We began the process of building a custom-designed home in April 2013, and shortly after breaking…read moreground in June we realized WE WERE IN WAY OVER OUR HEAD! So we went on the search for design assistance, and found Leela & Alissa just in time. Honestly, we would have made one hundred thousand million mistakes without them. For example... (1) We would have designed a kitchen with an oven door that would not fully open (2) We would have had tile installed that was not symmetrical (3) We would have selected dark mahogany floors AND HATED THEM I mean the list goes on, but I feel like those examples show the detail that goes into functional interior design. It's not all pillows and light fixtures here people, these ladies have architectural experience to guide on the topics that you would have had no clue about until after the fact. When they stare you glaringly in the face every day and irritate you to no end. It's important to acknowledge that most builders and most subcontractors really don't care about the details and the over functionality of the design. Which is why when you get into massive home design projects it's key to have a guru who is paying attention to these details. I fully believe that Alissa & Leela are capable of tackling any style, however they really excel at successfully achieving a contemporary modern aesthetic. Which is a perfect fit for us because that's also what we love. So the conversations felt natural and felt mostly easy, and the special touches they suggested were right up our alley. More examples... (1) Concrete poured mantle (2) Cabinet doors for the AV console that are slated walnut (3) A beautiful waterfall white quartz island in the kitchen (4) A low shelf in the kitchen for displaying every day plates, glasses etc (5) Gorgeous custom entry wall paper that is a map of my hometown Their approach is unique. Thoughtful. Clean. Practical. And more than anything, very personal. They actively listened and ultimately helped us build a modern marvel! We are incredibly grateful that we found them when we did.

This review is based on the process of getting a bid from Bright…read more I was looking for some advice about fitting out a work/play space in my home. I wanted to hire someone to meet with me in the space, bounce some ideas, advise me on what was realistic, etc. I was willing and able to pay a high hourly rate for this service. I was also, separately looking for someone to come advise me on color flow throughout the house. Although they did respond to messages and provide another recommended outside designer, I was turned away from getting a consult because we weren't a good fit. They wouldn't send someone to do a consult with me! As an artistic service professional myself, I can read between those lines and I was really put off by the experience. The company has a beautiful portfolio, but apparently do not want to service a smaller residential customer who doesn't have a personal connection or in with them. I can respect "not a fit" but felt it was used as a line with me - boo!

If you're looking for a local interior decorator in the Portland area, I highly recommend Ochre &…read moreRye. Ochre & Rye decorated our entire basement remodel. This included a large room that she transformed into a functional yet beautiful space! We now have a charming little office and lounge area that are very cohesive. O&R also decorated our bathroom. It went from a boring blank slate to beautiful place that we actually want to utilize! The owner and decorator, Gracie, was very professional and brought so many great ideas to us. My husband and I still felt like we had a lot of choice in how our space ended up, but without the need to do any of the work.

I would recommend Design With Refinement in a heartbeat to anyone feeling discouraged, dissatisfied…read moreor overwhelmed by something in their home. We had several problem areas in our house, and the prospect of fixing them seemed like a tiresome (and likely expensive) chore to us. But Refinement and Lynn made it easy! They had delightful yet practical solutions for all of our livability problems, even where to put the shoes, and they turned our uninviting, under-furnished and weirdly shaped living room into a colorful, comfortable, multi-purpose gathering place with an eclectic mix of old and new. Very happy with the approach, the cost, and the outcome.

I had some ideas for my home but could not make it look 'put together'...but there was something…read moremissing! I just couldn't get it right.......I had never hired a designer before but when Wendy met with me she was just so warm and friendly I couldn't help but get excited about working with her. I never felt judged by her (even though clearly my home has never seen a designer!). I explained what I liked in my living room and what I envisioned...somehow Wendy took words like "airy" and "comfy yet not cluttered" and turned it into actual room! She was very respectful of my budget and seriously with her connections I got a room that is filled with much higher quality items than i could of done! I really am happy with my living room now, its not too put together that it screams "designer" yet everyone who comes over says 'wow'! I think no one has guessed how I achieved this room because Wendy really listened to my ideas and embraced our family personality so much so that it doesn't stick out from the other rooms...it just looks like us but BETTER! I can't wait to design other rooms with her.I highly recommend her to ANYONE looking for a designer.

We were referred to several contractors when we purchased a new storm door…read more After contacting three of the contractors, we chose Vitan - Home and Yard Repair. Tatsiana was easy to work with, and their estimate was the best value. We are extremely pleased with the end result; besides affordability, their work was the highest quality. They were also on time, completely cleaned up, and verified with us any issues that came up during installation. We will definitely be using their services again.

Ivan installed our kitchen backsplash. He was timely and did a very good job. I highly recommend…read morethis company for any tile work.

Thank to Omella our bathroom looks phenomenal. Me and my wife are not the best designers but with…read moreOmella's help our old ugly bathroom came to life. Owner of this company personally went to tile store with us and helped us pick the best material. Very happy!

Reviewing these people is complicated…read more Their problem, it seems, is they are severely understaffed for customer service purposes, and when customer contact is not convenient for them ... well, then the customer just gets ghosted --- not reply-delayed, but totally ghosted. Seriously. There already is a review reflecting this. But the problem is not black and white because, when they ARE flesh and blood (i.e. not ghosts), and they are on the job initially, they are personable, concerned about doing a good job, and their work product is decent. So they are NOT crooks. But the problem arises if you need them to do additional work or make adjustments after the job is done. In my case my job needed secondary work --- NO FAULT of theirs, just extra improvements/corrections that I was willing to pay for. They ghosted me. No reason. Just ignored hone calls and the extra work. I won't list number of calls and emails made and appointments ignored. But it was unacceptable. Times are rough. Labor is unavailable and demand is high. So I have to acknowledge this. But ghosting a good customer is not acceptable practice. I therefore do not recommend these people, because regrettably they are not reliable. I almost gave them a 2 star review for this reason, but that was too harsh. But I reluctantly do not recommend someone who you cannot count on to support their own installation.

He provided a fair quote for a shower glass install and seemed to have a legit business, so I…read moresigned contract and provided precise drawing with dimensions for him to order shower door (although he never sent drawings with his quote). He was unresponsive for 10 days after saying he would provide shop drawings within "a couple days." Eventually sent shop drawing that did not match what was sketched nor read any dimensional info in the email/contract. I was very patient and polite throughout the process. He then texted out of the blue to cancel the job altogether 3 weeks after he quoted the job and over 2 weeks after I signed contract . Waste of 3 weeks. Luckily he did not require any deposit or this would be a bigger issue. He seems nice but maybe he just overbooked himself. I try to give people benefit of the doubt, but I would definitely not recommend based on my experience.

I had a complete master bathroom remodeled a few years back at it turned out great. Devon at Rapid…read moreRemodeling did such an amazing job that we hired him again to give our kitchen a facelift. He put in new countertops with a marble backsplash up to the ceiling which turned out beautifully. He's efficient, throughout, and easy to work with. I'd definitely recommend Rapid Remodeling for your next indoor or outdoor project!