Island. Design Build San Juan evolved from a partnership between Terry Whalen/Shalen Inc. and Lori Williams of Island Aesthetic Design LLC.

The "resort" will also send their maintenance man on his maintenance vehicle to hassle you out in…read morethe parking lot if they think you shouldn't be there or they just don't want you there. We didn't leave any garbage anywhere, we didn't bother anyone, we weren't car prowling, we kept to ourselves except to answer a bunch of untoward questions. Totally unfriendly , rude, odd, unwelcoming, troublesome and distant from decent conduct.

I love this shop. it's a highlight each time we visit Roche Harbor, which is about once a year…read more It's full of beautiful treasures.

When we were building our house in Sequim, my wife was convinced we needed to hire an interior…read moredecorator, and I have to say, I was skeptical. I pictured spending thousands of dollars for an end result I wouldn't be happy with. Wow was I wrong! Catherine started the process by meeting with us a few times at the construction site. We then discussed what kind of feel we wanted for the house, and being total amateurs, we had a hard time describing what we wanted. We quickly discovered one of her gifts is helping you come up with a plan that is yours, but will flow beautifully, from outside, to inside, then all together. As my wife and I are both fairly conservative on our tastes, we loved the fact that Catherine pushed us to expand our horizons in our choices more than we would have without her. The end result is a home we love more than we ever thought we could! She is also very cost conscious on spending someone else's money, which was a pleasant surprise. I'm guessing her recommendations on where to shop for some items (lights, for example) saved us enough to almost pay for our work with her. Bottom line, every time we drive up to our new home, we know we made a great choice in hiring Catherine!

5 Stars, 2 thumbs up, and a million thanks to CSC Designs!! When we bought a new house, we knew we…read moreneeded help to make the house shine and to have it feel like a home. We'd never worked with an interior designer and weren't sure where to start. I went to Yelp and found Catherine there and was impressed with the reviews - and I liked the feel of her website too. We called Catherine and said, "we're buying a new house, we want to have the whole house painted and re-carpeted and we want the wood floors refinished and we need some new furniture too. Oh, and we need it done in 2 months and we won't be here at all during the process. Can you help?" She never hesitated. She said, "Sure, I'll be right over, let's get started." Amazing, right?! AND she managed the entire project, involved us in the decision making process while not overwhelming us, worked with the contractors, kept us updated, AND made sure that everything was done when we got back to Sequim two months later! Truly, she's a miracle worker. Catherine has also helped us with furnishing the house, figuring out where to put furniture, hanging pictures, and dealing with all the little details that make a house a showplace. She's even gone shopping with us to pick out furniture and she's worked with vendors, scheduled appointments, gotten quotes, and done a million things that saved us time. Perhaps most importantly, she's gently steered us away from things that really wouldn't look right. Through it all, Catherine has been kind, gracious, patient, trustworthy, and reliable. She does what she says she will do - and more. She's also really fun to work with and she's such a nice person. We've also found all of her billing to be very fair and reasonable. We've referred Catherine to friends without hesitation. Trust me on this, if you work with her, you'll be glad you did!

This guy will rip you off. I was warned, but decided to try him anyway. The job was never…read morecompleted, he kept my money, and it ended up costing me twice as much as quoted to get it right. The only positive is that he always smiled as he screwed me over. Avoid this place at all costs.

I very recently hired Keri to re-imagine my new Bellingham Condo. I was blown away by what she came…read moreup with. I had a small budget and a minimalist style. She got me from the get-go. She helped me re-arrange furniture, choose decor, choose where to hang what art. One of her talents is curating artsy pieces and she was able to find cool stuff at low cost. Passionate about what she does, she will inspire you and your space!!! Check out the pics below!

I showed Keri one inspiration photo and Keri did the rest. She did all of the sourcing from…read moreCraigslist and thrift stores. My spaces are so much more inviting after they received Keri's touch. If you ever wanted a Fixer Upper experience for your interior spaces, please use Nesting Instincts. I would come from work to find my spaces transformed. Keri showcased our treasures and added comfort, coziness, and lighting. It was a fun experience.

I was drawn to Trading CO by they awesome metal sculptures they had in front of their business…read more Once inside I discovered so many great little treasures! One of them being the staff! The staff were to sweet and went out of their way to make sure I was happy with my purchases and their prices. They even gave me a small gift for my upcoming wedding! If you're in the area, you must stop by the Trading CO!